Managed Website Hosting
If you’re a professional in the creative fields- and believe me, I know quite a few of them- you have a lot on your plate. In this day and age, you’d think it wouldn’t require so much of your time and energy to manage a web site.
Many people I know are brilliant creative artists, but have little experience with the ins and outs of how to run a web site securely and reliably, but they also have few options for finding reasonably priced hosting of their web site and related services that includes the peace of mind of knowing that it’s secure, reliable, updated and monitored.
When their site runs into problems- errors, crashes, or even worse, is compromised by hackers- the damage is already done, and then they have to navigate a maze of forms and phone calls, only to to be told that their hosting company can’t help with that, because their systems are working fine; it’s your site that’s in trouble.
Now what? You call someone to fix your problem(s), at a premium hourly rate most likely, and in the meantime, your site is what we used to call in the Army OTF– “out there flappin’,”.
How I Can (Potentially) Help You
Secure, reliable, managed and monitored hosting of your web site- that’s what I bring to the table. Peace of mind and comfort in knowing that your site is as secure as I can make it and being proactively monitored by a real human being.
However, there are some caveats- I’m not opening this service up to just anyone; this is a service I felt would have value to my fellow creative professionals, and it may or may not be a good fit for you.
What I Require
So, if you’re interested in having me host your site, let’s go over what my requirements are. I don’t provide general hosting services, and in order to maintain security, reliability and performance, I have some requirements I set forth for anyone who wants to host their site with me.
WordPress only.
There’s a million platforms out there, but I’m offering hosting on just one- WordPress. If you need or use another system, I will sadly be unable to help you.
No shell, direct database or direct server access.
In order to maintain security, myself and specific individuals with the proper knowledge are the only ones allowed to access the servers directly. Hosted sites are limited to being managed via their web-based interfaces. I realize this is a trade-off, and if you’re more technically minded or wish to have access to your backend and database using tools like phpMyAdmin, what I provide may not be your best option.
An Admin account on your WordPress Installation.
This is to facilitate monitoring, updating and management of your installation. I use this access to do things like update plugins, review security events in WordPress, and untangle bugs that may arise. I don’t use it to snoop around in your site’s content.
Certain WordPress plugins and modifications.
I have a small list of security and performance-related plugins I require all installations to use, and over time that list may change, but they are in general unobtrusive and provide benefits I feel are necessary.
What I Offer
Here’s what you get if you elect to host your site(s) with me.
A Fully Managed Site.
I set up your web server(s), secure them and install WordPress. If your site is currently hosted elsewhere, you may have to take some steps like provide me with backups, change your DNS pointers (I can provide instructions on that if necessary), and so on. Keep in mind, this is for basic setup only! For more complex setups that require a significant amount of time to deploy, a fee may be involved (see “What It Costs” below).
I also provide SSL/TLS certificates and automated renewal for as long as you’re hosted with me. Your website will communicate *only* via HTTPS- meaning all communications are encrypted.
Proactive Security.
I consistently monitor and update my servers. My philosophy on security is “least privilege”- nothing is allowed unless it’s necessary. I’ve taken steps to harden my servers against intrusion, especially the most common types of attacks, which are largely automated and exploit flaws in servers not properly maintained or updated. I also operate automated tools to take action against potential intruders by locking them out when detected.
Active Monitoring.
Every day, I review every change made to the servers I operate. I review logs, audit file changes to ensure they were authorized, look for errors that may reflect problems- even ones you weren’t aware of yet- and in general make sure things are operating smoothly.
Automated Backups
All data associated with your site(s), such as databases and your site installation, are backed up on a regular basis. I can arrange for you to securely receive regular copies or snapshots of your sites if you wish.
Regular Updates and Communication
If your WordPress installation needs an update, I’ll let you know. If there’s a concern with security or I see something going on with your site, I’ll contact you and if necessary take action to protect your site. If you need something or have a question, I will respond within a business day- almost always much more quickly.
What I Do NOT Offer
In short, I offer hosting, not design or development services. I’ll set up your site, but all the content, to include design of things like logos, color schemes, themes, templates and all that, is your responsibility. If you have a site already, and wish to migrate it to hosting with me, I am happy to help with that, but cannot provide any design or development services.
What It Costs
Brass tacks time! If you’re interested, here’s what my rates look like for my hosting services:
- $100 fee for initial setup + first month. This covers setting up your site, adding accounts, configuring scripts for updates and so forth. As noted above, this doesn’t include any design or development; those are services I don’t offer.
- $50 per month after the first month.
- $50 per hour for technical support. This one’s tricky; I’m not going to sock you with a fee every time you send me an email! Also you won’t get a charge for me reviewing your site’s configuration and making tweaks to fix minor problems. But let’s say you installed a new WordPress theme and now your site is broken, or you added a new plugin that corrupted your WordPress database (both of these are simply examples and not terrifically likely to happen), or your e-commerce system isn’t working and I have to get on the phone with your payment solution provider to resolve the issue- in such rare cases, I will charge a fee to cover my time. You will NEVER be charged more than the monthly subscription fee for the basic operation of the servers and your site.
Interested?
Great! If you want to inquire about setting your site up with me, please drop me a note at corey@voxman.net.