Tag: Managed WordPress Hosting

Top Reasons For Choosing Managed WordPress Hosting

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) for websites. Self-hosted sites are frequently based on basic web hosting, regardless of whether they are running a personal blog, portfolio, or even an eCommerce site.

Managed WordPress hosting is also available through many hosting providers. In comparison to other types of web hosting, managed WordPress hosting provides several benefits and specialized features tailored to WordPress sites.

Keep reading to learn these reasons why managed WordPress hosting is better than regular web hosting if you use WordPress to develop your website.

#1. Easy WordPress Setup

WordPress hosting services automate the setup of your site and install basic plugins. WordPress tutorials are also available from some providers to assist users in setting up their hosting accounts.

Setting up your hosting account is a good starting point before managing your WordPress site. This simplifies the configuration process and eliminates several steps, especially for beginners.

Managing multiple WordPress websites from one account is convenient if you run multiple websites. Thus, you don’t have to change setups and hosting accounts back and forth.

#2. WordPress-Tailored Technical Support

You may have some technical challenges since WordPress is known for having a steep learning curve. As a result, WordPress hosting can provide you with support during website development and troubleshooting.

This is because WordPress hosting companies have specialized technical support teams. Configuring and troubleshooting technical issues with this resource is a time-saving step. Consequently, you’ll have more time to focus on SEO and marketing.

#3. Automatic Website Backup and Updates

In order to prevent cyberattacks and optimize performance, you should keep your website updated. The WordPress software itself automatically updates minor changes, but the site owner is responsible for initiating major updates.

In contrast, managed hosting means you will receive automatic updates. Generally, web hosts provide automatic PHP updates, and some also provide theme and plugin updates.

Furthermore, many managed WordPress hosting companies offer automated daily backups. Thus, you won’t have to download special plugins, set up FTP accounts, or work with phpMyAdmin to make backups.

#4. Better Security

WordPress is vulnerable due to its open-source nature. Consequently, securing WordPress sites requires some effort. An expert support team will assist you with that if you use a managed hosting service.

Typically, WordPress hosting plans include an SSL certificate for encryption of your website. The provider may even add a website application firewall to monitor and filter website traffic. The security of your administrator account can be enhanced by managed hosting with features such as requiring passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and limiting login attempts.

WordPress plugins can be used on standard hosting to implement these security measures. Although it is possible to set up the security tools on your own, you might not find them as effective as the security tools offered by managed hosting.

#5. Optimized Website Performance

To optimize a website, it must be thoroughly analyzed and continuously monitored. There are various factors to consider, including server uptime, site load speed, features, and a website’s ranking in search engine result pages (SERPs).

It is easier to monitor all the technical aspects of running a WordPress website when you have a managed hosting provider who can recommend improvements. A website on a WordPress hosting service, for instance, runs on a WordPress-optimized server with the latest software to ensure optimum performance.

Therefore, you can focus on creating quality content for your website and do your part to maximize the site’s performance using search engine optimization (SEO).

#6. One-Click Staging Environment

Managed WordPress hosting plans sometimes include a staging environment, while other vendors offer it as an add-on. Staging allows you to test any changes to your website and identify any errors before making them live.

This feature can benefit you if you experiment with your website often or handle a lot of clients’ WordPress sites.

Moreover, managed WordPress hosting providers can offer suggestions and tools that make it easier for you to make changes to your site.

#7. Strategic Data Center Location

Locations Data centers are typically spread across several cities. To increase website loading speed, you can choose the data center located closest to your target audience – based on their location.

A content delivery network (CDN) may also be offered by some hosting providers. A network of servers and their data centers provide fast delivery of internet content through a network of servers located worldwide. CDNs improve the load speed of your website as well as their security so that DDoS attacks are prevented.

#8. Scalable Platform

Growing your website will require you to use more server resources. It might be necessary to migrate the website to a new server in some cases, which will cost you time and money. However, managed WordPress hosting makes it easier to scale your website.

For instance, some WordPress hosting providers use cloud computing to make upgrading resources easier. In contrast, others offer the service of migrating increasingly popular websites to a more advanced server.

#9. Developer-Friendly

By enabling you to set up basic plugins, security measures, and performance tools, managed WordPress hosting allows you to easily maintain and oversee multiple websites.

Furthermore, some providers give you the option of flushing the website cache, running different PHP versions in various development environments, and examining error logs.

You may also be able to access Secure Shell (SSH) via some managed hosting service providers. Website owners can use it to operate systems and applications on another computer through the use of strong encryption. Shared hosting, by contrast, usually does not give access to another computer.

Additionally, managed WordPress hosting may offer access to Git and WP-CLI so site owners can make changes to their sites.

Conclusion

Beginners and even experts can benefit from managed WordPress hosting. The extra resources, support, and optimized servers make it worth considering even though it costs more than a regular hosting service.

However, there are different hosting features and resources provided by each host. Thus, it’s crucial that you find the WordPress hosting plan that suits the needs of your site.

How to Choose Between Regular and Managed WordPress Hosting

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, powering over 34% of the internet. As such, web hosting companies offer a variety of hosting plans catering to users who opt for the WordPress platform, both regular options and managed options. This article will cover the differences between these options, as well as how to choose between the two.

Regular WordPress Hosting Plans

Unlike general use hosting plans, specialized WordPress hosting plans come with features that appeal to those who are using this CMS to power their sites. Some of the things that users can expect to come with WordPress Hosting plans include:

  • Access to a library of premium WordPress themes and plugins
  • Hosting on infrastructure optimized for WordPress performance
  • Access to a technical support team specially trained in WordPress

Managed WordPress Hosting Plans

Managed WordPress hosting could be considered a step above regular WordPress hosting. Like the regular WordPress plans, managed options come with WordPress-centric performance optimizations and extra features. But, they come with professional services designed to assist website owners with the management and administration tasks involved with a WordPress site as well. These tasks include:

  • Automatic updates to the WordPress core
  • Testing and automatic of plugins
  • Automatic website backups
  • Assistance with system administration tasks, like database maintenance

Comparing Regular and Managed WordPress Hosting Plans

There’s no set of standards governing what hosts include in their web hosting plans. So, customers will find significant variation when comparing plans from multiple companies. One company’s managed hosting plan might be nearly identical to another company’s standard shared hosting plan. Other companies’, however, will take care to include a lot of WordPress-centric extras in their offerings.

To make things even more confusing, web hosts might offer regular WordPress-oriented plans that aren’t branded as managed options. Because there’s no defining standard on what makes a managed WordPress plan, some of these options might well fall under the category of managed hosting.

The only way a customer knows for sure what they’re getting when purchasing a managed hosting plan is to review the provider’s plan description and terms of service carefully before purchasing.

With that said, there are general assumptions customers can make to help them narrow down the options that fit their needs. Managed WordPress plans tend to come with better hosting, more features, and premium support — but also a higher price tag. Get more information about hosting and WordPress, visit HostingWiki

Which Type of WordPress Hosting is Best?

The best type of WordPress hosting plan for someone depends on factors including:

  • Budget
  • Time and willingness to manage the WordPress site
  • Comfort with and knowledge of the technology needed to maintain a WordPress site and help it perform optimally

For those with tight budgets, a managed WordPress host might be out of the question. Hosts that include extra features and services with their packages will charge for them accordingly.

Premium WordPress Hosting Options

Those who proceed in the search for a managed WordPress host, however, should sit down and think about what they want from their host before they begin their search. The more they want from their plans, the more it will cost. In some cases, mid-range to high-end hosts, such as Liquid Web, Kinsta, or WP Engine will offer you plans where almost all of the work is done by company staff.

Furthermore, these options come with higher-end infrastructure that helps WordPress sites load faster and include larger resource allocations. That means that users with larger sites can serve a higher number of visitors without sacrificing speed.

Alternatives for Budget-Conscious Consumers

Not everyone can afford such expensive WordPress hosting plans.

Luckily, there are a variety of WordPress plans, managed or not, so most people can find something that meets their needs at a price they can afford.

Different hosting plans come with different features and services, so users can pick and choose from plans that offer what they need.

For example, let’s say a customer is comfortable with basic website administration tasks. They’ll need the host to provide a GUI control panel (so no command line-only options), but they can take care of scheduling and storing backups, running database management scripts, and setting up a security feature. However, the customer does not have an eye for design; nevertheless, they want a professionally-designed, appealing website.

With these considerations in mind, the user can therefore purchase a budget-friendly plan the includes managed services for the tasks they don’t want to do.

That’s the niche occupied by the more bargain-friendly managed WordPress hosting plans. For example, Bluehost offers managed WordPress plans (called WP Pro) that feature premium themes and plugins, daily backup service, security software, domain protection, email functionality, and more.

Pricing for the WP Pro plans, however, are somewhat high. Therefore, those with a more limited budget can opt for Bluehost’s basic WordPress plans instead, which are significantly cheaper. These plans come with better performance than shared hosting, include themes and plugins, and come with WordPress website performance tracking. However, the user is responsible for backing up and securing their website and domain name.

With the sheer number of WordPress hosting plans available, customers should be able to find an option that fits their budget and offers them the features and services they want.

General Web Hosting Options

To be clear, WordPress-specific plans aren’t the only option available to users relying on WordPress. To get you started, this page outlines the most reviewed web hosting companies.

Many web hosting companies, such as SiteGround, offer feature-rich, yet budget-friendly shared hosting plans that are more than capable of serving smaller WordPress sites to lower traffic levels. Additionally, these plans may include WordPress-centric features, like one-click installers, despite being general-use options (after all, WordPress is the most popular CMS in use).

As a customer’s WordPress site grows, they may find themselves needing to upgrade the type of web hosting they use. Again, most reputable hosts will be able to offer them a plan that works. The only downside, though, is that the plans may not come with as many WordPress-oriented bonuses as a specialized plan.

Conclusion

Choosing between managed WordPress hosting plans, regular WordPress plans, and general purpose hosting plans can be confusing. However, by identifying beforehand what features and services are important, customers can narrow down the options and choose hosting services for their WordPress site that best fits their needs at a price they can afford.