How to Choose Web Hosting (Without Regrets)

Support matters more than specs

The single most important thing about a hosting provider is what happens when something goes wrong. Shared hosting plans are broadly similar in specs — most offer enough storage, bandwidth, and email for a small website. What separates good hosts from bad ones is support.

Before you sign up, check what support channels are available. Live chat, ticket systems, and phone support are the three most common. Look for hosts that offer support during your business hours — a provider with 24/7 chat that gives scripted responses is less useful than one with business-hours support that actually solves problems.

If the host serves your region, check whether their support team operates in your timezone. In South Africa, this means SAST (UTC+2). In Nigeria, WAT (UTC+1). A host based in the US may take hours to respond while you are awake.

Pricing traps to watch for

Hosting pricing is designed to confuse you. The number on the homepage is almost never the number you will pay long-term. Here are the three most common traps.

Sign-up vs renewal pricing. Many hosts advertise a low introductory rate — sometimes 50-65% off — that jumps significantly when your plan renews. In Nigeria, for example, some hosts advertise shared hosting from around ₦875/month, but the renewal rate is closer to ₦2,500/month. Always check what the plan costs after the first term.

Multi-year lock-in. The cheapest price often requires paying two or three years upfront. If you are trying a host for the first time, consider a monthly or annual plan even if it costs more per month. You can always switch to a longer term once you are happy.

"Unlimited" claims. No hosting plan is truly unlimited. Providers that advertise unlimited storage or bandwidth have fair-use policies buried in their terms. If your site grows beyond what their shared server can handle, they will ask you to upgrade. This is not a scam — it is how shared hosting works — but it is worth understanding upfront.

Backups: included or extra?

Automated backups should be a basic feature, but not every host includes them for free. Before you commit, find out three things: are backups included in your plan, how often do they run, and can you restore them yourself without contacting support?

Daily backups with a self-service restore option are ideal. Weekly backups are acceptable for most small sites. No backups at all — or backups only available as a paid add-on — is a red flag.

Even with host-managed backups, it is good practice to keep your own copy. Most control panels (cPanel, DirectAdmin, Plesk) let you download a full site backup in a few clicks.

SSL certificates: non-negotiable

An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your website and your visitors. Without one, browsers will show a "Not Secure" warning next to your URL — which is enough to scare off most visitors.

In 2026, free SSL certificates (usually via Let's Encrypt) should be standard. Most reputable hosts include them at no extra charge. If a host charges for basic SSL, treat that as a pricing red flag rather than a premium feature.

Check whether SSL is automatically applied to new domains or whether you need to install it manually. The less you have to think about SSL, the better.

Email hosting: bundled or separate?

If you need a professional email address (like info@yourbusiness.com), check whether the hosting plan includes email. Most shared hosting plans in South Africa and Nigeria bundle email — but the number of mailboxes, storage limits, and sending caps vary widely.

For a small business with a few staff members, bundled email is usually sufficient. If you need advanced features like shared calendars, large mailboxes, or compliance tools, you may want a dedicated email service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 instead.

One thing to note: bundled hosting email and your website share the same server. If your hosting goes down, your email goes down too. For businesses where email uptime is critical, a separate email provider is worth considering.

WordPress vs static: do you need WordPress hosting?

WordPress powers a huge percentage of websites, but that does not mean everyone needs it. If you are building a simple brochure site with a few pages, a static site or basic website builder might be easier to manage.

If you do need WordPress, most shared hosting plans support it out of the box. You do not necessarily need a plan labelled "WordPress hosting." The main thing to look for is a one-click WordPress installer — available on most cPanel and DirectAdmin hosts — and PHP support, which is universal on shared hosting.

Dedicated WordPress hosting (sometimes called "managed WordPress") adds automatic updates, staging environments, and WordPress-specific caching. It costs more, and it is only worth it if you are running a high-traffic site or do not want to manage updates yourself. For more on this, see our guide to WordPress hosting in Africa.

Your 6-point checklist

Before you commit to a hosting provider, check these six things:

• Support: What channels are available? Are they in your timezone?
• Renewal pricing: What does the plan cost after the introductory period?
• Backups: Are automated backups included? Can you restore them yourself?
• SSL: Is a free SSL certificate included and automatically applied?
• Email: How many mailboxes are included? Are there sending limits?
• WordPress: Do you actually need managed WordPress, or will basic shared hosting work?

If you are ready to choose, see our picks for the best hosting in South Africa or the best hosting in Nigeria. For more detail on specific hosting types, read our guides on WordPress hosting in Africa and shared vs VPS hosting.

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