Managed WordPress Hosting for a Small Business
Managed WordPress hosting means someone else runs the updates, backups and security. What it includes, what it costs ($99 a month), and when plain hosting is fine.
In this article· 5 sections
Your WordPress site brings in work, and nobody’s job is looking after it. The dashboard shows fourteen updates. You have clicked Update before and watched the layout break, so now you click nothing, and the warnings pile up next to a backup plugin you hope is working.
Short answer: Managed WordPress hosting means the hosting and the upkeep are one plan. Managed Website Hosting & Care starts at $99 a month: hosting, updates, daily backups, monitoring, and small changes by email. Managed WordPress hosting explains the difference from the plain kind.
What does “managed” actually add?
Plain WordPress hosting rents you a server that can run WordPress. Managed hosting adds the recurring work: updates applied, backups verified, security kept current, uptime watched, and a person who fixes the site instead of resetting a password.
A host’s support answers questions about the server. It does not update your plugins, restore your backup at 9pm, or change your Saturday hours. Those jobs land on you, a freelancer’s hourly invoice, or nobody. Managed care is paying one monthly price for somebody to own them.
That is the whole offer on these plans. Every plan includes hosting with SSL, core, plugin and theme updates, daily backups stored apart from the site, and uptime and security monitoring around the clock. Small changes go by email and use included monthly time first.
What does it cost, in plain numbers?
Essentials is $99 a month with 30 minutes of changes. Business is $249 a month with an hour of changes and updates tested on a staging copy. Priority is $499 a month with 3 hours, a dedicated server, and 24/7 response if the site goes down.
| Plan | Price | What you actually get |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $99 a month | Hosting, SSL, daily backups, updates, 30 minutes of changes, response within 2 business days. Malware cleanup is $125 an hour. A fix or backup restore is included. |
| Business (most popular) | $249 a month | Everything in Essentials, 1 hour of changes, updates tested on a staging copy before they go live, malware cleanup included. |
| Priority | $499 a month | Everything in Business, 3 hours of changes, a dedicated server, 24/7 response if the site goes down. |
All three are monthly, billed through Stripe, and you can cancel any time. Past the included time, changes are $125 an hour, and I tell you before going over. Unused time does not roll over. See the plans or run your current setup through the hosting cost calculator first.
Do you have to move your site?
No. Moving one standard site is included if you want me to host it. If your current host is fine, the same care runs on the site where it already lives, at the same price.
Most clients move, because the old host is half the problem. I copy the site, test the copy, then switch the domain at a quiet time, so visitors never see a gap. A large online store or a custom app gets a fixed quote before anything starts.
You keep the domain and the content either way, and you can ask for a complete copy of the site any time. You do not get a server login or a control panel to manage. That is rather the point.
When plain hosting is honestly fine
If someone on your staff already applies updates, tests backups, and answers when the site breaks, plain hosting is the cheaper and correct choice. Managed care sells you that person’s hours back.
It is also the wrong fit if the site itself needs to change first. A template that fails on phones is a redesign, not a care plan. That work is quoted as a fixed price before it starts; web development is where rebuilds live, and the website redesign page explains how to tell the two apart.
And if the site is a hobby page that earns nothing, $99 a month is real money for peace of mind you may not need. The honest test: what did the last break cost you, in invoices and in your own evenings?
What happens after you pick a plan?
Pick a plan and check out. I email you within 1 business day to start. Moving one standard site is included: I copy it, test it, and switch the domain at a quiet time. After that, send changes to michael@michaelheredia.com.
If the site is limping today, open the plans or send a question with what the dashboard is showing. I reply by email.
FAQ
What is managed WordPress hosting? +
It is WordPress hosting where the work is included: core, plugin and theme updates, daily backups, security, monitoring and someone to email when something breaks. Plain WordPress hosting rents you server space and leaves that work to you. My Managed Website Hosting & Care plans start at $99 a month.
How much does managed WordPress hosting cost? +
Essentials is $99 a month, Business is $249 a month, and Priority is $499 a month. All three include hosting, SSL, daily backups and updates. Business and Priority test updates on a staging copy first, and malware cleanup is included on those two. Past the included change time, extra work is $125 an hour and I tell you before going over.
Do I have to move my site to get managed care? +
No. Most clients let me host the site, and moving one standard site is included. If you would rather keep your current host, I look after the site there instead. Same plans, same price.
What happens if I cancel? +
The plan runs to the end of the month you already paid. Before it ends, you get a full copy of the site and help pointing the domain to a new host. You keep the domain and the content, and you can ask for a complete copy any time.
