Choosing a hosting plan for your WordPress site can be a little daunting. With so many options available, you may find it difficult to decide which service would best suit your needs. Perhaps you’re wondering: is a more advanced solution like managed WordPress hosting worth the money?
Managed WordPress hosting is designed specifically for WordPress sites, and typically comes with full expert support. If you’re a business owner with little technical expertise, or you’re too busy to manage your site, managed WordPress hosting may be the right choice for you.
In this postA post is a type of content in WordPress, a popular open-source content management system used for creating an... More, we’ll take a closer look at managed WordPress hosting and weigh its pros and cons. We’ll also discuss whether this hosting solution is the right choice for you, and offer some tips to help you choose the best provider. Let’s get started!
An Introduction to Managed WordPress Hosting
Hosting plans are either unmanaged or managed. When you choose unmanaged hosting, it means that you’ll be fully responsible for the maintenance and running of your site. On the other hand, managed hosting comes with a lot of additional support and assistance. In this case, your web host will take care of several tasks for you, such as performing site backups and resolving technical issues.
You’ll also find hosting plans that are fully tailored to WordPress. This means that the features offered with the plan, as well as the server that hosts your site, are optimized for this specific platform. Therefore, when you opt for managed WordPress hosting, your site will be looked after by developers who have experience working with WordPress:
While different web hosts have their own specialized managed WordPress hosting plans, these tend to share similar characteristics. Let’s take a look at some of them.
The Pros of Managed WordPress Hosting
As we have seen, managed WordPress hosting comes with advanced technical support. Your web host will run any necessary updates and perform frequent backups of your site. Thus, you won’t have to worry about losing your work or data should anything go wrong.
With managed WordPress hosting, your site will be optimized for high performance to keep it running efficiently. Many hosts offer a powerful server-side caching solution to ensure that your site runs faster while also using fewer server resources.
Another big plus is site security. Whenever your site faces a threat, your host will take action to protect it against hackers. For instance, if a pluginA plugin is a software component that adds specific features and functionality to your WordPress website. Esse... More on your site develops a vulnerability, your host may remove it and replace it with a more secure alternative.
Finally, many companies offer excellent customer support with their managed WordPress hosting. Since their technical team is typically made up of WordPress experts, any query or problem you may have will likely get resolved quickly and efficiently.
The Cons of Managed WordPress Hosting
As you can probably guess, this tailored hosting solution is not cheap. While some hosts do offer affordable plans for managed WordPress hosting, this option is still relatively pricier than other services.
Moreover, you’ll have limited control over the management of your site. For example, you may be unable to configure your server or add certain plugins to your website. If you want to make some adjustments to your site, you may find these restrictions a little frustrating.
Thus, while managed WordPress hosting provides you with reliable support, it also takes away some of the freedom and joy of running your own website. You’ll also need to remember that the service will be limited to WordPress sites only. This means that you won’t be able to add sites powered by different platforms on your WordPress hosting account.
How to Decide If Managed WordPress Hosting Is Right For You
The pros of managed WordPress hosting outweigh the cons. However, that does not mean this service is the right one for you. There are several things to consider before making your decision, including your needs and budget.
As we mentioned earlier, this tailored hosting service typically provides excellent technical support for WordPress sites. If you’re a business owner with little time for managing your company site, this can be the right solution for you. Your web host will be able to offer you peace of mind, meaning you won’t have to worry about dealing with security threats or losing valuable information.
Since this hosting solution also optimizes your site for better performance, you’ll be able to offer visitors a smooth User Experience (UX) with minimal glitches:
Fast-loading content may encourage users to spend more time on your site, which can help you increase your conversions. In this case, managed WordPress hosting may be worth the extra cost.
You should also consider opting for this service if your site receives high volumes of traffic or if it’s your main source of income. For instance, if you have a WooCommerce store or a membership site, you can ensure that your host is providing the best possible experience for your customers while protecting their personal data.
However, if you’re a small business owner or a blogger, or if you just run a site as a hobby, managed WordPress hosting may not be a feasible option for you. A small site with low to medium traffic may not require high-level maintenance or performance. In this case, a basic hosting plan may be better suited to your needs.
While an unmanaged service does not offer the same level of technical support, there are plenty of online resources to help you troubleshoot WordPress issues and choose the right plugins for your site. At GigaPress, we have a collection of tutorials to help you manage your WordPress site like a pro.
Tips for Choosing the Right Hosting Provider
If you’ve decided to go for managed WordPress hosting, there are a few things to consider when choosing a service provider. While companies tend to offer similar hosting plans, it’s always a good idea to dig a little deeper and find out exactly what is included.
For instance, you may want to ensure that your web host will perform regular backups and manage WordPress updates. You may also want to check and see what type of security features and tools will be available with your hosting plan. Since you’ll be trusting your site to a third party, it’s important to know how they plan to look after it and make sure that it’s safe:
If you’re worried about having limited control over your site, you might want to get in touch with the web host to learn more about their service. You could ask them if their managed hosting has any restrictions for users and if there are any tools or plugins that are banned (remember that these things will not be advertised on their site).
Other features to look at include performance optimization and technical support. Comparing and analyzing all of these important aspects will help you ensure that you’re making the right choice.
If you’re looking for a good starting point, we would recommend looking into Kinsta and WP Engine, two of the most popular and trusted managed hosting providers.
Conclusion
Managed WordPress hosting is a tailored service for sites powered by this popular platform. Your web host will take care of your site so you don’t have to worry about things like technical errors and security threats. However, this service is normally more expensive than other hosting plans, and it also gives you less control over your site.
If you run a large WordPress site, managed WordPress hosting may be worth the money. It will help you ensure that your site runs efficiently at all times, which can help you increase your conversions.
Do you have any questions about managed WordPress hosting? Let us know in the commentsComments are a feature of WordPress that allow users to engage in discussions about the content of a website. ... More section below!
