Pick the right web host for your small business

Your website is often the first place customers check your hours, your menu or your prices. It doesn't need to be complicated, but it does need to load quickly, stay online and be easy for you to update. The host you choose shapes all three.

This guide explains the main types of hosting in plain terms, what's worth paying for, and the fine print that catches small businesses out. It's general information: your needs, and any legal obligations, depend on your business.

The main types of hosting

• Website builders: hosting, design templates and editing tools in one service. The fastest way to launch and the easiest to manage, but less flexible and harder to move away from later.
• Shared hosting: your site shares a server with many others. Inexpensive and fine for simple sites with modest traffic, though performance can dip when your neighbours get busy.
• Managed WordPress hosting: hosting tuned for WordPress, with updates, backups and caching handled for you. It costs more than basic shared hosting but saves time and reduces risk.
• VPS (virtual private server): a guaranteed slice of a server's resources. More power and control, but you or a developer must look after the software and security unless you pay for a managed plan.
• Cloud hosting: resources spread across many machines that scale up or down with demand. Great for traffic spikes and growing apps; usage-based billing can be harder to predict.

What really matters

Hosting plans love long feature lists. For most small businesses, these are the things that make a real difference day to day:

• Uptime: how reliably your site stays online. Look for a published uptime commitment, and what compensation, if any, you get when it's missed.
• Speed: fast servers, caching and a content delivery network (CDN) help pages load quickly, which matters to customers and search engines alike.
• Backups: automatic, ideally daily, kept for several weeks and easy to restore yourself. Ask whether restores cost extra.
• SSL certificate: the padlock in the browser bar. It should be included and renew automatically.
• Support: how you reach a human (chat, phone or email), during which hours and in which languages. French-language support can matter in Québec.
• Email: some plans include email on your domain, others charge extra or leave it out. Decide whether you want email with your host or with a separate service.

Intro prices vs renewal prices

Hosting is known for low first-term prices. The discounted rate often applies only if you prepay one to three years up front, and the plan then renews at a noticeably higher regular price. That's common practice, but it means the advertised number isn't what you'll pay over time.

Compare plans on the renewal price and the total over two or three years. Check what's still included at renewal (domain, email, backups, SSL), how long the refund window is, and whether monthly billing is an option.

Data location and Québec's privacy law

If your site collects personal information through contact forms, bookings, newsletter sign-ups or online orders, you have privacy obligations. In Québec, the private-sector privacy law was significantly updated by what's commonly called Law 25. Among other things, it sets rules for communicating personal information outside Québec, including assessing the privacy risks first.

In practice, it's worth asking any host where your site's data and backups are stored, which subcontractors can access them, and what security measures are in place. Some hosts let you choose a Canadian data centre. You may also need a privacy policy on your site and a clear process for handling the information you collect.

Domains, migration and security

Own your domain. Register it in your business's name or your own, with an email address you control, and keep the login yourself. If a designer or agency registers it for you, make sure you're listed as the owner. Losing access to a domain is one of the most painful problems a small business can face.

Plan migrations carefully. Moving hosts is routine, and many hosts offer free or assisted migration. A safe order of operations:

1. 1Take a full backup of your site files, database and email.
2. 2Set up the new host and copy the site across.
3. 3Test it on a temporary address before going live.
4. 4Lower your DNS time-to-live a day or two ahead, then point your domain to the new host.
5. 5Keep the old plan active for a week or two, until everything, including email, is confirmed working.

Cover the security basics. Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication on your hosting, domain and site admin accounts. Keep your software, themes and plugins updated, remove anything you don't use, and give staff only the access they need.

Your quick decision guide

Before you sign up, run through this list:

• I know which type of hosting fits my site and my skills
• I've compared the renewal price and the two-to-three-year total
• Daily backups are included, and I can restore them myself
• SSL is included and renews automatically
• I know how to reach support, when, and in which languages
• Business email is sorted, with the host or separately
• I know where my data and backups are stored
• My privacy obligations have been reviewed
• The domain is registered in my name, with my own login
• Two-factor authentication is on for every account

Running the business from home? Make sure your connection keeps up: see how to choose an internet plan.