As a Premium Managed WordPress hosting provider, we commonly see the topic trending on forums and social media that:
managed hosting is too expensive and a waste of money!
When recommending GlowFrog to other Business owners and account executives, you may also encounter the above response. What is the reasoning behind this recommendation?
The reasoning is usually:
1. It’s expensive!
2. You can manage your own server for much cheaper!
3. Why not just get a Shared Hosting or Managed VPS plan?
Unfortunately, the users making these claims never really delve into what managing your own server actually entails.
So, for an average WordPress user, Business Owner or Executive, these recommendations can be misleading.
This is because they seem to suggest that it’s just as simple as singing up for your own VPS and running your WordPress site out-of-the-box! Unfortunately, in reality, it isn’t that simple.
What does it take to run your own server? Expectation vs Reality
Before we dive into what it actually takes to run your own server, it’s important to recognize that even certified Sysadmins make mistakes.
Just take a look at this article from Linux Security.com, for example, 10 Common Security Mistakes Sysadmins Make & How To Avoid These Pitfalls.
Even the pro’s face their own set of challenges. If you are still confident after looking at that article then you might be the exception. But if not, let’s take a look at some of the most common, core competencies you’ll need if you are going to manage your own server.
Below are the eight most common skills based on Linux Systems Administrator resumes in 2022 (source):
Hardware, 6.9%
Python, 6.4%
Windows, 6.0%
Linux, 5.5%
Troubleshoot, 4.2%
Red Hat, 4.1%
OS, 3.8%
Other Skills, 63.1%
Next, have a look at the top 10 skills every Linux system administrator should have:
User account management.
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Network traffic packet capture.
The vi editor.
Backup and restore.
Hardware setup and troubleshooting.
Network routers and firewalls.
Network switches.
Among the top responsibilities of a Systems Administrator include monitoring and alerting for things like:
CPU
Disk usage
DNS
Latency
ETL
Other common roles and responsibilities of a Systems administrator include:
Defining system usage policies & procedures
Installing & maintaining software
Planning for redundancies, rollovers & recoveries
Security
Maintaining documentation & runbooks
Detecting & remediating incidents
Performing post-incident reviews
Preparing & problem solving
You can see even more details in an article from Splunk, Titled, “What’s A Sysadmin? The System Administrator Role Explained”.
As you can see, Being your own Systems Administrator is Easier said than done!
The truth is, it’s not that simple – and the recommendation to do it yourself is like telling someone NOT to hire a home remodeling agency to help them remodel their home because it’s cheaper to buy your materials from Home Depot and remodel your own home yourself.
This is where we like to invoke the old adage, easier said than done!
While it may be true that it’s cheaper, the reasons for this can put you at a serious disadvantage! It’s a suggestion that sounds good in theory but doesn’t actually pay off in application.
Click here to find out ways GlowFrog actually saves you money.
Unless you have a serious background in System Administration and comprehensive understanding of all of the moving parts of server operation on a linux machine, and how that interacts with your website, you are in for a huge learning curve and potential nightmare!
So again, while this claim may have some truth to it — without any experience you’re in for a major learning curve and expense.
Don’t get us wrong, learning on your own dollar is fine if that’s what you’ve set out to do, but if you’re just trying to run your business and operate your online website for that purpose — learning to be your own Syadmin in the process is an unnecessary time suck and expense.
Smart business owners don’t waste time and money where it’s not necessary.
Time is Money, Spend it Wisely
For many businesses, time is money! It takes a lot of time and resources to properly and effectively run a webserver (even if you opt in for a Managed VPS Hosting plan).
The bottom line is that you’ll most likely end up spending more time and money than you think.
We often hear in response, “They are trying to sell you something of course they would say that!”.
Well, naturally as an operating business we charge what we think is fair for our service and expertise.
You could say that this makes us biased and that wouldn’t be totally untrue. But being that we are both consumers and service providers within an industry we are intimately familiar with, we have the advantage of being able to see things from both perspectives.
This is how we know that we can save you valuable time and money in the long run.
If you are an Expert in Server Administration, Go For it!
If Server Administration is the focal point of your business, then it might not be too unrealistic for you. We aren’t here to discourage anyone from learning or trying new things.
But, if that’s NOT the case, and you aren’t prepared to wrestle with this learning curve while still running your own business, then trying to be your own sysadmin is a VERY bad idea.
In fact, it could be potentially the worst decision for your business that you could make, costing you much time, frustration, and money.
This isn’t our opinion, this is the feedback we hear from many of our clients who’ve come to GlowFrog who’ve tried doing things themselves.
If you Had to Put a Cost on Peace of Mind
Once GlowFrog users experience the freedom of being able to focus on their website and business without having to worry about all the cogs and wheels that power it, they will tell you – it’s worth every dime!
But you don’t have to take our, or our current customers word for it — Sign up for one of our Managed WordPress plans today and see for yourself. There is no need to waste time and money, because Migrating your WordPress site to GlowFrog is Free, Fast and Easy.
