How much should web hosting cost?

In the world we live in, this is such a relevant question. And the answer is that it really depends on your requirements, the level of service you are going to be receiving for that web hosting and how much time you want to put in on your end. In our opinion, there are three tier’s of web hosting, so let’s dive in!

Tier 1
This tier includes all ‘do-it-yourself’ providers. GoDaddy is a perfect example here and you can find hosting for one website as cheap as $4.99/month. They are a great company, and we use them for some of our services but just like any ‘do-it-yourself’ project, you need to decide whether it’s worth your time to learn, set everything up, and maintain it. You will more than likely be sharing your server resources with other businesses and you will need to either make your website updates yourself or pay a web developer to make them for you.

Tier 2
This tier is where most businesses will fall. They don’t want to do it themselves and they don’t have a need for a dedicated server. Most web development companies will offer hosting packages in this tier that include website updates, email addresses, databases, SEO and much more. So you will see pricing that is across the board. I think a great starting point here is to decide how often you will be updating your website because website updates are normally a large part of web hosting. If it’s monthly, try to find a hosting plan that includes updates every month. If it’s yearly, I would try to find a hosting plan that just includes web hosting and nothing more. Pricing can range in this tier anywhere from $25 – $150/month. If a company adds in SEO, it can go significantly upwards from there. Our web hosting pricing falls into this tier and it’s on the lower to mid end of that range. Be sure to visit our web hosting page for more details.

Tier 3
This tier is for businesses that have high traffic and high requirements. Typically a dedicated server is used to ensure that the website or app is getting the maximum resources it needs. The prices range anywhere from $250 – $1500/month. It’s definitely beneficial here to get a server expert involved. They can save you hundreds of dollars per month to find the best solution that fits your needs.

Which tier does your business fit into? Need help deciding? Give us a call today, we’d love to help you figure it out!