Are you a fan of WordPress?
The blogging community considers WordPress as a boon. It is open-source, supports PHP, pairs with MySQL and MariaDB, etc. provides plugin architecture and even templates. As a content management system, WordPress powers over 39.5% of all the websites on the internet.
If you are a beginner, you would find WordPress in most of your recommendations. However, it makes you wonder what a managed WordPress hosting is? A WordPress hosting costs more than traditional hosting, but some features are unique to managed WordPress hosting that justifies the higher price.
How is WordPress hosting better than traditional hosting?
Let’s consider an example.
You want to start working out. So, you get a gym membership. The gym provides different kinds of services based on your membership apart from workout equipment. Standard gym membership is the cheapest. It gives you access to the gym’s equipment so that you can do your workout by yourself. If you are a regular gym-goer, you won’t have any problems with your workout. However, you risk facing problems like injuries, overwork and stressed muscles if they don’t pick a proper workout.
Premium membership gets you a personal trainer who prescribes you exercises after considering your body type and goals. You get to do an effective workout that is more suited to your body. They even instruct you about your form and diet that helps in realizing your body goals.
The difference between traditional hosting and managed WordPress cloud hosting is like standard membership and premium membership.
Traditional hosting is significantly cheaper than managed WordPress hosting.
The reason is simple. Traditional hosting provides you just a hosting platform and nothing else.
You have to build your blog site from the ground up on traditional hosting.
- You install WordPress and configure its settings according to your website.
- Select a theme and template to design the blog.
- Then download plugins and updates from the plugin directory to complement your blog.
It may seem too exhausting to beginners but not so much to a seasoned blogger.
Not only that, you have to monitor resource usage, plugins and regularly do the updates or the performance of the site would degrade. Issues like slow loading speeds, downtimes, etc. are naturally common among sites with traditional hosting. These issues damage the credibility and SEO of the site. Take note that more than 25% of users will cease to browse your website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
Issues like this are beyond a beginner’s expertise. It’s a different story if you have a developer background. But for newbies, it doesn’t always go the way they expect it to. After all, there’s a limit to how much you can implement it after learning it on Google.
Some veteran bloggers who need to focus more on their blog writing can spare very little time for managing WordPress. They have to maintain their enormous engagement that makes configuring and carrying routine maintenance a bit of a stretch.
This is exactly the reason for managed WordPress hosting gaining popularity.
In a managed WordPress hosting,
- You get pre-installed WordPress.
- Its configurations are set to meet the requirements of your site.
- The service providers recommend and install WordPress plugins that optimize the site’s functionality without disturbing its performance.
- They even do regular backups, updates and optimize site uptime.
In a nutshell, managed WordPress hosting service is a valued service where the technical aspects of WordPress are completely taken care of by the host.
Listing the pros and cons of managed WordPress hosting service-
Pros
- You get full-time support from experts. The service providers advise you on plugins and their impacts. They also assist you in improving the technical performance of your site.
- The support team monitors the site for hackers and suspicious activities. They also regularly scan for malware and spam.
- They also do regular backups and apply timely updates to the site.
- You never get downtime with a managed WordPress hosting as the site is configured to handle heavy traffic.
Cons
- Managed WordPress hosting costs are significantly higher than traditional web hosting. Although considering the extra services you get and the guaranteed performance with it, it seems to be a viable option.
- The WordPress hosting is exclusively for sites running WordPress. You cannot opt for other CMS platforms and miss some of their features. But considering it is WordPress, I don’t think you’d be missing much.
What are the best hosting providers for managed WordPress hosting service?
The internet has made blogs a culture and blogging a lifestyle for people. Newer blog sites are popping up each day as more and more people are expressing their views and opinions on various subjects. A big chunk of these blog sites use WordPress to host and develop their blog.
Web hosting companies are getting requirements for managed WordPress hosting plans from their clients. As a result, many web hosting providers have started providing WordPress hosting services, adding value to their traditional web hosting services.
I have researched the WordPress hosting service plans by top hosting service providers HostGator, Bluehost, BigRock, MilesWeb, GoDaddy, etc.
I found MilesWeb’s managed WordPress hosting plans to have high-end features at extremely affordable prices.
- Their managed WordPress hosting starts at ₹40 per month.
- You get Cloudflare with Railgun to explosively increase the loading speeds.
- They provide dedicated WordPress support 24/7.
- You get a 1-click cloning tool for creating a perfect copy of your website.
- Their support team regularly clears the cache of your site to better the site performance.
Conclusion
A managed WordPress hosting provides a hassle-free hosting experience where all the technical aspects of your hosting are taken care of by the provider. This enables you to focus more on your blog and it also makes your site more secure, fast, updated and scalable.
However, it is recommended for the bloggers with large audience engagement or beginners with enough finances.
