Independent hosting research

Web hosting for beginners: buy enough, not everything

Your first hosting plan needs to publish your site reliably and give you a reasonable path to grow. You do not need the most powerful server to launch a small site.

The basic stack

A domain is the address. Hosting stores and serves the site. A content management system such as WordPress manages content. A website builder combines more of those jobs into one interface.

Features worth checking

Look for SSL, backups, enough storage, clear renewal pricing, migration help, support access and a control panel you can understand.

When shared hosting is enough

Blogs, portfolios and many small business sites can begin on managed or shared web hosting. Upgrade when traffic, application requirements or resource limits create a real reason.