How to Start Your Small Business in Australia in 2025
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After years of dealing with shared hosting problems, slow load times, messy control panels, manual plugin updates, and poor support, I finally upgraded to managed WordPress hosting. My platform of choice? Nexcess.
It’s been just over 30 days since I switched, and the difference is night and day. My site loads faster, runs smoother, and most importantly, I don’t have to babysit it anymore. If you’re running a business, blog, or online store, and wondering if managed hosting is worth it, this honest review will walk you through exactly what to expect.
Want to skip straight to the plans? You can check out Nexcess hosting here.
Most business owners start with shared hosting, and for good reason. It’s cheap, it works (at first), and it’s widely promoted. But as traffic grows and your business becomes more dependent on your site, shared hosting shows its limits quickly.
Here’s what finally pushed me to switch:
What I needed was a host that would take care of performance, updates, and security for me, so I could focus on growing my business, not managing servers. After comparing top providers, Nexcess stood out for offering premium features with no steep learning curve or inflated price tag.
Managed WordPress hosting is exactly what it sounds like: hosting where your provider manages the technical backend of your WordPress site for you. That means:
Compared to standard shared hosting, this is a big step up in reliability, speed, and ease of use, especially for small business owners and non-developers.
There’s no shortage of managed WordPress hosting providers. I compared Nexcess with other popular options, like SiteGround, WP Engine, and Kinsta, based on features, price, and support. Here’s how it looked:
| Provider | Starting Price (AUD) | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Nexcess | ~$27/month | Auto-scaling, free backups, staging |
| SiteGround | ~$25/month (renews higher) | Good support, limited tools |
| WP Engine | ~$44/month | Excellent UX, but expensive |
| Kinsta | ~$50/month | Google Cloud backend, developer-focused |
Nexcess struck the perfect balance. With auto-scaling (no extra fees), full daily backups, one-click staging, and built-in performance tools, I got more than I expected, especially for the price.
You can compare plans and features directly here.
Signing up and spinning up my first site was painless. I selected the WordPress plan, entered my domain, and Nexcess took care of the rest, including SSL installation and backups.
They also offer free migrations, which worked perfectly when moving over my existing site. Unlike other hosts, there was no upselling or extra charge for basic tools.
Nexcess doesn’t use cPanel, which I found refreshing. Their custom dashboard is clean, modern, and easier to navigate. It took me less than 10 minutes to figure out how to use the backup system, clone a staging site, and enable performance features.
Here’s where it really got exciting. Without changing any plugins or settings, my homepage load time dropped from 4.1 seconds to 1.2 seconds. Bounce rates decreased, and I started ranking higher for several long-tail keywords within two weeks.
Their stack includes:
This is the first host where I didn’t have to explain what WordPress is to a support rep. My issue, a plugin update that broke a page, was diagnosed and resolved via live chat within 6 minutes. They didn’t just link me to a help doc, they fixed it.
| Metric | Old Host | Nexcess |
|---|---|---|
| Load Time (GTmetrix) | 4.1 sec | 1.2 sec |
| Time to First Byte | 680 ms | 220 ms |
| Uptime (30 days) | 99.3% | 100% |
| PageSpeed Score | C | A |
The performance boost alone was worth the switch. Paired with peace of mind from automation and backups, it’s a no-brainer.
From my experience, Nexcess is ideal for:
Whether you’re running a local services site, a growing blog, or a multi-product store, Nexcess has options that scale with you, without locking you into a bloated enterprise plan.
Ready to test it yourself? Start your Nexcess journey here.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast page loads & performance tools | Higher price than basic shared plans |
| Auto-scaling & backups included | Email hosting not included |
| Easy-to-use custom dashboard | No phone support on base plans |
| 24/7 support from WordPress experts | cPanel lovers may need adjusting |
Switching to managed WordPress hosting with Nexcess has been one of the smartest decisions I’ve made for my website. In just 30 days, I’ve seen improved performance, better rankings, faster support, and a complete removal of hosting-related stress.
If you rely on your website for income, leads, or authority, you can’t afford to cut corners on hosting. With Nexcess, you’re investing in a platform that scales with you, backs you up, and delivers when it matters most.
Want to take the leap? Try Nexcess managed WordPress hosting here.
Explore how leveraging AI can enable a 4-day workweek, boosting productivity and transforming workplace dynamics.
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