Web hosting is the service that stores your website’s files and makes them available to visitors around the clock. Every website needs it, and the quality of your hosting has a direct effect on how fast your site loads, how often it is available, and how secure it is.
A good host for a small business offers fast, reliable servers, strong security, automatic backups and responsive support from people who understand websites. Below we explain the main types of hosting, what to look for, the questions to ask before signing up, and the warning signs that your current hosting is holding you back.
What is web hosting?
When someone types your web address, their browser connects to a server where your website lives. That server, and the technology and support around it, is your hosting. Your domain name (such as yourbusiness.co.uk) is separate: it is the address that points visitors to your hosting. It is often simplest to manage both together, but make sure the domain is registered in your business’s name.
The main types of hosting
- Shared hosting: your site shares a server with many others. It is the most affordable option and fine for small, simple sites, but busy neighbours can slow you down
- Managed WordPress hosting: hosting tuned specifically for WordPress, usually with caching, automatic updates, backups and specialist support included
- VPS (virtual private server): a dedicated slice of a server with guaranteed resources. Good for growing sites, but often needs more technical knowledge to manage
- Cloud hosting: resources spread across multiple servers, which can scale up when traffic increases
- Dedicated server: a whole server for your site alone. Powerful, but usually more than a small business needs
- Agency-managed hosting: hosting provided and looked after by the agency that built your site, so one team handles the site and the server
What to look for in a good web host
Speed and performance
Fast hosting helps your pages load quickly, which supports conversions and the Core Web Vitals that Google uses to assess page experience. Look for modern server technology, current PHP versions, server-level caching and the option of a content delivery network (CDN). If most of your customers are in the UK, UK-based servers are a sensible choice.
Reliability
Your site needs to be available whenever customers look for it. Ask about uptime commitments and what happens if they are not met, and check whether the host monitors sites and alerts you to problems.
Security
- Free SSL certificates so your site loads securely over HTTPS
- Firewalls and malware scanning
- Protection against attacks and brute-force login attempts
- Isolation between accounts, so one compromised site cannot affect yours
Backups
Automatic daily backups, stored separately from your website, with a simple way to restore them. Ask how long backups are kept and whether restoring one costs extra.
Support
When something goes wrong, you want help quickly from people who know what they are doing. Check how you can reach support, when it is available and whether they will actually help with website issues or just the server.
Email and extras
Check whether business email is included or needs to be arranged separately, and what tools you get for managing DNS, staging sites and file access.
Clear pricing and ownership
Watch for low introductory prices that rise sharply at renewal, long contracts and charges for things like backups or migrations. Make sure you can move your site and domain elsewhere if you need to.
Questions to ask before you sign up
- Where are your servers located?
- What uptime do you commit to, and how do you monitor it?
- How often are backups taken, where are they stored and how do I restore one?
- What security measures are included as standard?
- How do I contact support, and when is it available?
- What does the plan cost at renewal, not just in the first term?
- Is migrating my existing site included?
- Can I move my site and domain away easily if I need to?
Signs your hosting is holding you back
- Pages load slowly even after images and plugins have been optimised
- Your site goes down or shows errors at busy times
- You have been hacked, or keep getting security warnings
- Support is slow, hard to reach or unhelpful
- You are not sure whether your site is backed up
- Your renewal price has jumped without any improvement in service
Hosting is only part of the speed picture. A heavy theme, unoptimised images or too many plugins will slow down even good hosting. Our web design tips cover the other quick wins.
FAQs
Does web hosting affect SEO?
Indirectly, yes. Slow loading, frequent downtime and security problems can all harm the experience visitors have and how search engines view your site. Good hosting gives your SEO a solid foundation.
Is cheap hosting good enough for a small business?
For a very small, simple site it can be, but the cheapest plans often cut corners on speed, backups and support. Consider what an hour of downtime or a hacked site would cost your business.
Can I move my website to a new host?
Usually, yes. A careful migration copies your files, database and email settings, then switches your domain over with minimal disruption. Check that backups are in place before you start.
Should my hosting be in the UK?
If most of your customers are in the UK, UK-based servers are a sensible default. A CDN can also help visitors further afield.
Hosting that is looked after for you
We provide fast, secure managed website hosting for the WordPress sites we build and look after, with backups, updates and support from the same team that knows your site. Find out more about our WordPress website services, or get in touch if your current hosting is causing problems.
