Web Hosting UK

Web hosting is the service that keeps a website's files on a server connected to the internet, so anyone can open the site at any time. When someone types your domain name, its DNS records point their browser to the hosting server, and the server sends back the pages, images and data that make up the website.

A hosting account usually includes:

• Storage for the website's files and databases.
• Bandwidth, the amount of data the server can send to visitors.
• Business email on your own domain, such as [email protected].
• A control panel such as cPanel or DirectAdmin to manage files, email accounts and databases.
• An SSL certificate, so the website loads securely over HTTPS.

The domain name and the hosting are separate things: the domain is the address, and the hosting is the space that address points to. They can be bought together or from different providers.

Most small business websites use shared hosting, where a provider such as TK WebHosts runs, secures and maintains the server and each customer has their own account on it. Larger websites move to a VPS or a dedicated server for resources reserved to them alone. At TK WebHosts a new hosting account is set up instantly once the order is placed.

There is no single best host for every business. The right one depends on what the website does and how much help the business needs, and for most UK small businesses five things matter more than the headline price.

• Uptime: the website and business email have to stay online.
• Support: check who answers the first ticket. Many hosts start with a chatbot or first-line staff working from a script, but a problem with email or DNS needs an engineer.
• Control panel: cPanel or DirectAdmin lets you manage email accounts, databases and files without a developer.
• Security: free SSL should be standard, with backups available.
• Migration: moving from another host should not mean rebuilding the website.

TK WebHosts has hosted UK websites and business email since 2012. The first reply to a support ticket comes from a level 3 engineer, and help is available by phone, text, email, ticket and live chat, with local call numbers. Accounts are set up instantly with cPanel or DirectAdmin and free SSL, and free migration and backups are included on selected packages. Compare these points side by side with any other host, and read recent reviews from customers whose needs match yours.

The price of web hosting depends mainly on the type of hosting and how much of a server's resources you get.

• Shared hosting: many websites share one managed server. It suits most small business websites and is the lowest-cost paid type. TK WebHosts shared plans run from £2.00 to £15 a month, and there is also free web hosting for life.
• Reseller hosting: one account for web designers and agencies, with a separate control panel for each client. TK WebHosts reseller plans cost £25.00, £41 and £60 a month.
• VPS hosting: a virtual private server with its own allocated CPU, memory and storage. It costs more than shared hosting because those resources are reserved for you.
• Dedicated servers: a whole physical server for one business, and the most expensive option.

Within each type, the price rises with storage, bandwidth, email accounts, databases and extras. On the TK WebHosts shared plans, Web Starter at £2.00 a month (billed yearly at £24) has 1 GB of storage and one email address; Standard at £3.00 has 2 GB and five addresses; Advanced at £5.00 has 5 GB with unlimited email and bandwidth; Business at £8.00 adds 20 GB and a free domain with an annual plan; and Business PRO at £15 has 100 GB. Choose by what the website needs today and upgrade as it grows, without moving to a new host.

Hosting is only one part of the cost of putting a website online. A small business budget usually covers five things.

• Hosting: free for life on TK WebHosts free hosting, or from £2.00 a month on Web Starter, billed yearly at £24. A business with a few staff mailboxes usually needs Standard at £3.00 a month, with five email addresses, or Advanced at £5.00, with unlimited addresses.
• Domain name: a .co.uk or .com is usually renewed every year. The Business and Business PRO plans include one free domain with an annual plan.
• SSL certificate: free on every TK WebHosts plan, so there is nothing extra to pay for the padlock in the browser.
• Business email: included in the hosting plan, on your own domain, with no separate mailbox fee.
• The website itself: the free website builder and free web templates cost nothing if you build it yourself.

If you would rather not build the website yourself, TK WebHosts pay monthly website plans start at £30 a month and include a custom, mobile-responsive design, the domain name and hosting, an easy-to-use CMS and ongoing technical support, with no upfront cost on a 12-month minimum term.

Busy websites and online shops that outgrow shared hosting move to a VPS or a dedicated server, which cost more because the server's resources are reserved for one customer.

The cheapest option is free: TK WebHosts offers free web hosting for life, with no adverts placed on your website. For a paid plan, shared hosting is the lowest-cost type, because many websites share one managed server and its running costs. The lowest-priced paid plan is Web Starter at £2.00 a month (regularly £2.49), billed yearly at £24, with 1 GB of storage, 50 GB of bandwidth, one email address, one database, free SSL and the free website builder.

Before choosing on price alone, check three things.

• What the plan leaves out. Web Starter suits one simple website with one mailbox, and it has no sub-domains or free domain. Standard at £3.00 a month includes five email addresses, and Advanced at £5.00 a month has unlimited email addresses, bandwidth and databases.
• What the price becomes later. Introductory prices often rise at renewal across the hosting market, so compare the ongoing price as well as the first bill.
• The cost of things going wrong. A cheap plan with slow or scripted support can cost more in lost email and downtime than it saves.

Every paid TK WebHosts plan gets level 3 support on the first response by phone, text, email, ticket or live chat.

Yes. TK WebHosts offers free web hosting for life, so a website can go online without a monthly bill. Our free hosting plans are ad free: we do not place banners or adverts on your website. Free WordPress hosting and free email hosting are also available, and all three are on the free hosting page.

When comparing free hosting from other providers, check the limits before relying on it for a business. Free plans elsewhere commonly:

• put the website on the provider's subdomain instead of your own domain name;
• show the provider's adverts on your pages;
• offer very little storage and bandwidth;
• give little or no support, and may suspend inactive accounts.

Free hosting suits a first website, a test site or a project that is just starting. When the business needs more storage, several staff mailboxes or a free domain, the paid shared plans add them: Web Starter at £2.00 a month billed yearly, Standard at £3.00, Advanced at £5.00, Business at £8.00 and Business PRO at £15, all with free SSL, the free website builder and level 3 support on the first response. Moving up from free hosting to a paid plan does not mean moving to another host.

Shared hosting with a control panel and a website builder is the easiest place to start, because the server is managed for you and nothing has to be installed or configured by hand. As a beginner, look for four things:

• A website builder or one-click installs, so a website can be built from templates, or WordPress installed, without code. Every TK WebHosts shared plan includes free web templates, free website building tools and one-click installs for WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and over 100 other apps.
• A simple control panel. cPanel and DirectAdmin let you create email accounts, check disk space and manage files from one screen.
• Free SSL, so the website shows as secure from day one without buying a certificate.
• Support that explains things in plain language. At TK WebHosts the first reply comes from a level 3 engineer, and you can phone, text, email, open a ticket or use live chat.

To try hosting at no cost, start on free web hosting for life. For a first business website with one email address, Web Starter at £2.00 a month (billed yearly at £24) is enough. If the business needs a few staff mailboxes, Standard at £3.00 a month includes five email addresses and unlimited databases. Already have a website somewhere else? Free migration is included on selected packages, so the move does not need a developer.

Yes. TK WebHosts Ltd is a UK company (company number 10252550), with UK hosting support on 020 3877 7555. TK WebHosts also hosts websites for international clients, particularly in North America, with US support on +1 551 525 5551. Support is also available by email, ticket and live chat, and every shared hosting plan can be priced in pounds or US dollars, with free SSL and business email on your own domain.