Why Your Agency Should Offer Managed Cloud Hosting to Clients

(This article is a sponsored collaboration with Cloudways. Thank you for supporting our sponsors.)

Digital agencies provide a comprehensive suite of services, from initial project scoping to post-launch maintenance. This ensures clients maximize their project's business potential. Many agencies, especially those focused on web projects, integrate hosting into their offerings. While smaller agencies may not always advertise hosting, larger firms recognize its crucial role.

Key Considerations for Agencies Offering Hosting:

• Managed cloud hosting offers a reliable, efficient solution for web projects, particularly high-performance applications like e-commerce platforms and CRMs.
• While in-house hosting allows for custom hardware/software and generates additional revenue, it demands constant oversight, raises security concerns, and incurs significant sysadmin costs.
• Shared hosting, though initially cheaper, can lead to performance bottlenecks when resource demands exceed allocated limits.
• Managed cloud hosting balances the advantages of shared and dedicated hosting, distributing resources across a network for enhanced security and customization.
• Cloudways is a recommended managed cloud hosting provider, offering performance optimization, built-in security, team management tools, and developer-friendly features.

Hosting Solutions for Clients:

Web hosting is paramount to a web project's success. Clients often trust their agency to manage this aspect. High-performance applications necessitate hosting capable of handling substantial traffic and concurrent connections. Agencies often opt for in-house solutions to meet these specific demands.

Benefits of In-House Hosting for Agencies:

Understanding the needs of high-performance applications (visitor volume, concurrent users, request handling, database size, content demands, etc.) is crucial. In-house solutions address these needs by:

• Custom Hardware and Software: Tailored hardware (CPU, RAM, disk space) and software environments eliminate compatibility issues and optimize performance. While more expensive initially, this is often billed to the client.
• Complete Project Management: Agencies can proactively adapt hosting configurations to evolving project requirements.
• Passive Income: Ongoing maintenance and upkeep fees provide a supplementary revenue stream.

Challenges of In-House Hosting:

Despite the benefits, in-house hosting presents significant challenges:

• Constant Maintenance: Both hardware and software require continuous attention, including updates and patching, demanding dedicated personnel.
• Security Risks: Web servers are prime targets for cyberattacks, necessitating dedicated security expertise, which many agencies lack.
• High Sysadmin Costs: Employing skilled sysadmins is expensive.
• Distraction from Core Business: Managing hosting diverts resources from the agency's primary focus on application development.

Why Shared Hosting Isn't Ideal:

While seemingly cost-effective, shared hosting, where multiple websites share server resources, often proves inadequate for high-performance applications. Resource limitations can severely impact performance and lead to application failures during peak demand.

Managed Cloud Hosting: The Optimal Solution:

Managed cloud hosting offers a superior alternative, combining the benefits of shared and dedicated hosting. Resources are distributed across a network, providing a secure, customizable environment with optimal performance.

Advantages of Managed Cloud Hosting:

Managed cloud hosting providers handle server management, simplifying operations for agencies:

• Performance: Optimized servers and caching mechanisms ensure high performance.
• Security: Built-in firewalls, intrusion detection, and regular patching enhance security.
• Team Management: Agencies can grant varying levels of access to team members.
• Developer-Friendly Features: Features like Git integration streamline development workflows.

Cloudways: A Leading Managed Cloud Hosting Provider:

Cloudways simplifies hosting management for agencies, offering:

• High Performance: Optimized servers with pre-configured caching.
• Robust Security: Built-in security measures and regular patching.
• Team Collaboration: Flexible team management capabilities.
• Developer-Centric Features: Support for latest technologies and seamless Git integration.

Conclusion:

While in-house hosting might seem appealing, managed cloud hosting offers a more efficient and less resource-intensive solution. Cloudways provides a comprehensive platform that streamlines hosting management for agencies, allowing them to focus on core competencies and deliver exceptional client experiences.

(Until December 4th, 2019, Cloudways offers a Black Friday discount of 40% for 3 months on all hosting plans. Use code "BFCM40" at signup.)

Frequently Asked Questions about Managed Cloud Hosting: (This section remains largely unchanged as it's factual information) [The FAQ section is included in the original response and is not repeated here to save space. It can be easily added back if desired.]

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