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If you are starting a new WordPress website and are still in the process of choosing a web hosting service for it, you may be confused by the many options and companies available. However, before you decide on a particular provider, you must first decide whether you want to choose a managed or an unmanaged plan.
The main difference between the two options is that with managed WordPress hosting the provider takes over most of the technical tasks and measures to install and operate WordPress, while with unmanaged packages the host is only responsible for the provision and maintenance of the server resources, and you have to set up and maintain your WordPress installation yourself.
Below, let’s take a look at some of the key features and benefits typically associated with WP managed hosting.
Eastern establishment and migration
Whether you’re setting up a brand new website from scratch or migrating an existing website from a different web host, managed plans do all the work for you. Reinstalling WordPress is usually automatic and only requires a few clicks. Migrating a website from another hosting company can be a daunting task as many things can potentially go wrong, especially when working with large and complex websites like ecommerce websites.
Managed hosting should include free and full migration support from a qualified team who can ensure that the process is carried out properly and that there is no (or minimal) downtime during the transition.
User-friendly control panel
Shared hosting services usually come with cPanel which, while the best web hosting control panel out there, comes with so many features and tools that WordPress websites may not need and for beginners with little experience could be a bit confusing to work with this panel.
On the flip side, managed WordPress plans often come with an easy-to-use custom control panel that only contains functions and tools necessary for WordPress administration. This makes it more user friendly for website owners who just want to focus on their website instead of messing around with server software and settings.
Better performance and speed
Companies that sell managed WP hosting optimize the software and architecture of their servers to specifically work with WordPress and not any other content management system or software. This means that you can expect a significant improvement in the performance and loading speed of your website when using a service that well optimized for working with WordPresswhich can be quite demanding in terms of server resources. This is particularly evident when dealing with e-commerce websites that require a lot more processing power than a normal website.
Caching and CDN
Server-side caching can dramatically improve your website’s loading speed by providing static, cached pages that don’t consume your server’s valuable resources (CPU & RAM). For unmanaged plans, you’ll need to install and configure a third-party plug-in to achieve this, but for managed plans, it’s built in and works out of the box.
A content delivery network (CDN) is another meaningful implementation This ensures your website loads quickly for visitors coming from different locations around the world. This is usually also pre-installed and ready to use with fully managed packages.
Caching and CDN might not be a big deal for personal blog owners, but they make a huge difference when hosting a large ecommerce website that receives thousands of visitors every day.
Staging environment
A staging environment allows you to make an offline copy of your website that you can use for testing purposes. You can use it to test changes to WordPress code, theme, plugins, etc. You don’t have to worry about damaging your website as everything that happens on the staging site will stay there and not be reflected on the live site until you decide to post the changes. This is a standard feature that comes with managed WordPress without you having to look for third-party plugins that offer them.
Advanced security
Security is often a major concern when working with WordPress, because as the most popular CMS, it is also the target of hackers and spammers. The first thing you need to do to keep your website secure is to keep your installation up to date by applying updates as soon as they are released. Managed hosting saves you having to do this manually by activating automatic updates of the WP core as well as all installed themes and plugins.
In addition to automatic updates, you can expect additional security functions and protective measures for your server and website. This usually includes malware scanning and removal, DDoS and brute force protection, file access restrictions, and other security measures, all of which are implemented and monitored by the host.
You should also make daily backups of your website ready for implementation. just in case something goes wrong or you need to undo a recent change made to your website.
Experienced support team
Having a knowledgeable support team that can quickly fix all kinds of technical issues on your server or WordPress installation is the most important thing to consider when looking for a web host.
Fully managed WordPress hosting should come with a dedicated technical support team who are familiar with this CMS and all of its details. A review published in The Daily Iowan includes some hosting companies that provide world-class technical support for WordPress.
A couple of downsides
Managed hosting solutions are not without their drawbacks, and the most obvious of these is cost. You should expect to pay at least twice the average amount you would pay for unmanaged services, and sometimes a lot more if you are looking for a premium service.
Another notable drawback is that you have much less access to your server environment and software as most of the server-side configurations are host-controlled. While this may actually be a good thing for technically inexperienced users, those who prefer direct access and control of their server may not like it.
So these are basically the main positives and negatives of managed WordPress hosting. This type of managed service is often more convenient for website owners who have limited technical experience and just want someone else to do all of the technical stuff for them. Of course, the features vary from one company to another, so take a close look at the list of things in it before you decide.
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