There’s hosting and there’s hosting. What you get with one provider might be a million miles from what you get with another. And that difference could make, well, all the difference – to the way your website performs and to the work on your plate.
At Nimbus, we only offer managed hosting, because we believe it’s absolutely 100% what’s best for our clients. But what’s the difference between managed hosting and plain old unmanaged hosting? And what does it actually get you, day to day?
First up, managed hosting doesn’t just mean a spot to sit your website on. It means a team that helps you look after your servers, do your thing and deal with whatever comes your way. Unmanaged hosting is just server space. No services, no support. If you’re a tech genius with bags of time on your hands, it’s a great costsaver. But if you’re not, managed is the way to go.
But even within managed hosting, there can be big differences in what hosting companies provide. It’s really important to know what’s included in your package, what’s going to cost extra, and what’s beyond your hosting provider’s scope.
With that in mind, here’s what managed hosting means at Nimbus…
Fast, friendly support.
Whatever you need, we’ve got your back, with a friendly team of super-experienced tech experts based right here in the UK. Chat to us on the phone, log a support ticket or drop us an email whatever works for you – our response times are really nippy and our reviews are pretty great.
Easy peasy dashboard.
Whether you choose cPanel, Plesk or our very own hosting platform for creatives – STORM – we’ll give you a smart, simple control panel for managing your servers, software, users and access.
Server hardware.
This is the physical server your website sits on at our data centre in North London. With super-robust security and intelligent design, the centre’s set up for optimum power, all the time.
Network infrastructure.
Your network infrastructure is the connection that gets your users to your website. We’ll create it for you and keep it ship shape.
Virtualisation software.
If you don’t need a full server of your own, we can use the latest virtualisation software to split a server into dedicated, secure, separate sections. You’ll get all the space you need, completely protected from downtime dramas.
Server operating system.
Whether you’re using Windows or Ubuntu/ CentOS Linux, server operating systems need updating every now and then to keep them performing. We’ll do it automatically, so you don’t have to.
Monitoring.
We’ll proactively monitor your network and servers to make sure they’re live, as well as keeping an eye on memory and CPU, sending alerts when they’re low and fixing crashes before you spot a problem. For extra security and transparency, we even do it from our second data centre.
Power boosts.
We give every Nimbus customer four free power boosts every year, super-charging your memory and CPU for a week at a time to get you through traffic spikes (Black Friday anyone?), help you fix memory issues or test out new ideas before taking them live.
Extra services you can add to your package:
Domains.
If you like, we can manage your domain and link it to your website using our DNS (domain name system) servers. We can even remind you when it needs renewing so you don’t let it lapse and rack up any extra costs.
Backups.
Opt into our backup service and we’ll backup your website every night, keep a 30-day history and help you with any restores, if you need them. It’s free if you’re on our STORM platform, or available for a small monthly cost if you’re on Plesk, cPanel or Windows.
PCI Compliance.
If you run an e-commerce site, PCI compliance is a real must for security. Step one is to make your server compliant. We can do it for you, or if you’re using STORM you can do it fast and free from your dashboard, with just one click.
SSL Certificates.
Getting an SSL security certificate is another great way to boost your website’s security and we’ve got a range of brilliant options for all budgets.
If you sign up to STORM, you can get a free Let’s Encrypt SSL in one click, or buy any of the others, direct from your dashboard.
So, that’s a quick overview of what managed hosting means here at Nimbus. If you’d like to find out more, first hand, just drop us a line or call us on 0203 126 6767. We’re always here with friendly, personalised help and advice, and we’d love to hear from you.