The growth of hosting

Growth of hosting

Since the turn of the millennium internet usage has grown tenfold from 300 million users, to almost 3,000 million in March 2014. What is just as dramatic is the increase in traffic that each individual is generating, multiple email accounts, social media, private storage for pictures and videos, web sites and blogs.

At the same time, companies have had to adopt alternative ways of working as traditional marketing and communications have lost ground to new technologies; a failure to move in time with consumer trends can quickly kill a previously successful business model. Along with increasingly complex company websites is the growing requirement for new information through blogs, review sites and social media, simply to remain visible. Then there is the use of intranets to provide information and training programmes within a company, and their use as a B2B tool for improving product awareness and building strategic partnerships. Behind this growth are the companies that host these web services, who have to provide a reliable platform for an exponential growth in data transfer. Choosing the right one has never been more important for retaining customer confidence.

Outsourcing

While it is possible to keep all of the hosting facilities in-house the question for a company has to be, why would we want to? Outsourcing to the right hosting company means access to state of the art technology, expert service technicians and regular upgrades, without the capital expense, space and personnel requirements of going it alone.

Scalability

Even the smallest company can see the need for a professional website as more and more customers use search engines to source goods and services, but as companies grow, so do their hosting needs. Customers require new and up-to-date information on products and offers, which is also how search engines rate websites as they attempt to deliver the most relevant results for information requests. E-Commerces sites will be hoping to expand their customer base and will often have to take into account seasonal fluctuations that can cause massive spikes in usage. Provided that they have a robust hosting package, upgrades simply require a phone call, and the extra facilities are available with almost immediate effect. There is no need for complicated sourcing issues, worries about committing to the right hard and software, or downtime while changes are made.

Security

Breaches that allow customer details to be stolen by criminal gangs and hackers can destroy a company’s reputation overnight, and make headlines that the media love to focus on. Hosting companies that can demonstrate state of the art secure technolgy and protocols are helping to drive their success by transferring part of the risk to themselves. By choosing a PCI Data Security Standard holder to host their systems a company can show due diligence where security is an issue.

Speed and Downtime

Customers are becoming increasingly fickle as their experience of professional web site service grows. With multiple options to purchase similar goods or services any delay in loading pages, or worse still, a loss of service, will kill a transaction and send the customer on to a more reliable internet trader. Cheaper hosting packages may make claims that they match the competition, but if they struggle at times of peak demand it can cost a business dearly in lost reputation and sales.

Infographic: The importance of a good web hoster:

Additional Services

Hosting companies often offer far more in the way of additional services as they compete to remain first choice for businesses. Packages will often include blog software, virtual private servers, virtual hosting and e-commerce tools, along with customer support to make the transition simple. As the need for new facilities is recognised they are quickly incorporated to provide a one stop shop for net services.

Cloud Technologies

Cloud based hosting is relatively new but offers a wealth of opportunities for the consumer. Virtual offices can be created with easy access for employees and customers based anywhere around the world; communicating across vast distances as though they were next door. Cloud technology can also provide all the resources that might possibly be needed, but only charge for what is actually used. Speaking in advance of his appearance at the Cloud Connect Conference, Lane Livingstone, CEO of NetHosting said, “There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained at venues like Cloud Connect. In this case, that purpose is to define cloud computing as an emerging, and powerful, new technology, and to share the tools to enhance its application in all areas of business.” 

Web hosting is a business that has had to grow rapidly to meet an ever growing demand for its services. The importance of hosting can’t be underrated. Cloud technology provides like the flexible and secure computer infrastructure that customers require, and companies that can supply this are therefore seeing the largest growth in an industry that is still expanding at an increasing rate.

Images Courtesy of:

Importance-Hosting, Picture 4: bloomua – Bigstock® 

Internet-Connected-Hosting,  Picture 2 : STori – Bigstock® 

Web-Hosting, Picture 1: mkabakov- Bigstock®