There are hundreds of hosting providers and they all claim to be fast, reliable, and secure. Here's how to cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters.
Uptime guarantee
The most fundamental requirement: your website needs to be online. Look for a provider that guarantees 99.9% uptime or above. Anything lower means more downtime than is acceptable for a business website.
Be cautious of guarantees with no stated compensation if they're breached — they're often marketing rather than meaningful commitments.
Speed and infrastructure
Ask (or check) whether the hosting includes a CDN. A Content Delivery Network significantly improves loading speed by serving your site from servers close to each visitor. Without one, you're depending entirely on the speed of a single server location.
Check reviews specifically mentioning speed and performance — not just overall ratings, which can be skewed.
Read more: What is a CDN and why does it make your website faster?
What's included as standard
Before signing up, confirm these are included without extra cost:
- SSL certificate (essential — see why SSL matters)
- Daily automatic backups, stored separately from the main server
- Security monitoring or firewall protection
- CDN
If any of these are charged as add-ons, the headline price is misleading.
Support quality
What happens when something goes wrong? Check what support channels are available (phone, email, live chat), what hours they operate, and how quickly issues are typically resolved. A hosting provider with no human support is a risk for a business that depends on its website.
Renewal pricing
Many budget hosts offer heavily discounted introductory pricing that doubles or triples on renewal. Check the renewal price, not just the sign-up price, before committing.
Who manages it
If you're not technically confident, managed hosting — where the provider handles server maintenance, updates, and security — is worth paying for. See our breakdown of managed hosting vs DIY hosting for more detail.
What NC Digital offers
Our website hosting and security service is £20/month or £220/year for custom and WordPress sites. SSL, Cloudflare CDN, daily backups, 99.9% uptime, and managed security are all included — no extras.
Get in touch to discuss your hosting needs.