Website hosting is one of those things that no-one really thinks of until it goes wrong - the site turns out to be slow, emails stop being delivered, or you get whacked with a renewal invoice that's three times what you paid last year. At that stage, it suddenly starts to matter quite a lot.
We've been building and hosting websites since 1999, and the same questions come up every time a client moves to us or away from somewhere else. Here's what's actually worth thinking about before you choose.
Know what kind of hosting you're buying
The word "hosting" covers very different products. The right one depends less on your traffic and more on who you want looking after it.
Shared hosting - your website sits on a server alongside hundreds of others. It's fine for a small brochure site on a very tight budget, but you get little in the way of control.
Website builder platforms - Squarespace, Wix, Shopify and similar, where the hosting is bundled with the software subscription. Whilst this is fine for owners who want to do it all themselves, you can't (easily) take your site with you when you want to move somewhere else.
Virtual private servers - not a whole server, but your own slice of one with dedicated resources, this is ideal for growing sites, or larger WordPress sites. But if it's unmanaged, someone has to patch, monitor and secure it.
Managed hosting - a virtual private server, or a cloud server, that a specialist runs for you, these are better for businesses that need the performance, but without the administrative headaches, but cost more than virtual private servers as you're paying for the time to manage them.
Cloud platforms - AWS, Azure, Google Cloud all provide cloud-based infrastructure for high-traffic, or complex systems. They're powerful, complicated, and the occasional invoice can surprise you.
If you're a small business with no in-house technical person, the honest answer is usually either a builder platform or managed hosting. A cheap VPS with nobody looking after it is the worst of both worlds.
Speed and location
A slow site loses visitors and ranks worse in search, and hosting is one of the biggest factors in how quickly your pages load. What's important is :
Where the server is. If your customers are in the UK, host in the UK or nearby in Europe. It's faster, and it keeps personal data within UK GDPR-friendly territory.
Resources you can actually use. "Unlimited" plans are rarely unlimited. Ask what memory and CPU your site gets, and what happens at busy times.
Caching and a CDN. Good hosts set up page caching and can put a content delivery network in front of your site so images load quickly wherever visitors are.
Up-to-date software. Current versions of PHP, databases and web servers are noticeably faster - and safer - than old ones, so don't be afraid to ask which versions they run.
Security and backups
Most hacked small-business sites aren't targeted - they're found by automated scripts looking for out-of-date software. Your host should be part of your defence, not a gap in it.
SSL certificates included and auto-renewing - it's 2026, so there's no reason to pay extra for this in 2026.
Server patching - know who updates the operating system and server software, and how often.
Firewall and malware scanning - ask what's in place, not just whether something is.
Backups you can restore - ensure that there are regular backups, kept off the server, covering at least a couple of weeks. Then ask the important question - how long would a restore take, and have they ever tested one? A backup that only exists on the same server as your site isn't a backup.
Support - who do you call when it breaks?
This is where cheap hosting often shows its true cost. When your site goes down on a Friday afternoon, you want a person who knows your site - not a ticket queue and a chatbot.
Before you sign up, find out:
How do you contact support, and what are the response times?
Will they help with your website, or only the server underneath it?
Is anyone monitoring the site, or will you be the first to notice it's down?
The biggest trap is the gap between your developer and your host. If each assumes the other is responsible for updates, security and backups, nobody is. Get it in writing.
Think about email separately
Many hosting packages throw in email accounts, which is convenient right up until the moment your website's server has a problem and takes your inbox down with it...or your messages start landing in customers' spam folders.
For most businesses, email is better handled by Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, with the website hosted elsewhere. Just make sure whoever hosts your site sets up the DNS records (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) properly, so emails your website sends - order confirmations, contact form replies, whatever they may be - actually arrive.
Look at the real cost
The headline price is rarely what you'll pay. Check for :
Introductory pricing that jumps sharply at renewal
Add-ons for backups, SSL, staging sites or extra storage
Long contracts paid upfront to unlock the low monthly rate
Your time - an hour a month spent wrestling with a control panel isn't free
Compare like for like. £5 a month with no support and £40 a month with someone who'll fix things are not the same product.
Make sure you can leave
The best time to plan your exit is before you arrive. You should always own, and be able to get hold of:
Your domain name, registered in your business's name, with login details you control
Your website files and database, in a standard format you can move elsewhere
Your DNS settings, so you can point things wherever you like
We regularly help businesses whose domain was registered by a former web designer who's since vanished. It's fixable, but it's stressful and slow. Check who owns yours today.
A quick checklist
Before you choose a host, you should be able to answer yes to all of these:
1. The servers are in the UK or Europe.
2. The software is current and patched for you.
3. SSL certificates are included.
4. Regular off-server backups, with a tested restore process.
5. A real person to talk to when something goes wrong.
6. Clear responsibility for updates and security.
7. Email set up so it reliably arrives.
8. You know the renewal price, not just the first-year price.
9. You own your domain and can take your site with you.
Need a hand?
Status 218 provides managed hosting for businesses across York and North Yorkshire, with the people who build your site also looking after it. If you're not sure your current hosting ticks the boxes above, get in touch and we'll take an honest look.