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6 Benefits of Managed Web Hosting

Man looking at computer hosting options

The primary reason why most small businesses choose shared hosting or any type of hosting over their managed counterpart is cost. Yes, some choose unmanaged hosting for the flexibility it offers, but most don’t need it. 

If you are considering an unmanaged web hosting plan just because it’s “cheaper,” you might be making a mistake. Read this article to find out exactly why the managed plans are “expensive,” or rather, why they are a better value than the unmanaged ones.


Difference between managed and unmanaged hosting

At the most basic level, an unmanaged hosting plan includes server space & OS on the server. You will have to take care of security, optimization, updates, maintenance, and more.

With managed hosting, the hosting provider takes most of the load on their shoulders. Apart from a slightly costlier price tag, the only downside with managed hosting is you won’t have as much control over your server as you would with unmanaged hosting. However, the benefits far exceed that one downside.


Benefits of Managed Hosting

1. Expert support

When you buy a managed plan, you mostly buy it for the particular CMS/software you use on your website. Meaning, instead of an unmanaged “Linux server,” you get a “Managed WordPress” hosting.

Typically, the support team for such plans is well-versed with every facet of the CMS alongside servers. Plus, you have industry-standard 24/7 access to these experts via live chat, phone support, or support tickets.

In short, have a problem? Reach out to them & consider the problem solved!


2. Constant server monitoring

It’s the hosting provider’s duty to ensure your site works properly 24/7 when you are a managed plan user. They proactively look for vulnerabilities & possible optimizations to keep the server health at its best.

This simply isn’t an option with unmanaged hosting. You will have to monitor your site or pay for a third-party service/software to constantly monitor your site. And when there are possible vulnerabilities with the server, it will be your duty to eliminate them.


3. Top-notch security

A managed hosting user gets security features like virus scanning, DDoS detection, firewall configuration, OS auto-updates, plugins auto-updates, auto-backups, spam filtering, and frequent security audits. If they find malware or bugs during the process, they will remove it without you even noticing it. Plus, value-added features like CDN take care of DDoS attacks and more.

The peace of mind just this benefit brings makes up for the cost difference between a managed plan and an unmanaged plan.


4. Better performance

As mentioned earlier, a managed hosting plan is typically tailored for a specific CMS/software. This means the entire tech stack is best optimized for that particular application.

Most managed hosting providers include a caching solution for the CMS (e.g., SiteGround’s SuperCacher for WordPress), a worldwide CDN for faster delivery across the globe, the latest software for the best experience, and optimized server infrastructure.


5. Better features

Managed hosting packages pre-include the features you’d have to configure in unmanaged hosting. For instance, you won’t need to install a caching solution, security add-on, backup plugin, a CDN, an SSL certificate, collaboration tools, workflow tools, migration tools, etc.

Moreover, you get a staging area to test out new updates you want to make on your/clients’ site with managed hosting.


6. Easier site management

Because most of the management is either done by the managed hosting provider or you can get done on-demand, the control panel you get is much more user-friendly than a typical cPanel or Plesk that comes with unmanaged hosting.

You only have a few options with a panel like Kinsta’s MyKinsta panel. Still, it’s equally powerful to the feature-rich & bloated counterparts.


All in all

If you are a small or medium-sized business, managed hosting is the best choice for you in most cases. It will eliminate all the support & operation costs of self-managed hosting demands.

With managed hosting, you get:

  • Access to a well-versed support team,
  • Constant server monitoring,
  • The best possible security & performance,
  • More pre-included features,
  • And an easy-to-use bloat-free control panel.

Best of all: You get the peace of mind you need to run a business successfully! Contact us if managed web hosting is for you.

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