Managed Web Hosting Matters for Business Sites — It’s Your Brand’s Reputation

When we think about marketing — the first, and last thought should be your website, your website should be the place your marketing starts. The place you convert a prospect to a sale. Yet so many business owners I talk with don’t have managed web hosting. They  hate their website hosting provider, can’t reach them, or simply can’t get a call back. Their websites are being mis-managed and in many cases are literally being held hostage by their web host. Now all this would be bad enough if what the web host was providing was free, but the reality is, you’re paying for this service (or lack of service)! And more often than not — paying A LOT! And that’s not fair. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, what many business owners are getting for their money isn’t a completely managed web hosting package. Sure, the website is up on a server, displaying to the world, however that’s about it. There is little to no optimization for loading speed, non-existent  brute force and malware injection monitoring. Limited to no backup service, and absolutely no plugin/theme/core upgrade service. (Did you know that if your website takes more than 7 seconds to load you will lose visitors and search engine ranking? Find out how fast your website is here.) Worse yet, many business owners try their hand at self-hosting their own website to save costs. And while it’s true that technically anyone can host a website on a service like GoDaddy, what they are giving up is a technical understanding of the challenges that go into managed web hosting. The pitfalls, the secrets, and the necessary elements that go into facilitating the website hosting connection. In other words, keeping the website “up” and “running”. They’re trading a little cash for inconsistent backup schedules, intermittent upgrades (the SUREST way to make sure that your website invites malware), and for their own understanding of how to keep the website up and running.  What’s most worrying — we’re not talking about tech-savvy individuals or hobby sites. We’re talking about individuals who know nothing about hosting a website and the face your business shows the world. What everyone wants/needs out of their business website is for it to be up, functioning, and free of malware. When it’s not, it’s a reflection on your business. And with all the time, energy, and money we spend each day trying to create a business with a solid reputation, your website should be helping — not hurting. There is a solution though…managed web hosting

Enter Managed Web Hosting

The good news is, for most websites using open source software (WordPress, for instance), there are choices in Managed Web Hosting. And there are GREAT hosts out there. Yes, it will cost you more than the bargain-basement providers, but remember, we’re not talking about a hobby website. We’re talking about your business website…one of the most important assets for your business. It’s your connection to your community, the world, and your next client. Rather than spend another penny on Yellow Pages advertising, spend the $50 a month that it will take to make sure your website is managed appropriately. That your website is a good representation of your business, and that you have a website hosting provider that will call you back in a timely manner. That your website is up, safe, backed up, and FAST. (Full disclosure: Paradux Media Group offers WordPress Managed Web Hosting for Businesses, but there are lots of great managed web hosting providers out there, do your research and choose well.)

What is Managed Web Hosting?

Managed Web Hosting occurs when you, the business owner, outsource the management and hosting of your website to a reputable business that takes care of the server setup, server management, website backups, website upgrades, defending against malware, and generally looking after all the technical aspects of your websites. In a managed web hosting situation, you have the freedom and ability to access and add content to your website, but you don’t have to worry about it being there when you want it. Managed web hosting provides the piece of mind that is critical for a business website. Once you get control of your website with managed web hosting, you’ll be able to launch your latest campaign with your website, drive traffic to a landing page on the site, track your sale’s progress by tracking the hits to your landing page, and close the deal online — that’s smart and effective marketing.