Shared hosting
Your website shares one server with hundreds of others. Cheap and fine for small websites, but it slows down when the neighbours get busy.
Hosting and security in plain words
Hosting is the computer that keeps your website online. Security is what keeps it yours. Both stay invisible until something goes wrong, and both are easy to get right with a few good habits.
- HTTPSfree, on every page
- 3-2-1backups: 3 copies, 2 places, 1 off-site
- Weeklyupdates and checks
What happens when someone opens your website
In less than a second, a visitor's phone finds your server, opens a private connection and asks for the page. Move the visitor, switch HTTPS, caching and a CDN on and off, and watch where the time goes. Try Sydney without a CDN.
Visitor in
Tap a stop on the way to see what it does.
First byte arrives0 ms
Page ready0 ms
- Finding the address
- Connecting
- Encryption
- Waiting for the page
- Loading images and styles
https://bluewater-kayak.example/wp-login.php
What someone on the same café Wi-Fi can read when you log in
Simplified example timings for one page view. Real numbers depend on the hosting, the page and the visitor's connection.
Three kinds of hosting
What you pay for, and what you get, from cheapest to most flexible.
Managed hosting
More power and fewer neighbours, with someone looking after updates, backups and security. The sweet spot for most business websites.
Cloud hosting
Servers that grow and shrink with your traffic, paid by use. For shops, apps and websites with busy days.
The basics in plain words
Learn these eight and you can ask any hosting company the right questions. Hover or tap any item to see the details.
- The domain is rented yearly
- DNS points to your server and email
- Set it to renew automatically
- Encrypts everything on the way
- Free certificates from Let's Encrypt
- Browsers warn without it
- A saved copy instead of building it again
- Page, browser and object caching
- The biggest speed win for WordPress
- Servers around the world
- Faster for faraway visitors
- Absorbs attacks too
- WordPress, themes and plugins
- A current PHP version
- At least every week
- Every day, automatically
- Stored somewhere else
- Test a restore
- A unique password for each login
- Two-factor login
- Remove old accounts
- Blocks bots and known attacks
- Alerts when the site is down
- Regular malware scans
A healthy setup in five steps
Most problems never happen to websites that follow these five.
- Step 1
Host close to your visitors
A server in the EU for European customers, with a current PHP version and daily backups. See hosting.
- Step 2
HTTPS everywhere
A free certificate, and every http address sent on to https.
- Step 3
Caching, and a CDN if needed
Page caching for every WordPress website, a CDN when visitors come from far away.
- Step 4
Lock the logins
Unique passwords, two-factor login and no forgotten old accounts.
- Step 5
Keep it maintained
Updates, backups and uptime checks every week. See website maintenance.
Four security myths
- My website is too small to attackBots attack every website, automatically.
- The padlock means the website is safeIt means the connection is private, nothing more.
- My host makes backups, so I am fineCheck how often, where, and whether you can restore.
- A security plugin is enoughUpdates and strong logins matter more.
Questions about hosting and security
What hosting does a small business website need?
Good managed hosting with a server close to your customers, daily backups and a current PHP version. The cheapest shared hosting is often slow and poorly looked after. See hosting.
Is HTTPS really necessary?
Yes. Browsers mark websites without it as not secure, it protects anyone who logs in or pays, and certificates are free.
How often should a website be backed up?
Every day for most websites, more often for busy shops. Keep copies away from the server itself and test a restore now and then. See backup and recovery.
My website was hacked. What do I do?
Do not delete anything yet. Change every password, tell your hosting company and restore a clean backup from before the attack. Then find and close the hole that let them in. See website security.
Can you host and look after our website?
Yes. We host, update, back up and monitor websites, so you do not have to think about it. See website maintenance.
Not sure how safe your website is?
Send us your address. We check the hosting, HTTPS, updates and backups and tell you what we would fix first.