Why You Should Maybe Think Twice Before Choosing a ‘Jack of All Trades’ Web Host

TL; DR: The common saying ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ is a warning to not spread yourself too thin by trying to do too much. As a passionate team solely dedicated to managed WordPress hosting, Pressable takes this to heart. We spoke with Jessica Frick, VP of Operations at Pressable, who explained how the provider is a forward-thinking WordPress partner that understands the evolving needs of its users. From freelancers to large agencies, Pressable provides the much-needed support for WordPress success without its clients having to learn the technical aspects of web hosting.

Have you ever noticed how you’re naturally on high alert in new situations? Whether it’s a first date, an Uber ride, or walking home alone at night, your brain is automatically more attuned to potential dangers (or turn-offs, in the case of a first date).

This heightened awareness is a vital part of emotional intelligence — that is, our ability to stay self-aware of our surroundings.

Walking alone definitely gets my Spidey senses tingling, and another thing that always triggers that sense is when a company claims that it “can do it all.” While it sounds impressive, to me, it often signals a lack of deep expertise.

Sometimes, what I really need is someone who knows everything about one thing…not just a little about everything. As in, I’m not going to go to a tattoo artist whose studio also doubles as an office for their landscaping services.

It’s also true in the world of tech. With hosting specifically, there are hundreds of providers, web designers, and software-developing agencies whose lists of specialties are longer than my weekly grocery list.

That’s why I’m excited to talk about Pressable. See, Pressable isn’t your run-of-the-mill web host; whether you’re a freelancer juggling several clients or a local restaurant building an online presence, Pressable’s expertise has got you covered.

We talked with Jessica Frick, VP of Operations at Pressable, about how — and why — Pressable is the best resource for anyone building a site on WordPress.

Since its launch in 2003, WordPress has become a household name in website creation and development. Today, it’s the world’s most popular content management system (CMS), powering nearly half of all websites on the internet.

But let’s be clear: WordPress is a CMS first, not a web host. While it offers hosting options, you can also choose to host your WordPress site with an external provider — like Pressable.

Jessica backed this up, saying, “Everyone who works here knows, loves, and lives WordPress.”

Pressable handles the technical aspects of hosting so you can focus on building your site and brand. Think of it like having a mechanic for your car or a housekeeper for your home — except it’s Pressable doing the heavy lifting for your WordPress site.

Like all tech, WordPress is constantly evolving.

Jessica reminisced about a time when caching (storing frequently accessed data temporarily) was sufficient enough for WordPress sites. But today, with the increased power of modern sites, Jessica said more advanced PHP (hypertext preprocessor) resources are needed.

WordPress is built on PHP scripts, and Pressable offers an industry-leading number of PHP resources per site (the highest possibly offered, although you can choose your level in the dashboard).

“You need to work with the kind of host that understands what your store is going to need when it’s successful, but is also going to work with you while you’re still trying to get there.”

Jessica Frick, VP of Operations at Pressable

There’s also been an evolution, visually speaking.

WordPress’s current editor, Gutenberg, also known as the block editor, was introduced in 2018. Gutenberg was revolutionary because it allowed users to build pages using visual blocks instead of the classic method that relied on shortcodes.

“Back five to 10 years ago, people were really focused on child themes and building on top of WordPress,” Jessica recalled. “The release of Gutenberg and the focus on the block editor has really changed the landscape to where people aren’t building on top of it, but with it.”

She also noted that Pressable has seen an increase in page builder tools like Ollie in the WordPress space, so now more people are relying on what-you-see-is-what-you-get visual interface editors.

Whatever is popular today or tomorrow, Pressable keeps its users 100% up-to-date because it’s powered by Automattic. (Automattic is the parent company behind WordPress and WooCommerce.)

For example, Pressable users get access to its plugin update scheduler, which can help streamline or automate their plugin updates.

“We live and breathe WordPress; that is the only thing that we host, so we will have the newest releases the day of,” Jessica said. “We also offer beta releases for people that want to test early, so when the releases come out, they’re already tested with all the right permutations.”

As an added bonus, Pressable also conducts before and after performance tests to make sure the plugin is stable on your site. So, if you notice your site is getting sluggish, you can look at the performance over time and identify where performance dropped.

One of the best ways to guarantee a scalable platform is with cloud solutions. If your brain automatically zones out when you hear cloud this, cloud that, you’re not alone — but it’s simpler than it sounds.

Instead of storing your website’s data on physical servers that take up space and cost money, the cloud offers unlimited storage in a virtual environment. This means your data is stored online, without needing any physical space. And yes, it’s usually cheaper, too.

“You need to work with the kind of host that understands what your store is going to need when it’s successful, but is also going to work with you while you’re still trying to get there,” Jessica said.

Since Pressable is built on the same infrastructure as WordPress, that means it’s also built on WP Cloud, a platform that offers cloud-based managed WordPress hosting that’s designed to manage high traffic and large-scale websites.

“We like to think of Pressable as an app that sits on top of the cloud, giving you the power of WP Cloud combined with all the tools and features we also offer,” Jessica explained.

With the power of WP Cloud, Pressable can support sites both small and large.

“As an agency, you’ve got a million things that you’re doing, and you don’t need to worry about the hosting too,” Jessica said. “That’s why you choose Pressable. We’re not the cheapest, but we are the best for our intended people, and agencies are among them.”

Jessica shared that while the Pressable platform was created with agencies in mind, it’s now customized for any business, including freelancers, eCommerce sites, and web developers.

Pressable created the collaborators feature specifically for agencies on WordPress.

“If you want to add permissions for everyone on your team — whether they’re in different departments or contractors with limited access — we offer an unlimited virtually unlimited number of seats with a lot of granularity,” Jess explained.

And if something happens where you need to revoke access, you can do that with a couple of button clicks.

Pressable offers a variety of other helpful features, including Jetpack security, automated backups and failover, site speed optimization and updates, and round-the-clock customer support.

In 2012, Starbucks began requiring its employees to write customer names on cups.

It was part of a greater rebranding effort to create a more personal relationship between customers and baristas. The goal was to mimic that cozy, intimate café feel — kind of like what Lorelei and Rory had at Luke’s in Gilmore Girls.

The marketing tactic worked: We’ve all seen the memes of misspelled names on the coffee cups. Jessica said this kind of personalization shouldn’t be limited to coffee chains.

“I think in hosting, just somebody just learning your name makes such a big difference,” she said.

With her years in the hosting industry, Jessica has seen it all when it comes to customer support. She knows exactly what other providers are offering — and where they might be falling short.

“I think in hosting, just somebody just learning your name makes such a big difference.”

Jessica Frick, VP of Operations at Pressable

“It’s very easy to think of hosting as a commodity, and unfortunately, I feel that is rolling forward into how companies are treating their customers,” she said. “It’s not unusual to write to a host and feel like the person on the other end is reading a script.”

But Pressable doesn’t roll that way. In fact, Jessica challenges anyone to go to Pressable.com and see how long it takes for a real human WordPress expert to respond to a customer service request.

I took that challenge, and my wait time was less than four minutes. Sure — a little higher than the average 46 seconds, but at least I know it’s an actual human.

And when I have a very specific question that even Quora doesn’t have the answer to, it’s worth waiting for an experienced person to help walk me through it. If you’re on the hunt for a passionate and friendly team to manage your WordPress sites, you have the opportunity to see for yourself what Pressable can do.

Find your plan or book a demo with Pressable today.