How to Manage a Managed WordPress Hosting Account on Godaddy
A managed WordPress hosting account is, essentially, what it says on the tin. The website owner (also known as the client) interacts with the hosting provider on a regular basis to ensure the website is running smoothly and to troubleshoot any problems that may arise.
You’ll need a WordPress installation as well as the appropriate content to go along with it. After that, it’s all down to you (well, kind of). You can take it easy and let the experts do the work for you. Or, you can get involved and learn a thing or two.
What Are Managed Hosting Accounts?
Managed hosting accounts are, essentially, what they say they are – accounts that have been set up and maintained by a specialist hosting company. The company will take care of practically everything for you, including ensuring your web server is always up-to-date and secure, and keeping track of all the hosting-related tasks that pop up as part of running a website (like installing and configuring WordPress for you).
Why Should You Get a Managed WordPress Hosting Account?
There are several reasons why you might want to get a managed WordPress hosting account. For starters, you can save a lot of time by not having to worry about any of the technicalities surrounding website hosting. The company will take care of all the complicated stuff for you, so you can get back to running your business.
A managed WordPress hosting account is also the perfect place to try out all sorts of different plugins and tools. A lot of WordPress hosting providers offer a premium plugin package along with their plans, so you can try out the latest trends without fear of bricking your site (breaking it unintentionally).
What Kind of Things Should You Look Out For While on a Managed WordPress Hosting Account?
Well, any number of things really. But, here are a few pointers to keep in mind while you’re down with your little managed WordPress hosting account.
Firstly, make sure you’re always using the latest version of WordPress. Updating WordPress is as easy as clicking a few buttons in your hosting control panel – and you can bet they’ll be looking out for you to do so.
Ensure your website is secure – the experts at your hosting provider will walk you through the basics of setting up a secure website with a certificate. This will not only make sure your visitors can always trust you’re connecting to a safe and secure server, but it will also help with your SEO (search engine optimization).
Check out your website’s stats regularly. It’s easy enough to do so from the My Account dashboard.
Ensure you have backups – this is an essential step to take, especially if you’re the kind of person who likes to experiment with different themes and layouts. If you do end up deleting something you shouldn’t have, then you can always restore from backup.
Finally, make sure you’re always adding value to the conversation. If you’re not sure about something, ask them. Most likely, someone at your hosting provider will have encountered your situation before and will be able to help out.
In short, make sure you’re always looking out for your website’s best interests. While you want to make sure your site is functional and secure, you also don’t want to mess with anything that could break your site’s functionality or security. With a little bit of luck, this will all be something you learn from experience rather than by accident.
How Do I Set Up A Managed WordPress Hosting Account With Godaddy?
If you’ve never set up a managed WordPress hosting account with Godaddy, then here’s how to do it. First, you’ll want to visit the site and click the orange button in the upper right corner. This will take you to the signup page where you can enter your details.
The next step is to select the plan that’s right for you. Bear in mind that all plans require you to waive your privacy rights and give them permission to store your personal data (like your email address and phone number) in a database. You can find more information in the Terms and Conditions located on the Godaddy website.
Once you’ve made your selection, click the Continue button to proceed to the payment page. Here, you’ll be able to choose either to pay with a credit card or to use PayPal to make a secure payment. Make sure you enter the correct billing and delivery addresses and click the Continue button once again to review your order.
Your website will now be parked on a web server that’s specially designed for WordPress. Your hosting provider will then set up your website with a completely free WordPress install and offer you a default password – don’t write this down!
How Do I Manage A Managed WordPress Hosting Account Once I’ve Set It Up?
Now you’ve got a WordPress installation on your hands, all you need to do to manage it is install the right plugins and tools. Remember, the experts at your hosting provider will have set up your website and taken care of all the technical stuff for you. So, they’ll already have the plugins and tools required to make your site work the way you want it to.
WordPress itself is a content management system and a blogging tool that was originally designed for blogging. However, it has since grown to be so much more than this as it now provides the functionality to create and run a full-fledged website (with all the pages, posts, images, and more).
Another cool thing about WordPress is that it’s an open source project that anyone can download and install on their own server.
The first step to taking good care of your WordPress installation is to install and activate the free WordPress plugin WP-CLI. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to interact with your site using a command-line interface. This plugin provides you with a host of options to easily manage and improve your site’s performance.
Another great tool to manage your WordPress installation is the Site Auditor plugin. This is a free WordPress plugin that offers you a bird’s eye view of how your site is performing from the SEO perspective. Site Auditors can track your site’s performance in great detail and allow you to find and fix any performance issues that may arise.
A tool that can really help you out is the Google Analytics plugin. No, we don’t need to tell you what Google Analytics is. You’ve probably used it by now – it’s a free tool that can be downloaded from wordpress.org that lets you track visitor activity on your site. You can use this to find out things like the most popular posts on your site and much more.
Another great plugin for WordPress is the Backup Buddy plugin. This plugin will create automatic backups of your site every week and allow you to restore from these backups if needed. Additionally, it offers you a handy way to download these backups onto your own computer for safekeeping.
WordPress itself is endlessly flexible and allows for anyone to build and grow an online presence if they know what tools and plugins to use. So, while it might be daunting to set up the initial WordPress installation, rest assured you’re only limited by your imagination.