For those small to medium-sized businesses just starting out, every expenditure counts. Payroll, staff, marketing; these expenses can end up breaking a smaller operation if they aren’t handled properly. And one other area of modern business crucial to success is IT. Businesses of different sizes are going to require different IT needs. One area where this is particularly true is in hosting.
These days, web hosting is a necessity; it simply isn’t possible to run a successful organization without a website. But just how to go about managing said website is the key question. Some businesses prefer shared hosting, but there are drawbacks to these plans, such as limited IT support. Other businesses opt for managed hosting, and there are a number of practical reasons for this.
Reduced IT needs
Those businesses that opt for a managed hosting service can save money by not having to hire a full-time, in-house web-master. Outsourcing this type of need to professionals allows businesses to still maintain their websites for maximum uptime while still being able to cut IT costs.
Peace of mind
With managed hosting, everything is taken care of off site. That means the client no longer has to worry about managing their platforms because all servers and applications are taken care of by the provider. And any service-level agreement by any reputable managed-hosting provider is going to guarantee availability and network performance. There will also be no cost to refreshing systems and any equipment breakage or maintenance is fully covered by the provider.
No learning curve
Those organizations that are constantly training staff on how to manage new hardware don’t have that burden with managed hosting. Because all new enterprise-level equipment is implemented off site, the client doesn’t have to spend the energy trying to understand it. Managed hosting also makes it easier to deploy new platforms quickly.
Ideal for start ups
Most new businesses are in the black the moment they get up and running. Managed hosting allows for a significant IT solution to be up and running quickly and without the need to add a new department or staff, which won’t put the company deeper into debt. And by reducing the need for in-house data centers and extra employee management, these same businesses can concentrate on expansion.
Managed hosting is a tailored service
Many organizations are under the misapprehension that managed hosting is a one-size-fits all service, that smaller businesses, for example, may have to pay for additional services they do not require. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Managed hosting providers all work with the client in order to determine their specific needs and then provide the necessary services.
These are just a few reasons more and more customers prefer managed hosting over the alternatives. There are a number of other benefits to this type of web hosting, of course, and the good thing about it is that any managed-hosting provider worth their salt can tailor these benefits to a particular company’s needs.
Ryan Mitchell is an avid blogger and contributor to Quotecolo.com, a leading colocation hosting company in Dallas.