Overseeing multiple WordPress websites can quickly become a complex task. From performing software updates to managing plugins and handling daily responsibilities, ensuring everything functions properly takes significant effort unless equipped with the appropriate tools.
This guide will introduce you to more efficient methods for managing all your websites from a single interface, whether you handle your own portfolio or oversee client projects.
Who Needs to Manage Multiple WordPress Sites?
Typically, professional web developers and agencies handle multiple sites; however, it’s also common for individual website owners to manage more than one site.
For instance, you may have a professional site, like a freelance portfolio, a blog focusing on a hobby (such as cooking, travel, or fitness), and perhaps a site dedicated to sharing photos and updating friends and family on your travels.
Once friends and family realize your expertise in building sites, they might request that you develop more for them.
While launching new sites can be relatively easy; maintaining them can be time-consuming. You must remember logins for different accounts, monitor various domain renewals, check for downtime, and keep plugins updated.
If your sites are hosted by different providers, you’ll need to manage multiple accounts, access various dashboards, keep billing cycles in mind, and adapt to different levels of customer support and experience.
All these factors can easily lead to feeling overwhelmed… but there are more effective solutions.
If you find yourself responsible for multiple websites, whether professional or personal, this guide will help you manage multiple WordPress sites like a professional.
Advantages of Using a Tool or Service to Manage Multiple WordPress Sites
No matter where your WordPress sites are hosted, you can avoid the hassle of managing them manually.
Utilizing a capable tool or service to manage several websites from one location comes with numerous advantages, such as:
- Central access for all the sites you manage.
- Ability to perform bulk plugin management without logging into each site separately.
- Creation of new sites from a single location.
- Centralized management of features such as backups, user access, security, email accounts, and domain registrations.
- A single point of contact for support regarding billing and licenses.
- Client-focused features for multi-site management, including discounted rates, referral commissions, and site migrations.
While not all options for managing multiple WordPress sites will offer these benefits, some solutions provide even more advantages.
How to Manage Multiple WordPress Sites
When it comes to handling multiple WordPress sites, there are various options to consider, including:
- WordPress plugins and tools
- WordPress Multisite
- Hosting dashboards and tools
- Agency management options
Plugins and Tools
If you wish to centralize site management without changing your hosting provider, consider using plugins and third-party tools. Numerous plugins can assist you in efficiently managing your sites, such as ManageWP and InfiniteWP.
These tools are available at different price points, and once they are set up, they enable centralized management of multiple sites through a dashboard.
From this dashboard, you can access site settings, update plugins, and manage backups. Some solutions offer additional useful features like malware scanning, uptime monitoring, and reporting.
While feature-rich, the setup process can be challenging for those new to managing multiple WordPress sites, and it could become costly if you require access to advanced features. Additionally, these plugins and tools typically do not include hosting; they work alongside your existing hosting and domain services.
WordPress Multisite
Another option is to use the built-in WordPress Multisite feature to manage several WordPress sites.
With WordPress Multisite, you can establish a network of sites from a single WordPress installation. All sites can be governed through the same dashboard, utilizing a shared file system, database, and server resources.
This approach allows you to perform updates on WordPress, themes, and plugins from one dashboard instead of managing them for each site individually.
However, given that all sites depend on the same database, separating them entirely may be difficult. For example, moving a site to a new owner or client can pose challenges as the content is stored in a central database. Backing up site databases separately is not feasible either, and a single database issue could impact all sites.
Also, since all sites are on the same server, a surge of traffic on one site may affect the others. Lastly, some plugins may not be compatible with Multisite, limiting your site enhancement options.
It’s important to note that Multisite isn’t available on all hosting platforms, so check with your provider if interested.
Hosting Dashboards and Tools
Look into what site management features your web host offers either for free or as additional services.
Many hosting providers offer user-friendly dashboards that simplify the management of multiple WordPress sites, along with features like bulk plugin updates and domain registration.
To maximize the benefits of hosting dashboards and tools, ensure that all your sites are hosted under the same account and provider to avoid managing multiple accounts with their own systems.
If this seems overwhelming, consider exploring a managed WordPress host.
Ready to Manage Your Sites More Efficiently?
Managing multiple WordPress sites doesn’t have to involve juggling numerous accounts, services, or plugins.
With the right tools in place, you can focus more time on developing, launching, and enhancing your sites rather than cycling through maintenance tasks.
Enhance Your WordPress Management
If you’re working on managing multiple WordPress sites and need reliable development support, WordPressOngoing can assist you. We prioritize building long-term relationships by delivering high-quality work, prompt solutions, and consistently responsive communication—allowing your team to progress with confidence.