Running a website can be hard work.
In addition to the security updates, the backups, the performance tweaks and the server monitoring… it can feel like it’s a full-time job. But most business owners don’t have the time and even if they had the knowledge, they just want their site to work without the technical headaches.
But there’s good news:
Managed hosting services are what take care of all these maintenance tasks for you. They handle the boring (but critical) stuff while you focus on what you do best and that’s growing your business.
But here’s the best part of all:
You don’t need to be a technology geek to benefit from it.
In this article you’ll learn:
- What Managed Hosting really is
- The real importance of website maintenance
- The Key Benefits of Managed Hosting
- How to choose the right Managed Host for your business needs
What is Managed Hosting?
Managed hosting is a web hosting service where the provider manages all the technical maintenance for you.
Think of it as hiring a full-time IT team for your website… without having to hire anyone.
Your managed host will take care of things like:
- Server setup and configuration
- Security monitoring and updates
- Regular backups
- Performance optimisation
- Software updates
This is in contrast to standard shared or unmanaged hosting where the technical stuff is on you. You would have to worry about doing updates, installing security patches and troubleshooting all the server issues.
This is why businesses that need fast and scalable web hosting usually gravitate towards managed solutions. It abstracts away all the complexity of running a website. The provider takes care of everything while you benefit from it.
Pretty simple, right?
Why website maintenance is more important than you think
Something that you might not know is that:
The Uptime Institute reports that 55% of IT operators in the field state that their organisation had at least one server outage in the last 3 years. That is more than half of all the businesses are suffering from some downtime issue.
And downtime costs.
It can cost you a lot of money, not just to your business but also to your brand.
The 2024 ITIC survey reports that more than 90% of large enterprises say that a single hour of downtime can cost you upward of $300,000! While smaller businesses can lose a few hundred dollars per minute if their website is not available.
While money is one thing, poor maintenance also leads to the following:
- Security breaches due to holes that hackers can take advantage of
- Slow website loading speeds that put off visitors
- Broken website features that are frustrating to your customers
- Search engine penalties if your website is not performing well
The problem is that most business owners do not have the time to manually check all their servers, install all the necessary patches and continuously monitor everything for threats. They have actual businesses to run and other things to focus on.
This is the exact purpose of managed hosting.
The Key Benefits of Managed Hosting
Managed hosting provides serious advantages over doing all the maintenance by yourself. So, let’s discuss the main benefits.
Expert Security Management
Security threats are everywhere, all the time. Malware infections, DDoS attacks, brute force attacks… and the list goes on and on.
Managed hosts have security experts who will monitor your server 24/7. They will also install all the security patches before any vulnerabilities can become an issue. And they will set up firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
You get the benefits of enterprise-level protection without needing to know the technical details or how to set anything up.
Automatic Backups
What if your website crashes tomorrow?
With managed hosting, regular backups will run automatically in the background. If something bad does happen, your host will be able to quickly restore your site. No panic. No lost data. No stress.
The majority of managed hosts keep multiple backup copies stored in different locations. This way, you are protected even if a server completely fails.
Performance Optimisation
Slow websites are a conversion killer.
Managed hosts are constantly tuning server performance so your site can run as fast as possible. This includes handling caching, database optimisation and resource allocation. They make sure that your site can handle traffic spikes without buckling.
This type of optimisation requires some serious technical knowledge. Or you can leave it all up to the experts.
24/7 Technical Support
Server problems don’t wait until business hours to happen.
Managed hosting providers have round-the-clock support from humans who actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to servers. When something breaks at 3am, someone is there to fix it instead of you having to troubleshoot everything yourself.
This alone saves hours upon hours of frustration.
Software Updates
WordPress updates. Plugin updates. PHP version upgrades.
Keeping everything updated is a tedious yet necessary task. Older software creates security holes and compatibility issues.
Managed hosts will take care of all these updates automatically. They test everything first to make sure it doesn’t break your site. Then they apply the updates during low-traffic periods to minimise any disruption.
How to choose the right Managed Host
Not all managed hosting providers are created equal.
When it’s time for you to make a choice, keep the following in mind:
Uptime Guarantees – Go for 99.9% uptime or better. Anything less is going to leave you with more potential downtime for your business.
Support Quality – Test them out before signing up. Send them a support question and see how fast they respond. See if they have phone support or are just a ticketing system via email.
Backup Frequency – Daily backups are the minimum. Hourly backups are better if you have a mission-critical site.
Scalability Options – Your hosting needs are going to grow as your business grows. Make sure your provider can easily scale your resources up when traffic increases.
Security Features – SSL certificates, malware scanning, firewalls and DDoS protection should all be included in the package.
Migration Support – If you’re moving from another host, good managed providers offer free migration assistance so that the transition is painless for you.
Do your research, read reviews from actual customers and compare pricing structures very carefully because some hosts charge extra for features that others include standard.
Who should use Managed Hosting?
Managed hosting is not for everyone.
Managed hosting works best for:
- Business owners who have little to no technical knowledge
- Companies that can’t afford any extended downtime
- Websites that process and store sensitive customer data
- Growing businesses that need reliable scaling
- Anyone who values their time more than a few dollars
If you are someone who is comfortable managing servers yourself and who has the time to do it properly then unmanaged hosting will cost you less. But for most businesses, the convenience and added security of managed hosting more than outweighs the higher price tag.
Wrapping things up
Website maintenance is one of those things that is easy to ignore until something goes wrong. And when things do break, it is really, really bad.
Managed hosting services take care of this risk by placing a team of experts in charge of the technical side of things. They are the ones who handle security, the backups, the updates and performance optimisation so you do not have to.
The end result?
- Less stress about server issues
- Better security for both your site and your customers
- Faster website loading speeds
- More time for you to focus on the actual business
Managed hosting is more expensive than basic shared hosting, of course, it is. But when you take into consideration the time saved and potential issues that were prevented, it usually ends up being the smarter investment.
Your website is the foundation for your online presence. It would make sense to have it maintained by professionals, wouldn’t it?
