Choosing a hosting provider for client websites isn't a decision we take lightly. We've looked at what's available and settled on Krystal for WordPress and custom-built sites — and there are clear reasons for that.
Why Krystal
Krystal is a UK-based hosting provider with a strong reputation in the UK web industry. They're employee-owned, carbon-neutral, and have been consistently well-regarded for support quality and server performance.
For us, the important things are:
UK-based infrastructure: Servers in the UK mean faster load times for UK visitors — which is relevant for every client we work with, all of whom are based in or targeting the UK market.
Reliable uptime: Krystal's infrastructure is well-managed. We don't see the repeated downtime issues that come with oversold shared hosting.
Good support: When we need to resolve something at a server level, Krystal's support is responsive and technical. That matters when a client's site is down.
Domains included: We use Krystal to register and manage domains for clients too, keeping hosting and domain management in one place.
For managed starter sites, we use Cloudflare
For our managed starter sites — lower-cost, lightweight sites built on our own framework — we host on Cloudflare's infrastructure. Cloudflare is exceptionally fast globally and has essentially zero downtime. For a simpler site, it's the right fit.
Why hosting choice matters
The host you use affects load speeds, uptime reliability, support quality when things go wrong, and — indirectly — your Google rankings. Read more about how hosting affects your rankings or find out what managed hosting with NC Digital includes.