Many new and seasoned website owners have a hard time trying to figure out not only where to get hosting, but what type of small business website hosting they need. In the WordPress Meetup group that I co-host, we get this question almost every month.

I like to use analogies because personally, I grasp a concept faster when I can picture how it works. My analogy for hosting is that website hosting is the “building” where your business (website) is going to reside. For the sake of the analogy, your customers typically have no idea what kind of building you are using or where your building is located. The web is virtual after all.

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Shared Hosting – Flea Market

If you have never been to a flea market or swap meet, think about a farmer’s market. The idea here is that you have a space that is your own to do with what you want, but so does everyone else. There is usually not much for an actual structure. You have to build what you need, and so does your neighbor. If there is a structure, it is just to mark off your space and let you hang or construct something to separate your space.

Pros

• Inexpensive way to get started – typically $3 – $30/mo
• Build as many sites as you want
• Typically “unlimited” domains, sub-domains, and parked domains

Cons

• You are solely responsible for the security of your stuff
• Your neighbor’s problems can easily become your problems (if they get hacked, it will effect your account too)
• Not great for high traffic sites

Managed Hosting – Business Complex (a.k.a. Strip Mall)

With Managed Hosting, you have your own section of the “building,” walled off from others. There is an actual building and a management company who is responsible for the structure. The management company makes sure things are working. If something happens to the building (roof leaks, window broken from a storm, etc.) they will get it fixed. Basically, here you are paying for the structure, the upkeep of the structure and having someone to call if something isn’t working correctly.
Pros

• Easy way to get started
• Someone else is helping you secure your site and keep it working
• Great for sites that get a pretty good amount of traffic

Cons

• More expensive than Shared Hosting – typically $27 – $250/mo
• Limitations on what you can build (usually plans are based on number of sites)
• Typically doesn’t include non-hosting features such as email (which isn’t actually a Con, but that is another blog post)

Dedicated/Virtual Dedicated – Your Own Building

With Dedicated or Virtual Dedicated Hosting, you get 4 walls of your very own. That means you and you alone are responsible for all interior construction, building maintenance and security. It is usually best if you hire a building manager (a.k.a. server administrator) to make sure that things keep running smoothly.

Pros

• The best for very high traffic sites
• Your servers, your rules – you get to dictate everything you do

Cons

• Expensive – this is commonly only for very established websites, $120 – $300+/mo
• You better know what you’re doing, because if you break it, you fix it
• Even though you are paying for hosting, you are totally responsible for all aspects of your sites, including security

Considering the options above, it is pretty clear that new websites or websites still building an audience really are choosing between Shared Hosting and Managed Hosting for their small business website hosting. If you are penny-pinching and bootstrapping to get up and running, Shared Hosting is fine choice. Just know that instead of having someone watching over your infrastructure and guiding you, you’re responsible for your own backups, security and probably should go the extra mile on each in case one of your neighbors has a problem that ends up taking out your site.

If you are building a business website and aren’t a technical expert, it may actually be cheaper in the long run to go with Managed Hosting because of the time it will save you. Instead of having to figure out how to secure your site and ensure your backups are running, you have someone to help you with that. Plus, the host is doing a lot of other things to keep your site up and loading as quickly as possible. You might not give that a lot of thought, but site load time is an important factor in search engine rankings.

In every case, your website will need on-going maintenance and updates. Technology, software, plugins and best practices are changing constantly. Unlike a book, you can’t just publish and forget about your website. Plan to make time to update your site, or pay someone to do it for you. That way your website is the finest representation of your business (or group, or cause), and your site will be prevented from being dangerous to your visitors. Unmaintained sites can look fine, but still be infecting visitors with malware.

Our Small Business Website Hosting Recommendations

Here are my current recommendations for hosting providers. Note, if you end up purchasing using these links, I will earn a commission at no additional charge to you (here’s the fine print).

What other small business website hosting questions do you have? Let me know in the comments.

Photo by InSapphoWeTrust , Photo by DannyBen , Photo by Milestone Management

Photo by Helga Weber