Whether you’re thinking about a dedicated server for gaming, for your eCommerce site or anything in between, choosing the right server and hosting company to suit your needs is important. And with literally hundreds of hosting companies to choose from — not to mention, endless hosting configurations —the task of selecting a dedicated server can be a challenge. As long as you avoid some of the most common mistakes people make when selecting a dedicated server, however, you should be in good shape.
Foregoing Round-the-Clock Support
Start by understanding that finding a hosting company that offers at least 24/7 technical support is a must. Ideally, you’ll find a hosting company that values your business so much that they offer not just 24/7 technical support when you run into issues or have questions, but round-the-clock general customer support as well. The last thing you want is to run into an issue with your service late in the evening or on a holiday without being able to get into contact with anyone for a resolution until a day (or more!) later. This is especially important if you’re hosting a website that you rely on for revenue, whether it be from eCommerce sales or ad profits.
Overlooking Security Features
More than ever, security is important for hosting customers, but what does that mean? Take some time to find a company that has security staffed at their data centers 24 hours a day, as well as surveillance systems, key card access and other physical barriers in place to protect your server. In addition, your host should offer some kind of protection against DDoS attacks, as well as alerts about public vulnerabilities, such as operating system patches.
Buying Solely Based on Price
While it may be tempting to take advantage of a “too-good-to-be-true” price on dedicated hosting, especially if you’re on a tight budget, it’s important to make sure you know what you’re getting for your money. Oftentimes, a bargain server is going to come with less-than-impressive service and reliability. Ultimately, your goal should be to find the best value for your budget — not necessarily the cheapest monthly price.
Not Knowing Your Needs
A good way to cut down on your dedicated hosting costs without sacrificing quality in the process is to simply know what your needs are. You don’t need to be paying for an unmetered server if you don’t use that much bandwidth each month, and you don’t need to pay for managed hosting if you’re capable of handling some basic maintenance tasks on your own. Take some time to identify your needs, or, if you’re not sure what they are, find a hosting company that will work with you to figure out your ideal hosting solution.
Ignoring Data Center Location
Remember that the location of your server’s data center will affect your latency, so research a hosting company’s data center locations before you buy to avoid long page load times, lag, and other issues for you and your users.
By avoiding these all-too-common dedicated hosting mistakes, you’ll ultimately be able to make the decision that best suits your needs and budget.
