Business WordPress vs Self Hosting – Which Is Better?
There’s a recurring question in the WordPress community: Should I run my business in house or outsource it? The two choices, self hosting and business-as-a-service (BaaS), sound exactly like convertible car loans. Both offer convenience, but with distinct trade-offs.
Let’s examine the pros and the cons of each choice, and how you can best serve your business’ unique needs.
Choice No. 1: Self Hosting
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you know that the industry has shifted to the cloud, and digital nomads have taken over the world. If you’re a digital nomad or the entrepreneur who represents one, congratulations! You’ve found a sweet spot. Self hosting is where it’s at.
Self-hosting means you’re hosting your WordPress site and all its contents yourself, which gives you total control over the hosting environment. This is the popular option among digital nomads who want to minimize their expenses and have a highly flexible schedule. Most importantly, you’re in full ownership of your content and platform, which affords you the opportunity to build exactly what you want, when you want it.
The downside to self-hosting is that, as the name implies, it’s a lot of work. You’ll need to set up a server, install WordPress, and configure the software to your specific needs. Not only that, but you’ll also need to be hands-on with the maintenance and upkeep of the site throughout its lifecycle. You can outsource some of this work to specialise companies, but you’ll still need to be engaged in this primary role as a self-hoster.
Choice No. 2: BaaS
If you’re the kind of person who likes to spend your free time doing things that don’t necessarily have to do with your career, you might want to consider business-as-a-service (BaaS). BaaS is a hosted solution that provides you with a stable, modern, and search-engine-optimised WordPress site, combined with the support you need to get it ranking in the top three of your chosen search queries.
Like self-hosting, BaaS provides you with total control over the content of your site, but the difference is that you don’t need to worry about the hosting environment. You simply purchase the service and, as long as you have an internet connection, you can access your site whenever you want. BaaS offers a lot of flexibility, and since you’re not tied to a physical location, you can tailor your schedule to your needs.
The downside to BaaS is that, as a brand new business, you don’t have a track record to fall back on if anything goes wrong. This, in turn, makes you quite vulnerable to hacks and data breaches, which can seriously compromise your business’ reputation. The more you and your team rely on the internet for your day-to-day business, the more you put yourself at risk of being hacked. Even if you take every precautionary measure, there’s always remote chance that a system breach could occur. The question is, are you prepared to take the risk?
When To Consider One Or Another
From a pragmatic stand point, you might want to consider self-hosting if your current web host’s support offerings don’t match your need for high availability and security. For example, if you operate a store and you’re afraid that a hacker may compromise your online store’s security, your best option is to set up your own store server. On the other hand, if you don’t mind having your site hosted at a datacentre you can benefit from the additional security that a VPS (Virtual Private Server) provides. In this case, BaaS is a better option.
Ultimately, both self-hosting and BaaS are viable solutions. It depends on your needs and the features you value most. If you’re just getting started and want a hassle-free experience, go with the former. They’re easier to set up and don’t require as much expertise. When it comes to remote administration, BaaS really shines. Not only that, but their customer support is usually very responsive and they provide excellent documentation.
As for the recurring question of which is better: self-hosting or BaaS? The answer is that it depends on your situation. If you’re looking for a flexible solution that you can scale up or down as needed, BaaS is your best bet. However, if you’re looking to build a brand new site and you need complete control and flexibility, go with self-hosting.
Hopefully, this helps guide you to the best option for your unique situation. As you may have guessed, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing between self-hosting and BaaS.