When people say “my website is hosted by so-and-so”, they mean it lives on a computer that is always on and connected to the internet. That computer is called a server. When a customer types your address, their device asks that server for your pages.
Hosting is simply renting space and speed on a server.
Why it matters
Hosting affects three things your customers notice:
- Speed. Better hosting loads pages faster.
- Reliability. Poor hosting goes down. If your site is offline when someone searches for you, you lose that enquiry.
- Security. Good hosts help protect your site from attacks and keep backups.
What cheap hosting often means
Very cheap hosting can be fine for a hobby. For a business, the risks include:
- Crowded servers that slow down at busy times
- Little or no backup, so a problem can mean starting from scratch
- Weak security
- Slow, unhelpful support
- Surprise charges for things that should be included
What good hosting should include
- Fast servers, ideally in the UK
- Regular backups you can restore from
- Security monitoring and protection
- SSL certificate, so the site shows as secure
- Updates handled
- Real people to ask when something breaks
Who is looking after it?
This is the question most tradespeople never ask. Hosting is only part of the story. Someone also has to keep the website software updated, keep an eye on security, restore backups and fix problems. If nobody is doing that, a site can quietly go wrong.
See website maintenance for what that involves.
Hosting and your domain are different things
Your domain is your address. Hosting is where your website lives. They can be with different companies. What matters is that you own the domain and that your hosting is good and looked after. See own your domain.
What you get with us
Hosting is included in the £49.95 a month. That covers quality hosting, backups, security, updates and support, all managed for you. You never have to log in to a hosting panel. See what is included.
Hosting is not just a bill. It decides how fast, safe and reliable your website is.