How to Choose a Web Host: A 10-Point Checklist for UK Small Businesses

Most comparison guides rank on specs and prices, which are the least predictive things available. Here's what to check instead, in rough order of importance.

1. How fast and human is their support?

This is the single most predictive question, and you can test it without signing up: ask them a specific technical question before you buy. Not "what plans do you have" — a real one, like "if my site uses PHP 8.2 and a plugin hasn't been updated, do you test plugin compatibility on upgrades?"

Note the reply time, whether the answer is actually responsive to what you asked, and whether it's a person or a form. A host with excellent infrastructure and slow support will still leave you stranded at 9pm when your site is down.

2. Is the uptime claim real?

Every host claims 99.9%. Ask to see their actual historical uptime, and whether they publish a status page. A provider confident in its infrastructure usually publishes figures willingly; one that won't is telling you something.

Understand what the claim excludes. Nearly all of them exclude planned maintenance, third-party failures, and anything you did. Our T&Cs spell out exactly what counts and what doesn't — and we publish a service credit table, because a guarantee with no stated remedy isn't a guarantee.

3. What happens when you outgrow the plan?

Ask directly what upgrading involves, whether there's a fee, and whether your content comes with you. The honest answer is usually "it just costs more" — but some hosts treat growth as leverage, and you want to know that now rather than later.

4. Who owns your domain, and your content?

Your domain must be registered in your name. This is non-negotiable. If your host holds it and you leave, you may find renewal difficult or expensive. Same principle for your content, code and email.

It's a small thing to check and an enormous thing to get wrong. Any legitimate host considers domain ownership a customer matter, not a hostage.

5. What's actually included in "unlimited"?

Read it in full. "Unlimited websites" usually means a reasonable number. "Unlimited bandwidth" almost always means "fair use applies" — and that's fine, as long as you can see the threshold. Our fair use terms are in writing with specific soft limits rather than left vague, because vague fair use is where arguments start.

6. Is there a fair trial or money-back period?

A genuine money-back guarantee tells you a lot. A host confident in its product gives you 30 days with no questions. Our own terms exclude a few specific things — domain registrations that can't be refunded by the registry, for instance — but for hosting the commitment is straightforward and unconditional.

Short windows like 14 days are statutory minimums, not generosity.

7. How are backups handled?

Every host backs up. Far fewer will tell you the retention period, whether restores are actually tested, and whether the backup is off-site from your data. An untested backup is a hope, not a backup. And one stored in the same building as the server isn't protection against a fire.

8. What do they say about security?

Look for specifics: patching cadence, two-factor authentication for administrative access, DDoS protection, malware scanning, and whether they hold current security certification. Vague answers here are a reasonable signal to look elsewhere.

If you handle any customer data — and a contact form counts — ask whether they can evidence their controls. Cyber Essentials Plus is increasingly required by UK public sector and larger organisations, and it may decide whether you're eligible for work at all.

9. Are the terms readable?

Read the T&Cs and the acceptable use policy before you buy, not after. You're looking for proportionality, clarity, and whether liability is bounded sensibly. A wall of unexplained legal text is its own warning — well-written policies that state plainly what they do and don't cover suggest a company that will tell you the truth elsewhere too.

10. Are they actually local?

Not whether they're in the same city — whether they have a stake in their local area. UK data centres matter for data protection and for support in the same timezone. A provider with real local presence has a reason to be reliable that an anonymous offshore reseller doesn't.

What to ignore

• Page speed claims without context. "10x faster" than what? Test the actual plan you intend to buy.
• Guaranteed uptime of 99.99% or higher. Mathematically implausible for shared hosting at these prices. Treat with suspicion.
• "Unlimited everything." There is no such thing at £4.99/month.
• Long feature lists. A hundred bullet points usually means several don't work properly.
• Review sites with affiliate links. Check whether a reviewer's recommendations are compensated. Rankings often follow commission rather than performance.
• First-year pricing. Check the renewal price, which is what you'll pay for most of your time as a customer. We cap renewal increases at CPI plus 2%.

The actual process

1. Shortlist three — not ten. Shortlists become decisions.
2. Ask one real technical question of each. Compare the answers. This is the fastest quality signal available.
3. Check renewal pricing, not the promotional rate.
4. Read the terms properly.
5. Confirm migration is included and free, if you're moving.
6. Start with a monthly plan and a money-back guarantee. This is the only way to find out how their support actually behaves when something goes wrong.
7. Test support with something real in the first month — deliberately. Before it matters.

One last thing

Whatever you choose, keep your own backups and know how to leave. Know where your domain is registered, where your files live, and how you'd export everything. Not because you expect a disaster — but because the ability to leave is the thing that makes staying a free choice rather than a trap.