What if you didn’t have to do the hard stuff that comes with managing a website — the site security, updates, and maintenance?
In this article, we’ll explore a type of service called managed WordPress hosting, and we’ll see why it might be right for you.
Let’s get started.
Managed WordPress Hosting Vs Other Options
To understand managed WordPress plans, let’s discuss different hosting solutions and how they affect your site.
Shared Hosting
The first one is Shared Hosting. This hosting service is as straightforward as it sounds — shared. If you opt for this plan, you must share and utilize hosting resources with multiple users.
This kind of hosting requires that you share one server with lots of other people. You’ll use a fraction of the machine’s RAM, bandwidth, CPU, and storage.
Although shared hosting is cheaper than managed hosting, you sacrifice site performance and security. Go for this type of service if you’re on a strict budget or need to cut spending.
Self-Managed VPS Hosting
Next up is self-managed Cloud VPS hosting. This is an easily customizable option primarily aimed at advanced users. It lets you pick your resources to build your virtual private server (VPS) in the cloud.
Because you have the entire virtual server to yourself, you get much better performance and security. However, since it’s a self-managed plan, you’re also in charge of some of the complex system administration tasks. You get the virtual machine with an operating system and (sometimes) a control panel. It’s up to you to install all the software applications and systems required that support your website.
As a result, self-managed plans are not particularly suitable for less experienced users who are just getting started.
Managed VPS Hosting
And then, there’s Managed VPS hosting for WordPress. Once again, an entire virtual server is dedicated to a single project, so managed VPS hosting is suitable for high-traffic blog owners, enterprises, or small to medium-sized businesses.
You get the same top-notch performance and security, but this time, the complex sysadmin jobs are handled by your host’s technical experts. You get the server ready set up, and you can focus on building your website. You usually have a management platform through which you can control the development of your project and the services surrounding it.
Features of Managed WordPress Hosting
Let’s look at the features you’d expect in a managed WordPress account. All of these activities will be done for you.
Access to a User-Friendly Dashboard
Building a website on a self-managed account may require a lot of command-line work. This is not the case with managed plans.
With them, you get a browser-based management platform with a point-and-click interface. Good solutions of this kind allow even the most inexperienced user to build and configure their account and create the perfect hosting environment for their website. ScalaHosting’s SPanel is a prime example.
It comes with a one-click WordPress installer and managed and maintains tight security standards for hosting your WordPress site. It also shows you individual statistics on usage and performance.
With a clean and intuitive dashboard, you can manage your various WordPress projects while monitoring important metrics.
Staging Environments
Unlike shared plans that often allow the hosting of a single website only, VPS servers let you set up several WordPress instances under the same account. As a result, you can have a staging environment where you can test out plugins and themes and see how changes to your site may affect the user experience. It is great for web developers or site managers.
Sometimes, the creation of a staging environment is completely automated.
Managed Updates and Backups
It’s not just enough to run updates on your website. Managed WordPress hosting experts keep your software and plugins updated and monitor these updates’ impact through automated tests.
Scalability
Managed WordPress hosting can support your business’ growth. When your website gains traction and start to exceed the limits of your current VPS, you can upgrade the virtual server in a matter of seconds. If you host your website with ScalaHosting, you can even choose the type of resources you need. That way, you won’t pay for something you don’t use.
Benefits of Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress might make things easier, but is it ideal for your situation? Let’s explore the benefits and limitations of using a managed WordPress.
Tailor-Made Services
With managed WordPress, your hosting provider puts your need into consideration. By offering multiple features, like free CDN, SSL, DNS, My SQL, and all-SSD storage, you’re able to focus on your business while the experts handle your website.
Optimal Performance
Managed WordPress websites get automatic updates and daily backups that keep their sites performing optimally. With a dedicated environment that guarantees high performance, you are assured of 100 percent uptime on your own VPS server.
Security
Some managed VPS solutions feature specialized security solutions like SShield. It blocks 99.9 percent of all web attacks directed to your website and notifies you in real-time if there is a hack. Pro Spam Protection also protects you against unsolicited emails.
Dedicated Support
Since experts manage the website, they are more likely to look into your problem immediately than they would for self-managed users.
Limitations of Managed WordPress
Here’s why managed WordPress may not be a fit for your business.
Less Control
With managed WordPress, you have less control over what goes on in your server. You don’t get root access, and some of the applications you want to use may not be supported.
Not for Price-Sensitive Users
This hosting option is more expensive than most shared hosting plans and unsuitable if you’re on a tight budget. We recommend, however, to factor in the cost of running a website, especially if you see it as a long-term goal, to realize that this is a good option.
Bottom Line
You can get a lot of benefits from managed WordPress hosting. Though it may cost you more money than most, the long-term results are well worth the price.
In addition to optimal performance and security, you get preferential treatment when it comes to support. If you’re looking to start your WordPress journey, we’re one click away at ScalaHosting.
