Running an ecommerce business isn’t a task to be taken lightly. It requires constant attention, security checks, back ups, performance optimisations and more. So how can some of this stress be taken off of your shoulders? A managed service provider might just be the answer you’re looking for, all while staying within your budget.
So if you’re an ecommerce business, selling online using WooCommerce, Magento or something similar, take a look at the benefits of using a managed service provider.
What issues are you having?
Ecommerce businesses face several common issues when managing their own infrastructure and business, ones that may look all too familiar to you. For example, keeping your hosting infrastructure online at all times requires constant monitoring to make sure nothing goes down. Those middle-of-the-night wake-up calls aren’t exactly what a business owner needs.
Other problems include keeping your infrastructure secure and backed up in case of a breach or disaster, high performing and being able to scale as your business grows, all while staying within budget. Plus there’s those pesky unexpected costs, like training employees on managing the infrastructure, updates and more.
If any of this sounds like something you’ve encountered, a managed service provider can help.
How can an MSP help?
Let’s take a closer look at some of the issues you might be having and the kind of situation where an MSP can lend a hand.
What is your WooCommerce instance running on?
Where are you hosting your WooCommerce instance? Is it:
- On-prem?
- On a self-managed platform?
- Hybrid?
- Hosted with an MSP?
Depending on your answer to this dictates the direction you could go in. If you already have an MSP but aren’t happy with the costs, customer service or something else, don’t get locked in! It’s easy to change providers, so don’t stay just because you don’t want the hassle of changing. Your infrastructure should be managed exactly how you want it to be.
If you’re managing it yourself, free up that time to put the focus fully into your business and find the right MSP for you.
Have you got the expertise needed to manage your choice of hosting provider?
When looking at what a good MSP can do for you, you need to think about what you can’t do for your business – so where they can fill in those gaps.
You need your site to be online and available 24/7, which requires constant monitoring and managing. This includes security, updates and scaling as you grow. If you don’t have the internal expertise or resources to do all of this while keeping your business running smoothly, then an MSP can step in and help.
Something else to consider when deciding whether to go with an MPS is do you have the expertise and availability to keep your site secure and fix any issues that may arise quickly? For this, you need to be able to tackle anything from expired certificates and increased levels of traffic to cyber attacks or managing backups.
A topic likely on every business owner's mind is budget. Is yours flexible enough to cope with unexpected increased costs? These could come from scaling charges on your self-managed platform to replacing warranty hardware or recruiting and training in-house experts.
With a good MSP, your costs should all be transparent from the offset, so nothing should come as a surprise. That way you can budget and plan as you need to.
Your choice of MSP matters
So now that you know how to decide whether you need an MSP, think about what that MSP can bring to your business. Not all MSPs are created equal. Some have multiple areas of expertise, such as phones, print management, IT supplies and technical support as well as cloud infrastructure. But how are these areas managed from a customer's perspective?
You want to be sure your MSP is going to be there when you need them to be. You don’t want to be watching for issues and problems and having to raise tickets yourself. That kind of responsibility should be put onto an MSP so you can run your business. You need to know where you sit on their priority list to resolve your issues and be reassured that if any problems arise they will be dealt with quickly and without disruption to the business.
Another thing you’ll want to know is as your business needs change, is that MSP proactively managing your solution to accommodate that? If they can’t, then you’ll be stuck with a solution that doesn’t help you grow or develop in any way. Choose a provider that will tailor solutions to your needs. Luckily, we’ve got an answer.
Choose ProActive
ProActive has one role within a customers business – to proactively manage their IT infrastructure. Our approach is different. There are no packages and our team works to understand your business, goals and budget so we can build a solution that works for you. Every solution is tailor-made so you won’t be having to pay for something you don’t want or get stuck with a solution that won’t grow with you.
Plus, our experts, our world-class platform and our 25 years of experience all work to create your bespoke solution, for your budget and with no surprises.
If you're looking for a managed service provider and you think ProActive might be the answer, get in touch. You can book a meeting, give us a call on 0333 111 2000 or arrange a callback at a time that suits you. We can’t wait to get to know your business.
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