Edge hosting & website monitoring
The modern way to host websites
HOSTING
This plan uses global content delivery networks (CDNs) to deliver your website.
Compared to traditional server-based hosting this gives us:
- Faster loading times globally.
- Higher uptime rates.
- Better security.
- A lower carbon footprint.
- Less maintenance.
- Better scalability.
It makes full use of what now can be done within the user's browser and is powered by large global infrastructures offered by companies like Google and Amazon.
The advantages
- No single point of failure: the website does not live on one server but is cached in 200+ places around the world.
- Efficiency: it does not rely on power hungry software to generate a website.
The disadvantages
- The website owner does not get a code-free way to update the content of their sites.
If needed, this has to be done by adding a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, but adds in additional set up and maintenance costs.
Balancing dependencies
- If the website owner has no HTML coding skills they are dependent on others to change their website content.
- However, if the website is dependent on the CMS they lose ownership of their site altogether.
Technically “open source” software like WordPress is free to use, but would now require a team of developers to make it your own. You have to accept their changes.
WordPress is no longer the simple and stable software we used exclusively since 2007.
We think where possible it is best to depend on code that every developer knows. That way you are only with us by choice.
Increasingly our client's found having the option to DIY content was a false economy. Confusing changes in the software, plus the constant learning to do it properly meant most wanted us to do it.
Website monitoring
We also include basic monitoring that hosting companies don't do:
- Website speed. The basic measurement for this is Google’s Core Web Vitals where page load is a search ranking factor. This measure changes over time and we check to see we are ahead.
- Website visits. If there is a drop we attempt to work out why. This could be a technical change in Google algorithm or how it crawls the site. It could be an online competition.
- User behaviour. We look out for usability and design issues. Are visitors lost, confused over what is interactive, not scrolling enough to see the main call to action etc.?
- Uptime. In theory, this can be 100%, but there are other factors like Domain Name Server which are beyond our control.
- Legal issues. Legislation over the web changes all the time. Many will know of the Cookie Law and later GDPR but may not know about the change on website accessibility. As site owner you are always responsible, but we can alert you to changes and trends.