Fast, secure website hosting at a sensible price.
Good hosting should keep your website available, quick to load and protected without making things complicated. Our website hosting Reading service is designed for businesses that want reliable support and clear options.
We provide web hosting for new websites and existing sites, with plans that can grow as your needs change. We will help you choose the right hosting service for your traffic, software and budget, rather than pushing you into a package you do not need.
The first year of hosting is free with a new website from us. After that, we offer affordable plans with clear pricing and support when you need it.
First year of hosting is free.
If we build your new website, the first year of hosting is included. This gives you time to get your site established without adding another cost straight away.
If you prefer to arrange your own web hosting, that is fine too. We can provide the files and help with migration services if your site needs to move to another hosting provider.
We can also advise on domain services, email hosting and the best place to keep your site hosted.
What is web hosting and why do you need it?
Web hosting is the service that stores your website’s files on web servers and makes them available when someone visits your domain.
A good web hosting provider gives your website the server resources it needs to load quickly and stay available. It also provides security features, backups and a suitable hosting environment for the software your site uses.
For a WordPress site, the right WordPress hosting can make site management easier and improve site speed. For a larger site, online store or busy business website, you may need more resources than a basic shared hosting plan can provide.
The best web hosting service for you depends on the website itself. A simple business site does not need the same setup as a large ecommerce website, multiple sites or a complex application.
Web hosting and domain hosting
Web hosting and domain services are related, but they are not the same thing.
Your domain is the address people type into a browser. Your hosting service stores the website’s files and runs the server software needed to display the site.
Some web hosting companies bundle a free domain with their hosting plans, while others keep domain registration separate. Most hosting providers allow you to register the domain with one company and use a different hosting provider for the website.
Benefits of using a web hosting service
A managed hosting service removes much of the technical work involved in running a website.
Convenience: We can look after the hosting accounts, server setup and routine checks so you can focus on your business.
Scalability: Higher tier plans can provide more resources as your traffic, content or number of visitors grows.
Security: Good hosting includes security tools, backups and other security features designed to reduce risk.
Support: A reliable support team can help when something goes wrong or when you need advice about the hosting environment.
Performance: Better hosting can improve site speed, especially when the website is configured properly.
For small businesses, the aim is usually simple. You want dependable hosting that works without paying for server resources you will never use.
Hosting solutions for different websites
We offer hosting solutions for new websites, an existing site and businesses that need to move from another hosting company.
Our hosting packages can be upgraded as your website grows. A small site may only need a straightforward plan, while larger websites may benefit from VPS hosting, cloud hosting or dedicated hosting.
We work with UK hosting providers and choose the hosting environment according to the size and needs of the project.
Hosting for a smaller website can start from around £120 a year after the free first year.
Finding the right web hosting provider
Finding the right web hosting provider starts with understanding what your website actually needs.
Before comparing web hosting plans, think about what type of website you are running, whether it is a WordPress site or another platform, whether you need an online store, and whether you need to host multiple websites.
You should also consider whether Windows hosting or a particular operating system is required, whether the site needs specialist server software, how much traffic you expect and whether you are likely to need more resources later.
Many web hosts advertise huge feature lists, but the best web hosting is usually the plan that fits your real requirements.
When comparing the best web hosting providers or the best web hosting companies, look beyond headline prices. Check the quality of customer support, backups, data centers, security tools and upgrade options.
Most web hosts offer several web hosting plans, but the cheapest plan is not always the right choice. Free hosting can be useful for testing, but it is rarely suitable for a serious business website.
Some plans advertise unlimited disk space, free SSL certificates, a free domain, monthly data transfers or a money back guarantee. These features can be useful, but the underlying hosting quality matters more.
Different types of website hosting
There are several common types of hosting, and each has a different balance of cost, control and performance.
Shared web hosting
Shared hosting places multiple websites on the same server. Each website uses part of the shared server and its available resources.
Shared hosting plans are usually the most affordable option and can work well for smaller websites with modest traffic. Shared hosting packages are simple to manage and do not require much technical knowledge.
The downside is that several customers use the same server resources. If another site uses a large amount of capacity, performance can sometimes be affected.
Shared hosting plans start at the lower end of the hosting market, which makes them attractive to small businesses and first time website owners.
Cloud hosting
Cloud hosting uses multiple servers rather than relying on one physical machine.
This can improve reliability and make it easier to add capacity when traffic increases. Cloud servers can also reduce the impact of a single hardware problem because the workload can be spread across multiple servers.
Cloud hosting is useful for websites that need flexible resources and room to grow.
Virtual private server hosting
A virtual private server gives your website a reserved share of a physical server.
VPS hosting offers more control and more resources than shared hosting without the cost of an entire physical server. It can be a good option for larger WordPress sites, online stores and websites with heavier traffic.
VPS plans can be managed or unmanaged. Managed hosting means the hosting company handles more of the setup, updates and maintenance. Unmanaged hosting gives you more control, but also more responsibility.
Shared and VPS hosting suit different needs, so we can help you decide which is appropriate.
Dedicated hosting
Dedicated hosting gives one customer access to an entire physical server.
Dedicated server hosting provides the greatest level of control and dedicated server resources, but it also costs more and requires more management.
Dedicated plans can make sense for very large sites, specialist applications or websites with demanding performance requirements.
For most small businesses, dedicated hosting is more than they need.
Why speed and backups matter
Your hosting has a direct impact on site speed.
A slow server can make even a well built website feel sluggish. Good hosting, sensible caching, efficient code and properly sized images all work together to keep pages loading quickly.
Backups matter too. If something goes wrong, a recent backup can save a lot of time and stress.
We use hosting solutions that support regular backups and reliable recovery options.
Web hosting features explained
Web hosting services can include a wide range of tools and features. Not every website needs all of them.
Website builder
A website builder lets you create pages without writing code. These tools can be useful for simple websites, although they offer less flexibility than a custom WordPress build.
Email hosting
Email hosting lets you create professional email addresses using your own domain.
SSL certificates
SSL protects information moving between the website and the visitor’s browser. Many hosting providers now include free SSL certificates as standard.
Storage and bandwidth
Storage is the space used by your website’s files, images and databases. Bandwidth covers the data transferred when people use the site.
Some web hosting companies advertise unlimited disk space or unlimited bandwidth, but fair use limits may still apply.
Customer support
Excellent customer service matters when you have a hosting problem.
A good hosting provider should give you clear ways to get help, and the support team should understand the platform you are using.
Web hosting costs and plans
Web hosting costs depend on the type of service, the resources included and how much management you need.
Shared hosting is usually the cheapest option. VPS hosting costs more but gives you more resources and control. Dedicated hosting sits at the higher end because you are paying for an entire physical server.
Cloud hosting pricing can vary depending on usage and the resources allocated.
WordPress hosting plans can range from simple shared hosting to managed WordPress hosting on VPS or cloud infrastructure.
What affects the cost?
Several things influence hosting prices.
Storage: Larger websites need more space for website files, media and databases.
Traffic: More visitors can require more bandwidth and processing power.
Management: Managed hosting costs more than unmanaged hosting because the provider handles more of the technical work.
Security: Advanced security tools, monitoring and backups may be included in higher tier plans.
Server type: Shared hosting, VPS hosting, cloud hosting and dedicated hosting all have different costs.
Extra services: Email hosting, migration services, domain services and specialist support can affect the final price.
Choosing the right web host
There is no single best web hosting provider for every website.
The best web hosting companies offer a range of hosting plans because different sites need different things. Most hosting providers have options for small sites, WordPress users, growing businesses and larger websites.
A basic plan may be enough for one site, while multiple websites, multiple sites or several hosting accounts may need a larger package.
If you are comparing the best web hosting providers, focus on performance, support, security, upgrade options and the quality of the hosting environment.
Managed and unmanaged hosting
Managed hosting is ideal if you want someone else to look after the technical side of the server.
With managed hosting, the provider may handle updates, monitoring, backups and server maintenance.
Unmanaged hosting gives you greater control over the operating system and server software, but you are responsible for more of the setup and maintenance.
WordPress specific hosting
WordPress hosting is designed around the needs of WordPress users.
Good WordPress hosting plans can include automatic backups, security features, updates and server settings designed for WordPress performance.
If your WordPress site is important to your business, choosing a hosting provider that understands WordPress can make site management much easier.
Shared hosting, VPS and dedicated servers
Many web hosts start customers on shared hosting because it is simple and affordable.
As traffic increases, VPS hosting can provide more resources without moving to a dedicated server.
For very large or demanding sites, dedicated server hosting gives you full control of the machine.
This is why shared and VPS hosting, cloud hosting and dedicated plans all have a place. The right choice depends on how much control and capacity you need.
Hosting infrastructure and reliability
Good hosting depends on more than the plan name.
The quality of the web servers, network, data centers and server software all affect performance.
A shared server with good management can outperform a poorly configured VPS. In the same way, cloud servers are only useful when the hosting company has a reliable setup behind them.
Most web hosts publish information about uptime, security and infrastructure. It is worth checking those details rather than choosing only on price.
Specialist hosting companies such as Liquid Web are examples of providers aimed at customers who need more advanced hosting, while many web hosting companies focus on affordable plans for small businesses.
Uptime, security and performance.
A reliable hosting service should keep your website available as much as possible. A 99.9% uptime level works out at around 8 hours and 46 minutes of downtime across a full year, so it is worth checking what level of availability a hosting provider offers.
Poor uptime can mean lost visitors, missed enquiries and a worse experience for customers. It can also damage confidence in your business if people regularly find that your website is unavailable.
Security matters too. Firewalls help block unauthorised access to web servers, while backups, monitoring and regular updates add further protection.
On shared hosting, performance can also be affected by other websites using resources on the same server, especially during traffic spikes. VPS hosting and other higher tier hosting options give you more control over the resources available to your site.
WordPress remains the most widely used content management system, powering around 39.6% of all websites. Many WordPress hosting plans also include tools that make installation and ongoing management easier.
Hosting for more than one website
If you run multiple websites or multiple sites for different brands, you may need a hosting plan that supports several domains and databases.
Some shared hosting packages allow several sites on the same server, while VPS plans can give each project more control and resources.
We can help set up hosting accounts and move an existing site if you are consolidating websites under one provider.
Hosting that can grow with your business
Your hosting should not hold back your online success.
A small site can start on an affordable plan and move to higher tier plans when it needs more resources.
If your business grows, your hosting can grow with it. That might mean moving from shared hosting to VPS hosting, using cloud hosting, or moving to a dedicated server for specialist requirements.
The goal is not to buy the biggest plan from day one. It is to choose a hosting solution that gives your site room to grow.
Need help with website hosting?
If you are unsure which hosting service is right for your website, we can help.
We can review your current setup, recommend suitable hosting solutions, assist with migration services and make sure any site hosted with us is configured properly.
Whether you need WordPress hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, shared hosting or advice about dedicated hosting, our team can explain the options in plain English.
Get in touch if you would like help choosing a plan or moving your website.
