6 Advantages of Managed WordPress Hosting
Deciding which webhosting you are going to use is a very difficult and important decision. There are many web hosting companies out there and there are various types of hosting. If you are looking for the best type of hosting for your WordPress site, managed WordPress hosting is a great option. But why would you choose for managed WordPress hosting? Lets have a look at the advantages.
1. Speed
Managed WordPress hosting servers are fully optimized for WordPress. This includes hardware and software. Every part has been tweaked to get the most out of any WordPress website.
The load speed on managed WordPress hosting is dramatically lower then non non-managed hosting. The difference can even be several seconds of loading time! Having a fast loading website is crucial to your website’s success. Even your Google ranking depends on it.
2. Backups
Backups is something a lot of WordPress website owners forget. I can’t say it often enough, backups are an absolute must. If you run a WordPress site and you don’t want to make daily backups, go for managed hosting as they take this worry away for you. It is cheaper then hiring some IT guy and more reliable then doing it yourself. What ever option you chose, do make backups and don’t store them on the same server as the WordPress site.
3. Security
Managed WordPress hosting servers have a much higher level of security. Because the servers only have to run WordPress websites, all other activity can be blocked on the server. This reduces the chance of a website being hacked. Because the hosting company has expert knowledge about WordPress all known weak points are secured.
4. Automatic updates
Updating your WordPress install is crucial to avoid your WordPress install getting hacked. If you keep running an older version of WordPress chances are people will test security holes in your WordPress site. These security holes are closed by installing the latest WordPress updates. Choosing a managed WordPress hosting takes away this worry and allows you to focus on other activities.
5. Expert support
The support team behind managed WordPress hosting companies are real WordPress experts and can help you with any problem you have. For example when you are trying to install a WordPress plugin or customizing your WordPress theme.
Also they know what version of WordPress you are running and how everything is configured. So if there is a problem they will know what to do.
6. Less downtime
Because the servers are tuned to run WordPress, they will not have as much downtime as regular hosting. Managed WordPress hosting services offer a higher level of server management, if anything goes wrong it will be fixed within no time.
Disadvantages
Price
The biggest disadvantage of managed WordPress hosting is the price. These days you can get shared hosting for just as little as a few dollars a month. Managed WordPress hosting plans start at around $30 a month.
Theme & plugin limitations
There are often limitations on certain WordPress plugins and WordPress themes that can be used. This is to keep wordpress installations fast and secure, it can be quite a problem if a really necessary plugin can not be installed.
Less control
With managed WordPress hosting there is not much to configure on the server this is all managed by the hosting company. You cannot change any PHP settings for example.
Everything has been optimized by the hosting company and they want to keep it that way. If something does not work, you cannot go and fix it yourself, you will have to rely on the professionals at the webhosting company.
Conclusion
Shared hosting solutions are very cheap these days, but this low price gives a false idea of the costs of running a WordPress website.
You will have to manage your WordPress installation yourself. This includes making backups and updating WordPress. These are not tasks that can be ignored. If you do and things do go wrong, you will really have to pay the price. Take into account the time and effort it will require to manage your WordPress site before choosing the first best shared hosting solution.
Although managed WordPress hosting is more expensive then normal shared hosting. The extra costs are easily rectified by the great benefits it gives. If you are serious about your WordPress site , I would advice to go with managed WordPress hosting.
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