Using Cloud Services for the Backbone of Your Hosting or Website

06/15/20 • 36 min

First, as a baseline, what do we mean when we’re talking about cloud services?

Why should an organization consider cloud services?

What is a hyperscale cloud provider?

Many hosts are available in 1, maybe 2 countries
Hyperscale providers are available everywhere. They make infrastructure a commodity

How can hosting companies compete in a hyperscale cloud environment?

Go from generalist to specialist
Many hosting providers don’t know what’s running on their servers - they need to figure that out and realize what niches are using them
4 Pillars:
- Guide the end customers based on what you can offer
- Control the value chain a little more. Offer services and help you customers by offering better/more affordable services
- Choose the partners that help you.

Why are hyperscale cloud providers not a competitor to me as a hosting provider?

You can partner with an Amazon, DO, Linode, that run these data centers, and use them as an extension
You can use these services to grow with your customers

How can I differentiate by using hyperscale cloud? How can I benefit from technologies that hyperscale cloud providers provide me?

Sites like Squarespace, Wix are using these services
They might give you marketing funding because as you grow, they grow.
Develop more custom solutions based on the HSCPs. Things like backups/other IP/software.

First, as a baseline, what do we mean when we’re talking about cloud services?

Why should an organization consider cloud services?

What is a hyperscale cloud provider?

Many hosts are available in 1, maybe 2 countries
Hyperscale providers are available everywhere. They make infrastructure a commodity

How can hosting companies compete in a hyperscale cloud environment?

Go from generalist to specialist
Many hosting providers don’t know what’s running on their servers - they need to figure that out and realize what niches are using them
4 Pillars:
- Guide the end customers based on what you can offer
- Control the value chain a little more. Offer services and help you customers by offering better/more affordable services
- Choose the partners that help you.

Why are hyperscale cloud providers not a competitor to me as a hosting provider?

You can partner with an Amazon, DO, Linode, that run these data centers, and use them as an extension
You can use these services to grow with your customers

How can I differentiate by using hyperscale cloud? How can I benefit from technologies that hyperscale cloud providers provide me?

Sites like Squarespace, Wix are using these services
They might give you marketing funding because as you grow, they grow.
Develop more custom solutions based on the HSCPs. Things like backups/other IP/software.

How is Managed WordPress Hosting different from normal hosting?

Having a knowledgeable staff - it needs to come from that.
Hoster takes care of the infrastructure
- Handles updates.
- Security, etc.
- Things get tricky here.
- Some hosters will not help you with specific applications.

What are some resources that should be included in Managed WordPress Hosting?

Look at how many visitors you will have.
Software:
- There is a big tech stack running on the hardware.
- Web, MySQL, PHP, Cache, security.
Security:
- Security is in a weird place right now between totally locked down and unusable, and more free flowing and open.
- One bad plugin can compromise a site, and then potentially others.
- Question of your knowledge, flexibility, and control.

What are the most common WordPress problems for hosting providers? How can Managed WordPress Hosting mitigate these problems?

Outdated plugins are a common security issue.
Performance /Site Optimization:
- With Managed WP Hosting, you’ll probably be in a better position with this.
- Hosters will care more about performance than shared hosters.
- Many hosters will make sure to save resources and make sure your site has room to grow.
- Some plugins are poorly written and request too many resources.

Should all hosts have Managed WordPress Hosting?

If you look at how WordPress grows, it’s pretty clear that you need to have WordPress support.
You might not need to focus solely on it, but you should offer some services.
If you don’t do anything for support you will probably be left behind.

What is scaling / Why should you scale?

What do the users try to achieve?
- A fast website
- Avoid downtime
DR / Downtime checklist
- Backup Solutions
- Never code on a live site
  - Have a staging site to test on

How to make sure, once your site isn’t going down, that it’s fast?

Website performance matters
Don’t take smallest server / poor hardware
- If you’re always about 80% of the limit, you need to upgrade.
Monitor Speed / Performance
- Often it is not the server that causes the problem.
- Majority of issues with performance are with the website itself.
Caching
- Everything that helps you reduce database calls is important
CDN
- Global solution of servers
- Serves website in areas closest to your customers