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Every website lives on a server somewhere, and the company that provides that server is your hosting provider.
Hosting is easy to overlook, because it is invisible when it works.
But it decides how fast your site loads, how often it is down, how safe your data is and how much help you get when something goes wrong.
In this guide we explain the different types of hosting, what to look for, what it really costs and the traps to avoid when you choose.
What hosting actually is
Hosting is rented space and computing power on a server that is connected to the internet around the clock.
Your website files, images and database are stored there, and every time someone visits your site, the server sends the page to their browser.
The quality of that server, and how many other websites share it, affects everything your visitors experience.
The main types of hosting
Shared hosting
Your website shares a server with many other websites.
It is the cheapest option and works well for small company websites, blogs and simple portfolios.
The downside is that you share resources, so a busy neighbour can slow your site down, and there are limits on what you can install and adjust.
Managed WordPress hosting
This is hosting built specifically for WordPress.
The provider handles updates of the server, caching, backups and security, and often gives you tools such as staging sites and one-click restore.
It costs more than basic shared hosting, but saves time and is often faster and more secure.
For business websites and small webshops on WordPress, it is usually the best balance.
Cloud and VPS hosting
A virtual private server gives you your own share of a server with guaranteed resources.
Cloud hosting lets you scale resources up and down as traffic changes.
These options suit busy webshops, larger portals and custom applications, but they require more technical knowledge, or a managed plan where someone else looks after the server.
Hosted platforms
Platforms such as Shopify, Wix and Squarespace include hosting in the subscription.
You do not choose a server at all, which is simple, but you also have less control and cannot move the site easily.
What to look for when you compare
Server location
Choose servers close to your main customers.
If most of your visitors are in Spain, Denmark or elsewhere in Europe, a data centre in Europe gives faster loading times and makes GDPR compliance simpler.
Speed technology
Look for modern hardware such as NVMe SSD storage, current PHP versions and built-in caching, for example LiteSpeed with its cache plugin or a server-level cache.
A free content delivery network, or CDN, can also help visitors far from the server.
Backups
Daily automatic backups should be standard.
Check how long backups are kept, whether you can restore them yourself and whether restoring costs extra.
Even with hosting backups, it is wise to keep your own copy elsewhere.
Security
Free SSL certificates, a web application firewall, malware scanning and isolation between websites on the same account are all important.
Ask what happens if your site is hacked, and whether the provider helps clean it up.
Uptime
Most providers promise 99.9 % uptime or more.
That still allows almost nine hours of downtime a year, so read what compensation you get if they fail to deliver.
Support
Good support is worth paying for.
Check whether support is available around the clock, in which languages, through chat, email or phone, and how quickly they really respond.
Reading recent reviews from other small businesses tells you more than the marketing page.
Some plans include email accounts on your domain, others do not.
Many businesses prefer Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for email, which is separate from the website hosting.
Decide early, because moving email later can be fiddly.
Tools that save time
Staging sites let you test changes and updates before they go live.
One-click WordPress installation, easy domain management, a file manager and access to logs make daily work easier.
What does hosting cost?
Prices vary a lot, but these ranges give an idea.
- Basic shared hosting: often from a few euros a month.
- Good shared or managed WordPress hosting for a small business: roughly €5 to €30 a month.
- Managed hosting for busy webshops: often €30 to €100 a month or more.
- VPS and cloud: from around €10 a month for small servers, rising quickly with resources and management.
The cheapest plan is rarely the cheapest in the long run if your site is slow, often down or hard to get help with.
Watch out for renewal prices
Many hosting companies advertise a low price that only applies to the first period, often when you pay for several years in advance.
When the plan renews, the price can be two or three times higher.
Always check the renewal price, what is included after the first year, and whether the domain is free only in year one.
Compare the total cost over three years, not just the first invoice.
Signs that your current hosting is not good enough
- Your website is slow, even after you have optimised images and plugins.
- The site is down several times a month.
- You get warnings about resource limits when traffic rises.
- Support takes days to answer, or cannot help with WordPress questions.
- Backups are missing, old or cost extra to restore.
- The server still runs an old PHP version.
If several of these sound familiar, moving to better hosting is often one of the fastest ways to improve your website.
Moving to a new host
Moving a website sounds scary, but it is routine work.
Many hosting companies offer free migration, and plugins can copy a WordPress site from one server to another.
The main steps are to take a full backup, copy files and database to the new server, test the site on a temporary address, and then point the domain to the new host.
Plan the move outside your busiest hours, keep the old hosting active for a few days, and check that forms, payments and emails work afterwards.
Hosting for several websites
If you run several websites, for example a company site, a webshop and a blog in another language, a plan that allows multiple sites can save money.
Keep in mind that all sites share the resources of the plan, so one busy site can affect the others.
Agencies and businesses with many sites often use separate accounts or a VPS to keep sites isolated, so a problem on one site does not spread to the rest.
Our advice
For most small business websites and webshops on WordPress, a good managed WordPress or high-quality shared plan with European servers, daily backups, free SSL and responsive support is the right starting point.
Choose a provider that lets you grow without changing company, and check renewal prices before you sign.
As traffic and sales grow, move up to a stronger plan rather than squeezing a busy shop into the cheapest package.
Questions to ask before you sign up
- Where are your data centres, and can I choose a location in Europe?
- How often are backups taken, how long are they kept, and can I restore them myself for free?
- What is the renewal price after the first period?
- Which PHP versions and caching tools do you support?
- Is there a staging environment for testing updates?
- How do I reach support, in which languages, and how fast do you answer?
- What happens if my site is hacked or infected with malware?
- How easy is it to upgrade to a bigger plan when traffic grows?
- Can I export everything and leave without extra fees?
A provider that answers these questions clearly before you buy is usually also helpful after you buy.
Green hosting
Data centres use a lot of electricity.
Some hosting companies run on renewable energy or offset their use, and publish details about it.
If sustainability matters to your brand and your customers, it is worth asking, and it can be something you mention on your own website.
Hosting and Google
Google looks at how fast and stable your website is, especially on mobile.
Slow server response times and frequent downtime can hurt your rankings and your sales.
Good hosting will not fix a badly built website, but bad hosting can hold back even the best website.
Common mistakes
- Choosing only on the first-year price.
- Registering the domain and hosting in someone else’s name.
- Relying only on the host’s backups.
- Picking servers on another continent from your customers.
- Putting a growing webshop on the smallest plan and blaming the website when it slows down.
Need help choosing or moving hosting?
We set up and manage hosting for our own websites and for clients across Europe, and we can move your site safely from your current provider.
Tell us what your website does and how many visitors you have, and we will recommend a plan that fits.
See our maintenance prices or contact us for a free chat.
