Not everyone uses this term the same way. When we use it, we mean we manage your WordPress installation, applying software updates and troubleshooting upgrades or other issues as needed, including for most plugins and themes.

You will find some articles or descriptions that define managed WordPress hosting to include backups or caching. Some descriptions say that hosting other software is not allowed by a managed WordPress hosting company. All of these are superfluous and may cloud the issue, since they relate to functions or requirements that are not WordPress-specific and will vary from one host to the next.

Consider backups. Are they done daily or weekly? If the backup is part of a managed WordPress service, does that include or exclude your files or your email? What about your custom theme files – are those backed up, or is it your WordPress database only? These are valid questions, but saying that backups are part of managed WordPress hosting doesn’t answer any of them.

We’ve bundled a set of services into our Managed WordPress offering that includes your domain name, malware scanning and removal (if needed), WordPress training, minor site revisions, email hosting, and many other features in addition to directly managing your WordPress install, keeping it up-to-date, and troubleshooting as necessary. These are included in our Managed WordPress Hosting plan, which goes beyond the basics of what “Managed WordPress” entails. We call it “Site Care” for this reason – it’s more holistic than addressing just WordPress.