Hosting
Hosting is now part of a cohesive web package which includes:
- A custom provisioned immutable server with professional deployment processes. Server provisions and deployments are automated, repeatable, extensible and reversible.
- Development and Testing environments that maintain parity with the live site.
- Free SSL
- An always-updating list of the latest technologies, such as HTTP2, NGINX, MariaDB and PHP8.
- DNS-Level caching and security
- Server-Level caching and security
- Dependency management
- Professional development standards and practices brought to WordPress.
- Ongoing warranty for sites we’ve built (if something breaks we’ll fix it!).
Because of this change, open hosting sign-ups have been discontinued, and these processes are now presented in new website design quotes.
Warranty Terms:
- Websites created and hosted by ImagineIFF are backed by an ongoing warranty for both the website and server!
- Websites created but not hosted by ImagineIFF have a 90 day warranty, as long as it is determined the issue should have been resolved in the initial development period.
- Websites hosted but not created by ImagineIFF have a server warranty only. However, you may purchase a support warranty for such sites.
A bit about deployment strategies
A run-of-the-mill WordPress website today would be a downloaded zip file from the wordpress website that is extracted to a live server. Whenever a change needs to be made, the business owner or a developer they hire would return to those same files, and make some changes. They may connect with FTP, or log directly into their hosting control panel and edit files that way. A problem arises already in this scenario; what if a mistake is made? What does the path to recovery look like? Someone experienced with editing files on a live website might be smart and backup the database and all of the site files before they begin any work, but, that is time the business is paying for, every time. It’s also tedious and prone to human error. And there’s no guarantee someone will remember to do that every single time, or they might even think it’s not necessary because they are confident in what they are doing, or simply have never experienced the WordPress “white screen of death”. Whatever the case may be, there is a risk involved with editing files on your live website. If you have a busy storefront, that means dollars out the door for every second your website is down while the mistake is being fixed; which can sometimes be hours or days.
These are just the problems that arise when there is only one developer involved. If there are two or more people making changes, those problems increase exponentially. Now, developer A and developer B have no surefire way of knowing who changed what, when they did it, and why. Now when developer A uploads his code over developer B’s code, this can result in lost changes, which in turn can break the website.
But we use a git repo...
That is a good move. However, you’re still operating in a way that puts the live site at risk, and there’s no surefire way to tell which changes are live, a way to roll them back, or a way to quickly recreate your whole server setup reliably.
Aside from making code changes, the most common way a WordPress website may be brought down is by untested plugin and theme changes. This results in down time that could have been avoided by making these changes in a different development environment first and testing them.
But we use git AND local environments...
That is amazing. However, you’re missing parity with production, and reliable provisions and deployments that are automated, repeatable, extensible and reversible. Not to mention, your workflow from dev to prod may be quite cumbersome and time consuming. You also still have the human error element present in your workflow.
A Scenario
Your shared host has updated your version of PHP, and now you have to scramble to hire a developer to update all of your site’s code.
This has actually happened before, and I was the one fixing the websites. Shared hosts aren’t concerned with making sure your website functions, they are only concerned with providing a server that functions. So, when they are either forced to update because of security, or when they see an opportunity to update because it will have minimal impact to all of their users – they go ahead, and sometimes they don’t give a warning.
ImagineIFF hosting is not a server only, my main concern is that your website functions; and so, when software needs to be updated, that is tested for your website first, then it is applied to your live server after we’re sure there will be zero issues.
ImagineIFF offers hosting that solves all the above issues.
If you’re interested in getting a quote, send a message and I’ll get back to you within one business day.