Takeaways:
- Self-managed hosting will keep your site active but not always protect it
- White-glove hosting provides more robust security & monitoring
- Your time is valuable – spend it where it gives you the greatest ROI
The Spooky Side to Self-Managed Hosting
Whether you are just starting to build your website and develop your digital presence or if you are a tenured internet/website veteran, you are still faced with the same question – “Where should I host my website?”
Hosting is a priority when it comes to keeping your website live and those who are well versed in the intricacies of the internet are well aware of the multitude of options available for hosting. However, those who are new to developing a website aren’t strangers either; most everyone has at least heard of one hosting provider – GoDaddy, Bluehost, HostGator, etc.
What most novice website owners (and even experienced users) don’t know is that the use of self-managed hosting services, like GoDaddy, really don’t provide the features that are necessary to keep your website protected and running smoothly in the long term. The frightening side of things is that you may be led to believe you are receiving the protection and support your website needs while saving a dollar; when in actuality, their a la carte approach ends up costing you time and money..
Spooky, right?!
Let’s break things down for just a moment…
First off, GoDaddy is a perfectly fine place to be purchasing the domain name for your business; it’s actually great for this! However, after purchasing your domain, you are faced with the question of what type of hosting provider you want to use. Sure, GoDaddy and other self-managed hosting providers offer plans that seem affordable (starting at $6.99/month for WordPress site hosting) but what is really provided and how much do you value your time?
What you Actually Get from GoDaddy
If you are tech savvy and looking to be more engaged with the backend of your website, you can manage your own hosting plan but remember that even if you choose a monthly hosting plan from a self-managed hosting provider, you are responsible performing the tasks for:
- Monthly monitoring of your website
- Plugin updates
- Resolving malware attacks
- Site content updates
That’s because with the basic package, you are really just getting minimum coverage and the tools to perform the tasks on your own to stay protected. To a new or inexperienced user, managing these tasks can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed and confused; which ultimately will result in frustration and anger.
Now, picture this…You call GoDaddy to resolve your issue, only to have to go through an automated call center and then be placed on hold until a representative is available to speak with you. “Alas!”, you think to yourself once you get an assistant on the phone, but sure enough you are stuck wasting time as their support team tries to familiarize themselves with your website (that they didn’t build) in order to troubleshoot and find a solution to your problem. More often than not, if the cause of your issue is deemed to be a WordPress plugin error, the customer service rep will turn you away stating they aren’t responsible for 3rd party software errors.
The Real ROI from White-Glove Hosting by a Developer
Either way, if you are experienced or a novice, making sure your website is up to date and running properly is a time suck. If you are not a web developer, this will take away precious minutes from your work day that you could be using to better your business; or worse, taking away from personal time with friends and family during your off hours.
It may seem like you are saving your time and dollars when you use one of these hosting solutions but in actuality, you are costing yourself and your business in the long run. Plus, not every website requires the same support and updates so why would you pay a self-managed hosting company for a general plan that doesn’t fit your needs? Instead, making the investment in hosting services from a white-glove provider, that is focused on your digital strategy, will not only provide an increased layer of protection but will also add personalized care to your website as well as recommendations for future updates and strategy.
When working with a white-glove hosting provider, you are able to thoroughly express the goals of your business and how your website/online presence plays a role in your digital strategy. What’s even more valuable is that your relationship with your hosting provider will continue to develop overtime; allowing you to collaborate with a team that knows your needs and can provide solutions that are right for your business.
In addition to having a more personalized service, white-glove hosting providers, like Prositely are able to manage the small, but very important, backend tasks to keep your website up to date. Sure, you or someone on your team could make content & plugin updates but that takes them away from other tasks that could provide more value to your business. A quick phone call or email to your dedicated hosting team makes adding new content or fixing issues on your website fast and easy.
Not only does Prositely provide you with more security, we also are able to run website audits and performance reports to identify areas of growth and curate a SEO strategy that best targets your ideal client.
Reach out to our Director of Digital Solutions, Matt Torr, to perform a complimentary website audit and learn more about the benefits of white-glove hosting!
