What Is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is renting space on a computer (server) that's always connected to the internet. Your website files live there, and when someone types your web address, they see your site.
That's it. Everything else is details.
What You Actually Need
For most small business websites, you need:
1. Enough storage for your website (usually under 5GB)
2. Reliable uptime (site stays online)
3. Basic security (SSL certificate included)
4. Decent support when things go wrong
5. Easy backups so you don't lose everything
You probably don't need:
- Unlimited everything
- Enterprise features
- Dedicated servers
- Complex configurations
Types of Hosting Explained Simply
Shared Hosting
What it is: Your website shares a server with hundreds of other websites.
Like: Living in a block of flats. Cheap, but you share resources with neighbours.
Cost: £3-10/month
Good for: Most small business websites, blogs, brochure sites.
Watch out for: Slow speeds if neighbours use lots of resources. Limited control.
Managed WordPress Hosting
What it is: Hosting optimised specifically for WordPress sites, with updates and security handled for you.
Like: A serviced apartment. Costs more, but someone else handles maintenance.
Cost: £15-50/month
Good for: WordPress sites where you don't want technical headaches.
Watch out for: Only works for WordPress. Can be pricey.
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
What it is: Your own virtual slice of a server with guaranteed resources.
Like: Owning a flat. More space and control, but you handle more yourself.
Cost: £15-80/month
Good for: Growing sites, online shops, sites with traffic spikes.
Watch out for: Requires more technical knowledge. Overkill for simple sites.
Cloud Hosting
What it is: Your site runs across multiple servers, scaling up and down as needed.
Like: A flexible office space. Pay for what you use.
Cost: Variable (£10-100+/month)
Good for: Unpredictable traffic, e-commerce, growing businesses.
Watch out for: Costs can spike unexpectedly. Can be complex.
Popular UK Hosting Options
Budget Options (£3-10/month)
Ionos (1&1)
- Pros: Very cheap, UK data centres, decent support
- Cons: Aggressive upselling, interface feels dated
- Best for: Budget-conscious, simple sites
Hostinger
- Pros: Cheap, fast, modern interface
- Cons: Support can be slow, renewal prices jump
- Best for: Tech-comfortable users on a budget
123 Reg
- Pros: UK company, simple pricing
- Cons: Basic features, support varies
- Best for: Very simple websites
Mid-Range Options (£10-30/month)
SiteGround
- Pros: Excellent support, good speed, WordPress optimised
- Cons: Prices increased significantly, storage limits
- Best for: WordPress users wanting reliability
Krystal
- Pros: UK-based, green hosting, excellent support
- Cons: Smaller company, fewer data centre locations
- Best for: UK businesses wanting local, ethical hosting
20i
- Pros: UK company, generous resources, good value
- Cons: Less well-known, fewer tutorials available
- Best for: Agencies and growing businesses
Premium Options (£30+/month)
WP Engine
- Pros: Best WordPress hosting, excellent support, fast
- Cons: Expensive, WordPress only
- Best for: Businesses dependent on WordPress performance
Kinsta
- Pros: Google Cloud infrastructure, developer-friendly, fast
- Cons: Very expensive, WordPress only
- Best for: High-traffic WordPress sites, agencies
Cloudways
- Pros: Flexible, multiple cloud providers, good performance
- Cons: Requires more knowledge, no email hosting
- Best for: Tech-savvy users wanting cloud flexibility
The Pricing Trap
Hosting companies advertise low prices that aren't what you'll pay. Here's the reality:
Introductory vs Renewal Pricing
What they show: £2.99/month!
What you pay:
- £2.99/month for first year (billed annually = £35.88)
- £9.99/month on renewal (= £119.88/year)
The maths: That 'cheap' hosting costs £155 over two years, not £72.
Multi-Year Lock-In
The cheapest prices often require 2-3 year commitments:
- 3 years: £2.99/month
- 1 year: £5.99/month
- Monthly: £9.99/month
The trap: You're locked in before knowing if the service is good.
Add-On Costs
Things that should be free but often aren't:
- SSL certificate: £0-50/year (should be free)
- Backups: £0-5/month (basic should be free)
- Email: £0-3/mailbox/month
- Domain privacy: £0-10/year
Ask before buying: What's actually included?
What to Look For
Must-Haves
Free SSL certificate
SSL makes your site secure (https://). It should be free and automatic. If a host charges for basic SSL, look elsewhere.
Automatic backups
Your host should back up your site regularly. Daily backups are ideal. Ask: how do I restore if something breaks?
Uptime guarantee
Look for 99.9% uptime or better. That's still 8+ hours of downtime per year, but it's the industry standard.
UK or EU data centres
For GDPR compliance and speed, your data should be stored in the UK or EU. Ask where servers are located.
Responsive support
When your site breaks at 10pm, can you get help? Check support hours and channels (chat, phone, ticket).
Nice-to-Haves
Staging environment
A copy of your site to test changes before they go live. Prevents breaking your real site.
CDN included
Content Delivery Network makes your site faster globally. Often an add-on but sometimes included.
Email hosting
Some hosts include email, others don't. Check before assuming.
One-click installs
Easy installation of WordPress, WooCommerce, etc. Saves time and headaches.
Common Pitfalls
Pitfall 1: Choosing on Price Alone
The cheapest host often means:
- Slow site (customers leave)
- Poor support (problems take days to fix)
- Oversold servers (your site suffers when others are busy)
Better approach: Choose the cheapest option from reputable hosts, not the cheapest host overall.
Pitfall 2: Not Checking Renewal Prices
Year one: £36
Year two: £120
Year three: £120
Total: £276
Vs a host at £8/month:
Three years: £288
The 'expensive' option cost nearly the same.
Better approach: Calculate 3-year total cost including renewals.
Pitfall 3: Oversized Hosting
Selling you a VPS or dedicated server when shared hosting would work fine. A brochure website doesn't need enterprise infrastructure.
Better approach: Start with shared hosting. Upgrade when you actually need it.
Pitfall 4: No Migration Plan
Signing up without knowing how to leave. Some hosts make migration deliberately difficult.
Better approach: Before signing up, check: Can I export my site? Is there a migration fee? Do they help with transfers?
Pitfall 5: Ignoring Support Quality
Cheap hosting often means offshore support reading scripts. When your site's down, you need real help fast.
Better approach: Check reviews specifically about support. Test their response time before committing.
Pitfall 6: Domain Lock-In
Registering your domain through your host seems convenient but can make leaving harder.
Better approach: Register domains separately (see our domain guide). Keep hosting and domains independent.
Making the Decision
For a Simple Business Website
Recommended: SiteGround, Krystal, or 20i shared hosting.
Budget: £8-15/month
Why: Reliable, good support, includes essentials, easy to use.
For a WordPress Site
Recommended: SiteGround WordPress hosting or Krystal.
Budget: £10-25/month
Why: WordPress-optimised, handles updates, good performance.
For an Online Shop
Recommended: Cloudways, Krystal Business, or 20i.
Budget: £20-50/month
Why: Better performance, handles traffic spikes, reliable for transactions.
For a Growing Business
Recommended: Start mid-range, plan to upgrade.
Budget: £15-30/month initially
Why: Room to grow without immediate migration headaches.
Questions to Ask Before Signing Up
1. What's the renewal price after year one?
2. Where are your servers located?
3. Is SSL included free?
4. How do backups work and how do I restore?
5. What support is available and when?
6. Can I easily migrate away if needed?
7. What's not included that I might need?
The Bottom Line
Web hosting isn't complicated once you ignore the marketing noise.
For most small businesses: pick a reputable mid-range host with good support and UK servers. Expect to pay £10-20/month. Avoid the cheapest options and the most expensive enterprise packages.
The best hosting is hosting you don't think about because it just works. Pay a bit more for reliability and support—your time is worth more than saving £5/month.
