Fully Managed Dedicated WordPress Hosting
When creating a WordPress website of any size, there are many decisions you’re required to make. Aside from design and development, you’ll also have to consider many variables related to web hosting. Without strategic planning, you may choose an option that could negatively impact your site’s performance.
A dedicated server is one solution that offers many benefits, especially for high-traffic websites. Its reliability makes it one of the more secure hosting options for WordPress, and its flexibility enables you to scale your online presence as needed.
In this post, we’ll discuss dedicated hosting for WordPress and all it has to offer. We’ll also compare it to other popular options such as shared, Virtual Private Server (VPS), and cloud hosting. Let’s get started!
What is Fully Managed Dedicated WordPress Hosting?
In simple terms, dedicated hosting is a plan that provides the use of an entire server just for your site. This differs significantly from shared and VPS hosting, both of which involve the storage of multiple sites on one computer.
A dedicated server is common among enterprise-grade websites, including corporations and eCommerce storefronts. This is directly related to the benefits that this solution provides, as these websites require higher levels of security, reliability, and flexibility to take payments and handle large volumes of traffic.
As we mentioned, dedicated hosting offers many benefits that can justify the expensive price tag usually associated with this type of plan. Even though it’s a higher tiered option, it can be well worth the investment.
Fully dedicated WordPress hosting provides the most reliable service and the greatest amount of uptime. This is crucial for all websites, but even more so for high-traffic ones (i.e., those with 300,000 or more hits per month). Typically, these websites require more resources than a shared server can provide.
Perhaps most importantly, a dedicated hosting environment ensures top-notch security. Consider how a shared plan could expose your website to unavoidable threats, some of which may come from other sites. Having your own server means you know exactly how it’s set up, so you can act in your own best interests and protect your online content fully.
When combined, it’s easy to see why so many business owners trust dedicated hosting for their WordPress sites. However, it’s always wise to consider other options. Let’s take a look at how this solution compares to three other popular plans – shared, VPS, and cloud hosting.
The major difference between dedicated and shared hosting is the number of websites stored on one server. With shared hosting, the server is split between multiple customers, usually with minimal to no configuration options. Dedicated hosting means you have your own server and full access to its resources.
Considering this difference, it makes sense that dedicated hosting is more flexible. On a shared server, you’re competing for storage space, memory, and power with other customers. It’s harder to scale your resources to accommodate high website traffic and ensure your site is performing at its best.
Additionally, with dedicated hosting, your own site’s security is not dependent on whether other websites on your server are protected. Instead, you have total control so you can better prevent attacks and data loss.
Automatically Managed Updates
One of the primary benefits of dedicated WordPress hosting is managed updates. While it’s true that WordPress offers automatic updates for both the core platform and plugins, blindly updating a site isn’t always the best idea – sometimes new versions come with bugs or compatibility issues that may cause problems.
For this reason, many site owners disable automatic updates entirely, but that carries risks of its own since updates often fix security flaws. Managed dedicated hosting with updates ensures that you get the best of both worlds: your site is kept secure automatically, but the updates are vetted first to ensure that they won’t introduce any new problems.
Dedicated vs. VPS Hosting
While similar to a shared plan, VPS hosting is a more secure option. Your site does reside on a server with others, but it’s more flexible due to the fact that your resources are guaranteed through the use of virtual divisions.
However, compared with VPS plans, dedicated hosting takes security and flexibility one step further. While virtual divisions do help separate your site from other customers’, websites on dedicated servers are (of course) more isolated. Where you may face resource limitations with the former option, the latter enables you to truly have access to exactly what you need.
Security is another factor to consider and, arguably, the most important. VPS hosting certainly offers protection beyond a shared hosting configuration, but not above that of dedicated hosting. You can truly lock down your personal server to ensure a safe experience. This is why it’s recommended for eCommerce sites that handle credit card data.
Dedicated vs. Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is another option for your WordPress website. This kind of plan takes advantage of multiple server resources that are all connected virtually. Consequently, your website will not be relying on just one single, physical server, as it would with a dedicated hosting plan.
By comparison, cloud hosting is highly scalable and affordable. This is due to the fact that it’s leveraging several different servers across a network. As such, there is no single point of failure. If one server goes down, your website should still run just fine as it’s supported by resources from several computers.
When it comes to security, cloud hosting can be tricky. On the whole, it can be very secure due to the ability to segment sensitive data. This can keep details such as credit card information separate from vulnerable areas, but it also requires a highly knowledgeable programmer to set it up properly.
How to Choose the Right Type of Hosting for Your Business Site
We’ve covered a few elements that set dedicated hosting apart from other options. However, if you’re looking for the right solution for your business website, there are some additional factors to consider.
If you’re on the fence about what kind of hosting you need, here are a few helpful things to keep in mind:
- Domain name. You might already have a web address for your business. Understanding how your host handles domain purchasing and registration is something to consider. Watch out for transfer fees or other potential roadblocks.
- Security. Whether you’re taking payments online or not, security is important. Dedicated servers offer a lot of protection, especially when coupled with other precautions. Evaluating your host’s security features can save you potential headaches down the road.
- Bandwidth. If users will be viewing or loading videos and large images from your server, you’ll want to explore how your bandwidth will be handled. You don’t want to leave your users hanging if there are bottlenecks or slowdowns.
- Support. If you prefer to handle problems on your own, there are certainly dedicated hosting plans out there that enable you to do so. However, when the unexpected happens, WP Engine believes in helping you through it. We offer professional, expert WordPress help and support services for all our customers.
- Guarantees. Most web hosting plans include “guaranteed uptime.” It’s wise to monitor your uptime to ensure your provider is keeping their promise. Check your Service Level Agreement (SLA) to determine what to expect in terms of uptime.
Not all business websites require the same hosting. For example, your company’s online presence may be primarily on social media. Alternatively, you might be looking to launch a full eCommerce solution for your products. Regardless, assessing the factors listed above can help you decide whether a dedicated server is right for you.
Dedicated Servers and Managed Hosting for WordPress with WP Engine
By far the most popular Content Management System (CMS) on the web, WordPress is an excellent option for many types of websites. These include personal blogs, small business sites, and even enterprise-grade online properties.
Just like with any other CMS, you have your pick when it comes to hosting. However, a dedicated server can be one of the best ways to store and deploy your site. While not every provider offers this solution, WP Engine does.
With a dedicated hosting plan, you have access to a high-performance infrastructure and a team of experts. This means your site will be secure, reliable, and flexible enough to meet all of your needs.
As a premium dedicated hosting platform, WP Engine offers plans for a variety of website needs, including managed hosting for WordPress on a dedicated server. With WP Engine on your side, you can be sure your website is operating most efficiently.
Are you ready to learn more? Take a look at our managed hosting plans, including dedicated hosting for WordPress!
