Are website owners generally interested in the technology behind their websites? In most cases, probably not – as long as it’s working. What’s on the website and how it improves their business are far more important. That way of thinking, however, needs to change. Technology matters. A lot. In today’s digital market, the latest web hosting technologies can make significant differences – from enhanced security and compliance to better customer experience and increased sales. Here is a closer look at how web hosting innovation is benefiting websites.
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Cloud hosting advancements
According to CloudZero, 97% of enterprises and 44% of small businesses now use cloud infrastructure or hosting services. For a stampede like this to have happened, there has to be something extraordinary about cloud hosting. The big attraction for many is scalability. Without having to pour over the technical details, the way cloud hosting operates means that websites hosted in the cloud never need to run out of computing resources. No matter how many visitors your website gets or requests your server has to process, it can handle them all without performance being affected or the website crashing. The reason for this is that in the cloud, you can scale up resources on demand. If you have a spike in traffic, you can add more resources at the click of a button.
Why is this important? Because it means small businesses don’t need to invest huge sums of money on servers to grow their websites and traffic, and this allows them to compete on a level playing field with much bigger organisations. Does it cost more to scale up? Yes – but the advantage is you can scale back down again as soon as the peak is over, which means you get the most cost-effective solution to remain competitive.
The other major attraction of the cloud is its reliability. The virtual servers on which websites are hosted in the cloud can be moved from one physical machine to another, instantaneously. So, if a physical machine suffers a hardware failure, the website is simply moved to a redundant machine without going offline. Even if the entire data centre is offline, the website can be moved to another data centre in a different location. The result is that web hosts can guarantee 100% uptime, which is vital for websites and other critical applications that need to be accessible all of the time.
Security innovations
One group of people that have certainly embraced new technology are cybercriminals. Today, they utilise powerful tools, some using AI, to conduct highly sophisticated attacks against companies large and small – and can do so at scale. Just as concerning, some groups now offer their services to others – such as Ransomware as a Service (RaaS).
In response, web hosting companies have ramped up their own security with advanced technologies of their own, protecting websites from a wide range of threats. These include SSL certificates that encrypt data transmitted between a website and its visitors, preventing sensitive and financial information from being stolen during transit. Advances in firewall technology and intrusion detection tools, meanwhile, mean malicious incoming traffic can be swiftly identified and blocked. Indeed, there are a raft of security technologies that can keep websites and businesses safe, from email encryption and spam filtering to malware detection and automated updates. In a world where cybercrime is rife, and where 60% of firms go out of business within 6 months of a cyberattack or data breach, it could be a grave mistake not to take advantage of these technologies.
Speed and performance improvements
Website speed and performance are crucial for delivering great user experiences and can improve search engine ranking. They can also help boost the bottom line, as impatient users will quickly abandon slow-loading websites without making a purchase.
Web hosting companies are well aware of the need for improved speed and performance, and technology in hosting services has developed significantly to make this happen. Many have now deployed the latest processors and MVMe SSD storage, together with faster networking infrastructure – all resulting in faster delivery.
These, however, are just part of the solution. Website owners can also benefit from technologies like caching, which temporarily stores copies of website content in strategic locations, reducing the distance data travels and, consequently, the time it takes to get there. Additionally, the adoption of newer web protocols, like HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, allows multiple requests to be sent over a single connection, significantly reducing the time it takes for pages to load.
Not considered SSD before? Read 7 Reasons Why You Should Choose SSD Hosting
Automation in hosting management
Many web hosting companies now take advantage of automation tools, a move that benefits both hosts and their customers. While automation makes it easier and less time-consuming for hosts to carry out tasks like server setups, software updates, monitoring and backups, it also reduces the risk of human error which can impact customers. Automation also simplifies the deployment process, enabling website owners to easily launch new websites or applications without the need for technical expertise.
Automation also helps improve security, with automated security scans and updates ensuring that vulnerabilities are swiftly identified and patched before cybercriminals attack. Automated backups, meanwhile, mean site owners don’t need to manually make backups and can schedule them to happen at the frequency they need. This reduces the burden on owners while providing the reassurance that in the event of data loss or a security breach, they can quickly restore their site.
Looking for an automated backup solution? Read Cloud Backups – The Best Way to Protect Website Data
Emerging technologies and changing trends in web hosting
With new technologies constantly being developed, it’s almost impossible to look more than a few years ahead. One technology that will almost certainly play a key role is artificial intelligence. It’s already being used in areas like security, not just to identify threats and predict attacks, but to thwart attacks and predict future threats. Together with machine learning, AI will undoubtedly be used to automate even more aspects of website management, such as providing predictive analytics for traffic management. Website owners could also benefit from its ability to enhance personalisation and enable users to interact fully with websites using their voice.
Other technologies that could have an impact include edge computing, which brings data processing closer to the location where it is needed. This helps reduce latency, improve speed and takes the processing burden away from centralised data centres. Particularly beneficial for businesses using IoT devices, this could also be very useful for websites with global audiences, as it would provide a more seamless user experience regardless of where visitors were located. Blockchain is another technology with potential in web hosting. By distributing data across a network of computers, blockchain-based hosting could reduce the risk of data breaches and improve data integrity – a move that would boost security and compliance.
Find out How AI is Transforming Online Marketing
Conclusion
As said in the introduction – technology matters. If you’re a website owner, taking advantage of the technologies available today can provide a huge range of benefits, from streamlining website management and hardening security to providing better user experiences and improving search engine ranking. Is there a need to embrace these innovations? We think so. Your competitors already have.
Don’t get left behind – optimise your site with the latest tech for better performance and security with our user-friendly cPanel Hosting. Let’s move forward together!
