When I talk to business owners about their websites, hosting is the topic that causes the most confusion. What is it? Why do I need it? Why do prices range from $3/month to $300/month? Is the expensive one really worth it?
Let me clear everything up in plain English.
What Is Web Hosting?
Think of your website like a house. The domain name (like builtbyjj.dev) is your address — it tells people where to find you. Web hosting is the actual land and building — it's where your website's files, images, and data physically live.
When someone types your domain name into their browser, the hosting server delivers your website files to their screen. No hosting = no website. It's that simple.
Types of Web Hosting
Shared Hosting ($3-$15/month)
Your website shares a server with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of other websites. It's the cheapest option, like living in a massive apartment building.
Pros: Cheap, easy to set up, good for very basic sites
Cons:
- Slow performance (you're sharing resources with hundreds of neighbors)
- If another site on your server gets hacked or has a traffic spike, YOUR site suffers
- Limited resources (storage, bandwidth, processing power)
- Often overcrowded, leading to downtime
Best for: Personal blogs, hobby sites, very early-stage businesses with minimal traffic
VPS Hosting ($20-$100/month)
Virtual Private Server — you still share a physical server, but you get guaranteed, dedicated resources. Like having your own condo in a building — you have your own space.
Pros: Better performance, more control, dedicated resources, good scalability
Cons: More expensive, may require some technical knowledge to manage
Best for: Growing businesses, sites with moderate traffic, e-commerce stores
Dedicated Hosting ($80-$300+/month)
An entire physical server just for your website. Like owning your own house.
Pros: Maximum performance, complete control, no shared resources
Cons: Expensive, requires technical management
Best for: High-traffic sites, large e-commerce stores, complex web applications
Cloud Hosting ($5-$200+/month)
Your website runs on a network of connected servers (the "cloud"). If one server has an issue, another takes over seamlessly.
Pros: Excellent uptime, scalable (pays for what you use), good performance
Cons: Costs can be unpredictable with traffic spikes, can be complex to manage
Best for: Businesses expecting growth, sites with variable traffic, tech-savvy users
Managed Hosting ($30-$200+/month)
The hosting provider handles all the technical stuff — updates, security, backups, performance optimization. You just worry about your content.
Pros: Hands-off, expert management, excellent performance and security
Cons: More expensive, less control over server settings
Best for: Business owners who want zero technical hassle
What to Look for in a Hosting Provider
- Uptime guarantee — Look for 99.9% or higher. Every minute of downtime is lost business
- Speed/Performance — Fast servers with SSD storage (not old HDD drives)
- Support — 24/7 support with real humans, not just chatbots
- Security — SSL included, firewalls, malware scanning, DDoS protection
- Backups — Automatic daily backups with easy restoration
- Scalability — Can you upgrade easily as your site grows?
- Location — Servers close to your target audience load faster
Hosting Providers I Recommend
Based on years of experience deploying client sites:
- DigitalOcean — Excellent VPS/cloud hosting for custom sites. Great performance, fair pricing
- Vercel/Netlify — Perfect for modern static and JAMstack sites
- SiteGround — Best managed WordPress hosting for small businesses
- AWS/Google Cloud — Enterprise-level for complex applications
Hosting Red Flags
- "Unlimited everything" — Nothing is truly unlimited. Read the fine print
- $1/month deals — These jump to $15-20/month after the promotional period
- Owning your domain — Some hosts register YOUR domain in THEIR name. Always own your own domain
- Long-term lock-in — Avoid 3-year contracts with no cancellation option
What I Provide
When I build your website, I help you choose the right hosting for your needs and budget. I handle the setup, configuration, and optimization so your site launches on a solid foundation.
