Having a website is no longer optional for most small businesses — it’s a must. And to have a great website, you need a good web host. Using free platforms like WordPress.com or even social media sites like Facebook as your company’s main website can make your business seem unprofessional to potential customers. And a good host can provide useful features like ecommerce platforms, blogging software, email addresses, security and more.
Best Web Hosting Companies for Small Businesses
If you’re in the market for a new web host, here are some of the best web hosting companies for small businesses to consider.
GoDaddy
Perhaps the biggest name in hosting, GoDaddy is perfect for businesses that want an all-inclusive solution. You can get hosting, domain names, email addresses and online marketing tools all from the same place. So even if it’s not the most competitive price-wise, with business plans starting at around $20 per month and other options as low as $3 per month, it can be a good option for businesses looking to keep things simple.
BlueHost
BlueHost is another hosting company that offers simple hosting solutions perfect for businesses that don’t want to spend tons of time getting set up. It includes 24/7 support along with easy integrations with WordPress, WooCommerce and Google’s advertising tools so you can easily get those assets up and running. The company’s basic plans range from about $4 per month to $30 per month.
HostGator
HostGator offers a variety of hosting plans including dedicated web hosting, WordPress, VPS, cloud and shared hosting, all with different tiered plans available. So you can basically create the plan that works best for your specific needs, as long as you’re knowledgeable enough to actually determine which option works best for your business. Because of all the different options, pricing varies widely. But some plans start at around $5 per month.
Site Builder
For absolute beginners, a tool like Site Builder can make things easy. It doesn’t provide as many customization and advanced features as other hosting providers, but the templates and drag-and-drop design features can make the initial process of getting your website up and running pretty simple. It also allows you to easily make small edits to your site, though you will likely want to upgrade to a more full featured host as your business grows. The company has a free plan for sites that include ads, with more advanced plans starting at around $4 per month.
Amazon AWS
Amazon’s AWS platform offers a variety of tools to help businesses and individuals build their websites. For example, the company has tutorials, templates, website software and more all at a varying range of prices. You do need some tech savvy in order to put it all together. But if you want something that’s truly customized to your business and relatively affordable overall, this can be a decent option.
Wix.com
Wix is another web hosting company and drag-and-drop editor in one, which is especially relevant for extremely small businesses. The free plan comes with a Wix domain, so it’s not necessarily a great fit for businesses that want to appear professional and make their website easy for customers to access. But the company also offers premium plans ranging from $5 to $25 per month.
DreamHost
DreamHost offers web hosting options for WordPress, VPS, and more. It also has shared, cloud and dedicated hosted offerings available. All of these offerings include simple installation of web apps, dedicated support and a design tool to help you put a unique looking website out into the world. Prices start at about $8 per month and go up to about $35 per month.
Liquid Web
Liquid Web is a provider for managed dedicated server hosting. The company offers a variety of apps and other add-ons so that you can build the site you really want. But it takes a bit more technical knowledge than some of the other options on the list. And since it’s more robust than a lot of the others, it also tends to be a bit more of an investment, with solutions starting at about $59 per month.
SiteGround
SiteGround offers hosting solutions using the latest technology to keep speeds high and keep sites secure. The company’s shared web hosting solutions start at about $4 per month. And it also offers some cloud hosting and enterprise solutions as well.
1&1
1&1 is a company that offers web hosting, along with domain names, cloud servers and similar services for online businesses. Plans are fairly affordable for small businesses, starting at 99 cents per month
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