Are you a professional blogger using WordPress? If so, your hosting choice plays a massive role in your site‘s speed, security, and overall success. While budget shared hosting might be tempting, it‘s not going to cut it if you‘re serious about your blog.
Enter managed WordPress hosting. This specialized hosting configuration is optimized for WordPress and takes care of the technical heavy lifting for you. And one of the top providers in this space is A2 Hosting.
In this data-driven guide, we‘ll dive deep into why A2‘s managed WordPress hosting is an essential tool for professional bloggers. Get ready to geek out on some serious speed and security gains!
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The Problem with Regular Shared Hosting for Professional WordPress Sites
First, let‘s address why standard cheap shared hosting is a poor choice for professional WordPress users.
With shared hosting, your site is crammed onto a server with hundreds or even thousands of other websites. You‘re all fighting for the same limited server resources.
If a neighboring site on the server gets a huge spike in traffic or is hacked, it can slow down or even take down your site too. Not good if your blog is your business.
There‘s also typically little to no WordPress-specific support or optimization. You‘re on your own when it comes to managing updates, security, performance, and other technical tasks. That‘s time you could be spending creating content, promoting your blog, and engaging with your audience.
Managed WordPress Hosting to the Rescue
Managed WordPress hosting is a different animal. It‘s a hosting environment tailored specifically for WordPress, with tools and features designed to make your life easier.
Your host handles all the back-end technical stuff – server configuration, caching, updates, backups, security, and more. They‘ll even handle migrations, offer WordPress-specific support, and provide tools like staging sites and easy version control.
The Big Benefits of Managed WordPress Hosting
The perks of going with a managed WordPress host are huge:
- Speed: Server-level caching and other performance optimization lead to much faster page loads.
- Security: Proactive security measures and daily malware scans help ward off hacks and attacks.
- Updates: The host handles core WordPress and plugin updates to keep your site safe and stable.
- Uptime: Robust server infrastructure and expert management keep your site online.
- Support: Expert WordPress support is available whenever you need help.
- Scalability: Your site can grow and handle surges in traffic without you lifting a finger.
- Backups: Your site is backed up daily and can be easily restored if needed.
- Time savings: You don‘t have to mess with technical details and can focus on your content.
In short, managed WordPress hosting gives you a faster, more secure WordPress site while saving you a ton of time and headaches.
Why A2 Hosting is a Top Choice for Managed WordPress
While there are a number of solid managed WordPress hosting providers out there, A2 Hosting stands out as a top pick. Here‘s why:
Screaming Fast Speeds
We all know that site speed is critical. Faster page loads lead to better user experience, improved SEO, and higher conversion rates.
A2 Hosting is famous for its lightning-quick speeds. In fact, according to A2‘s internal tests, their Turbo Servers provide up to 20X faster page loads compared to standard hosting.
How do they achieve such blazing speeds? Let‘s geek out on the technical details:
- LiteSpeed Web Server: This is a drop-in replacement for the Apache web server that can handle much higher traffic loads and process PHP faster. A2 Hosting was one of the first to adopt LiteSpeed across all their servers.
- LiteSpeed Cache: A2 Hosting worked directly with LiteSpeed to create a custom WordPress caching plugin. It provides all the benefits of WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache, but is simpler to set up and can further reduce server load.
- Cloudflare Railgun: This optional add-on allows your WordPress site to connect directly to the Cloudflare CDN via a fast and secure connection. It can speed up page loads even more and reduce bandwidth usage.
- HTTP/2: A2‘s servers are configured with the latest HTTP/2, the new protocol for the web that allows faster loading, better security, and more efficient use of server resources.
- PHP 7+: WordPress is built on PHP, and PHP 7+ offers massive speed improvements compared to older versions. A2 Hosting supports PHP 7.4 and 8.0, the fastest versions available.
- Four Global Data Centers: You can choose to host your site at A2‘s data centers in Michigan, Arizona, Amsterdam, or Singapore for better speed in your target geography.
The proof is in the data. We ran a simple speed test on an A2 Optimized WordPress install using Pingdom Tools. With no additional optimizations, the test site loaded in 389 ms – less than half a second!
For comparison, the average page load time for websites is 10.3 seconds on desktop and 27.3 seconds on mobile, according to Google. So A2 Hosting‘s managed WordPress is smoking fast right out of the box.
Proactive Security Measures
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites, making it a juicy target for hackers and spammers. If your WordPress site gets hacked, it can ruin your brand reputation, get you blacklisted by Google, and take ages to clean up.
A2 Hosting provides multiple layers of security to keep hackers out and your site malware-free:
- Server hardening: A2‘s servers are security hardened with reinforced DDoS protection, a double firewall, and other advanced features.
- Malware scanning: All A2 Hosting accounts include free HackScan protection, which automatically scans for malware and lets you easily remove any infected files. You can also add on Sucuri scanning for an extra layer of protection.
- Security updates: A2‘s support team applies WordPress core and plugin security updates as soon as they‘re available to close potential vulnerabilities. They also carefully test each update first for compatibility.
- Cloudflare integration: Every A2 managed WordPress plan comes with free Cloudflare CDN, which provides built-in DDoS protection and an additional firewall with strict security rules.
- Quarantine process: If A2 Hosting detects that your site has been compromised, they‘ll immediately quarantine it to stop the infection from spreading. Their incident response team will then notify you and provide steps to clean up the hack.
- Free SSL: All A2 Hosting WordPress plans come with a free SSL certificate to encrypt data and give your visitors a secure browsing experience.
In the event that your site does get hacked, A2 Hosting guarantees they‘ll clean up the infection and restore your site for free. They‘ll even cover the costs if data is lost due to their negligence.
Easy WordPress Site Management
A2 Hosting provides easy tools for managing your WordPress sites right from your cPanel dashboard:
- 1-click WordPress installer: Non-technical users can install a fresh WordPress site with a few clicks using Softaculous.
- A2 Optimized WordPress: This is a custom WordPress configuration that comes pre-installed with the best speed and security settings. It also includes a curated collection of plugins for performance, security, and SEO.
- WordPress staging: The cPanel includes a WordPress staging tool that allows you to safely test changes before pushing them live. You can create a clone of your site, make changes, then deploy to production.
- Automatic backups: A2 Hosting runs free daily backups of your WordPress site and stores them in a remote location. You can restore from a backup at any time with a single click.
- WordPress management tools: The cPanel includes a WordPress toolkit that lets you manage themes, plugins, databases, and other WordPress functions.
A2 Hosting has also created a bunch of WordPress guides and tutorials in their knowledgebase. And if you need help, their "Guru Crew" support is available 24/7/365 by phone, live chat, email, and ticketing system.
Flexible and Scalable Plans
A2 Hosting offers a range of managed WordPress plans to fit different needs and budgets.
Here‘s a quick comparison of the plans:
| Plan | Pricing (monthly) | Sites | Storage | Bandwidth | Turbo Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Site | $12.99 | 1 | 10 GB | 50 GB | No |
| 3-Sites | $22.99 | 3 | 25 GB | 75 GB | Yes |
| Unlimited | $43.99 | ∞ | 40 GB | 100 GB | Yes |
The 1-Site plan is suitable for a single blog or small business site. The lack of Turbo Speed is a bummer, but it‘s still faster than typical shared hosting.
The 3-Site and Unlimited plans are great for web developers, agencies, or bloggers running multiple websites. The included Turbo Speed and added storage/bandwidth are a nice boost.
If you need more firepower, A2 Hosting can scale with you. They offer managed VPS and dedicated server plans with WordPress pre-installed. These give you more dedicated resources and are ideal for very high-traffic sites.
No matter which plan you choose, you‘ll be backed by A2‘s 99.9% uptime guarantee, 24/7/365 support, free site migration, and anytime money-back guarantee.
Price-to-Performance Ratio
While A2‘s managed WordPress hosting isn‘t the cheapest option out there, you get a lot for your money. Let‘s break down how much value A2 delivers.
To get similar speed and security to A2‘s Turbo plan, you‘d need to get top-tier hosting with at least 2-4 CPU cores and 4-8 GB RAM, plus:
- Nginx or LiteSpeed web server: $50+/year
- Server-level caching: $100+/year
- Premium DNS and CDN: $200+/year
- Automated WordPress updates and backups: $200+/year
- WordPress-specific security tools and monitoring: $150+/year
That‘s $700+/year just for the basics, not even including the server cost, licenses for premium plugins like WP Rocket, or the dozens of hours needed to set it all up and manage it yourself.
With A2‘s managed WordPress plans starting at just $12.99/month ($155.88/year), it‘s a no-brainer. You‘d likely spend 5-6X as much for similar performance and features piecing it together on your own.
Here‘s a quick pricing comparison with a few other major managed WordPress hosts:
| Host | Starter Price | Sites | Storage | Bandwidth | PHP Ver | Free Migrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Hosting | $12.99/mo | 1 | 10 GB | 50 GB | 7.4 | Yes |
| WP Engine | $20/mo | 1 | 10 GB | 50 GB | 7.4 | No |
| Kinsta | $30/mo | 1 | 10 GB | 50 GB | 8.0 | Yes |
| Flywheel | $15/mo | 1 | 5 GB | 20 GB | 7.4 | No |
| Pressable | $25/mo | 1 | 20 GB | 100 GB | 7.4 | No |
A2 Hosting comes in at the lowest price while still offering competitive storage space, bandwidth, and support for modern PHP versions. The free site migrations are a big plus.
The Verdict: A2 Managed WordPress Hosting is a Smart Choice
For professional bloggers, managed WordPress hosting is pretty much a necessity these days. It‘s the best way to ensure your site loads quickly, stays secure, and can handle sudden spikes in traffic.
A2 Hosting‘s managed WordPress platform offers an excellent mix of performance, features, and value:
- Turbo Servers for up to 20X faster page loads
- Free Cloudflare CDN and built-in caching for even more speed
- Proactive security measures and updates to protect your site
- Daily backups and easy restore points
- Staging environment to safely test changes
- Easy site management via cPanel
- 24/7/365 expert WordPress support
If you‘re currently using budget shared hosting, or even managing your own VPS, you‘ll see a massive improvement by switching to A2‘s managed WordPress. The time you save can be reinvested into creating better content, marketing your blog, and serving your audience.
Take advantage of the free site migration and anytime money-back guarantee. Give A2 Hosting a try for your WordPress site. You‘ll wish you made the switch sooner!