![\"Understanding](\"/images/content/5ac/ca9ef1039eb371b8b4586/1200_-2284-)
Source: Business.com\n
\r\nWith e-commerce purchases on the rise, many businesses are focusing their efforts on online sales. Web hosting is of critical importance to maintaining a workable website where your customers can find your business. It's crucial to partner with a web hosting company that can support the storage, traffic volume and security features your business requires. To help you find the right service for your small business, we evaluated more than 50 companies to create a list of the top web hosting services. In this guide, we also offer advice on the features you should look for and tips for getting a good deal.
"}},{"__typename":"SectionBestPicks","id":"best-picks","isInToc":true,"type":"bestpicks","megaBestPicksTopCardLimit":4,"bestpicks":[{"bullets":["Free domain for the first year","Paid ad credits","Expert help from web hosting pros"],"description":"Bluehost web hosting company offers an easy way to get started building beautiful and effective websites. Powering over 2 million websites, Bluehost makes getting started and using WordPress easy, affordable, and reliable. Bluehost provides fast website creation methods coupled with intuitive management tools. Bluehost features secure automated WordPress installations, advanced marketing tools and services, and access to specialized WordPress experts. The company provides free domain names, 24/7 support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.","descriptionTest":"Bluehost web hosting company offers an easy way to get started building beautiful and effective websites. Powering over 2 million websites, Bluehost makes getting started and using WordPress easy, affordable, and reliable. Bluehost provides fast website creation methods coupled with intuitive management tools. Bluehost features secure automated WordPress installations, advanced marketing tools and services, and access to specialized WordPress experts. The company provides free domain names, 24/7 support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.","fullTitle":"Easiest Web Hosting Program to Customize","isFeaturedBestPick":false,"isJumpLink":true,"tabTitle":"Easiest Web Hosting Program to Customize","review":{"displayName":"Bluehost","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/reviews/bluehost-standard/","id":"086bb4059ef7c968bad118c5cb8cdcc0","url":"http://www.bluehost.com/","review":{"pros":["Bluehost offers a full-service website that professional designers will build for you.","Bluehost provides search engine optimization (SEO) services that help users boost their visibility on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing."],"cons":["Users who cancel within 30 days receive a full refund only on their hosting service; Bluehost's money-back guarantee does not apply to most add-on products, such as domains."],"fullReviewTest":"Bluehost is our pick for the easiest-to-customize web hosting program because it offers flexible services in a variety of plans for shared, VPS, dedicated server and WordPress hosting. The company provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is a standard offer from web hosting companies.
\r\nBluehost is very transparent about its offerings. Some hosting companies try to hide their practices behind vague language. Bluehost tells you exactly what it offers and gives some details about contract and plan requirements. The service is extremely customizable and, through its pricing tiers, helps businesses grow. Bluehost offers a range of options for each stage in a company's development, so you can upgrade your website and boost your design, SEO and marketing capabilities as you grow.
\r\nBluehost's terms of service include a lot of details about its plans, fees and features. It offers 24/7 support over live chat, phone and an email ticketing system. The company also provides online resources for you to troubleshoot different aspects of your service and learn more about web hosting.
\r\nBluehost provides shared, VPS, dedicated server and WordPress hosting. It offers several plans for each type, and its pricing is comparable with competitors'.
\r\nDedicated servers and VPS are best suited for large corporations that need more storage and higher bandwidth than shared or WordPress hosting can provide. Also, because VPS and dedicated servers are private, there's even higher uptime. These types of hosting are typically not necessary for standard small business websites. Shared and WordPress hosting are cost-effective options that cover the needs of most small businesses.
\r\nBluehost provides shared hosting plans at slightly lower rates than many of its competitors. It has four shared hosting plans: Basic, Plus, Choice Plus and Pro.
\r\nYou can read more about Bluehost's additional fees in the terms of service. Some important fees to note involve registering or transferring a domain name. Bluehost offers a free domain name for the first year.
\r\nThere are also some conditions for the 30-day money-back guarantee. If you cancel your subscription within the first three days of activation, you have the option to keep your domain name for a $15.99 fee. If you cancel after three days, you will be required to pay the $15.99 domain fee.
\r\nIf you decide to cancel after the first 30 days, you are not entitled to a refund of any kind. Bluehost only refunds credit card payments.
\r\nBluehost's shared hosting plans have solid features. Its pricing stands out, but the relatively low cost doesn't undermine the services you get. The company's transparency with listing the features in each plan is another benefit. Instead of digging for information, business owners can get a quick view of what the company offers and decide whether the services meet their needs.
\r\nBluehost provides unlimited storage on its Plus, Choice Plus and Pro plans. Basic plan holders have access to only 50GB of SSD storage. The bandwidth is unmetered for all plans. Most hosting companies provide unlimited storage or unmetered bandwidth; however, these terms do not mean they're infinite. Bluehost uses statistical analysis to define the average parameters each consumer must stay within each month. It monitors your usage and contacts you if you're using more than the allocated amount. Some web hosting companies even suspend service until your usage declines. If you're concerned about the level of bandwidth and storage you need, it's a good idea to talk to someone from the Bluehost sales team.
\r\nCompared with other web hosting companies we reviewed, Bluehost provides limited security measures. It offers site backups, restoration, resource protection, and an SSL certificate on each of its plans, but some plans require you to pay extra for security features such as SiteLock and CodeGuard. Bluehost doesn't provide a lot of information on DDoS prevention, firewalls or other security measures. This is another good topic to discuss with the Bluehost sales team before you sign up.
\r\nBluehost includes a free domain name with the activation of a shared hosting plan. This means when you sign up for the service, you won't get hit with an additional fee to set up your domain name. If you sign up for other plans, you may not have access to a free domain name.
\r\nBluehost is not accredited with the BBB. This is concerning, as most companies have at least some kind of BBB score. Its parent company, EIG, has an A+ rating but a lot of negative reviews and nearly 600 complaints. Compared with its competitors, these are negative marks. Bluehost has mixed positive and negative ratings elsewhere online, so it's not clear how supportive the company's customer service is.
\r\nBluehost offers support via phone and live chat. It also has a unique company blog that provides additional online resources for customers to learn more about web hosting services. Considering Bluehost offers some desirable web hosting plans, it is worth testing out its customer support on your own to see how helpful it is.
\r\nBluehost no longer offers cloud hosting plans, focusing instead on its WordPress and shared hosting options for small businesses. So if you are seeking cloud hosting, you'll have to find another web hosting provider.
","fullReview":"Bluehost, owned by Endurance International Group (EIG), has been providing web hosting services to small businesses for more than 15 years. It offers flexible services in a variety of plans for shared hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), dedicated servers and WordPress hosting. The company provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is a standard offer from web hosting companies but still a great feature that allows you to give Bluehost's services a try without being locked in for an entire year.
\r\nView all our recommendations for web hosting services on our best picks page.
\r\nBluehost is very transparent in its offering. Some hosting companies try to hide their practices behind vague language. Bluehost tells you exactly what it offers and gives some details about high-level contract and plan requirements. Its terms of service include a lot of details about its plans, fees and features. It offers 24/7 support over live chat, phone and an email ticketing system. The company also provides online resources for you to troubleshoot different aspects of your service and learn more about web hosting.
\r\nBluehost provides shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers and WordPress hosting. It offers several plans for each, and its pricing is on par with competitors. Shared hosting is the least expensive, with dedicated servers and VPS sporting costs up to $200 per month. These hosting types differ from shared and WordPress hosting in that the company allocates separate servers for these customers.
\r\nDedicated servers and VPS are best suited for large corporations that need higher storage and bandwidth than shared or WordPress hosting can provide. Also, because VPS and dedicated servers are private, there's even higher uptime. These types of hosting are typically not necessary for standard small business websites. Shared and WordPress hosting are cost-effective options that cover the needs of most small businesses.
\r\nBluehost provides shared hosting plans at slightly lower rates than many of its competitors. It has four shared hosting plans: Basic, Plus, Choice Plus and Pro. The Basic plan is $2.95 per month, the Plus plan and Choice Plus plan are each $5.45 per month, and the Pro plan is $13.95 per month.
\r\nKeep in mind that this is all promotional pricing that was listed at the time of this review. The web hosting industry is a competitive space, and companies often display promotional pricing to attract new buyers. Bluehost does this, claiming the plans are reduced from $7.99, $10.99, $14.99 and $23.99 respectively. Often, web hosting promotional pricing is only valid for the first year or billing term, and then you'll be charged the original rates upon renewal.
\r\nAs with just about every business service, the longer you commit to Bluehost, the lower the monthly price. If you're worried about getting hit with a higher rate when you need to renew your contract, make sure you address this with a member of the Bluehost sales team before you sign up.
\r\nYou can read more about Bluehost's additional fees in the terms of service. Some important fees to note involve registering or transferring a domain name. Bluehost offers a free domain name for the first year, but you may have to pay a yearly fee thereafter. This is a standard practice hosting companies use to attract new customers.
\r\nThere are also some conditions for your 30-day money-back guarantee. If you cancel your subscription within the first three days of activation, you have the option to keep your domain name for a $15.99 fee. If you cancel after three days, you will be required to pay the $15.99 domain fee.
\r\nBluehost doesn't charge any additional fees for canceling your service. However, any add-on services you purchase will not be refunded. Bluehost lists some of these nonrefundable add-ons as AppMachine, Site Backup Pro, pay-per-click marketing, cPanel Quickstart, WordPress Quickstart, Site Doctor, website transfer, design services, SEO, SiteLock and domain privacy.
\r\nIf you decide to cancel after the first 30 days, you are not entitled to a refund of any kind. Bluehost only refunds credit card payments.
\r\nBluehost's shared hosting plans have solid features. Its pricing stands out, but the relatively low cost doesn't undermine the services you get. The company's transparency with listing the features in each plan is another benefit. Instead of digging for information, business owners can get a quick view of what the company has to offer and decide whether the services meet their needs. Many companies we reviewed provide this breakdown.
\r\nStorage and Bandwidth: Bluehost provides unlimited storage on its Plus, Choice Plus and Pro plans. Basic plan holders only have access to 50GB of SSD storage. The bandwidth is unmetered for all plans. Most hosting companies provide unlimited storage or unmetered bandwidth; however, these terms do not mean they're infinite. Bluehost uses statistical analysis to define the average parameters each consumer must stay within each month. It monitors your usage and contacts you if you're using more than the allocated amount. Some web hosting companies even suspend service until the usage declines. If you're concerned about the level of bandwidth and storage you need, it's be a good idea to talk to someone from the Bluehost sales team about it.
\r\nSecurity: Compared to other web hosting companies we reviewed, Bluehost provides limited security measures. It does offer site backups, restoration, resource protection and an SSL certificate on each of its plans, but some plans require you to pay extra for security features like SiteLock and CodeGuard. Bluehost doesn't provide a lot of information on DDoS prevention, firewalls or other security measures. This is another good topic to discuss with the Bluehost sales team before you sign up.
\r\nDomain Transfer: Bluehost includes a free domain name with the activation of a shared hosting plan. This means when you sign up for the service, you won't get hit with an additional fee to set up your domain name. If you sign up for other plans, you may not have access to a free domain name.
\r\nBluehost is not an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. This is concerning, as most companies have at least some kind of BBB score. Its parent company, EIG, has an A- rating but a lot of negative reviews. The company has also logged nearly 400 complaints. Compared to its competitors, these are negative marks. Bluehost has mixed positive and negative ratings elsewhere online, so it's not clear how supportive its customer service is.
\r\nBluehost offers support via phone and a live chat window. It also has a unique company blog that provides additional online resources for customers to learn more about web hosting services. Since Bluehost offers some desirable web hosting plans, it is worth testing out its customer support on your own to see how helpful it is.
\r\nThe company does not have a good online reputation, lacking BBB accreditation and having racked up a flurry of negative reviews and customer complaints. Also, most web hosting companies provide a service-level agreement, which details the company's uptime policy and any credits it provides for downtime or measures it will take to ensure its service. There is no SLA available from Bluehost.
\r\nBluehost also has a unique stipulation to its cancellation policy about refunds. It advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee, but this is only valid for subscriptions paid with credit cards. Although the majority of online consumers pay via credit card, this is something the company should be open about when users are planning on being billed by other means. It does not provide refunds for add-on features either. This policy is pretty standard among web hosting companies, but with Bluehost, many of the necessary features are add-ons.
\r\nBluehost no longer offers cloud hosting plans to its consumers, instead focusing on its WordPress and shared hosting options for small businesses. Although cloud hosting may not always be the best web hosting type for small businesses, Bluehost removes the option altogether. If you are seeking cloud hosting, you'll have to find another web hosting provider.
"},"pricing":{"isCapped":false,"isFeatured":false,"primary":true,"selected":"affiliate","widgetId":null,"widget":null,"affiliate":{"cta":"Visit Site","link":"https://businesscom.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=341&aff_id=1000&source=web-hosting&aff_sub4=revenue|QT&aff_sub3=deal|Endurance&url_id=1","name":"bluehost"}},"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d1cfbab9c658a97468b457a/bluehost.png"}}},{"bullets":["500,000+ WordPress installations","Step-by-step education channels","Community support forums"],"description":"InMotion Hosting offers a comprehensive selection of web hosting services, and it's one of the most transparent web hosting companies we reviewed, earning our pick for best web hosting service for small business in 2019. It offers shared, VPS, dedicated server, WordPress, reseller and managed hosting. Its wide range of services and hosting plans means there's a suitable option for your small business, whatever type of web hosting you need. \r\n\r\nPrices vary by plan type, with shared plans ranging from $7 to $20 per month. The plans we looked at offered promotional pricing at the time of our review. InMotion Hosting offers a 90-day money-back guarantee, which grants you peace of mind in case you're unsatisfied with the services.\r\n\r\nEach hosting plan offers solid security, so you can be sure your small business's website is safe. The security suite that comes with every shared plan includes a free SSL, free automatic backups, hack protection and DDoS protection. InMotion Hosting also offers free SSD drives, a free domain, free website transfer, a free one-click installer for access to over 400 applications, and unlimited, secure IMAP email. Shared plans include unlimited disk space and bandwidth, but be sure to check with the InMotion sales team to define what this means for your plan. \r\n\r\nInMotion Hosting has been providing top-rated hosting services for more than 15 years. It is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating. An important aspect for small businesses to consider in a web hosting provider is its customer service and support, and InMotion exceeds expectations in this field. It offers live chat, Skype, phone support, ticketing, and an online support center full of tutorials, community support, FAQs, tools and resources, educational channels, and product guides. To simplify your building process, it offers a website builder, visitor statistics and a step-by-step guide to site migration. This web hosting provider has everything you need to host your small business online.","descriptionTest":"","fullTitle":"Best Inexpensive Web Hosting Service","isFeaturedBestPick":false,"isJumpLink":true,"tabTitle":"Best Inexpensive Web Hosting Service","review":{"displayName":"InMotion Hosting","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/reviews/inmotion-hosting/","id":"15a3bd5f588ffe813ec6f060a07373e7","url":"https://www.inmotionhosting.com","review":{"pros":["InMotion Hosting offers live chat, phone support and an online support center full of tutorials.","InMotion Hosting provides a free website builder and more than 400 applications that users can install with one click."],"cons":["InMotion's Lite pricing tier does not offer a free domain name."],"fullReviewTest":"InMotion Hosting is a trustworthy web hosting service that's ideal for small and midsize businesses. The company provides nearly every type of web hosting service available for businesses, at a low price.
\r\nIn addition to its shared hosting plans, InMotion offers VPS, dedicated server, WordPress, reseller and managed hosting options. Dedicated servers and VPS hosting options offer a more secure connection, but they are significantly more expensive than the shared or WordPress options. That is why InMotion Hosting is our pick for the best inexpensive web hosting option.
\r\nWhereas VPS and dedicated servers are robust and cater to bigger businesses, shared or WordPress hosting is appropriate for small and midsize businesses that expect lower web traffic.
\r\nBecause most small businesses benefit from shared web hosting plans, that's where we focused. We evaluated InMotion's three shared hosting plans: Lite, Launch, Power and Pro.
\r\nInMotion Hosting provides a free domain name for the first year with your plan, as well as solid security, storage and integration features. If you have or plan to have an e-commerce store, you're limited to InMotion's Power and Pro plans, which support e-commerce. Here's more about InMotion Hosting's features:
\r\nInMotion Hosting, like most web hosting companies, advertises unlimited disk space. However, InMotion states in its terms of service that companies that use InMotion Hosting to store or archive electronic files, as well as companies that have sites that affect server and network performance, will be asked to update to a virtual or private server.
\r\nInMotion offers spam protection, SSL certificates, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection, hack protection and automatic data backups. Many companies we reviewed have tiered security offerings, so the most expensive plans had the highest level of security. InMotion doesn't do this; instead, it provides the same top-level security across each plan via its Security Suite.
\r\nBusinesses have access to over 400 applications and other programs. Popular integrations – WordPress, PrestaShop, Drupal and Joomla – are available, too. All applications are one-click installations, plus you have access to the latest version of cPanel to manage and control your website.
\r\nAlmost every company we reviewed claimed to provide 99.9% uptime. Because your account is on a server that's shared with several other customers, there are bound to be instances of downtime. InMotion is one of the few companies that offer a credit (which applies only to the Pro plan) when you experience downtime.
\r\nInMotion Hosting has been accredited by the BBB since 2003, earning an A+ rating.
\r\nWe contacted InMotion through live chat, posing as a small business owner interested in the company's service. Although the chat had a slight lag, the representative provided us with clear, succinct answers. In addition, the rep asked questions about our business and our website and suggested plan options tailored to our needs. Further, they offered us a small discount after our discussion. Overall, the customer support from InMotion was impressive compared with that of other web hosting services we evaluated.
\r\nInMotion is one of the few web hosting companies that may charge you a cancellation fee of $50.
\r\nLike other web hosting companies, InMotion Hosting advertises unlimited disk space and unlimited bandwidth. We recommend that you speak with an InMotion Hosting rep to learn more about the policy and the restrictions.
","fullReview":"InMotion Hosting is a trustworthy web hosting service, ideal for small- and medium-sized businesses. The company provides nearly every type of web hosting service available for your business: shared, virtual private server (VPS), dedicated server, WordPress, managed and reseller hosting.
\r\nInMotion Hosting offers a 90-day, money-back guarantee on Business Class plans. Many companies offer shorter money-back guarantee periods, ranging between 30 and 45 days.
\r\nYou also get a free domain name for the first year on select plans, as well as unlimited email accounts, features that some competitors don't offer. Based on its pricing and overall service offering, InMotion is our choice as the best web hosting company for small businesses in 2019.
\r\nIn addition to its shared hosting plans, InMotion offers VPS, dedicated server, WordPress, reseller and managed hosting options. Dedicated servers and VPS hosting options offer a more secure connection, but they are significantly more expensive than the shared or WordPress options.
\r\nVPS and dedicated servers are robust and cater to bigger businesses, whereas, if you are a small- or medium-sized business expecting minimal to moderate web traffic, you will likely benefit the most from the use of shared or WordPress hosting.
\r\nSince most small businesses benefit from shared web hosting plans, that's where we focused. We evaluated InMotion's three shared plans: Launch, Power and Pro. The standard price for a Launch two-year contract is $7.99 per month, $9.99 per month for the Power plan and $15.99 per month for the Pro plan. Like most hosting companies, InMotion offers a lower monthly rate for its longer-term (one and two-year) plans. When your term is up, your monthly fee increases to the standard rate.
\r\nThe features in each plan are mostly consistent with each other, with a few differences. All three plans allow consumers access to unlimited disk space, email accounts, SSL certifications and SPAM protection. Additionally, the Pro plan offers upgraded features like faster speed, more subdomains and e-commerce capabilities.
\r\nInMotion Hosting provides a free domain name for the first year with your plan. After the first year, you will pay $15.99. This is standard with just about every web hosting company we reviewed.
\r\nIf you cancel after the allotted 90 days, InMotion will charge you – it was one of the few companies to do so. The fee is $50. With this in mind, discuss potential cancellation fees with the sales team when signing up for the service.
\r\nInMotion provides solid security, storage and integration features. If you have or plan to have an e-commerce store, you're limited to InMotion's Power and Pro plans, as they are e-commerce. Here's more about InMotion Hosting's features.
\r\nStorage and bandwidth: InMotion Hosting, like most web hosting companies, advertises unlimited disk space. However, the company states in its terms of service that companies that use InMotion Hosting for online file storage or archiving electronic files, or if your site is impacting server and network performance, you'll be asked to update to a virtual or private server.
\r\nSecurity: InMotion offers SPAM protection, SSL certificates, DDoS protection, hack protection and automatic data backups. Many companies we reviewed tiered their security offerings, so the most expensive plans had the highest level of security. InMotion doesn't do this; instead, it provides the same top-level security across each plan via its Security Suite.
\r\nPreinstalled apps and integrations: Businesses have access to over 400 applications and other programs. Popular integrations – WordPress, PrestaShop, Drupal and Joomla – are available, too. All applications are one-click installs, plus you have access to the latest version of cPanel to manage and control your website.
\r\nReported uptime: Almost every company we reviewed claimed to provide 99.9% uptime. Since your account is on a server shared with several other customers, there are bound to be instances where you experience downtime. InMotion is one of the few companies that offers a credit (this only applies with its Pro plan) when you experience downtime.
\r\nInMotion Hosting is accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2003, earning an A+ rating and 4.5 out of 5 stars.
\r\nWe contacted InMotion through live chat, posing as a small business owner interested in the company's service. Although the chat had a slight lag time, the representative provided us with clear, succinct answers. In addition, the rep asked questions about our business, our website and suggested plan options tailored to our needs. Further, they offered us a small discount after our discussion. Overall, the customer support from InMotion was impressive compared to other web hosting services we evaluated.
\r\nInMotion is one of the few companies that may charge you a cancellation fee – $50. You also likely won't receive a refund if you've paid for your services upfront.
\r\nLike other web hosting companies, InMotion Hosting advertises unlimited disk space and unlimited bandwidth. We recommend that you speak with an InMotion Hosting rep to learn more about the policy and the restrictions that apply.
"},"pricing":{"isCapped":false,"isFeatured":false,"primary":true,"selected":"affiliate","widgetId":null,"widget":null,"affiliate":{"cta":"Visit Site","link":"https://businesscom.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=319&aff_id=1000&source=web-hosting&aff_sub4=revenue|Affiliate&aff_sub3=deal|Impact+Radius&url_id=1","name":"ImpactRadius"}},"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d1cfc329c658afb688b457e/inmotion-hosting.png"}}},{"bullets":["Social media marketing services","24/7/365 phone and ticket support","PCI compliance tools"],"description":"Although DreamHost provides great web hosting services for shared, VPS, dedicated and cloud hosting, its WordPress hosting is where it outshines its competitors. We analyzed full-service and WordPress-only hosting providers, and none of them matched DreamHost's cloud hosting capabilities and pricing. \r\n\r\nMost competitors offer a limited WordPress hosting option, whereas DreamHost offers both shared and managed WordPress hosting. The cost of a WordPress hosting plan ranges from $2.59 to $79.95 per month. Shared plans are cheaper than managed plans, and you get a discount for purchasing a plan at an annual rate rather than a monthly rate. DreamHost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans, and a 97-day money-back guarantee on shared hosting fees specifically. \r\n\r\nEach WordPress hosted option is fitted with unmetered cached visits, unmetered bandwidth, SSD storage, automatic WordPress updates, automatic daily backups, a custom-built control panel, and advanced features like SFTP, SSH access and WP-CLI. WordPress is pre-installed with every plan. On select plans, you get additional features like premium WordPress themes, unlimited CDN, one-click backup and restore, malware scanning, and a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt. You can pick from a large source of themes, menus and plugins to customize your site exactly how you want it. \r\n\r\nDreamHost provides exceptional customer support to all of its consumers and has received an A rating from the Better Business Bureau. It has in-house support staff, who are available every day via live chat, email, phone, social media and ticketing. Priority support is available to DreamPress Pro users. All users have access to DreamHost's online knowledgebase of tutorials, forums, FAQs and how-to guides. DreamHost explains the difference between managed WordPress and shared WordPress hosting to help you pick the best plan for your business.","descriptionTest":"","fullTitle":"Best Web Hosting Service for Small Businesses","isFeaturedBestPick":false,"isJumpLink":true,"tabTitle":"Best Web Hosting Service for Small Businesses","review":{"displayName":"DreamHost","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/reviews/dreamhost-web-and-cloud-hosting-services/","id":"c3a4dc15471ca762250df6905eb39bc4","url":"http://www.dreamhost.com/","review":{"pros":["DreamHost has many web hosting options, like shared website hosting, VPS hosting and managed WordPress hosting.","DreamHost offers an online discussion forum where users can write their questions, interact and view the queries of other DreamHost users."],"cons":["Custom web design starts at $1,499."],"fullReviewTest":"DreamHost offers shared hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), dedicated servers, cloud hosting and WordPress hosting. It is the company's WordPress hosting that stands out, with its plan variety and exceptional features. In addition, DreamHost provides a 97-day money-back guarantee, which is much longer than the standard 30-day money-back guarantee that many competitors provide. Based on its extended guarantee, overall services and competitive WordPress hosting prices, DreamHost is our choice for the best web hosting service for small businesses.
\r\nDreamHost has a solid online reputation, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
\r\nThis web hosting provider has a wide selection of plans and even offers the choice between managed and shared plans for WordPress. The mix of plans and features is beneficial for small businesses that are looking for a range of options.
\r\nIn addition to standard shared, VPS, dedicated and cloud hosting, DreamHost provides a large selection of WordPress hosting plans that are unmatched by competitors. Each of these plans and services has different pricing options and available features.
\r\nSmaller businesses can benefit from the affordability and usability of shared, cloud and WordPress hosting. Managed WordPress hosting is especially useful for small business owners who have minimal coding and technical skills, as there are usually drag-and-drop features and website-builder capabilities. VPS and dedicated servers, which are typically more expensive, cater to larger businesses with high web traffic.
\r\nDreamHost is very transparent about its pricing. Most companies offer promotional or slashed pricing to attract new customers but then raise rates after the first billing cycle. DreamHost advertises its standard WordPress hosting rates, which are competitive with those of other companies we reviewed.
\r\nThere may be other plan options, pricing and terms for the various services DreamHost provides. Fees may also differ depending on your plan and contract.
\r\nDreamHost provides a solid selection of features for its WordPress hosting customers. Its mix of plans means you'll be able to get the features you need, whether you're looking to get started with a basic hosting plan or to host multiple WordPress sites. The company is transparent about its storage and bandwidth offerings, and the service provides site backups and other important security features.
\r\nEach managed WordPress plan comes with unmetered bandwidth. This is ideal for business owners who are unsure of how much they will be using, since overage fees do not apply.
\r\nThe DreamPress plan comes with 30GB of solid-state-drive (SSD) storage, an unmetered number of cached visits per month and a moderate monthly allowance for uncached visits. The DreamPressPlus plan gives you these features and 60GB of SSD storage. The DreamPress Pro plan gives you 120GB of SSD storage, an unmetered number of cached visits per month and a high monthly allowance for uncached visits.
\r\nDreamHost provides nearly the same level of security for each DreamPress plan. It offers a one-click SSL certificate to encrypt your website, regardless of the plan you sign up for; daily site backups to help in the event of data loss; and WordPress service updates to keep your system patched and fully up-to-date.
\r\nDreamHost has its own control panel tailored specifically to its services. Although many competitors use a standard control panel, like cPanel or Plesk, the customized DreamHost control panel can be beneficial for users who want to access their billing and support features on the same dashboard. WordPress has thousands of plugins you can use for your site, and DreamHost supports these plugins with a single click.
\r\nIn some cases, DreamHost will provide a free domain name transfer for the first year of service. This is for the annual shared hosting plans and annual DreamPress plans. It may also extend to other service plans, depending on your agreement.
\r\nAccording to DreamHost's terms of service, the company has a 100% uptime guarantee. Just about every provider we reviewed guarantees 99.9% uptime. What separates DreamHost is that if your service is interrupted, you will receive a credit of one day for each hour your service is down. Some hosting companies don't offer a credit or any type of compensation when the service goes down.
\r\nDreamHost has a good online reputation. Although it is not an accredited member of the BBB, it does have an A+ rating on the BBB site.
\r\nIt was difficult to reach a DreamHost representative because the company doesn't have a toll-free customer service line or email. If you're an existing customer, can sign in to your account to be connected with tech support. However, if you're a new customer, it's not so straightforward: On the Support page, you're presented with five options (Sales, Billing, Tech Support, Other, and I Can't Log In to My DreamHost Account) that best suit your question or need. You can then fill out an online contact form to speak with a representative. When we did secure a representative, we posed as small business owners and asked important sales questions to find out more about DreamHost's offering and test the company's customer service. The representatives we worked with were both pleasant and helpful and, on one occasion, went as far as to search through company blog posts to find the answer to one of our questions.
\r\nAt no point did we feel on the hook to buy the company's product. Instead, the sales representative answered our questions quickly and accurately via chat support. DreamHost had one of the best customer service experiences of any web hosting provider we reviewed.
\r\nWhile DreamHost says it provides a free domain name for the first year of service, this is only true in certain cases, like for annual shared hosting plans and annual DreamPress plans. If you downgrade from an annual plan to a monthly plan, you will be required to pay for the domain name.
\r\nWhile DreamHost is the only web hosting company we analyzed to provide such a long refund period of 97 days, you may not be entitled to a full refund during this time, depending on the services you signed up for and the fees associated with your account.
","fullReview":"DreamHost offers shared hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), dedicated servers, cloud hosting and WordPress hosting. However, it is the company's WordPress hosting that stands out with its plan variety, competitive pricing and exceptional features. In addition, DreamHost provides a 97-day money-back guarantee, which is much longer than the standard 30-day money-back guarantee that many competitors provide. Based on its extended guarantee, overall services and competitive WordPress hosting prices, DreamHost is our choice for the best WordPress hosting provider of 2019.
\r\nView all our recommendations for web hosting services on our best picks page.
\r\nDreamHost has a solid online reputation, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Its web hosting customers have access to 24/7 in-house customer support – you can ask questions over social media, email or live chat while you browse the company's various service offerings.
\r\nThis web hosting provider has a wide selection of plans and even offers consumers the choice between managed and shared plans for WordPress. The mix of plans and features is beneficial for businesses of all types and sizes.
\r\nIn addition to standard shared, VPS, dedicated and cloud hosting, DreamHost provides a large selection of WordPress hosting plans that is unmatched by competitors. Each of these plans and services has different pricing options and features available.
\r\nSmaller businesses can benefit from the affordability and usability of shared, cloud and WordPress hosting. Managed WordPress hosting is especially useful for small business owners who have minimal coding and technical skills, as there are usually drag-and-drop features and website-builder capabilities. VPS and dedicated servers, which are typically more expensive, cater to larger businesses with high web traffic.
\r\nDreamHost is very transparent in its pricing. Most companies offer promotional or slashed pricing to attract new customers, but then raise rates after the first billing cycle. DreamHost advertises its standard WordPress hosting rates, which are competitive with other companies we reviewed.
\r\nThe other companies we looked at that specialize in WordPress hosting have much higher prices than DreamHost. It has two different shared hosting plans for WordPress, as well as three managed WordPress plans, which are ideal for small business owners. Its shared plans are the Starter plan, which costs $3.95 per month, and the Unlimited plan for $6.95 per month. These are good options for small business owners on a very low web hosting budget. However, for the sake of our review, we analyzed the managed WordPress plans, as they provide more advanced features and isolated resources.
\r\nDreamHost's managed WordPress services are available in three pricing plans. Charged at an annual rate, the DreamPress plan is $16.95 per month, the DreamPress Plus plan is $24.95 per month, and the DreamPress Pro plan is $71.95 per month.
\r\nEach managed WordPress plan comes with WordPress-specialized customer support. Some hosting companies tier their customer support, so it's a big plus that DreamHost provides the same level of WordPress support to all its managed WordPress customers. However, it does tier other aspects of its service, like SSD storage amount, number of visits available per month and the Jetpack Professional package, which includes premium WordPress themes, unlimited CDN, one-click backup and restore, and malware scanning.
\r\nDreamHost offers a free domain name with the first-time purchase of an annual shared hosting or DreamPress plan, which you must use within the first month of purchase. Keep in mind this is only for yearly plans – if you opt for month-to-month services, you won't receive a free domain name. In its terms of service, it also states that downgrading from annual to monthly hosting or canceling your plan within the 97-day guarantee period will result in a charge for the free domain registration. Typical .com domain name registration costs $12, with .org, .net, .info and .biz costing slightly more.
\r\nYou could be entitled to a refund if you cancel your service within the first 30 or 97 days of service, depending on your plan. If you cancel after this timeframe, you won't be charged any additional fees, but if you have a yearly contract, you won't receive a refund. This is standard among the web hosting companies we reviewed.
\r\nAll the above pricing and term information is only for the company's WordPress hosting. There may be other plan options, pricing and terms for the various services DreamHost provides. Fees may also differ depending on your plan and contract.
\r\nDreamHost provides a solid selection of features for its WordPress hosting customers. Its mix of plans means you'll be able to get the features you need, whether you're looking to get started with a basic hosting plan or to host multiple WordPress sites. It's transparent with its storage and bandwidth offerings, and the service provides site backups and other good security features.
\r\nStorage and Bandwidth: Each managed WordPress plan comes with unmetered bandwidth. This is ideal for business owners who are unsure how much they will be using, since you won't be charged overage fees.
\r\nThe DreamPress Starter plan comes with 30GB of SSD storage, an unmetered number of cached visits per month and a moderate monthly allowance for uncached visits. The DreamPress Plus plan gives you these features with 60GB of SSD storage. The DreamPress Pro plan gives you 120GB of SSD storage, an unmetered number of cached visits per month and a high monthly allowance for uncached visits. If you exceed the allotment of anticipated uncached visits, it may have an impact on your website's performance, so be sure to check with a support agent to learn what \"moderate\" and \"high\" equate to in terms of visits per month.
\r\nSecurity: DreamHost provides nearly the same level of security for each DreamPress plan. It offers a one-click SSL certificate to encrypt your website regardless of what plan you sign up for, daily site backups to help in the event of data loss, and WordPress service updates to keep your system patched and fully up to date.
\r\nPre-installed Apps and Integrations: DreamHost has its own control panel tailored specifically to its services. Although many competitors use a standard control panel like cPanel or Plesk, the customized DreamHost control panel can be beneficial for users who want to access their billing and support features on the same dashboard. WordPress has thousands of plugins you can use for your site, and DreamHost supports these plugins with a single click.
\r\nDomain Transfer: In some cases, DreamHost will provide a free domain name transfer for the first year of service. This is for the annual shared hosting plans and annual DreamPress plans. It may also extend to other service plans, depending on your agreement. Either way, the yearly cost of a .com domain name with DreamHost is around $12. If you're concerned about a yearly domain name fee, it may be a good idea to talk with the DreamHost sales team.
\r\nReported Uptime: According to DreamHost's terms of service, the company has a 100% uptime guarantee. Just about every provider we reviewed guarantees 99.9% uptime. What separates DreamHost is that if your service is interrupted, you will receive a credit of one day for each hour your service is down. Some hosting companies won't offer a credit or any type of compensation when the service goes down. While DreamHost's credit isn't as generous as some hosting companies' downtime credits, it's promising that DreamHost has a system in place to hold itself accountable should your service go down at some point.
\r\nDreamHost has a good online reputation. While not an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau, it does have an A+ rating on the site. Some companies we reviewed didn't score this high, earning an A or, in some cases, as low as a C. DreamHost only has eight negative reviews on the BBB website and 20 total customer complaints. These numbers are considerably lower than those of competitors we analyzed.
\r\nWe posed as small business owners when we reached out to DreamHost via live chat. We asked important sales questions to find out more about its offering and test the company's customer service. The representatives we worked with were both pleasant and helpful, going as far on one occasion as searching through company blog posts to find the answer to one of our questions.
\r\nAt no point did we feel on the hook to buy the company's product. Instead, the sales representative answered our questions quickly and accurately via chat support. DreamHost had one of the best customer service experiences of any web hosting provider we reviewed.
\r\nWhile DreamHost says it provides a free domain name for the first year of service, this is only true in certain cases, like for annual shared hosting plans and annual DreamPress plans. If you downgrade from an annual plan to a monthly plan, you will be required to pay for their domain name. You are also required to use your free domain name within the first month of activation, or you must pay for it. If you are aware of the stipulations, this issue can be minimized.
\r\nWhile DreamHost is the only web hosting company we analyzed to provide such a long refund period, you may not be entitled to a full refund during this time, depending on which services you've signed up for and what fees are associated with your account. Annual fees already paid in full will not be refunded. You are also required to pay for your domain name if you cancel within your money-back guarantee period.
"},"pricing":{"isCapped":false,"isFeatured":false,"primary":true,"selected":"affiliate","widgetId":null,"widget":null,"affiliate":{"cta":"Visit Site","link":"https://businesscom.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=354&aff_id=1000&source=web-hosting&aff_sub4=revenue|Affiliate&aff_sub3=deal|DreamHost&url_id=1","name":"Dreamhost"}},"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d1cfcba5a215e4f358b457c/dreamhost.png"}}},{"bullets":["Unlimited SSD space and transfer","Turbo servers","Drag-and-drop editing"],"description":"A2 Hosting offers exceptional security and is our choice for the most secure web hosting company in 2019. It's one of the few web hosting companies we reviewed that provides a similar level of security on each of its plans. Most companies tier their security plans, so the cheapest plan usually has very minimal security features. A2 Hosting provides heightened security to all its plan holders, whether you are looking for shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, WordPress hosting, managed hosting or reseller hosting. \r\n\r\nAlthough prices depend on the plan you choose, A2 Hosting offers relatively inexpensive web hosting plans, with shared plans costing $4 to $13 per month. Discounts are given for longer-term plans, and promotional pricing was available at the time of our review.\r\n\r\nEach plan comes with exceptional security measures, like a free SSL certificate (HTTPS via Let's Encrypt), automatic daily updates, reinforced DDoS protection, a dual web hosting firewall, brute-force defense, virus scanning, server hardening and 24/7 security monitoring. Its other web hosting features include free RAID 10 storage, free site transfer, SSD, Anycast DNS, Softaculous, cPanel, and unlimited storage and transfer. It is optimized to support plugins and integrations like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento and OpenCart.\r\n\r\nIn addition to great web hosting features and security, A2 Hosting provides exceptional customer support. It is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A rating. A2 Hosting offers customer support via live chat, phone and ticketing. It has a wealth of online resources for consumer use, including a newsletter, how-to guides, tutorials and FAQs separated by category. A2 Hosting was the only web hosting company we found that offers an anytime money-back guarantee. If you cancel your account within the first 30 days, you receive a full refund. If you cancel your account after the first 30 days, you receive a prorated refund on your unused service.","descriptionTest":"","fullTitle":"Most Secure Web Hosting Service","isFeaturedBestPick":false,"isJumpLink":true,"tabTitle":"Most Secure Web Hosting Service","review":{"displayName":"A2 Hosting","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/reviews/a2-web-hosting/","id":"52468d28620fe4823388971dc1b463c9","url":"https://www.a2hosting.com/","review":{"pros":["A2 Hosting offers popular content management systems, such as WordPress and Joomla, as well as e-commerce platforms.","A2 Hosting's web hosting options include reseller hosting and dedicated server hosting."],"cons":["Its dedicated-server pricing tier starts at $99.59."],"fullReviewTest":"A2 Hosting provides a wide range of hosting services for small businesses. It offers shared, VPS, WordPress, reseller, cloud and dedicated hosting. Each type of hosting comes in multiple plans, so you can find the right plan to meet your business's web hosting needs. The company's services are both robust and comparable with industry standards, especially its security offerings. A2 Hosting offers essential security measures – like network monitoring, SSL certificates and malware protection – as well as advanced measures, like reinforced DDoS protection. A2 Hosting is our choice for the most secure web hosting service.
\r\nA2 Hosting is very transparent in its terms of the agreement. If you are interested in testing out a web hosting plan risk-free, A2 is a good option because it provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for a full refund, as well as an anytime money-back guarantee that may warrant you a partial refund, depending on your agreement. The web hosting provider also has a good online reputation and positive online reviews. It is accredited by the BBB and has an A+ rating.
\r\nIn addition to domain registration, A2 provides shared, VPS, WordPress, cloud, dedicated server and reseller hosting plans. Each type of web hosting varies in pricing, features and usage. The type of plan you choose will depend on your business size, budget and needed features.
\r\nVPS and dedicated hosting are great ways to have your own distinct service instead of sharing servers with other A2 customers. They provide faster, more reliable services, but they are typically necessary only for large corporations with high-traffic websites.
\r\nReseller hosting is ideal for providing your own customers with web hosting capabilities if you're running a web hosting reseller business. Managed WordPress hosting, like shared hosting, is a good choice for small businesses. However, it is more expensive and benefits those who need a little more help with managing their site and require less personalization. Shared web hosting plans are the most cost-effective option for small business owners.
\r\nA2 Hosting has four shared hosting plans: Startup, Drive, Turbo Boost and Turbo Max.
\r\nA2 Hosting's shared hosting plans include a wide range of services and features that make it ideal for small businesses. It may be helpful to view a full breakdown of the features to compare the shared plans, but the company's offerings match up with those of other web hosting companies. One category where A2 Hosting stands out is security, as the company offers a suite of security services on each of its plans.
\r\nA2, like many of the companies we reviewed, offers unlimited storage to its users on three of its plans. However, in this case, \"unlimited\" means a level of usage \"defined by our experience with similarly situated customers,\" according to A2's terms of service. If you go over your allotted usage, you'll likely receive a warning or could even have your service suspended until your usage goes back down. A2's offering is consistent with those of many other services we looked at and should support most businesses' needs.
\r\nA2 Hosting provides its customers with secure hosting options. Its shared hosting plans, along with many other plans, have access to 24/7 network monitoring, SSL certificates and free HackScan malware protection. A2 also provides KernelCare rebootless updates, a dual firewall, brute-force defense and reinforced DDoS protection. These measures, along with A2's security tools, help to keep your website secure at all times. Some plans even have the option for Server Rewind backups and offsite backups. A2 Hosting offers access to a priority support team in case you have any questions about your site security.
\r\nA2 provides a wide range of preinstalled apps, including WordPress. You can monitor and control your site with the latest version of cPanel. Because cPanel is so common, you should have an easy user experience and won't have to struggle with learning a unique, custom control panel. You'll also have access to Softaculous, which provides you with one-click access to Joomla, Drupal, CubeCart, b2evolution, phpBB and SMF. Other e-commerce site features – like Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop and AbanteCart – are also available.
\r\nA2 Hosting, like most hosting companies we reviewed, says its customers enjoy 99.9% uptime. However, the company doesn't provide a lot of detail on credits or deals should it fall short of this promise. A2's terms of service say the company will schedule periodic downtime for maintenance. In these instances, the company will warn you about the impending downtime.
\r\nA2 Hosting is an accredited member of the BBB, with an A+ rating.
\r\nWe contacted A2 Hosting's customer support team via live chat to test the company's customer service capabilities. We were almost immediately paired with support agents who were knowledgeable and courteous. They provided follow-up links as further resources related to our questions. They even sent chat transcripts at the end of the service for future reference. Based on our research, A2 Hosting has very helpful customer service.
\r\nA2's money-back guarantee is a little more complex than other companies'. While you can technically get a refund at any time in your service, you are most likely to get a full refund during the first 30 days. While you may still be entitled to a partial refund after 30 days, other web hosting providers offer longer money-back guarantee periods of 45 or even 90 days.
","fullReview":"A2 Hosting provides a wide range of hosting services for small businesses. It offers shared, virtual private server, WordPress, reseller, cloud and dedicated hosting. Each type of hosting comes in multiple plans so you can find the right plan to meet your business's web hosting needs. Its services are both robust and on par with industry standards, especially its security. It offers essential security measures like network monitoring, SSL certificates and malware protection, as well as advanced measures like reinforced DDoS protection. A2 Hosting is our choice for the most secure web hosting service in 2019.
\r\nView all of our recommendations for web hosting services on our best picks page.
\r\nA2 Hosting is very transparent in its terms of agreement. If you are interested in testing out a web hosting plan risk-free, A2 provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for a full refund, as well as an anytime money-back guarantee that may warrant you a partial refund, depending on your agreement. The risk-free trial period is a draw for companies looking to learn more about what it's like to work with A2. The web hosting provider also has a good online reputation and positive online reviews. It is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and has an A rating.
\r\nIn addition to domain registration, A2 provides shared, VPS, WordPress, cloud, dedicated servers and reseller hosting plans. Each type of web hosting varies in pricing, features and usage. The type of plan you choose will depend on your business size, budget and needed features.
\r\nVPS and dedicated hosting are great ways to have your own distinct service instead of sharing servers with other A2 customers. They provide faster, more reliable services, but they are typically only necessary for large corporations with high-traffic websites.
\r\nReseller hosting is ideal for providing your own customers with web hosting capabilities, if you're running a web hosting reseller business. Managed WordPress hosting, like shared hosting, is a good choice for small businesses; however, it is more expensive and benefits those who need a little more help with managing their site and require less personalization. Shared web hosting plans are the most cost-effective option for small business owners.
\r\nA2 Hosting breaks down its shared hosting plans into three types: Lite, Swift and Turbo.
The Lite plan typically starts at $7.99 per month, the Swift plan at $9.99 per month, and the Turbo plan at $18.99 per month. However, at the time of our review, all of the plans were on sale for 51% off. These costs may vary based on what services are included and how long your contract is. A2 offers terms up to three years. The longer the plan you sign up for, the cheaper the monthly rate.
The web hosting industry is competitive, causing many companies to offer discounts to first-time customers. This promotional pricing is usually only good for the first billing cycle or first year and then charged at the standard rate. Depending on what agreement is reached, make sure you have a clear idea of what the per-month pricing will be through your entire contract. Ask about renewal terms and any fees associated with them. It's important to review all of this information before you sign up.
\r\nA2 is one of the few companies we looked at that extends most of its services across all three plans. Some companies reserve the best services for the highest-paying customers, but A2 provides business owners with solid services regardless of what plan they sign up for. The main difference is speed – the Turbo plan includes some boosts that will make your site faster than the other plans.
\r\nThere are no additional fees for canceling your service, but you may be required to pay out the rest of your agreement. If you cancel within the first 30 days, you'll receive a full refund. If you cancel after the allotted 30 days, you may receive a prorated refund rounded up to the next full month you have left on your contract. Refunds are not offered on partial months of service.
\r\nThe amount of money you're refunded will depend largely on your own situation and your agreement with A2. If you received a free domain as part of a promotion, you will be required to pay A2 Hosting a $14.95 fee upon cancellation, and you will retain your domain registration.
\r\nThese prices and terms apply to shared web hosting, but A2 also provides managed WordPress, VPS, dedicated and reseller hosting. Plans for each of these types of service vary in cost. For instance, dedicated and VPS hosting will likely be more expensive than shared and WordPress hosting. The more expensive services are better for larger businesses that need their own dedicated servers to support high traffic volumes.
\r\nA2 Hosting's shared hosting plans include a wide range of services and features that make it ideal for small businesses. It may be helpful to view a full breakdown of the features to compare each shared plan, but the overall offering matches up with other web hosting companies. One category A2 Hosting shines in is security, offering a suite of security services on each of its plans.
\r\nStorage and Bandwidth: A2, like many of the companies we reviewed, offers unlimited storage to its users. This extends to all three plans. However, \"unlimited\" in this case means a level of usage \"defined by our experience with similarly situated customers,\" according to A2's terms of service. If you go over your allotted usage, you'll likely receive a warning or could even have your service suspended until your usage goes back down. A2's offering is consistent with many other services we looked at and should support most business's needs.
\r\nSecurity: A2 Hosting provides its customers with secure hosting options. Its shared hosting plans, along with many other plans, have access to 24/7 network monitoring, SSL certifications and free HackScan malware protection. They also provide KernelCare rebootless updates, a dual firewall, brute-force defense and reinforced DDoS protection. These measures, along with A2's Patchman-enhanced security tools, help to keep your website safe and secure at all times. Some plans even have the option for Server Rewind backups and offsite backups. A2 Hosting offers access to a priority support team, should you have any questions about your site security.
\r\nPre-installed Apps and Integrations: A2 provides a wide range of pre-installed apps, including WordPress. You can monitor and control your site with the latest version of cPanel. Since cPanel is such a commonly used control panel, you are ensured an easy user experience and won't have to struggle with learning a unique, custom control panel. You'll also have access to Softaculous, which provides you with one-click access to Joomla, Drupal, CubeCart, B2evolution, phpBB and SMF. Other e-commerce site features are also available, like Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop and AbanteCart.
\r\nDomain Transfer: Site migration and transferring your domain to an A2 plan is easy, as long as you have your Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) code from your current registration company. In most cases, A2 Hosting can migrate an existing domain to its services for free. Any migration fees it charges are nonrefundable.
\r\nReported Uptime: A2 Hosting, like most hosting companies we reviewed, says its customers enjoy 99.9% uptime; however, it doesn't provide a lot of detail on credits or deals should it fall short of this promise. Its terms of service say that the company will schedule periodic downtime for maintenance. In these instances, the company will warn you about the impending downtime.
\r\nA2 Hosting is an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau with an A rating. The company has an overwhelming number of positive online reviews and testimonials, and there have only been 26 customer complaints against it on the BBB website over the past three years. A2 Hosting had one of the best BBB pages of any company we reviewed.
\r\nWe contacted A2 Hosting's customer support team via live chat to speak with representatives and test their customer service capabilities. We were almost immediately paired with support agents who were knowledgeable and courteous. They provided follow-up links as further resources to our questions. They even sent chat transcripts at the end of the service for future reference. Based on our research, A2 Hosting has very helpful customer service.
\r\nA2's money-back guarantee is a little more complex than other companies'. While you can technically get a refund at any time in your service, the first 30 days is the period where you will most likely get a full refund. While you may still be entitled to a partial refund down the road, other web hosting providers offer longer money-back guarantee periods, sometimes 45 or even 90 days.
"},"pricing":{"isCapped":false,"isFeatured":false,"primary":true,"selected":"affiliate","widgetId":null,"widget":null,"affiliate":{"cta":"Visit Site","link":"https://businesscom.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=691&aff_id=1000&source=web-hosting&aff_sub4=revenue|Not-Monetized&aff_sub3=deal|no&url_id=1","name":"Affiliate Program Low Volume"}},"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5a95c2c751ee47436c8b456b/A2-Hosting.png"}}}]},{"__typename":"SectionWidget","id":"get-a-quote","isInToc":false,"type":"widget","title":"Find the Right Web Hosting Service for Your Business","widget":{"widgetId":"10115"}},{"__typename":"SectionOurApproach","id":null,"isInToc":false,"type":"ourapproach","isActive":null,"ourapproach":{"isClonable":false,"servicesConsidered":"52","servicesTested":"25","servicesSelected":"5","linkText":"How we evaluate products and services","linkUrl":"mailto:editor@business.com"}},{"__typename":"SectionContainer","id":"compare-our-best-picks","isInToc":true,"type":"container","title":"Compare Our Best Picks","container":{"isBuyingGuide":false,"html":"| \r\n | InMotion Hosting | \r\nA2 Hosting | \r\nBluehost | \r\nDreamHost | \r\n
| Security | \r\nFree SSL certificate, premium malware and hack protection. | \r\nFree SSL certificate, free automatic backups, free malware protection | \r\nFree SSL certificate, two spam experts, domain privacy and protection, site backup, free for hosting term, dedicated IP | \r\nFree SSL, malware and hack protection, DDoS protection, automatic backups | \r\n
| Customer support options | \r\nPhone, email, Skype | \r\nPhone, live chat, ticket submission | \r\nPhone, email, live chat | \r\nDiscussion forum, live chat, ticket submission | \r\n
| 30-day money-back guarantee | \r\n90-day money-back guarantee | \r\n30-day money-back guarantee | \r\n30-day money-back guarantee | \r\n\r\n 97-day money-back guarantee \r\n | \r\n
| PCI compliance | \r\nNo | \r\nNo, but you can use a third-party shopping cart API (application programming interface) on your site to ensure PCI compliance | \r\nYes; PCI compliance on all accounts for A and B compliance | \r\nYes | \r\n
Web hosting prices vary widely by company and type of hosting. Shared hosting plans can range from just a few dollars a month to around $30 per month. Our research showed that, in the web hosting industry, as with most other things, you get what you pay for. If you need to host a small blog or website, the low-cost hosting plans may be your best option. If you're looking for a host that can support higher volumes, faster load times, more disk space storage and extensive features, expect to pay a higher monthly rate. VPS hosting and dedicated servers are typically more expensive than shared, WordPress or, in some cases, cloud hosting.
\r\nExcept where otherwise indicated, our reviews focus on shared hosting plans. Shared hosting plans are the most common choices for small and midsize businesses that are looking for reliable, cost-effective hosting. We also found that managed WordPress hosting and cloud hosting services are desirable for some midsize businesses, so we reviewed their plans and pricing as separate use cases.
\r\nWeb hosting services typically charge monthly or annually, requiring all annual fees upfront. The longest web host contract length requirement we found was three years. As with many other business services, the longer you commit, the lower your monthly price.
\r\nThe best hosting services provide 30- to 90-day money-back guarantees. If you cancel your plan within this time frame, you'll receive a refund. However, some companies deduct certain fees for services such as domain registration. If you cancel your account after this allotted time, you likely won't receive a refund. A few companies we researched even charge an early cancellation fee.
\r\nOther common add-ons with extra fees include additional email accounts, multiple websites and domain registration. Although many companies provide you with a free domain name for the first year, it usually costs around $15 per year after that. Be wary of web hosting services that advertise features such as unlimited bandwidth or storage, as they sometimes have slower network load times or overage fees if you exceed the typical usage they expect. When you compare bandwidth and storage options, try to find a web hosting service that offers \"unmetered\" instead of \"unlimited.\"
\r\nMany web hosting providers' checkout pages also advertise add-ons and integrations for enhanced performance or additional security.
\n"}},{"__typename":"SectionBuyingGuide","id":"negotiation-tips","isInToc":true,"type":"buying-guide","title":"Buying Guide","containers":[{"title":"Negotiation Tips ","html":"\nWhen you're looking for a web hosting provider, you should evaluate some important conditions before signing up. Most of the companies we reviewed are transparent about their service offerings, but there may be some fees or other aspects of their services that are hidden or unclear. We found that it's important to ask questions about additional fees, future pricing, and the level of storage and bandwidth provided.
\r\nEvery company we reviewed claims to offer unlimited services of some kind, usually storage and bandwidth. The web hosting industry is competitive, so companies use this language to attract new customers. However, \"unlimited\" never means infinite. Instead, each company has a predefined range of storage and bandwidth based on your plan. If you use more than your allotted amount, you may be required to upgrade your plan, or the company might suspend your account until you decrease your usage. Each company handles this differently, so it's important to look at the terms of service before signing up.
\r\nIt's also a good idea to ask each company's sales team about their defined range and their process for handling customers who go over their predefined amount. If they try to convince you it's truly unlimited or wide enough for all businesses to operate comfortably within the range, press them for definitive answers. It's important to be clear on what you're paying for and what you're getting as a small business owner.
\r\nAnother tactic many web hosting providers use is listing promotional pricing on their website. They often depict the current prices as slashed amounts – sometimes up to 50% off. Usually, this promotional pricing is conditional. For example, some companies give you this rate only if you commit to a three-year contract, and others provide you with the promotional deal only for the first year.
\r\nIt's important to understand that at some point, your web hosting provider is going to raise your prices. Ask the sales team when this will occur; it could be after the first month or year, or it might be the next time you try to renew your contract. If you're content with your services, it may be worth it to pay the higher rates or attempt to negotiate pricing. If you're not satisfied, however, it's a good idea to have an exit plan in place.
\r\nAs with any service offering, there are always fees. We analyzed each company's protocol for domain registration fees. Many companies provide a free domain name for an allotted time – generally one year. After this time, you will be charged an annual fee to keep your domain name registered to your business. If you cancel your services at any point (even during the money-back guarantee period), many companies will keep a fee for domain registration, even if they offered the domain name to you for free. It's a good idea to ask the company's sales team about domain fees, setup fees, early cancellation fees and any other additional fees.
\r\nMany providers automatically renew your service at the end of your contract term. You may need to provide written notice 30 days in advance to cancel your service at the end of your contract term. The renewal process is usually outlined in your terms of service, but you can also talk to a sales representative to clarify the terms of your contract.
\n"},{"title":"Types of Web Hosting","html":"\nThere are several types of web hosting. In our reviews, we analyzed shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting and cloud hosting, as they are the most common types of web hosting services for small businesses. Businesses with greater budgets and higher traffic volumes may opt for dedicated server hosting or VPS hosting.
\r\nShared hosting is ideal for small and midsize businesses, as it provides all of the necessary functions of a web host at a low cost. With this plan type, you share a server and resources with other websites, which can sometimes result in downtime or a lower-quality user experience if there are extreme traffic spikes.
\r\nWith managed hosting, the host provider manages the operating systems, applications and hardware. Although there are many types of managed hosting plans, a major one is managed WordPress hosting because of its extensive features and usability.
\r\nCloud hosting is increasing in popularity, as it includes many of the same functions as shared hosting and spares you from maintaining an in-house server. It houses your information across the web, increasing reliability and uptime. Cloud hosting is one of the most scalable options, which is ideal for small businesses.
\r\nDedicated server hosting is the most private and secure web hosting option. You are provided an individual server exclusively for your network, which gives you full control over how it operates. Although this has many advantages, it is the most expensive web hosting option and is typically necessary only for large companies with extremely high traffic.
\r\nVPS hosting allots you dedicated server space on a shared server network. VPS hosting cannot support as much volume as dedicated server hosting, but it is more cost-effective and better for users who need technical assistance.
\r\nThe primary difference among the hosting types is how the servers are maintained. For example, you can elect to have the company manage and maintain your servers, or you can choose plans with unmanaged servers. The type of hosting solution you require will depend on your business's needs.
\n"},{"title":"Web Hosting Frequently Asked Questions","html":"\nStill have questions about web hosting? We've answered some of the most common queries below.
\r\nAlthough we reviewed paid services, there are also some free web hosting services. These companies provide businesses and individuals with a web builder and a no-cost hosting service. Some free hosting companies are Wix, WordPress, Weebly and 000Webhost.
\r\nAside from the cost, the main difference between paid and free web hosting is the level of service and features you receive. While there may be some security and integration features in free web hosting platforms, they aren't as robust as those from paid services. Free services are suited primarily to individual use, as opposed to business use. However, if you are launching a small business with a tight web hosting budget, it may be a good idea to start with a free web hosting service and eventually transition to a paid plan.
\r\nChoosing the right web host is a complicated process, but you can filter your options based on your individual needs. Start by identifying the type of web hosting your business requires – shared, managed, cloud, dedicated server or VPS. Create a list of top-rated companies that offer that type of web hosting.
\r\nFrom there, you can narrow down web hosting providers based on their services. Decide which features are top priorities for you. Is security the most important? Are third-party integrations essential? Do you need 24/7 hands-on customer service? Are you working with a very limited web hosting budget?
\r\nEach provider offers a unique combination of features, so once you decide which are the most important to you, you can narrow your options to a select few. Read reviews for each web host, and consider making customer service calls to test the support and ask additional questions.
\r\nCloud hosting is a newer form of web hosting that's rising in popularity. Although it may have lower security measures than dedicated servers, it has a lot of advantages. Having your website hosted in the cloud eliminates the need for an in-house server because your information is stored across multiple servers across the web. Having your information on multiple servers can increase reliability and uptime, since you are not confined to a single server that could occasionally malfunction.
\r\nIn addition, because cloud hosting doesn't use an in-house server, it is very scalable, making it ideal for growing businesses that need to upgrade or downgrade their storage or bandwidth. It is a reasonably affordable method of web hosting, so it is even a viable option for small businesses with a low web hosting budget.
\n"},{"title":"Community Expert Insight","html":"\nWhen searching for the best web hosting system for your company, you need to consider many variables. Gilad Rom, founder and CEO of Huan, said DreamHost is his favorite system. As an e-commerce business owner, he looks for fast and reliable SSD storage and an encrypted SSL certificate to keep consumers' private information secure. \"DreamHost has good all-round performance, with strong uptime rates and quick loading times,\" Rom told business.com. \"They have no limits on bandwidth, emails or MySQL databases.\"
\r\nDan Bailey, president of Wikilawn, said he appreciates Blue Host for its performance. However, he found that it lacked some key features and integrations.
\r\n\"You have to install some things yourself using FTP rather than cPanel,\" he said. \"But if you're building your business site with WordPress (which I recommend), Bluehost has everything you need already built into it. You can set it up in literal seconds.\"
\r\nChristina Kumar, an entrepreneur, said Shopify is the best web hosting system for her. Although she's used other programs – like Bluehost, WordPress and GoDaddy – she loves Shopify's ease of use.
\r\n\"Shopify wins with their impeccable customer service, price consistency and app availability,\" she said. \"Shopify has been reliable and trustworthy as well as user-friendly.\"
\r\nDeb Banerjee, owner of East 2 West Supply, also uses Shopify, for similar reasons. It allows her to open her new store with SEO-enabled features and use analytics tools with live reports and live view. It is also inexpensive while still offering a great range of quality features. She said Shopify provides the marketing tools she needs to run an e-commerce store and its free email marketing is extremely helpful.
\n"}]},{"__typename":"SectionContainer","id":"our-methodology","isInToc":true,"type":"container","title":"Our Methodology","container":{"isBuyingGuide":false,"html":"\nTo find the best web hosting services for small businesses, we started by compiling a master list of the major web hosting companies. We looked at other news and review sites, considered our past vendor lists, investigated companies that requested to be reviewed and researched other hosting companies. Based on that research, we established a list of more than 40 web hosting providers to review.
\r\nThen, we narrowed down the list based on different use cases and the criteria listed below. In our research, we considered each company's website experience, whether the company was based in the U.S. and whether it was geared toward small businesses. We studied user reviews and compared services and prices. We also took a deeper look at the customer service and sales support by posing as small business owners when we contacted service representatives. Our research included reaching out by both phone and live chat, and this experience gave us insight into how knowledgeable and helpful each company's support team is.
\r\nAfter evaluating each web hosting provider, we narrowed down our list to five best picks: InMotion Hosting, A2 Hosting, Bluehost and DreamHost.
\r\nAs competition for customers in the web hosting industry heats up, hosting companies will continue to build offerings with enhanced features. This means better security, faster load times and greater storage capacity. Here are some important trends to look out for in 2021:
\r\nIncreased demand for affordable web hosting has led to a rise in the number of hosting companies, and this increased competition has caused competitors to offer promotional pricing and highly discounted rates. However, it is important to remember that you get what you pay for. Most discounts are contingent on a specific contract length, and many low-cost hosting plans have limited features. Read the fine print before signing any agreements to ensure you know exactly what you're getting.
\r\nCybersecurity is a major concern for small businesses, so web hosting companies often offer built-in security features. With the emergence of General Data Protection Regulation laws in Europe, web hosting companies will have to continue to build protections for the sensitive information they handle. It's important to work with a web hosting company that has extensive security measures.
\r\nMany web hosting companies now opt for solid-state drives for better server performance. Like enhanced security features, this upgrade is likely intended to entice more customers.
\r\nAdditional reporting by Skye Schooley. Some source interviews may have been conducted for a previous version of this article.
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