If you've been looking into getting a website for your business, you may have come across the term "managed website" — and wondered what it actually means, and how it differs from the other options out there.
This guide explains what a managed website is, what it includes, and who it's best suited to.
The Three Main Ways to Get a Business Website
Before explaining what a managed website is, it helps to understand the alternatives.
DIY website builders — Tools like Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy let you build a website yourself using drag-and-drop templates. They're low cost to start, but they require your time, your effort, and a reasonable understanding of what makes a website work well. The results vary enormously depending on how much effort you put in and how design-savvy you are.
Custom-built websites — A web designer or agency builds your site from scratch (or using a CMS like WordPress), tailored specifically to your brand and business needs. Higher quality, more flexible, but typically involves a significant upfront cost and an ongoing relationship with a developer for maintenance.
Managed websites — A middle ground. A professional service builds your site for you and then handles everything ongoing — hosting, updates, security, and ongoing changes — all included in a monthly fee.
What a Managed Website Actually Includes
A managed website isn't just a website with hosting bolted on. When it's done properly, it's a complete package:
The build — Your website is professionally designed and built for you. You don't need to touch a template or learn any tools. You provide your business details, and the site is created to reflect your brand, services, and location.
Hosting and domain — Your website is hosted on fast, reliable servers. Your domain name (e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk) is registered and managed as part of the package.
Ongoing management — Software updates, security patches, SSL certificates, daily backups — all handled behind the scenes without you having to think about them.
Content changes — Need to update your phone number, add a new service, or swap a photo? Just ask. Small updates are included as part of the monthly fee.
Monthly growth — One of the most valuable features of a well-structured managed website package is the addition of new pages each month. More pages means more opportunities to rank in Google search results. See why monthly page additions are the secret to a growing business website for more on this.
For a full breakdown of what should be included, see what should be included in a managed website package.
How It Differs from a DIY Builder
The key difference between a managed website and a DIY builder like Wix or Squarespace is who does the work — and who's responsible when something goes wrong.
With a DIY builder, you're responsible for the design, the content, the structure, and keeping everything up to date. If your site looks unprofessional or doesn't rank on Google, that's down to the choices you made.
With a managed website, a professional handles all of that. You're paying for expertise and time, not just software. For a more detailed comparison, see Wix vs a managed website: what's the real difference.
Who a Managed Website Is Best For
A managed website suits small businesses that:
- Want a professional online presence without a large upfront cost
- Don't have the time or inclination to build and maintain a website themselves
- Want their site to grow consistently without ongoing effort on their part
- Are sole traders, start-ups, or established local businesses that need to be found online
It's typically not the best fit for businesses that need a complex custom design, an online shop, or specific technical functionality that goes beyond what a starter site provides. For those situations, a fully custom web design is the right route.
Getting Started
Our managed starter website service is built for exactly this — a professional site, fully managed, with consistent monthly growth built in.
Get in touch and we'll explain what would work for your business and what the process looks like from start to finish.