What to check
- A security certificate (SSL) included and renewed automatically.
- Daily backups, and a way to restore one yourself.
- Uptime and support you can actually reach.
- Speed for visitors in your area.
- Who updates the site's software and plugins.
Own your domain
The domain is the part that's hardest to replace. Register it in your business's name, in an account you control, even if someone else builds and hosts the site. Many owners discover the problem only when they try to leave.
Managed or do-it-yourself
Cheap hosting leaves updates, security and backups to you. Managed hosting costs more and does them for you. For most small businesses, the question is who will notice when something breaks. Lehvel Platform Hosting keeps hosting, SSL and analytics running for sites Lehvel builds.
Questions
Is email part of website hosting?
Sometimes. Many businesses keep email separate, so a hosting move can't take it down.
Does hosting affect SEO?
Indirectly: slow or frequently down sites lose visitors and can be crawled less.
Can I move hosts later?
Yes, if you control your domain and have a copy of the site.