Hosting is the space on the internet where your website lives. Every website needs it, but the right plan depends on what kind of site you have, how busy it is, and how hands-on you want to be. Here’s a plain-English guide to the main options.
cPanel hosting
cPanel hosting is the classic, budget-friendly choice for small business websites. You get a control panel (cPanel) to manage your files, email accounts and databases, and you can run WordPress or almost any other website software on it.
- Starter and Economy are made for one website, perfect for a small business or personal site.
- Deluxe lets you host multiple websites on one plan.
- Ultimate adds extra processing power and memory for busier sites.
Good for: people who want an affordable plan and don’t mind handling (or having me handle) the updates and upkeep.
Managed WordPress hosting
Managed WordPress hosting is built specifically for WordPress sites. Instead of a general-purpose server, you get hosting that’s tuned for WordPress, with many of the technical chores taken care of for you, such as automatic WordPress updates, daily backups and security monitoring. Higher plans add features like staging sites, where changes can be tested safely before they go live.
GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress plans range from Basic for a single site up to Deluxe, Ultimate, Developer and Pro for more sites, more storage and more tools.
Good for: anyone whose website runs on WordPress and who wants less to worry about.
Business Hosting
Business Hosting gives your site dedicated resources rather than sharing them with other websites, so it stays fast even when traffic spikes.
Good for: online stores, busy sites, and businesses that can’t afford slowdowns.
More than one host to choose from
I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all hosting, so I offer more than one option.
GoDaddy hosting is available right from my Shop page. It’s affordable and familiar, and it’s what many of my clients choose when budget comes first.
Flywheel is a premium managed WordPress host that I also use for clients. It’s my personal favorite, because its tools let me manage, back up and update the sites I look after more easily. That means faster fixes and smoother maintenance for you. Flywheel costs more than budget hosting, but for many businesses the peace of mind is worth it.
Not sure which is right for you? That’s exactly the kind of question I’m here for.
A few terms, decoded
- Storage is how much space your files, images and databases can take up.
- Bandwidth is how much data your site can send to visitors.
- Databases are where WordPress stores your content. Each WordPress site needs one.
- SSL is what puts the padlock in the browser bar and keeps visitor information secure.
- Staging is a private copy of your site where changes can be tested before they go live.
Which one is right for you?
Here’s a quick rule of thumb:
- Tight budget, simple site: a single-site cPanel plan.
- WordPress site, less hassle: Managed WordPress.
- WordPress site I maintain for you: ask me about Flywheel.
- Online store or busy site: Business Hosting.
You can compare current GoDaddy plans and prices on my Shop page, or contact me and I’ll help you choose. I’ve got your back.