The terror of websites attached to small businesses is that the long sought-for online attention might actually take them down for a while due to server lack of capacity. Isn’t it ironic that the very thing you’re after backfires when you finally get it? I’d avoid this unnerving scenario altogether, if I had the choice. And I’d do so by opting for a Grid type hosting service, which up-scales resources whenever the bandwidth employed by any registered website requires more boost.

The Grid alternative

Media Temple’s Grid service is likely to make blog or portfolio hosting a resilient affair. Whether your clients are photographers, architects, painters, writers, or entrepreneurs, their online presence is no longer at stake in the Grid. In fact, almost all types of websites find the support that they need with this hosting plan. All databases and web traffic automatically scale with the help of the innovative Auto-Scaling MySQL system.

It comes as no big surprise that we’re so receptive to the Media Temple solution, because they’ve been doing such a great job for years, and most designers/web designers really appreciate their support and passion for design. Besides, check out the heavy brands that they’re currently involved with.

How safe is safe?

You save up to $200 because Media Temple uses Cloudfare with Railgun to keep hackers and other harmful things at bay, while Cloudmark detects any hint of spam. At any rate, their own team is constantly patching up vulnerable points and makes behind-the-scenes updates to enhance the protection of your websites.

The AccountCenter

The Grid account is easy to manage from the cross-device (iPhone), user-friendly interface of the AccountCenter. The control panel is where you keep track of pricings, and it handles databases, domains, applications, and email.

The 1-Click applications you can install are WordPress, Drupal, and Zen Cart. In addition, a growing list of supported applications includes Vanilla Forums, MediaWiki, and many others, and it’s been reported that the applications don’t stop at the list.

WebMail has its very own stand alone infrastructure, and the new uControl panel makes it possible for users to manage email passwords, or spam settings. Apart from that, you can create additional users with access to FTP and SSH resources. Yet, mind you, the Grid plan is not designed for reselling.

Reliable assistance

Hosting support is always available by phone, by chat, or by Twitter. Moreover, On-Demand, you can benefit from a cool set of optimization services for your websites on the Grid, by opting for CloudTech Premium Support.

For the small monthly price of $20, you can activate your Grid type account, with either an existing domain, or a new one (in which case you put in an additional $5 for the first year). The top-level domains accepted for registration are .com, .org, .net, .info, .biz, and .name. If you’re so massively trafficked that the whole thing exceeds your bandwidth limit, you pay-as-you-go $0.15 per GB, and the Media Temple watch informs you accordingly by email.