Shopping for the right hosting plan requires making many decisions. Most people start with the most basic hosting options to choose from. Shared hosting is where you share the space and software with other companies or businesses. This is an ideal option for many people just getting started in the world of the Internet.
However, once you’ve begun to develop a following and you’re getting a lot more traffic than you did in the beginning you may be looking for a more practical way of managing your Internet activity. It is at this point that the idea of managed hosting may come into play.
There are several differences between managed and unmanaged hosting that you must consider before you make your final decision. Aside from price alone making the wrong choice could prove to be very costly in other ways.
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What Is Unmanaged WordPress Hosting?
When you consider the fact that managed hosting consists of a full support system it is easy to grasp the concept of unmanaged hosting. With a managed support system nearly every possible problem from the operating system, control panel, server setup to the many different applications are all managed or supported. Whether the problem is an emergency or a routine system it is always backed up so that everything will run smoothly.
However, with the unmanaged system there is no routine support built in. You take care of failed components, reboot servers, maintain the network and keep things running but if a problem results from the software or you need anything installed you may be faced with a do-it-yourself kind of situation. In essence, it is your own computer that will be controlling and maintaining your system. You will be responsible for installation, fixing glitches, and security.
If you are unable to perform these tasks you can get your host to take care of them for you but at a hefty rate, so thinking about getting this type of plan warrants careful consideration.
Why Get Unmanaged WordPress Web Hosting?
For those who know how to handle much of the management issues that come with hosting it may be a relatively easy decision but there are other reasons why someone may choose an unmanaged hosting plan. The fact is that with unmanaged hosting, you as the owner, will have complete control over everything related to your system. With sole access you can treat your server in much the same way you would treat your own computer.
They are also far less expensive than a managed service as long as you can handle the additional work. Still, if you have trouble understanding basic operating systems, you can’t install a control panel, or you don’t know what to do when problems arise then you may want to decide if going with an unmanaged system is really worth it. A managed system is far less work and does not require so much special knowledge.
How to Decide
Making the decision will mean that you need to be perfectly honest about your unique abilities. Think about what would happen if you were faced with a particular software issue. If you feel that your business can absorb the downtime while you fix the problem then chances are the unmanaged system will work for you. However, if you realize that having your system down for a period of time could be detrimental to your business’ bottom line then it might be better to think about a managed system.
While unmanaged hosting is considerably less costly when you look at the monthly fees there is much more that you need to think about. When you need to bring the host in for additional repairs or adjustments that you are not able to complete yourself it is quite likely that the fees charged will be so much that it could literally wipe out the money you’ve saved by selecting an unmanaged plan.
If you thoroughly understand your company’s needs you’ll find the decision relatively easy to make. If you’re having trouble with making a choice then you might want to take the time to bring in an expert to help you lay out the fundamentals. It may take you a little time but it will be worth the effort in the end.
Once you know exactly what your company truly needs, the choice will be relatively easy to make. Only you know your level of skill and personal ability and only you can make the final decision about what is needed for your business to make the right choice.
