Cloud hosting is one of the biggest trends in website hosting this year. This newer hosting platform uses advanced technology to allow websites to grow and use more resources immediately when the need arises. There are several ways you can take advantage of the cloud and utilize it for your own business including website and app hosting, increased data security, and cost-savings. Read on to find out how to best get on board and effectively utilize the cloud for your business.
How Cloud Hosting Works
Cloud hosting works by allowing a website to be stored on a virtual network that operates across a variety of physical servers. Cloud hosting networks are highly efficient as they can tap into the resources of any given server on the network to provide more space or bandwidth for a particular website or app as demanded by traffic patterns.
Most cloud-based hosting plans are billed on a per-usage basis. This means you only pay for the amount of resources that you actually ended up using, rather than paying for an entire server and allowing some resources to go to waste.
Types of Cloud Hosting
There are two main types of cloud-based web hosting: PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). PaaS is what website owners transitioning from traditional hosting services will find most familiar. On the other hand, IaaS cloud hosting, with the added option of hybrid cloud networking, allows users to create their own software stack and have full control over the operating systems and applications used on the service.
If you’re building your website with a Content Management System like WordPress or Drupal then you’ll likely find PaaS to be the best cloud-based hosting option. Using a PaaS cloud-based service is an easy way to get your website on the web with an already-installed server operating system and sometimes even one-click CMS installation options. If you’re planning to build a Drupal website or already run a website on the Drupal platform then you’ll benefit greatly from switching to a cloud service that offers optimized Drupal hosting.
Another popular type of cloud hosting is VPS cloud website hosting. Virtual Private Server hosting allows you to configure your server environment on the cloud with minimal technical training. This is perhaps the easiest and quickest way to get your website on the cloud without having to learn advanced hosting protocols or networking. Drupal hosting and other CMS-specific hosting services are often most effectively utilized when run on a VPS-style cloud service that allows the flexibility of a VPS, the security and scalability of the cloud, and the economic pricing of a shared-hosting style setup.
Cost Savings with the Cloud
One of the best reasons to use the cloud is the cost savings it can bring to your business. You can increase your hosting efficiency and save money on overhead by choosing a cloud hosting plan that best aligns with your budget and technical requirements. If you’re running a small to medium-sized website that doesn’t receive peaks in traffic you may find a flat-rate VPS-type cloud service most fitting. This will ensure you pay the same amount of hosting each month, regardless of how much data your website transfers or uses.
Scalable Cloud Solutions
If you’re expecting growth in your web traffic or have noticed peaks in traffic at certain times then you may want to opt for a per-usage cloud hosting plan so that your website can freely scale as needed and you don’t overpay for too large a hosting account. The best way to determine how much storage space and bandwidth you will likely need is to use a resource monitoring application like AppOptics or Google Analytics.
One great tip to follow if you’re trying to utilize the cloud efficiently is to keep track of expected growth patterns as well as your current resource usage. Even if you haven’t launched your website yet, you can determine how much traffic you’ll likely receive by doing research into the market your business operates in.
Tools like the Google AdWords Keyword Tool can help you assess how much demand there is for the keywords related to your business. Site ranking indexes like Alexa can also help you see how many visitors you competition or other websites in your market currently receive.
By following these tips and getting a better understanding of the cloud-based hosting options available to you, making the most of your hosting budget will be an easy and surmountable task. You can increase your website’s efficiency by finding a hosting plan that’s been optimized for your specific CMS and choosing a cloud service with a billing style that works well with the level of traffic your website is expected to garner. Compare several cloud hosts to make sure you’re getting the best deal and consider a VPS style cloud hosting solution if you appreciate quick and easy website setups and prefer added control over your cloud server.