Every business website needs somewhere to live. That place is web hosting, and the plan you pick shapes how your site runs for years. Many owners choose a host based on the first price they see. A little planning up front can save a lot of trouble later.
This guide covers what hosting actually does and the main ways small businesses buy it. It also looks at the questions worth asking before you hand over your card details. None of it needs technical skill. You just need to know what to look for.
What web hosting does
According to the business.gov.au guide to setting up a business website, a web host stores your website on a server connected to the internet. Without hosting, there is nowhere for visitors to load your pages from. Your domain name is the address people type in. Hosting is the space that address points to.
The Tasmanian Government’s Digital Ready program puts it simply. If your domain is like a lease on a name, hosting is the rent you pay to use the space. Hosting is usually paid upfront for a year or monthly through a subscription. Most plans include some level of support as part of the fee.
The two main ways to host a small business site
The business.gov.au guide describes two broad options. The first is a cloud based content management system, often called a website builder. The second is a self hosted content management system installed on a hosting service you pay for separately. Each suits a different kind of business.
Cloud based website builders
A cloud based system is a paid subscription that usually includes hosting, design templates and optional extras. Those extras can include online store features, marketing tools and search tools. You pick a template and change it with a drag and drop editor. The provider should also keep the site protected from cyber attacks.
This option suits a business that wants a simple site it can manage in house. You have fewer moving parts to look after. The tradeoff is that you work within the limits of the platform. Before you start, read the terms about exporting your content in case you leave one day.
Self hosted sites
With a self hosted system, you install the software on a hosting plan you rent directly. The business.gov.au guide notes this is more flexible and easier to customise. It also takes more work to set up and maintain. You may need to pay for extra applications or plugins, for example to run an online shop.
Security sits more firmly with you on this path. The same guide says you need to apply security patches to the software and other tools yourself. Turning on automatic updates or setting regular reminders helps keep this under control. Some owners pay a web developer to look after updates for them.
Security also covers how your site talks to a visitor’s browser. Our article on SSL certificates and website trust explains why the padlock in the address bar matters. Ask any host if a certificate is included in the plan and how it renews.
Who is responsible for security
Many people assume the host takes care of everything. The Australian Cyber Security Centre says this is not the case. Its guidance on the cloud shared responsibility model explains that the provider and the customer share responsibility for security. You cannot outsource all of the risk to the provider.
The exact split depends on the service you choose. The ACSC gives the example of using a trusted service to host your website rather than managing the web server and operating system yourself. Using higher level services generally means the provider carries more of the load. You still look after your own data, devices and logins.
The ACSC suggests giving people only the access they need and using separate accounts. That limits the damage if one account is ever compromised. This matters when staff, designers and contractors all want a login. Remove access promptly when someone finishes working with you.
Questions to ask a host before you sign up
A good host will answer these questions clearly and in writing. Several of them come straight from the ACSC guidance. If a provider cannot tell you how its service works, that tells you something too. Keep the answers with your business records.
- Is support included, how do you contact it and what costs extra?
- Does the provider back up your site, or is that your job?
- Will you get an alert when someone logs in from an unfamiliar device?
- Are activity logs available at no extra cost?
- Can you export your website files and content if you leave?
- Does the plan include a security certificate and email hosting?
Support deserves extra attention if you are new to running a website. Digital Ready advises looking for companies that offer quick support and are responsive. A cheap plan with slow help can cost you more when something breaks. Check the support hours and how you reach a real person.
Keeping control of your accounts
Your domain, hosting and website logins are business assets. Keep them in your business’s name and under an email address you control. Digital Ready suggests keeping the emails you receive when you buy a domain in a safe place. Those emails confirm ownership and hold details you need to set up your website and email.
Domain names are registered through an accredited registrar or reseller, according to business.gov.au. Most hosting companies can register a domain for you at the same time. That is convenient, but note the renewal dates for both services. A lapsed domain or hosting account can take your website and email offline.
Whatever plan you choose, protect the main login well. The business.gov.au guide recommends a strong password and two factor authentication. Turn it on for the hosting dashboard, the domain account and the site admin area. These steps take minutes and make a break in much harder.
Matching hosting to what your site needs to do
Before you compare prices, write down what the site needs to do. A five page site about your services has very different needs from an online store. The business.gov.au guide advises making sure the hosting and system you choose have the features, resources and customer support you need. Plan for the site you expect to run in a year or two as well as the one you have today.
Think about the people who will use the site too. Your hosting affects how quickly pages load and how reliably the site stays up. Good design work counts for little if pages are slow to appear. Our article on the difference between UX and UI design explains how the visitor experience is shaped.
Once the site is live, keep an eye on how it performs in search. Our guide on using Google Search Console to improve your SEO shows how to spot errors and check that pages are being found. If you serve local customers, the hidden features in Google Business Profiles help people find you alongside your website. Hosting is the foundation, and these tools build on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is web hosting the same as a domain name?
No, they are two separate services. The domain is the address people type in, and hosting is the space where the site’s files are stored. Many hosting companies can register a domain for you, but you can also buy them from different providers.
Do I need hosting if I use a website builder?
Usually the hosting is already included. The business.gov.au guide notes that cloud based systems typically bundle hosting with templates and other features. You pay for it through the subscription instead of a separate hosting plan.
Who should hold the hosting account?
Your business should. Keep the account in the business name with an email address you control. Give designers and developers their own logins so you can remove access when the work is done.