This document provides a comprehensive guide on managed WordPress hosting, detailing its benefits, types of web hosting, and the importance of reliable service for businesses with online presence. It contrasts managed hosting with unmanaged hosting, highlighting the advantages of expert support, security, and performance optimization that come with managed services. The guide emphasizes the need for businesses to assess their specific requirements and budget when choosing between hosting options.

1. A Complete Guide To
Managed WordPress
Hosting
If your business has a website, you surely want people to visit your
website and buy your products/services. What use is a website that
loads slowly or experiences downtime? If people aren’t able to view
your website, they won’t see what you offer.
Furthermore, people will question the legitimacy of your company
and raise questions about its reputation.
Many fall into the trap of free hosting, thinking it will help them
save money and accomplish their goals. They are in for a rude
awakening.
Smooth functioning, outstanding performance, and optimal security
of your website, plus the relentless customer support, are what will
take your business to the next level.
Read: 5 Things Small Business Should Know About Web
Hosting
WHAT IS WEB HOSTING?

2. To put it in simple words, a web hosting company provides space
for a website to store its files, images, and web-pages on a
particular server. These hosting companies are the reason you can
view websites on the internet. There are 3 types of web hosting
plans.
1. Shared hosting
2. VPS hosting
3. Dedicated hosting.
We will discuss the same in detail below.
Read: Different Types Of Web Hosting Services – Host IT
Smart

3. WHAT IS A MANAGED
WORDPRESS HOSTING?
For us to understand WordPress web hosting, we need to
understand the different hosting plans. First, you have shared
hosting. This kind of hosting is perfect for startups and small-sized
businesses.
As a new player in the market, you won’t require complex server
configuration, extensive resources, root access, and much technical
support. Shared hosting will be enough to meet your needs, and it’s
cheap.
As your business grows, you might want more features, security,
and increased control over your resources to manage the high
traffic on your website. Trust me, you would know. There are signs
of slow loading speeds, excessive downtime, sizable traffic spikes,
etc.
Also, the existing hosting plan won’t be good enough to manage
multiple domains, and you will require advanced security features.
It’s these signals that scream – Switch to DIY VPS hosting.
DIY VPS WordPress hosting is for those people who don’t want to
spend much on hosting, but still, want access to better performance
& increased resources. It provides a moderate personalization level
and ensures better performance and security—ideal for medium-
sized businesses.
Large enterprises and websites that have outgrown DIY VPS hosting
are making the move to Managed WordPress hosting. Before getting
into the details, let’s understand the difference between managed
and unmanaged hosting.
Read: Web Hosting Guide For Beginners

4. 1. UNMANAGED HOSTING
If you’re a DIY (do it yourself) kind of person who has the requisite
knowledge, skills, and experience to manage a hosting server,
unmanaged hosting is for you. Either that you need to have a
technical team who can do it for you. In most cases, the hosting
company would only provide you with just a server and an
operating system.
You will be responsible for software installation, server management,
maintenance, troubleshooting, firewall, security, etc. The most
significant advantage of an unmanaged server is that it’s cost-
effective. However, your technical team should be up to the task.
All you get is an operating and various software needed to carry out
essential tasks to meet business demands. You need to be on top of
things to manage all the technical aspects.
All this could easily backfire and result in unwanted costs or
expenditures if the responsibility of server maintenance and website
security is not executed correctly. Hiring external help to clean up
the mess would defeat the purpose of unmanaged hosting.
2. MANAGED HOSTING
People who don’t want to get into the hassle of server installation,
management, maintenance, upgrades, updates, and disaster
recovery should opt for managed hosting.
With a managed hosting plan, you have a server, operating system,
various software, and different components that you require for
meeting specialized business needs. Depending on the client’s
requirements, the hosting company will offer the choice of multiple
hosting packages that include many services. Let’s look at some of
the most popular services.

5. 1. Regular and automated backups
2. Automatic software updates
3. Security scans & malware removal
4. Performance monitoring
5. Convenient control panel
6. SSH (secure shell) access
7. Backend support
Besides the services mentioned above, many companies require
additional support to run their business. The same is listed below.
1. On-demand services
2. Remote rebooting
3. Load balancing
4. Intrusion detection
5. Carrier-neutral connectivity
6. IMAP (Internet message access protocol) , POP (Post office
protocol) , SMTP (Simple mail transfer protocol) , E-mail services.
As you can see, managed hosting is beneficial for those who want to
focus on core business operations without worrying about technical
issues. However, the cost can be a deterrent for those who are on a
budget.
Don’t think about saving money at the cost of features. If you want
optimal results, you would have to shell out the money. Another
downside is that you can only run WordPress websites. Often, you

6. might have to face restrictions about running specific plug-ins if
caching is in place.
Most of these restrictions are to ensure the smooth functioning of
your website and prevent security issues. However, some clients
who run unorthodox or unique websites might find it to be an
impediment.
Read: How To Host A Website In Simple Steps
BENEFITS OF MANAGED
WORDPRESS HOSTING
1. EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT
All hosting companies offer support, depending on the plan and the
package chosen by the client. As the WordPress site owner, you
would require a certain level of expertise and precision from your
hosting provider.
A managed WordPress hosting provider would have exhaustive
knowledge of WordPress and can handle problems with framework,
plugins, downtime, etc. Any queries you may have related to
WordPress, you will get proper answers.
You are guaranteed to get 24/7 backend support with managed
hosting. They respond to both calls and tickets. It can be a lifesaver
when you face problems at odd hours of the day. You won’t have to
experience loss of productivity, revenue. Nor would you have to
deal with angry customers.
2. STAGING SITES

7. Never make the mistake of making vital changes to your live site.
One minor error, and your website can crash in the blink of an eye.
To prevent this, we advise making changes in the staging
environment.
A staging environment is an identical replica of your main website.
You can make the desired changes to it and see if it works out.
Once you’re satisfied with the outcome, you can apply the same
changes to your primary website.
If you’re not happy with the outcome of your staging environment,
there is no need to despair because your principal site remains
unaffected. Its functionality and performance won’t be affected.
Like the staging site, local development is another feature that
allows you to make changes outside of your production environment.
The first stage is affecting changes in a local environment, followed
by testing and then going live if it meets all the criteria.
Managed hosting providers are familiar with these aspects of
development, and they will provide you with the requisite tools to
meet your needs. If needed, they also communicate with your
clients and internal departments in your organization to ensure
clarity.
3. FORMIDABLE SECURITY
If your business is online, security should always be your number
one priority. Having a managed WordPress hosting plan in place
doesn’t mean your website is immune to threats on the internet,
but it indeed provides you with robust security.
Managed hosting providers have their servers optimized for
WordPress websites, which means you don’t have to worry about
security plugins. Additional protection measures include password
protection, two-factor authentication, and limited login attempts.

8. Malware removal and virus protection are crucial aspects of
managed WordPress hosting’s security. If hacking is attempted or
virus outbreaks on your server, they will jump into action and
neutralize the threat.
Finally, automatic backups will ensure that you can restore your site
to its original state in a single click if it crashes or starts
malfunctioning.
Read: Website Safety With Secure Hosting
4. IMPRESSIVE ADD-ONS
Security and top-notch website performance can do wonders for
your business but managed WordPress hosting also offers a host of
other amazing tools that can make your life easier. Aspects like
client coordination, inter-departmental communication would be
handled by the hosting provider.
Each WordPress hosting provider will have a distinct set of workflow
tools and collaboration features, but you need to choose the best
ones that would benefit your business and deliver best performance.
5. RESELL HOSTING OPTIONS
As of 2020, over 455 million websites are powered by WordPress.
455 million is not a small number, it is approximately 35% of
websites worldwide. If you ever decide to resell your hosting, then
having a WordPress website would benefit you
Read: WordPress.Com Vs WordPress.Org – What’s The
Difference?

9. In fact, many hosting providers even have incentives like partner
programs, referral programs in place, add-ons for those who wish to
sell their website hosting. This is a win-win situation for all. Hosting
providers can sell individual chunks of hosting to newer clients while
you get a good sum for your hosting.
6. DEVELOPER TOOLS
Easy access to development tools makes it easy for you to create a
brand new website or improve an existing one. If your developer
team wants to learn the ropes and become proficient in server
management, a managed WordPress hosting provider furnishes you
with developer tools that will help you accomplish the task.
Along with elementary tools like SFTP, data access plus error/access
logs, you also get SSH, GIT, staging, WP-CLI, PHP extension
support, and much more.
With so many development tools at your disposal, it enables you to
make the demands of multiple clients and projects with a structured
development workflow.
7. SEO AND PERFORMANCE
OPTIMIZATION
A fast loading and well-performing website is mandatory to excel in
business. Nobody wants to visit a sluggish, or slow-loading website.
It will dissuade them from coming back and they won’t recommend
it to anyone else either.
Moreover, if your site is slow, it will cause a drop in search engine
rankings. Google penalizes slow-loading websites. A managed
WordPress hosting provider will eliminate such problems because he
will handle everything required to boost SEO rankings and
performance optimization.

10. Managed hosting providers accomplish the above objectives with
server-side caching, WordPress infrastructure, powerful servers,
higher PHP memory limit, boosting SSD hard-drive speeds, and
resource compression.
Read: What Does Your Web Host Have To Do With Your SEO?
8. EASY INCORPORATION OF SSL
CERTIFICATES
Making the journey from HTTP to HTTPS is what separates the kings
from the peasants in the online world. Jokes apart, does your
website display a message saying “Your connection is not secure”
when visitors try to access your website?
Such a warning message will put off people and dissuade them from
visiting your website. You need an SSL certificate. Managed
WordPress hosting makes it easy for you to add an SSL certificate
to your website with a single click.
Managed hosting providers have played an instrumental role in
making SSL certificates accessible to website owners along with
facilitating easy installation. Now, it’s seen as the best industry
practice and most managed hosting providers offer it free of charge.
Even websites that require advanced SSL certificates can get it with
little hassle.
Read: 9 Types Of SSL Certificates – Make The Right Choice
9. EFFICIENT SITE MANAGEMENT

11. A WordPress hosting provider is a one-stop solution for all your
hosting needs plus technical maintenance. There would be no need
to contact various application or software vendors and spend
endless hours coordinating with them.
10. EVERYTHING WILL BE STORED IN A
SINGLE REPOSITORY,
A WordPress hosting provider is one stop solution for all your
hosting needs plus technical maintenance. There would be no need
to contact various app or software vendors and spend endless hours
coordinating with them.
Everything will be stored in a single repository and this will help you
save time and money. This will prove useful when you’re dealing
with multiple clients and building websites for them.
Apart from having all your resources in one place, managed
WordPress hosting also ensures that your website stays updated at
all times plus they also manage additional tasks like PHP updates,
WordPress core updates and also theme, plugin updates at times.
As a business owner, you don’t have to stress over site
management or website updates and it will allow you to focus on
more productive tasks.
11. FEWER PLUGINS
Plugins are good, but too many of them are bad for your business.
Managed WordPress hosting providers will handle security,
maintenance, caching, and site optimization. Hence, you don’t have
to install tons of plugins like before. Updated plugins will contribute
to improved performance and site security.
DO YOU NEED MANAGED
WORDPRESS HOSTING SERVICE?

12. Now that you know everything about Managed WordPress hosting,
you need to ask yourself if you really need Managed WordPress
hosting. Ask yourself these questions.
1. Do you have the technical knowledge to manage hosting?
2. Do you require the flexibility, scalability, and customization that
managed hosting offers?
3. Do you require continuous technical support?
4. Are you ready to make the increased investment?
In the absence of necessary technical support and the knowledge to
manage hosting servers & aspects associated with it, consider
managed hosting. It allows you to concentrate on core business
activities while the hosting provider handles server management
and other technical aspects. The cost is higher than unmanaged
hosting. Enjoy premium services for those extra bucks. It is as
simple as that.
If more freedom, flexibility and control is what you want,
unmanaged hosting is a great option for you. However, you would
get no help with tasks like server maintenance, installation,
configuration, etc. You would be on your own. If you or your team
wants to learn about hosting and become self-sufficient, this could
be a blessing.
Deciding between the two is just the beginning of the battle. There
is a lot more to be done. Each of these options can be personalized
further to meet your specific business needs. Understand your
needs, budget,
and decide accordingly.
Read: Guide For Non-Techies To Build A WordPress Website

13. CHOOSE THE RIGHT MANAGED
HOSTING PROVIDER
Again, you would have to conduct some self-analysis to get answers
to your questions.
1. What exactly does your website need?
2. How much traffic does your website attract right now?
3. Do you think your website will experience increased traffic?
4. Do you need access to developer tools?
5. Do you require more flexibility and scalability?
6. Is customer support extremely important for you?
7. What do you expect from a hosting provider?
When you ask yourself these questions truthfully, you will
understand what you need and what you expect from your web
hosting provider. Once you have that out of the way, you need to
compare the services that various hosting companies offer, the
pricing, customer support, etc.
After proper comparison and analysis of different companies, you
can decide which one is the best fit for your business.
Read: Using WordPress For Your Next Website Project?
Understanding Its Pros And
CONCLUSION
With so many choices, it’s not surprising if you get confused.
WordPress websites are a popular choice for millions of people
worldwide and many websites are created keeping in mind the
functionality of WordPress websites. Furthermore, hosting plans will
vary depending on client requirements.
Managed hosting is a splendid choice if you have the budget for it.
It will take your mind off technical issues and focus on client

14. servicing and business development. If you’re on a tight budget or if
other hosting plans can suffice your needs, you can skip managed
hosting.
Business owners who don’t want to spend more on hosting or can
do without extensive support, server maintenance, installation, etc
can opt for unmanaged hosting. Both managed and unmanaged
hosting have their pros and cons. Examine all aspects of your
business, understand your needs and make the right choice.
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Source - https://www.hostitsmart.com/blog/complete-guide-to-
managed-wordpress-hosting/