There are many reasons not to upgrade server plans. These upgrades typically come with higher monthly or annual fees.
Upgrading a server plan may require migrating data to a new server, resulting in downtime. Even with well-planned migrations, service interruptions aren’t out of the question.
The new server environment might require you to reconfigure applications, databases, or security settings.
Why would you consider upgrading your plan? You might be if you had an online store and were launching new products, planning promotions, or expecting a major holiday. It would be reasonable to expect a spike in traffic to your website soon.
You can handle traffic spikes without having to upgrade your plan. Here are some effective approaches.
Implement load balancing
Websites that implement load balancing are able to distribute incoming traffic evenly across servers. Load balancers minimize the risk of overload and ensure resource balance by directing requests based on server capacity.
They are less common on shared servers due to limited resources, so there might be better options than shared hosting. Your choice of web hosting in Canada and elsewhere can make the difference between smooth operation and downtime.
Optimize database queries and website code
There are currently around 1.09 billion websites, and 252,000 new ones are created every day. Given this resource strain, it makes sense to continuously optimize your website’s code and database queries. This will improve resource efficiency and website performance.
Through techniques like database indexing, code bottlenecks can be eliminated, unnecessary scripts minimized, and faster queries achieved. Well-optimized databases and code are better equipped to handle traffic spikes without putting pressure on your server.
Plan scalable infrastructure
Consider cloud hosting plans with demand-based dynamic resource scaling if you anticipate consistent traffic increases. This way, you’ll never have to upgrade your server manually.
Monitor website analytics
Track traffic trends, performance metrics, and user behavior. By identifying patterns, you can predict traffic surges.
Tools like Google Analytics or Pingdom can monitor your website’s performance. About 77 million websites currently use Google Analytics, and more than 3.2 million US websites have Google Analytics 4 in 2024. It provides insights into traffic patterns, server health, and user behavior. Control panel dashboards also offer data on server performance in real time.
Schedule content
If you’re planning a promotion or another special event, it would help to schedule content for anticipated traffic surges. You might stagger content for even load distribution or schedule it during off-peak hours.
According to HubSpot data, brands that schedule content regularly see a 67% increase in lead generation compared to brands that don’t schedule content.
Contact your hosting provider for support
Communicate with your Canadian hosting provider to ensure they can adequately support you during traffic spikes. Some hosts offer advanced traffic management or temporary resource upgrades during surges.
Use a content delivery network
A CDN is a server network that serves static content, like style sheets and images, from the server closest to your website visitors. This reduces the load on your hosting provider’s server. CDNs improve performance and load times, especially during traffic spikes.
More than 41 million sites were using one as of March 2024. The mobile CDN market is worth $28.3 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $236.7 billion by 2031, an impressive 35.46% a year.
Final thoughts
Proactive measures like monitoring website performance are vital to ensure a resilient online presence. Being prepared for traffic surges guarantees a positive user experience, and every visitor is a potential customer.
Implement the tools and strategies this article recommends to optimize your site and get ready for traffic surges. Act now instead of waiting for the next spike.
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