Comments on: The perfect WordPress host http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/ Adventures in government, politics and open source. Mostly WordPress-related. Fri, 11 May 2012 16:17:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Deb http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-608 Deb Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:15:58 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-608 Hi, I ran across this pounding my head on my keyboard trying to figure out how to manage a wordpress client. I have a small hosting company in the US. We basically only offer services to customers who need something unusual - like tech companies who need subversion repos and trac and and private spaces nobody can get to... But along the way we have picked up occasional other clients with small budgets and sometimes very little technical know-how. WordPress - seems to be a great tool for getting them up and running. So we decided to test the waters. Our model is to set up a wordpress instance ($250 us) it comes with a suite of available themes and popular plugins Then we charge 85 per month if no comments are allowed. IF comments are allowed we would need to potentially charge more if bandwidth got crazy - I have yet to find a model for pricing that is really fair on both sides as the machine maintenance (we own all our machines) can get pricy as well as the cost for power and bandwidth at the datacenter. We are very security conscious! - most of the team here is involved in development projects (software) for the entertainment industry on the technical side. So what would a fair price be? What would you like to have? Hi, I ran across this pounding my head on my keyboard trying to figure out how to manage a wordpress client. I have a small hosting company in the US. We basically only offer services to customers who need something unusual - like tech companies who need subversion repos and trac and and private spaces nobody can get to... But along the way we have picked up occasional other clients with small budgets and sometimes very little technical know-how. WordPress - seems to be a great tool for getting them up and running.

So we decided to test the waters.
Our model is to set up a wordpress instance ($250 us)
it comes with a suite of available themes and popular plugins
Then we charge 85 per month if no comments are allowed.
IF comments are allowed we would need to potentially charge more if bandwidth got crazy - I have yet to find a model for pricing that is really fair on both sides as the machine maintenance (we own all our machines) can get pricy as well as the cost for power and bandwidth at the datacenter.

We are very security conscious! - most of the team here is involved in development projects (software) for the entertainment industry on the technical side.

So what would a fair price be? What would you like to have?

]]> By: Andrew Cooper http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-607 Andrew Cooper Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:24:04 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-607 I'd be very happy to pay a premium for a secure service, but not the kind of premium Automattic charge for this http://wordpress.com/vip-hosting/ I want to set up (or more specifically, involve students at my son's school in setting up a number of Wordpress installations connected with projects the parents' association is running. One of them involves putting the school's newsletter online using a Revolution theme. But there's a lot of talk around - on the web and elsewhere - about security vulnerabilities in Wordpress. Lots of reasons for this, and obviously no platform is totally secure, but Wordpress attracts a lot of attention simply because of its number of installed sites. So a host which could guarantee pretty high levels of defences from hacks would be worth paying for, particularly for a school site, just not worth as much as WP VIP charge - assuming you get through their application process, that is. I'd be very happy to pay a premium for a secure service, but not the kind of premium Automattic charge for this http://wordpress.com/vip-hosting/

I want to set up (or more specifically, involve students at my son's school in setting up a number of WordPress installations connected with projects the parents' association is running. One of them involves putting the school's newsletter online using a Revolution theme.

But there's a lot of talk around - on the web and elsewhere - about security vulnerabilities in WordPress. Lots of reasons for this, and obviously no platform is totally secure, but WordPress attracts a lot of attention simply because of its number of installed sites.

So a host which could guarantee pretty high levels of defences from hacks would be worth paying for, particularly for a school site, just not worth as much as WP VIP charge - assuming you get through their application process, that is.

]]> By: Kai http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-606 Kai Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:48:40 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-606 I run three specific 'Managed Wordpress' installs for niche markets - one for writers/authors - one for mental health, and one for the 'general' market. None do particularly well because people don't seem to be able to seperate the concept of paying for expertise (with a donation back to WordPress) from a piece of open source software. Updating the plugins is about to - officially - become next to negligible, from what I've seen/tested - updating the core is what's going to increasingly upset people, given it seems to break if you don't do it *just* right. It's no longer a five minute install (but it's close), but anything like this is probably going to face stiff complaints unless someone steps up to the plate and evangelises the differences between expertise and push button. I'm slowly working on that too ;) I run three specific 'Managed WordPress' installs for niche markets - one for writers/authors - one for mental health, and one for the 'general' market. None do particularly well because people don't seem to be able to seperate the concept of paying for expertise (with a donation back to WordPress) from a piece of open source software.
Updating the plugins is about to - officially - become next to negligible, from what I've seen/tested - updating the core is what's going to increasingly upset people, given it seems to break if you don't do it *just* right. It's no longer a five minute install (but it's close), but anything like this is probably going to face stiff complaints unless someone steps up to the plate and evangelises the differences between expertise and push button. I'm slowly working on that too ;)

]]> By: Gavin Wray http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-605 Gavin Wray Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:46:19 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-605 From a potential service user's point of view, I think this is a great idea. Two years ago I specifically chose DreamHost based on the fact that they provide one-click installs and upgrades etc. for WordPress. Now that I have several clients' sites using WP as a CMS, keeping an eye on the upgrades and patches is a bit long-winded and not something I want to spend my time on. As Jon mentioned above, "testing or quick roll back" options would be great. I would quite happily pay a premium for a hosting provider who could take care of the WP maintenance yet also be supportive and flexible on the customisation of individual WP installs. From a potential service user's point of view, I think this is a great idea. Two years ago I specifically chose DreamHost based on the fact that they provide one-click installs and upgrades etc. for WordPress. Now that I have several clients' sites using WP as a CMS, keeping an eye on the upgrades and patches is a bit long-winded and not something I want to spend my time on. As Jon mentioned above, "testing or quick roll back" options would be great.

I would quite happily pay a premium for a hosting provider who could take care of the WP maintenance yet also be supportive and flexible on the customisation of individual WP installs.

]]> By: MJ Ray http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-604 MJ Ray Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:12:42 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-604 "It was my understanding that MU didn’t allow individuals to install their own plugins, but I could be completely wrong about this." -- Yes, that's completely wrong. You can use one of the plugin-installing plugins to let people install their own. Additionally, you can force plugins (antispam? sitemaps?) across all sites on an MU. However, there's no *need* to use MU for single-wordpress/multi-blog if you don't want to. Oh well, seems like no-one's willing to state their price point in these comments. ;-) "It was my understanding that MU didn’t allow individuals to install their own plugins, but I could be completely wrong about this." -- Yes, that's completely wrong. You can use one of the plugin-installing plugins to let people install their own. Additionally, you can force plugins (antispam? sitemaps?) across all sites on an MU.

However, there's no *need* to use MU for single-wordpress/multi-blog if you don't want to.

Oh well, seems like no-one's willing to state their price point in these comments. ;-)

]]> By: Harry Metcalfe http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-603 Harry Metcalfe Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:42:48 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-603 I'm potentially interested in getting involved in something like that -- I'd like to do more Wordpress stuff. I'm potentially interested in getting involved in something like that -- I'd like to do more WordPress stuff.

]]> By: Richard http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-602 Richard Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:59:30 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-602 I run a managed dedicated server and want to increase usage to the point where it gives me a much better rate of return. I've installed my WP installations individually, not using MU. I t was my understanding that MU didn't allow individuals to install their own plugins, but I could be completely wrong about this. Also, it may be better to upgrade individually, so that discussions about plugins could take place with developers prior to upgrading and possibly breaking an installation. I'm thinking providing a testing platform prior to 'taking the plunge'. Of course, the supplier would build up a knowledge of which plugins work with new upgrades/security fixes. I have to say I'd put myself in the mid-geek category, but have just started working towards a degree in computing and Internet technologies. But maybe a co-operative effort with others filling in knowledge gaps would work. Start off in a smalland low-key way. Happy to be transparent regarding my methodologies, with those that feel this would be a way forward. I'd also need to put together costings, as I need to avoid financial millstones. Early days. I run a managed dedicated server and want to increase usage to the point where it gives me a much better rate of return. I've installed my WP installations individually, not using MU. I t was my understanding that MU didn't allow individuals to install their own plugins, but I could be completely wrong about this.

Also, it may be better to upgrade individually, so that discussions about plugins could take place with developers prior to upgrading and possibly breaking an installation. I'm thinking providing a testing platform prior to 'taking the plunge'. Of course, the supplier would build up a knowledge of which plugins work with new upgrades/security fixes.

I have to say I'd put myself in the mid-geek category, but have just started working towards a degree in computing and Internet technologies.

But maybe a co-operative effort with others filling in knowledge gaps would work. Start off in a smalland low-key way. Happy to be transparent regarding my methodologies, with those that feel this would be a way forward.

I'd also need to put together costings, as I need to avoid financial millstones.

Early days.

]]> By: Simon http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-601 Simon Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:33:05 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-601 @David Granted, the plugins thing is optimistic. With 2,500-ish plugins out there, and more appearing all the time, it's probably too much to expect. But hey, like I said, it's a nice ideal to aim for. It would be enough, to start with anyway, for someone to take on responsibility for security patches and 'minor' updates (eg 2.6 to 2.6.1) to the core WP install, and its absolute dependencies. @David Granted, the plugins thing is optimistic. With 2,500-ish plugins out there, and more appearing all the time, it's probably too much to expect. But hey, like I said, it's a nice ideal to aim for.

It would be enough, to start with anyway, for someone to take on responsibility for security patches and 'minor' updates (eg 2.6 to 2.6.1) to the core WP install, and its absolute dependencies.

]]> By: MJ Ray http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-600 MJ Ray Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:21:21 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-600 Hello from a cooperative worker. I think it would be pretty simple to do the above, but how much are you willing to pay for it? The Wordpress-MU hosting server I'm running isn't making me any money yet, so I'm reluctant to launch another. Hello from a cooperative worker. I think it would be pretty simple to do the above, but how much are you willing to pay for it? The WordPress-MU hosting server I'm running isn't making me any money yet, so I'm reluctant to launch another.

]]> By: David http://puffbox.com/2008/09/17/perfect-wordpress-host/comment-page-1/#comment-599 David Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:00:22 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=377#comment-599 I think the problem is that a host would only be able to offer a fixed number of plugins other wise they would spend all their time constantly updating, so they would only be able to offer the main wordpress then update the security patches when needed. I think the problem is that a host would only be able to offer a fixed number of plugins other wise they would spend all their time constantly updating, so they would only be able to offer the main wordpress then update the security patches when needed.

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