Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

November 30, 2010

How Managed Hosting Can Help Your Business

Web hosting comes in many types and variations. All of which are design to accommodate a diverse range of client needs. One of the most common forms of web hosting used by online business owners is managed hosting, which is a type of dedicated hosting. Dedicated hosting gives you access to your own private server, which is leased on a monthly basis.

Since you'll have your own server devoted to your needs, your web site performance will be optimal, and you'll have maximum control over the web server and its software configuration. However, some business owners are not technically inclined, and do not wish to deal with the administrative functions associated with managing a dedicated web server. Since poor server administration often leads to poor performance and even site down time, a managed hosting solution is often necessary. The following information describes how managed hosting can help your online business.

Time Management

Even though most business owners are intelligent enough to learn how to properly administrate a web server, the main issue that most people have with this idea is the temporal limitations of everyday life. In the business world, efficient time management equates to increased business productivity which is why managed hosting is in such high demand for online business owners. In fact, managed hosting's counterpart (unmanaged dedicated hosting) is rarely seen in the commercial market, and is usually only used by experienced webmasters that do not need assistance in server management. By letting your hosting provider take care of server management, you can focus on more mission critical aspects of your online business.

Cost Management

Although managed dedicated hosting typically costs more than unmanaged hosting, the amount of money you'll save by having extra time and by avoiding IT costs greatly outweighs the additional monthly expense of managed hosting. Some companies pay IT specialists $50-$200 per hour for server maintenance and repair, and if you're not experienced with server management then it is lily that you will require some sort of assistance in the future. Although some unmanaged hosting providers will offer technical support, it will come at an additional cost. If you do decide to choose unmanaged hosting, hiring an employee in the long term would be optimal, rather than paying exuberant amounts for periodic services. Thus, choosing managed hosting is actually the ideal way to save money in the long run.

Choosing a Managed Hosting Plan

Although managed hosting is generally superior to unmanaged hosting, the exact definition of 'managed' differs depending upon the hosting provider. What one hosting company calls managed may be defined as partially managed by another. Which is why it is important to understand what the service entails before choosing a specific plan. This information can usually be found in he terms and conditions of the plan as listed on the sales page. Some of the main attributes to look for in a managed hosting plan include 24 hour customer service, complete technical support and uptime/money back guarantees.

Tags: Managed Hosting,  dedicated hosting,  private server,  website performance,  software configuration,  server administration,  IT costs