What web hosting is and how much it should cost you
Web hosting is where your website lives. The types available, what each one costs and why a small business website can often be hosted for free.
When you ask for a website quote, sooner or later the words "web hosting" appear, usually with a fee next to it. Many businesses pay it every year without really knowing what it is or whether they need what they have.
Let us go step by step.
What web hosting is
Hosting is the computer, connected to the internet around the clock, that stores your website's files. When someone types your address, their browser asks that computer for the page and it sends it back.
Do not confuse it with the domain, which is just the address (yourbusiness.com). The domain is the name on the letterbox; hosting is the house. If you want to know how to choose a good one, see how to choose a domain.
Types of web hosting
Shared hosting
In that case, your website shares a server with hundreds of others. It is the cheapest option (a few euros a month) and the usual one for WordPress. So if a neighbouring website gets a traffic spike or a problem, yours may feel it.
Virtual private server (VPS) or dedicated
You get reserved resources or a whole machine. More power, more cost, and someone has to maintain that server. Therefore, it makes sense for big projects, not for a clinic's website.
Static website hosting
If your website consists of pages built in advance (a static website), it does not need a server that runs anything. A service that distributes files is enough, and there are excellent free options such as Cloudflare Pages, with servers all over the world.
What web hosting should cost
It depends on the technology behind the website:
- WordPress on shared hosting: typically somewhere around €50 to €150 a year, more with backups or extra security.
- Managed WordPress hosting: easily over €200 a year.
- Static website: in most cases, €0.
That is why hosting costs my clients at Nueva Página nothing: it is not a promotion, it is simply that a well-built small business website does not need more.
What to check if you already pay for web hosting
- Whose name is it in? If it belongs to your designer or agency, ask them to explain it and give you access.
- What does it include? Sometimes email is part of the same package; if you move, it has to move too.
- Are there backups? If the website breaks or someone attacks it, can you roll back?
- Does it have an SSL certificate? Today it is essential and free. More in HTTPS and SSL explained.
Hosting and email are two different things
In fact, many businesses keep their email ([email protected]) with the same provider as their website. That is fine, but worth knowing: if you change hosting without moving email, you can lose it. There are ways to keep email separate, even forwarding it for free to an inbox you already use.
What web hosting a small business needs
Most small business websites have few pages and a few hundred or thousand visits a month. That does not call for a powerful server, but for a reliable, fast service with the security certificate included. It also helps to have backups, or a website you can republish in minutes.
If your website is static, services such as Cloudflare Pages serve it from many countries at once and, for a site of this size, at no cost. By contrast, if you use WordPress, you need a server that runs PHP and a database, and someone to maintain it. So before renewing, ask what kind of website you really have. More in static website. The best web hosting is the kind you never have to think about.
On a related note, you may also find the cost of running a website useful.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change hosting without the website going down?
Yes. You set up the website on the new hosting first and then point the domain at it. Done properly, your clients never notice.
Does hosting affect Google?
Indirectly: slow hosting or frequent downtime hurts speed and user experience, which Google takes into account.
Do I need hosting if my website is on Wix?
Not separately: the builder's subscription includes it, which is precisely what you pay for every month.
How much is web hosting for a Nueva Página website?
Nothing: hosting costs nothing at launch or afterwards; you only pay for the domain. See how much a website costs.