6 Clear Benefits of WordPress Managed Hosting
In this fast-moving digital world, businesses need a high-performing and reliable website to stay competitive – and part of building a robust online presence is choosing the right hosting plan and provider.
Like living things, websites need specific environments in which to thrive. These environments are called “hosting plans”, which allow you to rent space on a physical server to store your data and files.
Without hosting, people won’t be able to access your website on the Internet.
Sounds simple, right? The catch is that there’s a paralysing amount of choice when you start browsing. How much data do you need? When should you make the switch? What plans are the best value for money? It can be overwhelming, even for the most enthusiastic technophiles.
Luckily, we’re here to help. Keep reading as we explain everything you need to know about one of the most popular options – WordPress managed hosting.
What is WordPress managed hosting?
First things first, not all WordPress hosting plans are equal. Some are feature-rich with a price tag to match. Others offer minimal functionality but are cost-effective for basic websites and static pages. Ultimately, it depends on your requirements and budget.
Types of website hosting include:
- WordPress managed hosting
- WordPress unmanaged hosting
- Shared hosting
- VPS hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- Cloud hosting
WordPress managed hosting is one of the more popular options. The provider takes care of the day-to-day website management tasks so you can focus on business development and customer retention.
It’s also specific to WordPress websites, meaning you’ll benefit from the most optimised features, software and support.
What is the difference between managed and unmanaged WordPress hosting?
Another question we get asked is – What is the difference between managed and unmanaged WordPress hosting? The answer is pretty self-explanatory.
Unlike WordPress managed hosting, unmanaged hosting (sometimes known as self-managed hosting) gives you total control, for better or worse. Besides basic support, you’ll be totally responsible for your website’s configuration and performance.
What are the benefits of WordPress managed hosting?
Moving on to the benefits, WordPress managed hosting delivers superior customer support, security, speed and much, much more. It’s a fantastic option for businesses that lack the technical expertise and manpower to operate servers in-house.
WordPress-specific
WordPress managed hosting, as opposed to generic managed hosting, is WordPress-specific. This means it’s optimised for WordPress websites, using the platform’s content management system (CMS).
Put simply, you’ll receive tailored tools and features, including one-click installations, automatic software updates and improved plug-in functionality.
While it’s not necessary to choose WordPress managed hosting for WordPress websites, it’s a no-brainer if you care about performance.
World-class support
One of the biggest differentiators of any managed hosting solution is customer support. Your provider will handle the fiddly day-to-day website management tasks, including software updates, server-side security and data backup.
However, they won’t just keep your website online – they’ll proactively search for ways to make it better. WordPress hosts know the CMS inside out, meaning they can build and manage fully optimised websites from scratch.
Rock-solid security
Generally, managed hosting comes with advanced security features. Most providers offer daily backups, two or multi-factor authentication and limited login attempts. Plus, the standard firewalls and malware scanners that shield websites from cyberattacks.
Best of all, WordPress managed hosting provides free SSL certificates – a kind of digital ID that authenticates a website’s identity. SSL certificates also encrypt connections between the server and browser, meaning criminals can’t view or edit sensitive data.
Super-fast performance
All of the above brings us to super-fast performance. Thanks to the outstanding optimisation, support and security, your website will perform at its absolute best.
Why is speed important? According to research, the optimal page load time is between zero to four seconds. Anything over that, and you’ll start seeing decreased conversion rates.
The same study also found that websites with a one-second load time had three times as many conversions as websites with a five-second load time.
Watertight service level agreements
A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between the provider and the client outlining the service standards. It covers things like:
- How performance will be measured
- How data will be protected
- Risk management processes
- What happens in the event of a security breach
- Customer support guarantees, e.g. the time it takes to answer support tickets
Perhaps the most crucial component of any SLA is uptime, which is the time your website is viewable and accessible. If providers fail to meet the benchmark, they must compensate the client.
Ease of use
Last but not least, managed solutions tend to be easier to use – mostly because the provider takes care of the technical details. However, if desired, you can still have some control over the simpler processes, like cache flushing.
What are the limitations of WordPress managed hosting?
Given all the amazing benefits, why would anyone not choose WordPress-managed hosting? Some businesses simply prefer more autonomy over their hosting environment and feel better suited to unmanaged or self-managed solutions.
These aren’t bad options at all – as long as you’re prepared to handle the bulk of the technical work. Ideally, you’ll have an internal IT department to keep on top of the never-ending updates, backups and scans.
Another consideration is cost. Typically, managed hosting is more expensive because you receive improved features and support. It’s an investment that pays off in the long run, but some businesses might not have the budget initially.
Finally, WordPress managed hosting might offer too much functionality for some companies. Let’s say you wanted to host a static web page that was purely informational – why pay more for storage and functionality you don’t actually need?
Switch to WordPress managed hosting today
If you’ve decided that WordPress managed hosting is for you after weighing up the benefits and limitations, contact Swift Internet today. One of our customer service advisors can help you find the right performance-focused package for your business and budget.
Simply email sales@nullswiftinter.net or call 03330 347500, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.