Recently I was asked to transfer a website from a development server to a client’s live server on a managed shared host. No problem! But I quickly found myself frustrated. When I started up a new website on the live server, I ended up with a WordPress site with all kinds of default installations: themes, plugins, settings, and sample posts. Woof. I felt like it was 2001, and I was getting a cheap PC filled with bloatware. 

It didn’t matter in this case because I promptly started over with the site I needed to transfer, but I wondered, “what if I wasn’t a pro and had no idea what any of this stuff was?” You might even leave all this installed, potentially introducing security issues, speed issues, or simply confusion about what any of it was. The average user might think, “this is just how WordPress is!”

Furthermore, this account was on a shared hosting setup so the website will be subjected to the security risks of every other site on the server. It also may have speed issues depending on the overall load on the server being used. If another site goes viral on this server, it will slow down all the others. 

Let’s get into some simple definitions if this sounds wise but foreign.

Website Hosting/Server: A computer that stores and executes the files and database that run your website.

Shared Hosting: Shared hosting is anytime you share a server with other sites that aren’t yours. These are typically the lower-end plans from GoDaddy, Ionos, A2, etc.

Bloatware: The term for unwanted pre-installed software on a computer or device. When you want WordPress, that is all you should get – not a bunch of bundled plugins that made a deal with the hosting provider. 

Virtual Dedicated Hosting: You get a specific server resource wholly reserved for your project. It may exist on a larger unit of servers, but it has the same restrictions as if it were a computer dedicated to your files.

Dedicated Hosting: A server somewhere that is only for your files/website – this is generally overkill for most marketing websites.

So If Not Managed Hosting, What?

We love dedicated virtual cloud hosts right now. You get all the security and power of a dedicated server but at insanely low costs. The price is often more affordable than managed hosts, especially considering the benefits. 

So why doesn’t everyone use these services? They can be a bit more complex to use than a managed host. But the irony is, with the rise of bloatware and variations in control panels, virtual dedicated cloud hosting is more consistent to use – there is just a learning curve. 

Maybe this is all resonating with you; you are sick and tired of the GoDaddy control panel and how it is so easy to use that it is hard, but you don’t know where to start. Reach out for a Free Consultation. We won’t try to sell you hosting through The Sky Floor – we will help you make an informed decision about the fastest, most reliable way to host your website going forward.

For more on cloud hosting speed tests, see our prior posts here and here.

Takeaway:
Ditch that managed shared host. There will be a learning curve, but in the end, you will enjoy more security and speed than the alternatives can provide.