VPS hosting is an optimal solution for expanding business. In comparison with shared shared shared hosting VPS provides more resources at an affordable price. When choosing a suitable virtual private server, attention is paid to such criteria as sufficient capacity, ease of configuration, and scalability. One of the most important parameters is the location of hosting.
VPS Hosting means dividing one physical server into several virtual servers. To perform the task uses hypervisor technology. Each virtual server has individual resources: RAM and hard disk space. Among other advantages are reliability in operation, improved performance, and the ability to constantly expand without downtime and interruption. Scalability is an important parameter if the perspective is to increase the number of visitors and business expansion.
Cost-effectiveness of VPS is beyond doubt. For example, the low cost of Ubuntu VPS rental is combined with high performance and stability. As a result, a client receives a lot of benefits without overpayments.
Why choose a location
Providers who offer virtual hosting services specify the location of the server equipment. It can be a city or a region where the data center (processing center) is located. The VPS location affects the efficiency of its work, in particular, the performance and availability to users. What is affected by the location of the virtual private server:
- The speed at which pages load. Reducing the speed at which the necessary content loads negatively affects the loyalty of visitors to the site. People prefer to get the information they need quickly, delays are annoying and often force them to use other Internet resources. For example, a study of visitor behavior using the analytical platform KISSmetrics showed a correlation between the speed at which pages load and the number of abandoned views. More than 30% of site visitors were not willing to wait more than 10 seconds. For 3% of the target audience, the maximum acceptable wait time is no more than 1 second. High performance is especially important for online projects, games, training courses, and webinars. The absence of loading delays leads to an increase in positive user feedback, which, in turn, contributes to an increase in the number of visitors and profits.
- Search Engine Optimization. Many SEO-promotion experts believe that the location of the physical hardware affects the effectiveness of measures that are aimed at improving the position of the site in the search query. According to some data, a site’s ranking may change when the location of the data center changes.
- Privacy. Privacy and data protection vary by country. In some countries, representatives of competent authorities may obtain permission to access the site and track the information posted on it. The task that faces every tenant of the VPS server is to find a country where the data center will be reliably protected. We are talking about protecting the personal data of users and the commercial secrets of their own businesses. When choosing a data center site, it is worth focusing on the legal regulations of the country.
Physical data centers operate in different countries. Virtual private server tenants can choose suitable options, considering the location of their company’s office or target audience. For example, if a company’s products are mainly shipped to European countries, it is logical to choose a VPS in that region.
How to choose a location
To choose a VPS location, it is necessary to take into account the physical location of the target audience and the required degree of information protection. For example, if the company produces products that are bought by Europeans, it is better to place a virtual private server there. In this case, the speed of the site will be the highest. If potential customers are in Europe and the server is at a considerable distance, for example, in the U.S., increases the data transfer time and, accordingly, the loading of the page.
Choosing a suitable location taking into account the purpose of the VPS
The first step in selecting a location is to determine your own goals and objectives. If the virtual private server is to be used for viewing content and surfing, it is better to choose the closest option in terms of territory. The farther the distance to the data center location, the lower the speed and the worse the quality of packet transmission. With a significant distance from the data center, users often encounter problems such as slow loading pages, fragmented submissions, and episodes of disconnection from the server.
If renting a VPS is considered as part of website hosting, the key point is the physical location of the target audience. If the site is targeted at residents of one country, it is best to rent a virtual server within that state. In this case, the pages of the site will load as quickly as possible, and users will have unhindered access to content.
When it comes to creating an international site, which should attract the attention of users around the world, the main parameters when choosing a virtual private server are reliability, modern equipment, and minimum downtime. To increase loading speed and improve site performance, you can use Cloudflare CDN – a set of software products that optimize the work of the web resource. The program plays the role of an intermediary between visitors and the site, controls the order of content caching, and protects against DDoS attacks. Alternative options are Amazon CloudFront and CDN77.
If the VPS is needed to run a VPN application, it is important at the preliminary stage to specify the goals of the project – to protect the Internet connection, get unlimited access to a specific IP-address or set limits and connect from one of the IP-addresses. That is:
- Overcoming restrictions. If access to a web resource is restricted, a VPN can help to solve the problem. The best options for the location of the virtual private server are the UK, USA, and Canada. In these countries there are no bans on access to sites – VPN applications will work without fail. For the residents of Europe, it is convenient to choose such locations as the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.
- Protect your Internet connection. VPN helps keep your security at a high level.
- Restrict access to the pages of the site. This measure is necessary to protect the content and the site itself, for example, when it comes to accessing the control page.
- Remove barriers when visiting certain online resources. For example, some U.S. dating sites are only available to visitors with an IP address in this country. A VPN can help you bypass the ban.
When choosing the best location for a VPS, it is important to take into account the security of the data center. The optimal location are countries and regions with a low probability of natural disasters, military actions, and political and economic problems. For example, power outages can adversely affect the physical server equipment and, accordingly, the productivity of the VPS. Social security and well-functioning infrastructure at the physical server location are priority issues.