Many people think of WordPress as a simple blogging platform, but this flexible content management system (CMS) has a deep catalog of free and premium themes and plug-ins that make it the backbone supporting millions of websites, including high-profiles ones like CNN, Grantland, and TED, as well as small business sites and even personal blogs. If you've thought about creating a WordPress-powered site for business or personal use, you should consider going the managed WordPress Web hosting route.

Managed WordPress Web Hosting Explained
Managed WordPress hosting uses a platform that's designed specifically for WordPress. In fact, the CMS comes preinstalled—you don't have to download and set up a WordPress installation as you'd do when using a traditional Web hosting environment. Managed WordPress hosting behaves very much like any other self-hosted WordPress installation, giving you the freedom to install nearly any theme or plug-in. That said, some managed WordPress hosts have a short list of restricted plug-ins that may negatively affect your site's performance or duplicate features already built into the managed setup.

Please understand that not every Web host offers managed WordPress hosting—it isn't a ubiquitous feature. For example, Dreamhost boasts managed WordPress hosting, while HostMonster does not.

Managed WordPress hosting prices are all over the map. Entry-level plans will cost roughly that of shared Web hosting, but higher-tier plans can scale upward to around $60 per month. The upside? Your WordPress installation should run more smoothly in a managed WordPress environment than in a traditional hosting environment. In addition, going the managed WordPress route may save you money, as you don't need to pay for a system administrator to perform the same job. This is particularly beneficial to small businesses.

Dozens of companies offer managed WordPress hosting, including traditional Web hosts like DreamHost and Media Temple. Other companies, such as Pagely and Pressable, base their entire business models on managing WordPress installations.

Companies that offer managed WordPress Web hosting provide daily website backups, automatic plug-in updates, page caching for faster site load times, malware detection and removal, and—last but not least—WordPress-centric security options. Security is critically important. As one of the world's largest content management systems, Wordpress is a high-profile target.

In short, a managed WordPress installation gives you a few less things to worry about when creating content or reaching out to potential customers.

The Features You Need
Before you sign up for a managed WordPress Web hosting service, you should look for these attractive—and possibly essential—features. Ideally, you'll want to invest in a managed WordPress host that provides unlimited monthly data transfers, email, storage, and 24/7 support. There are quite a few managed WordPress Web hosts that place caps on those features; WP Engine, for example, limits sites to 400,000 visitors and a paltry 30GB of storage. If you expect lots of site growth, you'll want a host that can properly accommodate your website's future expansion.

Additionally, you'll want a service that offers Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) if you plan to sell products. Ever see a green padlock in your browser's address bar while you're on your bank's website? That's the symbol that tells visitors that SSL is in place. It's a symbol of trustworthiness.

An SSL connection encrypts the data that travels between your site and users' Web browsers, thus safeguarding the transmission of purchasing information. All the managed WordPress hosting services in this roundup offer SSL certificates, but the prices vary from company to company. Some companies include a free SSL certificate when you sign up for a hosting plan, while others charge close to $100.

You'll also need to consider how long you'll need managed WordPress Web hosting. If it's a short-term project—say, less than a month or two—you'll typically receive a refund should you cancel your hosting within 60 days. Some companies offer 30-day money-back guarantees, while others offer 90-day money-back guarantees. Once again, it's beneficial to do your homework.

Naturally, your Web hosting needs will differ from the next person's, but keep these features in mind if you want a silky smooth managed WordPress experience.

Uptime Importance
The aforementioned features are valuable to the Web hosting experience, but none matches the importance of site uptime. If your site is down, clients or customers will be unable to find you or access your blog or your products or services.

We've added uptime monitoring to our review process, and the results show that the most Web hosts do an excellent job of keeping sites up and running. Web hosts with uptime issues cannot qualify for inclusion among the best services in the field, no matter how solid their rest of their offering is.

Do You Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting isn't a one-size-fits-all option. If you're a system administrator, or someone who's familiar with the ins and outs of WordPress, you can manage a WordPress installation yourself. That's important to note, because some of the managed WordPress Web hosts we've reviewed are significantly more expensive than non-managed WordPress Web hosting. It's wise to shop around.

Also, a managed WordPress environment won't allow you to set up a non-WordPress site—that's something else to keep in mind, especially if you have a site in mind that will rely on specific Microsoft frameworks, for example. In such instances, you'll want to go build your site on shared, VPS, or dedicated Web hosting services.

Still, if you'd rather just create posts, pages, and galleries, managed WordPress hosting is an attractive option. We've reviewed many managed WordPress hosting services and included the best of the bunch in this guide. The chart above, which includes traditional Web hosts that offer managed WordPress hosting and dedicated managed WordPress services, gives you a quick overview of the features you can find with each service. If you want a more in-depth look at managed WordPress hosting services, take a look at the blurbs—and links to full reviews—below.

FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP