Although there are many ways to get your website up on the internet when it comes to web hosting, one of the most popular choices is to use VPS hosting. Overall, it’s a better option than shared hosting because Virtual Private Servers have better security, complete privacy, and offer freedom to do tasks freely without the provider limiting your actions or choice of software. And it is certainly cheaper than renting out your own dedicated server. Those that don’t want to spend a lot of time setting up their servers or websites often choose Windows VPS hosting. While such services are great, their quality heavily relies on the provider. If you want a reliable provider that won’t cause you issues, you should pay attention to several important aspects.
Managed vs. unmanaged
First, you should consider if you want to set things up and manage everything yourself or if you want to leave this to the professionals. With managed Windows VPS, the hosting provider will do regular set up and maintenance tasks for you and fix any possible issues. This way, you don’t really have to worry about running your server, especially if you don’t have a dedicated team or resources to do so yourself.
On the other hand, managed VPS costs more because of the additional technical expertise and you don’t get full root access, meaning that if you want to install applications yourself, this has to be approved by the provider first.
More experienced users that can fix minor issues themselves often go for unmanaged Windows VPS hosting. It’s a significantly cheaper option as there is no dedicated technical support to maintain your server. Furthermore, since you get complete root access, technically you are free to change the VPS however you like and install all the programs you want without checking it out with the provider first.
Server uptime
No one likes slow-loading websites, lag, outages, and overall inaccessibility, be it webpages or servers. This significantly hinders the user experience and lowers visitor traffic, which can have an especially negative impact on online businesses. Although many users usually opt for Windows VPS hosting providers that boast 99.5% uptime, those that want to experience the minimal possible amount of downtime per year should go for 99.9% or higher. This percent equates to about 53 minutes of downtime per year which means your systems will be accessible for the rest of the time.
Such high availability and fault tolerance can only be guaranteed by providers that have Uptime Institute certified Tier III data centers. It possible because of how the DC itself is built and other important factors as having multiple high-speed communication channels, reliable backup systems, load balancers, independent power sources, 24/7 onsite technical specialists, and more.
Customer service
A reliable Windows VPS hosting provider must have great customer support. Their team should be quick, efficient, and most importantly helpful. There should also be multiple ways to contact them, not only by email. Web hosting companies should have appropriate ticket systems and live chat options.
You should prioritize those providers that offer their clients ongoing support 24/7 and have their own customer support departments. Community forums and knowledge bases are also pretty important as you can find additional helpful content for your servers, bug fixes, and more.
Data protection and backups
With the growing number of hacker attacks, data protection is the number one priority for most website owners. Losing such data or having it corrupted by ransomware can lead to irreparable losses for many. That is why your chosen Windows VPS hosting provider should offer proper regular backups or at least additional services that guarantee at least some form of it. Those that provide SSL certificates should also be prioritized as these can significantly increase your data protection by encrypting any inbound or outbound communication.
Of course, you shouldn’t only rely on your VPS provider for backups. Generally, it’s advised for users to set up additional automated backups themselves to make file recovery and restoration an easier process.
Security
Besides uptime and data protection, overall security is also important. Your hosting solution should employ RAID storage arrays as they offer significantly better security for your data. You should also be able to freely enhance your security without any restrictions and install all the firewalls, server monitoring tools, malware detection tools, and programs for protection from DDoS attacks.
Scalability
Lastly, another crucial factor of a great Windows VPS hosting provider is scalability. As your website grows and starts getting more and more visitor traffic or you just start storing more content, the original VPS plan size and its resources will not be enough. A good provider should be able to accommodate this growth, not hinder it. Scalability must be an option and you should be able to freely change your plan without experiencing any server downtime.
Finding the ideal web VPS provider for your Windows server can be difficult as there are many choices out there. But if you take into consideration the aspects outlined here, choosing the right one will be easier. Also remember to check physical server specifications, the cost of the services, and if you’re getting the number of resources that you need.