how-to
Whether you’re a solo act or already have a team of employees in place, the best web hosting for small business helps attract new customers and expands your brand’s reach.
Just as businesses and their hosting needs are unique, so are the solutions that web hosting companies provide. Whether you run a million-dollar eCommerce store or want a simple website for your local restaurant, we can help you find the best hosting company.
Affordability is a major factor to consider, along with a strong domain name, design, and email or eCommerce capabilities. You might want unlimited data storage, or prefer stellar customer or technical support. Although it sounds daunting and complicated, setting up a website for your small business doesn’t have to be painful. Read on to discover our recommended hosts.
Most Affordable Hosting for Small Business
We all get tempted by the notion of free web hosting, but trust us — the flexibility, support, and added features with even bare-bones shared hosting plans are well worth the tiny investment. Most hosts will include a free domain, free email accounts, a boatload of storage, and basic eCommerce functionalities in their shared hosting plans for less than $5 a month. All three of our favorite companies for cheap hosting throw in a bunch of features and free advertising credits that will boost your business:
1.
Bluehost.com
- Known for high performance at a low price
- Endorsed by WordPress.org team
- FREE Weebly site builder and CloudFlare CDN
- FREE domain and unlimited storage
- Get 63% off today (was $7.99/month)
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/shared |
2.
Hostinger.com
- Unlimited everything, from bandwidth to databases
- FREE site builder & WordPress performance upgrades
- FREE daily or weekly backups
- 90+ auto-installation scripts and custom control panel
- SSH access & SSL certificates
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Hostinger: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 30 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | www.hostinger.com/shared |
3.
InterServer.net
- $0.01 for the first month, then $5 monthly after
- NO annual contracts and NO sudden price increases
- Unlimited storage space, data transfers, and email
- New domain is $11 with 1-month plan ($1.99 otherwise)
- 99.9% uptime and price-lock guarantee
- Get started on InterServer now.
InterServer: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited | New or Transfer | www.interserver.net/shared |
More recommended cheap web hosts »
Email Hosting for Small Business
A solid email hosting plan will make it easier for your small business to connect with consumers and collaborate internally. A speedy and professional email hosting platform matches your domain and gives you access to your email, contacts, and calendar from any device.
Many hosting plans will include free email in some form, but you should pay attention to features like spam filters, auto-responders, and the number of addresses or inboxes you can have. Here are our top three recommended hosting providers:
4.
A2Hosting.com
- FREE software for webmail, newsletters, contact forms, list management, and spam filtering
- Unlimited addresses with forwarding & autoresponders
- Secure POP3, IMAP, and SMTP messaging
- Unlimited storage and transfer with FREE SSL
- Get more than 50% off today (was $7.99/month)
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Email Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | www.a2hosting.com/email |
5.
Bluehost.com
- FREE domain and unlimited emails
- Secure email with 3 webmail solutions
- $200 in advertising credits with Google and Bing
- Google app integration available
- FREE Office 365 mailbox for your first 30 days
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Email Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/email |
6.
iPage.com
- FREE site transfers and 1-year domain registration
- Unlimited domains, disk space, and email addresses
- Email forwarding, autoresponders, and webmail
- Market your site with $200 in ad credits and SEO tools
- FREE online store and site-building tools
- Get started on iPage now.
iPage: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Email Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.ipage.com/email |
More recommended email hosts »
Website Builders for Small Business
If you have the web hosting but need help getting a site online, don’t worry. Many web hosting companies provide helpful tools that give you the ability to produce a stunning site, all on your own. Don’t worry about hiring an expensive developer to get your small business online.
Drag-and-drop website builders allow you to upload images, videos, and text, and will show you exactly how your site will look when you’re ready to click “publish.” Read on for our favorites:
7.
Wix.com
- No coding skills needed with drag-and-drop builder
- 100s of templates with niche-specific designs
- Add features via the App Market and Wix Events
- Easily create ecommerce functionality easily
- Great way to build small sites on a budget
- Get started on Wix now.
Wix: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Website Builder Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 500 MB - 20 GB | Transfer | www.wix.com/site-builder |
8.
iPage.com
- Choice of Weebly or WebsiteBuilder by iPage
- Mobile-optimized options and easy-to-use setup wizards
- 100s of professionally designed, customizable themes
- FREE online store, shopping cart, and blogging platform
- Get +75% off your first month
- Get started on iPage now.
iPage: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Website Builder Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.ipage.com/site-builder |
9.
HostGator.com
- Drag-and-drop design with the Gator™ website builder
- Hundreds of mobile-friendly, industry-specific templates
- FREE hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate
- Easily add a blog, ecommerce, and social media marketing
- Analytics portal helps you gauge your site’s performance
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Website Builder Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.hostgator.com/site-builder |
More recommended site builders »
Domain Hosting Services for Small Business
Whether you need to buy a new domain name for your business or transfer an existing domain, the services and support offered by your hosting company can make a big difference. Many providers give you a free domain when you sign up but be sure to read the fine print — some of those deals are for the life of your account, while others expire after the first year. These three hosts will give you a stress-free domain hosting experience:
10.
iPage.com
- FREE domain registration and transfer
- Unlimited disk space, domains, and MySQL databases
- $200 toward Google AdWords and Bing advertising
- Unlimited bandwidth and email addresses
- FREE online store and website builder
- Get started on iPage now.
iPage: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Domain Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.ipage.com/domain |
11.
Bluehost.com
- FREE domain name registration and site-building tools
- Get up to unlimited domains, emails, and bandwidth
- Up to $200 in offers with Google, Bing, and Yahoo!
- 1-click WordPress install and WordPress’s endorsement
- 24/7 customer support and online tutorials
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Domain Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/domain |
12.
GoDaddy.com
- World’s largest domain registrar with 17+ million domains under management
- FREE domain included with annual plans
- Manage your domains via cPanel or Plesk
- FREE email hosting at your domain
- 99.9% website uptime guaranteed
- Get started on GoDaddy now.
GoDaddy: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Domain Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.godaddy.com/domain |
More recommended domain hosts »
eCommerce Hosting for Small Business
If you plan on selling your wares online, you will need an SSL certificate. The security feature safeguards customers’ personal and financial information. Many hosts make these easily available — but not all. Your eCommerce options include payment channel integrations, shopping carts, and inventory controls. Some hosts will also help you with marketing or SEO, and some even give you advertising credits. Here are the three hosts we recommend:
13.
SiteGround.com
- 1-click installs for eCommerce tools like WooCommerce
- FREE eCommerce plugin for WordPress
- Daily backups, a CDN, and FREE Weebly site builder
- Test changes to your online store within the staging area
- 24/7 support delivered by eCommerce gurus
- Get started on SiteGround now.
SiteGround: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Ecommerce Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 30 GB SSD | New or Transfer | www.siteground.com/ecommerce |
14.
Wix.com
- Build online stores quickly and easily
- Choose from 100s of industry-specific themes
- Drag-and-drop builder lets you customize without coding
- Add features via the App Market
- Quickly get your store noticed by popular search engines
- Get started on Wix now.
Wix: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Ecommerce Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 500 MB - 20 GB | Transfer | www.wix.com/ecommerce |
15.
A2Hosting.com
- 20 times faster performance that boosts conversions
- 80+ software options: Magento, OpenCart, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and others
- FREE SSL certificate and SSD storage
- Worry-free migration and 24/7 support
- DDoS protection and multi-pronged security measures
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Ecommerce Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | www.a2hosting.com/ecommerce |
More recommended eCommerce hosts »
Not All Hosting Companies Are Created Equal
As you can see from our list of various business web hosting categories, there are many components that go into creating a successful website. Pick the provider and features that best meet your current expertise — as well as future aspirations.
Whatever options you choose for your small business, a good web hosting provider will play a big part in your success. Whether through support, uptime, or a killer design template you found on their site builder, your web host will help you put your best online foot forward.
As your company grows, you’ll want to expand your hosting plan. Cloud or VPS hosting gives you more power, reliability, and flexibility as your business starts to take over the market. When you’re ready to scale, check out our recommended business cloud hosting options.
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