This article is about web hosting providers and site builders that are popular among small business owners who want to build a thriving online business.
As a business owner, you may choose to hire someone to build your site, but in my opinion, it's best to learn how to build a blog, website or shop that you own and control.
No matter what platform you choose to give your business a home, you'll need a domain and hosting. Whether you choose WordPress, Shopify, or WooCommerce, all self hosted solutions, or hosted, limited use solutions like a video channel, Wix, Etsy, Blogger or Squarespace, it doesn't matter.
They all need a location on the web that you can send people to do business with you (your domain), and a place to store the files you'll use to sell your products and services (your web host).
This tutorial will focus primarily on self hosted solutions because we feel that having your own place (a place you own and control) online is better than having a place that controls what you do and how you run your business.
The Difference Between WordPress and Shopify
If you're interested in building a self hosted platform for your business you can choose WordPress or Shopify. And because these are two totally unrelated platforms, there are a few things you should consider. This section will help you make a distinction between the two solution and show you how to proceed for each one.
WordPress. If you choose to have a self hosted WordPress site, you will need a place for your site files to reside. And that's where web hosting comes in.
And while WordPress is free, your hosting company will rent you space on their servers for your website files. Even though you're renting space from a hosting provider, the hosting company doesn't dictate how you run your business or what you can and cannot sell on your website (as long as it's legal, of urse).
WooCommerce for WordPress. WordPress also offers an eCommerce solution called WooCommerce that can be installed (it's a free plugin) and set up once you have installed a theme or web builder for your site. So this is also an option if you want to open an online store.
Shopify. Shopify is a beginner friendly, all inclusive self hosted solution for business owners who want to open a store using an eCommerce solution at an affordable price.
When you set up Shopify, you'll receive a domain and hosting for a monthly fee, which is what you'll see as their plan pricing below.
Shopify offers a variety of themes and apps (similar to plugins on WordPress) that you can purchase separately to control the look and feel of your site. Everything you'll need to run your Shopify store will be offered on their site. So there's no need to shop for a separate domain and hosting plan.
This means the domain and hosting, and website builders we talk about in this article won't apply to Shopify. If this is the platform you've selected, skip this section and go directly to the Shopify section here.
Why You Need Hosting
You'll need a place for your articles, images, documents, videos, audio files and more. Many hosting companies will rent space for blogs, websites and eCommerce shops.
Additionally, many of companies will provide you with a free security certificate and domain for the first year.
Shopify takes care of its own hosting and it's included in the monthly plan you'll sign up for when you set up your site.
The Best Website Hosting Services and Website Builders for Small Business Owners
Information You'll Need When Choosing a Hosting Provider
To give you and idea of what's available we've listed some of the most highly rated web hosting companies. Keep in mind that most of them offer shared, managed and dedicated server options.
And many of the prices listed below only capture one pricing tier (shared, managed or dedicated) for services that are billed ahead of time.
That means that to get the best pricing, in most cases you will have to pay for a 12, 24 or 36 month plan. Be sure to use the links to visit the companies you're interested in to get the full details on their plans and what they include.
Our goal is to show our readers that having a self hosted web presence doesn't have to break the bank. And keep in mind that if you use WordPress to build a site, it's free.
Managed Versus Shared, Versus Dedicated Hosting Plans
To boil it down, managed WordPress plans offer services and performance tweaks specific to WordPress versus Shared Web Hosting plans that are generalist plans that host anything from WordPress to Drupal.
But Shared Web Hosting and Managed WordPress hosting are more similar than they are different.
You see, both plans are managed and come with 24/7/365 support on phones, tickets, and LiveChat, and both plans are on shared servers.
Shared Hosting is a cost-effective solution where multiple websites share server resources. It's an excellent choice for startups, small businesses, or personal websites with moderate traffic.
Shared hosting is user-friendly, with most plans including tools like cPanel for easy management. However, the shared nature of the server can lead to slower performance and potential security risks if other websites on the server experience spikes in traffic or vulnerabilities.
Additionally, you have limited control over server configurations, which might not suit businesses with specific technical requirements.
To summarize,
- Shared Web Hosting plans share resources with other sites on the same server.
- Managed WordPress plans offer additional WordPress-specific services and tweaks to performance in a shared environment.
- In contrast to shared hosting, dedicated hosting is a service where your website has a physical server and its resources all to itself.
In other words, a dedicated hosting plan offers you complete control over the server’s performance, security and resources.
Below are the advantages and disadvantages of dedicated hosting.
Dedicated Hosting offers exclusive use of a server, ensuring high performance, better security, and complete control over server configurations.
This makes it ideal for large businesses, high-traffic websites, or applications requiring significant resources.
However, the biggest drawback of dedicated hosting is cost. It is significantly more expensive than shared hosting, and its complexity often requires technical expertise for server management and maintenance, adding to overhead costs.
Choosing the right hosting plan depends on your budget, website size, and traffic expectations. For businesses requiring scalability and customization, dedicated hosting is the better choice, while shared hosting works well for smaller beginner websites prioritizing affordability and simplicity.
You Might Be A Little Confused
You might be confused about renting site services for your business. With a hosting provider, you are renting server space from a hosting company. And while that hosting provider gives you space, what you do with it and what you sell on it is up to you. That's why we recommend self hosted sites because they allow you to own and control the way you run your business.
There are also hosted companies that provide limited use platforms and marketplaces that you can use to list and sell your products. These companies can set terms like, limit what you sell, how you interact with customers and they may charge you for providing services like traffic, payment processing and more.
Web Hosting Services for Small Businesses on a WordPress Platform
Here are top hosting companies are for WordPress blogs, websites and online (eCommerce) stores. Choose the one that works best for your budget and business needs.
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider that's known for reliable hosting services. Fast, reliable and packed with features, their beginner friendly WordPress hosting options are designed to fit your needs.
Bluehost has been recommended by WordPress since 2005 for a very good reason – there simply isn’t a hosting provider out there that knows how to optimize WordPress websites and online stores better.
Bluehost also offers shared, managed and dedicated hosting solutions and an AI generated website option that makes building a niche specific, WordPress site a lot easier, in a shorter amount of time with no tech skills required. The pricing below is for shared hosting. Click the buttons below each plan to see what Bluehost has to offer.
Basic
$
1.99
Choice Plus
$
3.99
Online Store
$
7.45
2. SiteGround
SiteGround is well-regarded beginner friendly, affordable domain and hosting solution, known for its excellent customer support and performance.
All advertised prices apply to prepaid purchases оf a 12-month hosting plan as of the date of this post. Special prices are applicable for the first invoice. For all subsequent renewals regular prices apply. Click the buttons below to see all that his provider offers.
All their hosting plans include Let’s Encrypt Standard and Wildcard SSL certificates at no extra cost. For your convenience, the Standard SSL security certificate comes preinstalled on your site.
Create unlimited email accounts with the webmail interface included. Stop spam with the free SpamExperts service.
StartUp
$
2.99
GrowBig
$
4.99
GoGeek
$
7.99
3. HostGator
HostGator is a widely used domain and hosting service with a user-friendly interface. Got WordPress on your mind? Grab this fast, more secure, solution that's awesomely easy.
Their ready-to-go solution makes setting up WordPress quicker and easier than doing it all on your own.
Plus, their simplified control panel is hassle-free — so you can set up auto-backups, access 1-click restores, and do loads of other account management-y things without missing a beat.
Hostgator is a beginner friendly domain and web hosting solution that offers shared, managed, and dedicated hosting for business owners who want to get start with no coding skill required. The pricing below is for their shared hosting plans.
Baby
$
3.50
Business
$
5.25
Pro Plan
$
13.95
4. WP Engine
WP Engine is a managed WordPress hosting provider known for its speed and security. A world-class infrastructure finely tuned for WordPress empowers your site with the best TTFB (time to first byte) in the industry.
In case you're wondering, TTFB is a website performance and user experience metric that measures how long it takes for a web browser to receive the first byte of data from a web server after requesting a page.
EverCache®, our proprietary WordPress caching, sustains lightning-fast speeds as you scale beyond thousands of hits per minute.
Global CDN with over 200 data centers allows for peak performance regardless of where your traffic lives.
Startup
$
25
Professional
$
50
Growth
$
96
WP Engine's Best Deal Ever!
4 Months of Web Hosting Free
WP Engine is moving full speed ahead with 4 months FREE for WordPress on all annual shared hosting plans (Startup, Professional and Growth Plans). Even if you're on a non WordPress platform you can use their free WordPress migration plugin to convert your site to WordPress. This offer is valid for new customers.
5. A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is known for its high-speed hosting solutions. A2 also offers Managed WordPress Hosting which gives you the power of a Turbo Shared Web Hosting plan with additional tools and support to keep your server and WordPress website up-to-date and secure. The pricing below is for managed WordPress hosting.
In addition to advanced security features like KernelCare, HackScan Protection and Reinforced DDoS Protection our new Managed WordPress plans come with a variety of enhanced security features to keep your WordPress website secure.
Run
$
9.99
Jump
$
16.99
Fly
$
26.99
6. DreamHost
DreamHost offers reliable hosting services with a focus on sustainability. All of DreamHost's WordPress hosting plans include robust features and add-ons designed to make sure it's easy for you to find success at each step of your online journey. Not only that, we work closely with WordPress.org so you'll always have the newest version of WordPress available in your DreamHost control panel.
We provide a free 'Let's Encrypt' SSL certificate, a domain name from DreamHost with a custom, personalized email address for your domain.
WordPress
$
2.59
DreamPress
$
11.99
VPS
$
10.00
Get Your Domain and Hosting with Bluehost!
Starting at $1.99 per month. FREE 1 Year domain registration and FREE SSL certificate.
Drag and Drop Website Builders
Once you have selected your domain and hosting provider, it's time to choose a website builder, and a theme.
This is what you need to know about website builders and themes, explained below. If you've chosen Shopify as your platform of choice, skip this and read on below:
A website builder is a tool or platform that helps you create and design an entire website without needing to know how to code. It’s like having a set of building blocks to construct your website.
Examples of website builders include Wix, Squarespace, Thrive Suite and WordPress. These builders often come with drag-and-drop tools to make designing easier.
A theme, on the other hand, is like the template or outfit for your website. It controls how your site looks, including the layout, colors, fonts, and style.
Think of it as choosing a ready-made design for your site that you can customize to fit your needs.
Light
$
16
Per user/month billed yearly
Core
$
27
Per user/month billed yearly
Business
$
32
Per user/month billed yearly
2. Weebly
Weebly is a website builder known for its simplicity. Get access to customizable webpage designs and useful tools to build your website and grow your ideal business.
Easily build a free website to help you get discovered and grow your customer base in style. Start today with their powerful free website builder.
Personal
$
10
Professional
$
12
Performance
$
26
9. Shopify
Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform. It's a complete commerce platform that lets anyone start, grow, manage, and scale an eCommerce business.
It's a self hosted solution that enables business owners to build an online store, market products to customers, and accept payments across multiple sales channels and locations—all in one place.
Try Shopify free for 3 days, no credit card required. then enjoy $1/month for 3 months. Choose the best plan for your business. Change plans as you grow. Annual plan pricing shown below.
Basic
$
29
Shopify
$
79
Advanced
$
299
10. Elementor
Elementor is a popular WordPress page builder. Integrating the benefits of hundreds of plugins in one place. Elementor is the only platform you’ll need to build professional WordPress websites.
Experience managed WordPress hosting that is hassle-free. We cover all your website needs, hosting, builder and themes so you can focus on building and growing your business.
Basic
$
9.99
Business
$
19.99
Grow
$
22.99
11. Thrive Suite
Thrive Suite is the all in one WordPress website builder that we used to build this site, including our courses, landing and sales pages, quizzes and testimonials.
It enables small business owners to build a blog or website with landing pages, lead generation forms, quizzes, online courses and more. Get more conversion focused functions cheaper and build faster than you can ever imagine.
The Thrive Suite membership is billed annually and quarterly. The e plugins listed below are also billed annually.
Thrive Suite
$
299
Thrive Leads
$
99
Thrive Architect
$
99
Be sure to consider your goals, and the benefits you'll receive with the hosting or website builder service you choose. For example, don't choose a business model that will require you to do things you hate doing.
For example, if you hate writing, a blog may not be the best solution, unless you find a partner that loves writing while you handle other aspects of the business.
If you're clueless about how to create videos, and you hate talking on camera, don't start a video channel, unless you find a way to earn from videos without being on camera.
If building a site or selling platform yourself is something you would never consider doing, or it seems like a mountain you'll never be able to climb, find a freelancer that can build a site for you.
Being realistic about your goals, your abilities and the time you have available to learn new skills can impact your business. If you need a done for you selling platform that allows you to focus on building an audience, promoting your products and processing payments, don't waste time trying to build all that on your own.
Having a substandard business platform can create a limited user experience, erode the trust and satisfaction of potential customers and therefore have a negative impact on your bottom line.
