
The Importance of Managed Web Hosting for Businesses Marketing Online
Managed web hosting offers a number of benefits and features that are not always available to individuals who prefer to use a “shared hosting” solution for their websites. Understanding everything that managed web hosting has to offer is essential when you want to ensure the best browsing and shopping experience possible for your online visitors and prospective customers. Knowing the ins and outs of web hosting that is managed is a way to ensure you make the right decision when choosing a hosting package that is truly right for you.
Shared Vs. Managed Hosting
Managed hosting allows you to rent a server that is dedicated to you and only the websites you want to launch. Compared to traditional shared hosting solutions, managed hosting does not require you to share your server space with other individuals, which may lead to slower loading times and more bandwidth usage each month.
Predictable Costs
One of the biggest benefits of choosing managed hosting solutions is the ability to predict monthly costs based on your needs and the type of IT assistance you require. With predictable costs, save on overhead and capital while still getting the best service possible when hosting any type of website you envision for your business and brand.
Most web hosts that provided managed hosting have a variety of packages available to help meet any specific needs you require in addition to flexible choices and customized plans. If you are unhappy with the current costs or rates of a managed hosting provider you are interested in, consider inquiring about other alternatives and options you have available to choose from before making a final decision.
Server Monitoring
A managed hosting company is well-versed in understanding the importance of online security and protecting user data and information at all times. When you are using a hosting package that is managed and dedicated to your website, enjoy the luxury of increased server security and monitoring, allowing you to build a credible and trustworthy professional reputation in less time.
With each web host who offers managed hosting, there are often additional security services and features available depending on whether you process consumer data directly on your website or if you simply want to add another layer of protection to anyone who is browsing your site, regardless of the pages they view.
Increased Reliability and Uptime
Managed hosting is an optimal solution if you want to maximize your website’s uptime and reliability. Most web hosts that provide managed solutions provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee for all clients, ensuring your website does not time out or experience massive amounts of downtime due to increased page views or traffic. Before choosing a host that is right for your website, be sure to verify that the web host is capable of providing an uptime and reliability guarantee, especially for clients who prefer a managed hosting package.
Faster Loading Speeds
When you choose a managed hosting web package, avoid sharing your server with other individuals who are also hosting websites (such as shared web hosting solutions). While shared web hosting packages are often much cheaper and quicker to set up, they often lead to slower loading times or the ability to load pages on your website altogether depending on the other websites that are also sharing the same server as you. A managed hosting solution is optimal when you have a growing and expanding business and want to keep your visitors coming back for more without becoming despondent or frustrated due to slow or nonexisting loading times when attempting to visit your website.
Extensive Technical and Customer Support
Choosing a dedicated and managed hosting solution is a way to get the technical and customer support you need if any problems or issues arise with your server or website as a whole. When you are a client with managed hosting, it is much easier to reach a customer or technical service representative as you have priority over other customers who are using simple shared hosting packages.
Managed hosting clients are not only considered a top priority by companies, but they are also provided with extensive support, repairs, upgrades, and security to ensure your website is protected and safeguarded at all times. Because of the rise of hacking and cybersecurity, managed hosting solutions are ideal to keep potential data breaches and identity theft at bay.
The best web hosting providers that offer managed solutions offer 24/7 customer and technical support to all clients. Whether you prefer a live chat using your desktop computer, an email ticket support system, or a customer service representative over the phone, be sure to determine which host is right for you based on the methods of communication they provide to all of their customers and clients.
Avoid Hiring IT Staff of Your Own
Avoid hiring IT staff of your own when you have a web hosting provider that offers managed hosting solutions. Managed hosting provides you with the technical support and protection necessary to run any type of business regardless of its size with less stress and worries. When you do not need to hire an IT professional employee of your own, spend more capital on other facets of growing your business such as marketing and advertising.
Server Customization
When you are thinking of opting for a managed hosting solution, it is important to keep the possibility of complete customization in mind. Most companies that provide managed and dedicated hosting packages are open to working with clients on an individual basis to ensure each server that is needed is built with a specific purpose in mind.
If you project a high volume of traffic and want to share plenty of videos and other media files, inquire about custom server options and upgrades that are most beneficial and useful to you before making your decision on a hosting package that is most suitable. Many managed hosting providers are capable of building customized servers with specific storage and bandwidth plans in mind in order to provide smooth loading times and reliability with ease any time you are accessing your website.
Scalability Of Opportunities
Another major benefit of managed hosting is the ability to easily and efficiently scale your website and professional online presence without changing hosts or moving your website to another server altogether. Managed hosting is ideal if you have plans to scale your website and expand your presence into other communities, countries, and subcultures as you continue to market and generate profits. With a reliable and scalable web host, the options become endless in terms of maximizing your reach and visibility.
Managed Storage and Space
A managed hosting package provides you with the ability to choose just how much storage space and bandwidth you require for your website each month. While some shared web hosting companies boast “unlimited storage” and “unlimited bandwidth”, this is often proven false once the terms and conditions are presented.
Before settling on a storage and bandwidth package that is right for you, be sure to inquire about potential overage costs and any stipulations that are in place if you choose to work with an “unlimited” plan to avoid unexpected fees or charges in the future.
Automatic Backups
Managed hosting is known for keeping regular automatic backups for clients, regardless of a website’s size and the amount of traffic it receives. While it is possible to create backups with most shared hosting packages, it often requires individuals to manually do the work in order to execute a backup, which is not always easy for those not familiar with programming and coding. Having the ability to generate automatic backups with a schedule in place is a way to keep your mind at ease without putting all of your content and data at risk of being lost forever.
Managed WordPress Hosting VS Regular Hosting
Opting for fully managed WordPress hosting is ideal if you are interested in using WordPress for your eCommerce site or even a professional website for your business and brand. Because WordPress is a powerful and robust tool, it can quickly lead to slow loading times when using a traditional shared web hosting provider. When you begin searching for a managed host that is best for your WordPress site, it is important to determine whether or not the host itself is familiar with optimizing the WordPress platform.
Managed hosting WordPress solutions help to streamline the content management system itself, optimized for faster performance and loading times, even if your website is content and media-heavy. With a web host who truly understands how to host WordPress sites, avoid causing timing out issues when users attempt to visit your website or browse your site’s pages.
Finding the Right Managed Web Host for Your Online Business
Once you have decided on a managed web hosting package, seek out the right host for your online business and the type of WordPress site you are interested in by comparing all of the options that are appealing to you. Some of the most important factors to review and compare before making your decision on a managed web host include:
- Pricing: Compare the pricing of all of the managed web hosting packages that are available to you and suitable for the type of website you are interested in hosting.
When comparing prices, keep storage, bandwidth, and other features such as “WordPress” hosting in mind to get the most out of your investment. - Customer reviews and testimonials: Always research real customer reviews and testimonials before choosing a managed web host provider that you can truly trust and rely on. Use third-party websites to seek out reviews and real testimonials of web hosts that are most appealing to you to learn more about the services they provide along with the customer and technical support that is available 24/7.
- WordPress hosting: When you want to launch a WordPress website, search for a managed hosting provider that offers optimized and streamlined hosting for WordPress-centric sites. Hosts that understand the importance of optimizing WordPress loading times are capable of delivering high speeds regardless of the CMS you prefer and the size of your site overall.
- Support: Research the type of customer support that is available to clients who are using managed hosting services from the web hosting company of your choice. Many popular hosting companies today provide tech and customer support 24/7 with the use of live chat, email ticket support systems, and customer service phone lines.
- Uptime and reliability guarantees: Only choose to work with a hosting provider that is capable of providing an uptime and reliability guarantee, especially when you are choosing to rent a managed server of your own. Some of today’s most popular web hosts boast anywhere from a 95% to 99.9% uptime guarantee in order to appeal to and retain clients.
- Features and functions: Compare all of the features and functions that are available with each of the managed web hosts you are most interested in. Some web hosts offer an entire library of plugins, add-ons, and software that can quickly be installed within minutes with a simple click. If you prefer a web host that offers libraries of software, plugins, and tools that are useful for the type of website you have in mind, be sure to compare and review each of the features available to you before making a final decision on your hosting package.
- Bandwidth: Search for a managed web host that offers a reasonable amount of bandwidth at a cost that is affordable to you based on your current income and business model. Avoid opting for a web host that offers “unlimited” bandwidth until you have read all of the terms, conditions, and possible restrictions with each package available. If you expect a large amount of traffic on your website, speak with a customer service representative regarding your bandwidth needs to create a hosting package that truly works for you and to avoid potentially overpaying for the additional bandwidth you require each month.
Using hosting services that are managed is a way to create a professional online presence whether you are launching a new brand from the ground up or looking to promote an existing business of your own. Putting the benefits of managed hosting to work for you is a way to take your online presence to the next level of success in just about any market or industry.
Learn more about the managed hosting plans and packages we have available today by visiting our website. Launch any website you envision with a managed hosting package that is just right for you.