Hosting is where your website lives. Cheap hosting is fine for many small sites, but slow servers, poor backups or no support can cost you far more than you save.
What to look for
- Server location: a server in or near Australia usually means faster loading for Australian visitors.
- Free SSL certificates so every page loads over HTTPS.
- Daily backups you can restore easily.
- Caching and decent performance for WordPress.
- Support during Australian business hours, by chat or phone.
- Email hosting if you want it, or easy setup with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- Clear renewal prices. Many hosts offer a cheap first year and much higher renewals.
Types of hosting
| Type | Best for |
|---|---|
| Shared hosting | Most small business sites with modest traffic |
| Managed WordPress hosting | Owners who want updates, backups and speed handled |
| VPS or cloud hosting | Larger sites, stores or multiple sites |
Watch out for
- Hosts that make it hard to move your site away.
- No backups, or backups that cost extra to restore.
- Your web designer holding the hosting account in their name.
See website running costs and website speed. Ranktide's care plan includes hosting.