Managing multiple WordPress sites for clients is no small feat for agencies. With each site comes a slew of recurring tasks — like keeping plugins and themes up-to-date, backing up data, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting security issues. These tasks quickly pile up into a full-time job. And that constant balancing act between maintenance and new work leaves agencies stretched thin.
That’s why we’re talking about the common pain points that slow agencies down and pull focus away from core business growth. So, let’s explore what features agencies need to improve WordPress workflows and deliver consistent value to clients.
How agencies lose focus managing multiple websites
When managing multiple WordPress sites, agencies often find themselves bogged down by time-consuming tasks that don’t lead to growth. With years of experience supporting digital agencies, the team at Kinsta, a managed WordPress hosting provider, developed solutions for the issues that drain resources and create frustration for digital agencies.
These include:
Scattered tools
Managing multiple WordPress sites can mean jumping between different dashboards and tools for each client. Logging in and out, switching tabs, and tracking down specific information across platforms eats up time and is mentally draining. With no unified view, staying on top of client needs is harder than it should be.
Kinsta customers have access to an account administration dashboard known as MyKinsta that simplifies the management of multiple sites. MyKinsta presents every client site in a single, easy-to-navigate interface. Everything from staging environments to backups is accessible in one place.
Free and premium staging environments managed within MyKinsta help agency developers intercept errors and test updated themes and plugins before pushing them live. A selective push feature provides granular control over updates from staging — right down to a single file or database table.
Endless updates
With WordPress plugin and theme updates rolling out constantly, manually updating multiple websites takes a lot of time. A significant risk lies in neglecting these updates. Close to 90% of WordPress vulnerabilities stem from outdated plugins or themes, according to WPScan. So, agencies must perform these tasks to keep sites secure and running smoothly. But, without automation, it’s a process that consumes valuable hours every week.
Kinsta customers have access to a bulk actions tool within MyKinsta that can update plugins and themes across multiple sites in seconds. The same tool can also clear caches for multiple sites simultaneously and even upgrade the version of PHP running in each site’s cloud server container.
Security nightmares
With WordPress powering 43.6% of the web, it’s a prime target for cyberattacks. From scanning for vulnerabilities to addressing breaches, agencies often end up in firefighting mode. According to Patchstack, the growing complexity of security tasks also contributes to time loss, especially with the increasing volume of “zombie plugins” (abandoned plugins that pose high-security risks) that need close monitoring. Considering these factors, being proactive about site protection can become a full-time job.
WordPress websites hosted at Kinsta are protected by Google Cloud and Cloudflare firewalls that snuff out distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Sites are also supported by Kinsta’s malware removal team. And agencies have access to SSH and SFTP and free wildcard SSL certificates, ensuring client sites are accessible and secure.
These proactive measures safeguard client sites without the need for agencies to spend additional time or resources on third-party security tools.
Growth pains
As agencies grow, so do their hosting requirements. Many hit a wall when their current hosting plan no longer supports the level of traffic or site loads they’re handling. This stunts growth, slows sites, and makes it difficult for agencies to scale with client demand. The technical debt created by underpowered hosting environments can lead to both client dissatisfaction and lost revenue.
According to research from Portent, a primary success factor for e-commerce websites is page-load speed. The researchers found that an e-commerce site that loads in one second might have a conversion rate that is three times greater than one that loads in five seconds.
Fast-loading websites are non-negotiable. People expect sites to load quickly, and agencies must meet this need or face an increased bounce rate.
Kinsta offers agencies the power of the Google Cloud platform without the management headaches. Without complicated infrastructure setup, agencies can choose from 25 data centers around the world and and Google’s fastest virtual machines — all connected to its top-tier network.
And, through Kinsta’s Cloudflare integration, agencies get free access to technology that includes:
- A content delivery network (CDN)
- Edge caching
- WebP image optimization
- Early hints
- Wildcard SSL support
- HTTP/3 Support
- A Kinsta-dedicated range of IP addresses
Whether managing five client sites or 100, Kinsta’s scalable hosting grows as agencies grow. It’s a reliable solution for expanding a client base without worrying about outgrowing your current hosting capabilities or facing performance issues.
Unresponsive support
When a technical issue arises, waiting for generic support just won’t cut it. Agencies know they’re on the hook for problems with client sites, so they need answers fast when things go wrong.
Poor support wastes time and saps focus that could be aimed at delivering value to clients — and bringing in new ones.
Kinsta provides expert support on call 24/7, every day of the year, backed by a team of WordPress engineers who understand the platform’s nuances. — whether it’s troubleshooting, resolving conflicts, or handling complex tasks.
Summary
Managing multiple WordPress sites doesn’t have to feel like a never-ending to-do list. With a robust hosting platform, agencies can streamline workflows, secure client sites with confidence, and scale operations.
To keep up with client demands and maintain an edge, agencies need a hosting solution that goes beyond the basics.
Kinsta helps digital agencies reduce administrative headaches, optimize performance and prioritize growth. With Kinsta as your agency partner, you can scale without limits and focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional value and building client relationships.