Website hosting explained in plain English

What hosting actually is

Every website is a set of files, pictures and often a database, stored on a computer that is switched on all the time and connected to the internet. That computer is a server, and renting space on it is called hosting. When someone types your address, their browser asks your server for the pages and it sends them back.

A useful comparison is a shop. The domain name is your address on the street sign. The hosting is the building. The website is the fit-out and stock inside. You need all three, and they can come from the same company or different ones.

The three things people confuse

Part	What it does	Who usually provides it
Domain name	The address people type, such as yourbusiness.co.uk	A registrar, sometimes bundled with a builder
Hosting	Stores your site and serves it to visitors	A hosting company or your website builder
Website	The pages, wording, photos and forms	You, a designer, or a builder's templates

Email is a fourth, separate piece. Having hosting does not automatically mean you have business email; see our guide to a business email address for that.

The main types of hosting

Website builder hosting

All-in-one builders include hosting in the monthly price. You never deal with servers: you edit pages in the builder and press publish. This is the simplest option and the right one for most small businesses that want a brochure site, a portfolio or a simple enquiry site.

Shared hosting

Your site sits on a server alongside many others, usually running WordPress or similar software you install yourself. It is inexpensive, but you are responsible for the website software, its updates and security. Performance can vary if neighbouring sites are busy.

Managed hosting

Similar to shared or dedicated hosting, but the provider looks after updates, backups and security for a particular platform such as WordPress. You pay more, and in return you spend less time on maintenance.

VPS and dedicated servers

You rent a whole virtual or physical server. This suits developers and larger sites with particular needs. For a typical small business it is more power and more responsibility than needed.

What you are paying for

Hosting prices vary a lot, and the headline figure is not the whole story. These are the things that genuinely differ between providers:

• Security certificate (SSL). This puts the padlock in the browser bar and the "https" at the start of your address. Browsers warn visitors about sites without it. It should be included and renewed automatically.
• Backups. How often are they taken, how long are they kept, and can you restore one yourself?
• Software updates. On a builder this is handled for you. On self-installed WordPress it may be your job.
• Support. Who do you contact when something goes wrong, how, and when do they reply?
• Speed. Server quality affects how quickly pages load, though images and site design matter at least as much. See why your website is slow on mobile.
• Data location. Where the servers are can matter for data protection. Check what your provider says.

Watch out for these pricing patterns

• Introductory prices. Many hosts advertise a low first-year price that rises sharply on renewal. Look for the renewal price, not just the headline.
• Long upfront terms. The cheapest monthly rate is often only available if you pay for several years at once.
• Add-ons. Backups, security certificates, email and malware scanning are sometimes extras.
• Paid apps and plugins. On some builders and on WordPress, features such as booking or forms come from add-ons billed separately.

Rather than comparing headline prices, write down what you need and check each provider's current pricing page for the full cost over two or three years. Our guide to how much a website costs in the UK puts hosting in the context of the total.

What is usually included with a website builder

When hosting comes bundled with a builder, you normally get the server, the security certificate, software updates and some form of backup. You lose some flexibility: you cannot usually install any software you like or move the site's files to another host as they are. For most small businesses that trade-off is worth it, because the site simply keeps working without anyone needing to maintain a server.

Before choosing, ask a few direct questions:

1. Is the security certificate included and renewed automatically?
2. Can I use my own domain, and does it stay registered to me?
3. What happens to my site and content if I cancel?
4. Does the price change after the first year?
5. Who do I speak to if something goes wrong?

Signs your hosting is the problem

Hosting is usually invisible when it works and very visible when it does not. Look out for these warning signs:

• The site is regularly unreachable or very slow even on a fast connection.
• You get warnings about an expired certificate.
• Your WordPress site has not been updated in a long time and nobody is responsible for it.
• You cannot get a reply from support when something breaks.
• Nobody can tell you when the last backup was taken, or how to restore it.
• You are paying for hosting, a separate builder subscription and several add-ons, and no longer know what each one does.

If several of these apply, it is worth listing everything you currently pay for and comparing it with a single provider that covers the lot. Before you move, check that you own your domain and can take your content with you; our guide to transferring or pointing a domain explains how to switch without losing email.

Site Shifter includes hosting and the security certificate in one monthly price with no long contract, alongside the website itself on your own domain. The pricing page lists exactly what is included.

Frequently asked