Websites have become an essential business component no matter the industry you’re in or the customers you’re targeting. But it can be a complicated process setting up your business’ online presence and ensuring you have all the right equipment and support in place. Should you be thinking about upgrading to a dedicated server? We’ve identified the signs that suggest it could be a good move.

With more business than ever before being conducted online, it should come as no surprise that customers, both consumers and other businesses, expect a smooth online experience when visiting your site. If you recognise these five areas in relation to your site, an upgrade to a dedicated server from your existing web hosting plan could be critical.

1. Your website’s performance is hindering the customer experience

Customers expect websites to be accessible at all times. If yours is taking too long to load, for example, customers will quickly get fed up and leave, often choosing a competitor instead. Listen to what your customers are saying about the experience of using your website and track their journey, frustration is a key indicator that you could benefit from moving to a dedicated server – it’ll improve your SEO if this is an issue too.

2. You’re upgrading your website and it’ll be more complex

Web hosting plans are fine if your website is relatively basic but if you’re planning an upgrade that features all the bells and whistles, it could buckle under the pressure of hosting something that’s more complex. If, for example, you’re planning on introducing more complicated functions to streamline e-commerce, a dedicated server may be your best option moving forward.

3. You want to give your developers increased flexibility

Having your own server gives you far more independence and freedom to experiment. If you work with developers, either in-house or through partnerships, a dedicated server can allow for custom programming options and allow you to pick out the tools that best match your business and goals, it ultimately allows you to tailor it to suit your business.

4. You’re expecting traffic to increase

Are you planning a campaign that will secure the future growth of your business? A website that doesn’t anticipate increased traffic can bring expansion plans to a halt. While your existing traffic is important for setting the right web hosting now, you need to plan ahead too, reflecting how your operations will affect growth.

5. You’ve faced some security issues

Cybersecurity is becoming a huge issue for both businesses and consumers. If you’ve faced security problems in the past or you want to give customers the ultimate assurances, a dedicated server can significantly enhance your online security.