Web hosting services are one of the most under-appreciated (yet extremely important) aspects of running an online business.
It’s literally the foundation of every website and will make or break your store’s performance. Without good hosting, all of that marketing and SEO effort will go right out the window.
The problem is…
Small business owners are often overpaying for hosting services they don’t really need. Or worse, they’re underpaying and getting a slow, unreliable website that will drive customers away.
But the good news is finding affordable web hosting doesn’t have to be that complicated. Let’s dig in.
What You’ll Learn
- Why Hosting Matters For Small Businesses
- The Different Types of Web Hosting
- Smart Strategies To Save Money On Hosting
- How To Pick The Right Hosting Plan
Why Hosting Matters For Small Businesses
Web hosting is the single most important ingredient for a successful online business.
Think of it this way: web hosting is where all of a website’s files live.
Without it, no one can access that site. The performance of that hosting (in terms of both speed and uptime) will also directly affect the performance of the website.
Website downtime can cost small businesses anywhere from $137 to $427 per minute, according to this study by Atlassian. And slow sites rank poorly in search engines.
Google and other search engines want to present users with websites that offer great user experiences: fast performance and high uptime. That means slow websites or ones that have a lot of downtime will have lower search rankings.
Finding the best hosting for websites should be a top priority for every small business owner. The right web hosting services can improve site speed, boost search engine optimization rankings, and keep the site up and running more smoothly.
The web hosting industry is also growing rapidly, with Fortune Business Insights predicting the market will be worth $527 billion by 2032.
That means there’s no shortage of hosting options for small businesses that want to save money without sacrificing quality.
The Different Types of Web Hosting
Before small business owners can pick a hosting plan that meets their needs, they first need to know what type of hosting is available to them.
It’s important to note that not all hosting is created equal.
Shared Hosting
This is the cheapest option and is best for small websites with low traffic.
The catch is, multiple websites share the same server space. If another website on that server gets a sudden influx of traffic, everyone else’s site speeds can slow.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
VPS hosting provides a higher level of resources and performance. The website shares a physical server, but gets dedicated resources that other sites on the server can’t access.
This is a nice middle ground for growing businesses in between shared hosting and dedicated or cloud hosting.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting gives you an entire server all to yourself. This provides the most power and security, but is also the most expensive option for small businesses.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting distributes a website’s data across multiple servers. If one server has an issue, the data is automatically served by another.
Cloud hosting provides great uptime and flexibility.
Smart Strategies To Save Money On Hosting
This is where things get really interesting…
Business owners can save serious money on hosting without sacrificing quality. In fact, all of these tips have been shown to work:
Start Small And Scale Up
Don’t buy hosting packages with more features or power than are needed right now.
A lot of businesses start out with shared hosting. As traffic grows, they upgrade to VPS or cloud hosting. This saves money in the short-term while allowing room for the business to grow.
Look For Introductory Deals
Hosts love to lure in new customers with huge discounts (up to 70% off sometimes). These offers usually last for the first year.
The thing to watch out for is renewal price. Some hosts hike the price significantly after the first year. Make sure to double-check that the regular renewal price is still in the budget.
Pay Annually Instead of Monthly
Annual billing almost always costs less than monthly payments.
Sure, it requires more money upfront. But it also saves a ton of money over 12 months. Some hosts offer 2-3 months of free hosting when paying for the full year.
Skip Unnecessary Add-Ons
Hosting companies like to upsell their customers on extra features. These can include:
- Premium backups
- Advanced security packages
- Website builders
- SEO tools
Some of these are legitimately useful. Many are not. Carefully evaluate each one before paying extra.
Consider Managed vs Unmanaged
Managed hosting is more expensive, but the host takes care of maintenance, updates, and technical support.
Unmanaged hosting is cheaper but requires technical skills. Business owners need to manage updates and security on their own.
Managed hosting is usually better value for non-technical users. The time saved from not having to worry about technical issues can be better spent actually running the business.
How To Pick The Right Hosting Plan
Figuring out the right hosting plan is really just a matter of a few simple considerations.
Understand Traffic Needs
Small business owners need to have a good understanding of the number of visitors the website gets per month. 1,000 visitors a month have very different needs than 100,000 visitors a month.
Most plans list the traffic levels they can accommodate. Match that up to the actual traffic.
Check Uptime Guarantees
Business owners should always look for hosting companies that offer at least 99.9% uptime.
This means a maximum of about 8 hours downtime per year. More premium plans offer 99.99% uptime, which is about 52 minutes downtime a year.
Evaluate Customer Support
When things go wrong, you need customer support you can trust. If the host isn’t responsive, that can really slow things down when something does break.
Look for hosting companies that offer 24/7 support with multiple contact options like live chat, phone, and email. Read reviews to see how quickly they respond to support requests.
Review Security Features
Security should always be top of mind. At a minimum, hosting should include:
- SSL certificates
- Regular backups
- Malware scanning
- Firewall protection
Some hosting companies include these features for free. Some charge extra. Make sure to add that into the final cost of the hosting.
Wrapping It Up
Saving money on hosting is not about finding the absolute cheapest option.
Instead, it’s about finding the best value given a specific business’s needs.
Small business owners should:
- Understand the types of web hosting that exist
- Start small and scale up later
- Shop around for introductory deals (but beware renewal prices)
- Avoid paying for unnecessary add-ons
- Prioritize uptime and support
The right hosting decision can save small business owners money and improve site performance at the same time.
Fast load times, better search rankings, and happier customers. That’s a win for any small business.
