What is website hosting and do I need it?

Hosting is one of those words that gets thrown around as if everyone already knows what it means. Here's the plain version.

The simple explanation

Your website is a set of files. Those files have to live on a computer that's switched on all the time and connected to the internet, so that when somebody types in your address the files can be sent to them. Hosting is renting space on that computer.

Think of the domain as your address and the hosting as the actual building. The address on its own doesn't give anyone anywhere to visit.

Domain, hosting and email are three different things

• Domain: your web address, for example bennydunks.uk. Roughly £10 to £20 a year.
• Hosting: where the site files live. Free to about £180 a year for a small business site.
• Email: mailboxes on your own domain, such as hi@yourbusiness.co.uk. Around £5 to £12 per mailbox per month.

They're often sold together in one bundle, which is fine, but it means people assume they're one thing. They aren't, and you can move each of them separately if you need to. Sorting out domains and business email is usually an afternoon of work, and it's worth doing properly once. If you'd rather do the email part yourself, I've written up how to get a business email address on your own domain.

Do you need to buy hosting?

You need hosting. You may not need to buy it separately.

If you use a builder like Squarespace or Wix, hosting is baked into the monthly fee. If someone builds you a modern static site, it can often sit on a platform with a free tier that's faster than most paid shared hosting. If you've got a WordPress site with plugins and a database, you'll need proper hosting and you shouldn't go for the cheapest option.

What good hosting gives you

• Speed. Slow hosting makes even a well built site feel sluggish, and speed affects both rankings and enquiries.
• Uptime. The site's up when people look for it.
• An SSL certificate, so your address shows as secure with https. This should be free and automatic in 2026.
• Backups, so a mistake isn't a disaster.
• Someone to ring when something breaks.

Not sure how yours stacks up? Run it through the website speed checker. If a simple brochure site is slow, hosting is one of the first places to look.

Where people overpay

The classic trap is the cheap first year. You sign up at £2.99 a month, then it renews at £14.99 a month and you never notice. Check the renewal price, not the intro price.

The other one is paying £30 a month for a hosting package built for a busy shop when you've got a five page brochure site getting two hundred visits a month. You're buying capacity you'll never touch.

Who should own the account?

You should. Always. If your designer registers the domain and hosting in their own name, you're not in control of your own business. It's fine for someone to manage it for you, but the account should be in your name with your card and your email on it.

I set clients up so they own everything. I can look after it, but if you ever want to walk away you take the lot with you. That's how it should work. And because I'm based in Rugby, if you're anywhere from Lutterworth to Daventry and something needs sorting in person, I can come to you.

If you're not sure what you're currently paying for, forward me your renewal emails and I'll tell you straight whether it's good value. If you'd rather never think about any of it again, that's what the managed service is for.