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Should I Host My Own Server or Use a Service?




Small business owners have enough to worry about with the day-to-day operation of a business. Then there are the big decisions that don't come along every day but will affect the future of your business. Choosing between running your own server and using a virtual server is one of those big decisions.

Many business owners are nervous about this decision and that's understandable. The choices can be confusing, especially if you're more interested in taking care of your business than learning about bandwidth and servers. There are some benefits to be had on both sides of the debate, and it pays to know what the difference is between the two.

In-house, dedicated hosting requires the use of physical and staff resources. Aside from simply having the server to host your website, you need to create the right conditions for the server to exist in. You'll also need to have staff on-hand who can handle the demands of a server and fix any problems that may come up. You may be able to hire a company to set up the server, but the daily operation will depend on you and your employees.

Hosting your own site might be a problem for those who don't know much about configuring and running a server. However, it may also be seen as an opportunity for you or your employees to learn something new or practice existing skills.

The benefits of hosting your own server are impressive. By hosting your website in-house, you'll always know what is happening to your data. You can fix problems on your time, not according to a host's schedule. The initial purchase of the server and the monthly electricity will cost some money. In the long run, though, you will save money by avoiding monthly hosting fees.

When you use your own dedicated server, you can be sure that the only applications installed on the machine are those that you want installed. You don't have to worry about your data being corrupted or harmed by unknown applications on the server.

Now, what about using a web hosting service? There are plenty to choose from, all with a variety of features, benefits and costs. GoDaddy, One and One and Yahoo web hosting are three of the most popular hosting services in the U.S. today.

The companies all offer similar pricing and features, with differences being found mostly in bandwidth allowances and disk space offerings. The major benefit of GoDaddy, One and One or Yahoo web hosting is that they take a lot of the responsibility off of the website owner. The web hosting companies handle the physical side of caring for the server and making patches and updates to the software.

Hosting your website with a company like these or other similar ones will somewhat limit your options when it comes to applications that you can install and use. You will most often be limited to using only the software supported by that particular hosting service.

Whether you choose to host your own web server or have it hosted somewhere else depends on your business needs. If you are the type of business owner who likes being very hands-on and who understands the operation of a server, hosting your own server is perfect for you. If you'd rather concentrate on your daily operations without worrying about the temperature in the server room, it's probably best to have your website hosted elsewhere.

Remember that no matter which way you decide to go, neither decision is permanent. You can always change your mind and your direction if you decide later on that your current method is not working out.