If you’ve ever thought about expanding your online presence by launching your own website, you might be considering where to host it. With endless options out there, it can get quickly confusing. One standout might just be the solution to your hosting woes — Microsoft Azure.
What Is Azure?
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that offers various resources and services. Those building a website can use it to host their site in the Microsoft Cloud. This means it isn’t tied to a single machine but is on a network of powerful servers that make things faster, safer and more scalable. Many businesses subscribe to Microsoft Azure because of its virtually limitless uses, making it the second biggest cloud platform in the world.
Why Host Your Website on Azure?
Making Microsoft Azure your cloud-based server offers plenty of benefits.
1. Scalability That Grows With You
One of Azure’s best advantages is its scalability, which is why it is at the top of this list. Whether you’re starting a small blog or launching the next largest e-commerce empire, it can scale to meet your needs.
Regardless of traffic size, you won’t need any coding to keep up with the growth. Azure can handle the extra traffic without crashing, which is extra beneficial for when your website suddenly goes viral. It remains accessible, and your applications won’t experience any trouble if you run on a bigger scale.
Azure’s scalability also helps businesses that experience peaks and troughs in website traffic. It automatically scales based on the fluctuation. Additionally, you only pay for the resources you use — no need to overspend on server capacity you’re not using yet. If you’re unsure about how much capacity you’ll need, Azure’s pricing calculator can help you estimate costs for different setups.
2. Top-Notch Security
You may be concerned about cybersecurity, with an appalling 940,000 victims affected by cyberattacks per day. Consider your website in safe hands with Azure.
The platform uses unique threat intelligence and multilayered, integrated security measures to detect and defend against advanced threats. If you need more proof, even the U.S. government uses it.
3. Seamless Integration With Microsoft Tools
Already using Microsoft Office, Teams or Outlook? Azure plays well with all of them. This integration makes managing your website and workflow easier, especially if you’re used to the Microsoft ecosystem.
4. Cost-Effective Options for Every Budget
Conventionally, a significant budget is needed to run a website. With Microsoft’s massive infrastructure already in place, Azureremoves the need for initial investment so you don’t need a huge budget just to get started. The platform also has flexible pricing based on your needs.
There are different pricing tiers, including a free tier that already includes SSL certificates and a custom domain so your website looks professional without breaking the bank. A free account alsooffers $200 credit for new users, which automatically moves into pay-as-you-go pricing, where you only pay for services you use. Other tiers offer expanded storage and scale-out limits within a subscription that starts free for basic needs but scales up as your needs grow.
5. Built-In Maintenance and Updates
Unlike cloud-based computing services, traditional on-site servers usually require a large upfront investment and must be maintained and upgraded to keep your website up and running. With Microsoft Azure, everything is already included in your subscription.
It handles updates, patches and optimizations your website might need. This frees the user from having to maintain an IT team or worry about technical issues, giving them more time to focus on the website’s content.
Azure vs. Traditional Web Hosting
Why choose Azure over traditional hosting? The biggest difference is flexibility. Traditional hosting often comes with fixed plans that limit your growth. Azure is like a buffet — you pick what you need, and it scales with you.
Is Hosting on Azure Complicated?
Not really! Azure offers options for everyone.
Beginners without coding expertise can host a static website by simply uploading index.html files to Azure Blob Storage. For more tech-savvy users, advanced tools and services are available for deploying apps, setting up CI/CD workflows, and managing databases.
Your Website’s Next Big Leap Starts With Azure
When considering where to host your up-and-coming website, you’ll need a scalable, hassle-free and secure platform. Cloud-based servers provide financial and operational benefits you won’t find in on-site servers. Discover all that and more with Microsoft Azure.
