Is it possible to use web hosting for any purpose other than hosting websites? The answer is yes if you are using Linux VPS. For example, you can use it for email or file sharing.
However, why would anyone want to use web hosting for any other purpose? The simple answer is you may not need the website anymore. There can be many reasons. For example, you may have made a website for any academic project which is over now. Sometimes, we migrate to a new web host.
What to Do in Such a Situation?
Most web hosts will not allow you to cancel your subscription right away. All you can do is turn off the renewal. It would be a frustrating experience when you would try to balance your business books or check the budget.
But, unfortunately, there is no other opinion. So all you can do is think about things you can do with your web host other than web hosting. This article discusses five things you can do with your Linux VPS Hosting.
The primary purpose of content management systems is website building, without any doubt. However, third-party integrations, plugins, or modules make them capable of handling other tasks. Managed hostings also recommend specific plugins for performance. You can repurpose these accounts to run other software tools on a similar server stack.
You can install many applications on your server rather than keep it idle. Here are the five use cases of Linux VPS.
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Collaborative File Editing
We have a lot of online note-taking tools. A few of them also serve as office suites. They allow you to edit spreadsheets and documents as a team. You would have used Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365. These tools may cause privacy violations by connecting users across third-party platforms. Is it better if you have a collaborative real-time editor of your own?
One such great tool is CryptPad.fr, by XWiki SAS. It is a cloud office suite that lets you create documents, and spreadsheets. You can also make project management kanbans, whiteboards, and polls. Making presentations is also possible. Also, you can install CryptPad using Docker or manually on your server.
Then, there is Etherpad for documents and EtherCalc for spreadsheets. Their installation options are also available on GitHub. Also, the Ownpad application lets you consolidate both apps within the dashboard. But you have to be a NextCloud user.
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Video Teleconferences
Most companies prefer Zoom for video conferencing. However, sometimes, topics are too sensitive for email communication. For such issues, voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) applications are better. Still, they are not 100% safe from cyberattacks. One great way to stay safe is to host your teleconference web application.
Here are some significant benefits of hosting your teleconference web application.
- Control over uptime and network bandwidth
- Privacy from unwanted visitors
- Security that addresses your needs
- Customization options for your teleconference needs
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Project Management
Many businesses use project management methodologies for good reasons. They have to better track progress, assignees, and task statuses. Certified professionals know everything about work breakdown structures and Gannt charts. They use a waterfall method that is compatible with agile work. But, Gannt charts are time-consuming to install in a proper way. Besides, they are not easy to follow.
The Kanban board framework is famous for agile project management. It lets you visualize task progress within teams and projects. The kanbans prioritize the tasks in a way that suits versatile teams. It also serves busy entrepreneurs bouncing between legal, branding, and cybersecurity initiatives.
The two most famous Kanban web applications today are Trello and Asana. They have a long list of features and various use cases. But you cannot self-host any of them.
Kanboard is a FOSS, stand-alone kanban app which suits a small team or individual. You need PHP to work on Linux servers, and cPanel should be pre-installed. If you are a cPanel user, you can install it from Softaculous. Then it would take seconds to produce a new Kanban board.
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Customer Relationship Management
Project management tools only help you with internal initiatives. External efforts also have to be channelized for proper customer management. The applications of customer relationship management target those external efforts. It covers both potential and current customers. Primary objectives are:
- To track the customer journey of potential customers throughout the sales funnel
- To develop strong relationships with customers and better sell new products
- To provide a hub for customer service and technical support requests
The two most popular cloud-based CRM solutions are Zendesk and Salesforce. However, you can also use Softaculous since it has a complete CRM and enterprise resource planning (ERP) section. In addition, you can use the section for logistics operations, including Vtiger and SugarCRM.
All business owners should try CRM regardless of business size. Check how they enhance the insights and maximize productivity. Hence, you can optimize the working hours and organizational workflow.
You May Also Like To Read: Why is Linux VPS Hosting the Best Choice?
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Social Networking
Social efforts of companies now demand more privacy-conscious platforms. Some examples are Mastodon and GNU Social. You can self-host them, so it is possible to address your privacy concerns. Many businesses do not prefer platforms like Facebook and Twitter. It is due to the problems of censorship across social media. Some people also like to stick to email or return to internet relay chat (IRC).
These lesser-famous social platforms are better for business because of their long-tail method. Other ones, like Facebook and MySpace, focus on spreading the message worldwide. These long-tail platforms help companies to connect with shared interests and passions. For example, these interests can be:
- FOSS communities like WordCamp
- Independent music production
- Spirituality and religion
- Activism
Putting It All Together
You can do much more than just website hosting with a Linux server. Knowing about your server’s capabilities will help you a lot. You can use it for project management, gaming, customer relations, and social networking.
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