Web Hosting Checklist for Small Businesses
Use this checklist before choosing hosting for a business website, WordPress site, portfolio, landing page, or online shop.
Start with the comparison: Best Web Hosting for Small Businesses →
1. Identify your website platform
- Website builder or hosted platform?
- WordPress or another CMS?
- Custom/static website?
- Online shop or transactional website?
2. Check performance and resources
- Storage and bandwidth limits
- CPU/RAM or resource limits where relevant
- Caching and optimization tools
- CDN options
- Upgrade path as traffic grows
3. Check security and backups
- SSL/TLS support
- Account security features
- Malware protection where offered
- Backup frequency and retention
- Restore process
4. Check management tools
- Control panel
- Domain and DNS management
- File management
- Database tools where needed
- Staging or testing tools where useful
5. Check support
- Support channels
- Availability and hours
- Documentation
- Migration assistance
- Clear escalation process
6. Calculate the real cost
- Introductory price
- Renewal price
- Domain costs
- Business email costs
- Backup or security add-ons
- Migration or setup charges
- Additional sites or resource upgrades
7. Check before moving a live business site
Confirm the host supports your platform and required software versions. Review migration procedures, backup options, DNS changes, SSL setup, email implications, and rollback options before changing a live business website.