When we build websites, the experience doesn’t end with the design. We’re passionate about solving the problems that follow: building the software, inventing cool functionality, and—often overlooked—preparing the server your website will live on. I’m incredibly proud of how much attention we place on these aspects of the development process, especially the server architecture. Unlike other web agencies, we guide you through the process from start-to-finish, and you know you’re getting a solution that works for your site.
That’s why we’ve spent the past few months in our lab working on a new server architecture. We call it “managed hosting,” and we’re so excited about how it will speed up your websites and remove headaches from your website experience.
Security
Website security isn’t just about software and scans. It’s about practice and people.
Of course we’ll employ best-of-breed security tools for vulnerability scanning and intrusion detection, as well as responding swiftly to apply important software updates to help keep your site safe. But we will also scrupulously follow best security practice at every stage of your site’s development. We’ll have a *human being* diligently monitor the servers and systems to ensure they are not compromised and to rapidly react to anything suspicious.
We’re also borderline obsessive about backup — with hourly database backups as well as site content backups every three hours (all stored in several locations, including the cloud), we’re confident we can keep your information safe.
It’s “managed hosting” — we manage all of these things for you, so you can get on with what you do best.
Speed
We’ve also ratcheted up site speeds, with awesome new server software that people around the world get your site as fast as possible. By default, websites will be twice as fast, with the addition of an awesome new caching layer. The results speak for themselves, especially when it’s so crucial to have a fast website for user retention and search rankings.
Websites on our advanced plans can go even faster by harnessing the power of the cloud and a dedicated virtual server: we’ll do all the setup, and you just reap the benefits.
Plans
We have three plans available for managed hosting: Lite, Pro, and Enterprise. The best value is our Pro plan, but each plan includes the default speed increase and the added security scans. Pro and Enterprise also offer cloud content integration to speed your site even further, and Enterprise plans offer private virtual servers.
It’s important to note that with managed hosting, you pay per-site: not per-account. It’s also worth mentioning that these plans are only available if you’re using (or have used) Van Patten Media design services. And if we currently host your website, you can continue to use your existing plan indefinitely, although we will be discontinuing new signups on our old plans immediately.
Over the next week or two, we’ll be posting little snippets about our process here at our blog so you can learn more about why managed hosting is the best option for your website. Stay tuned here to learn more, and if you have any questions about managed hosting, don’t hesitate to contact us directly!
Feature photo by Paul Hammond, CC-BY-SA.