Hosting questions, answered plainly
Plain-English answers to the hosting questions people actually ask, written by the dijitul team. We have been running websites for UK businesses since 2006.
Hosting an old websiteThe best host for an old website is one that will keep older PHP versions running safely, move the site for you and fix …Old PHP being removedWhen a host removes an old PHP version, check which version your site uses, take a full backup, then test it on a newer …Moving host without downtimeTo move a website without downtime, copy the site to the new host while the old one stays live, test it, lower your DNS …Developer disappearedIf your web developer has disappeared, secure the domain name first, then the hosting, then the website files and databa…Transferring a .co.ukTo transfer a .co.uk domain, ask your current registrar to change the IPS tag to the tag of your new registrar. There is…Cloudflare DNS explainedCloudflare DNS is a fast, free DNS service that tells the internet where your website and email live, with optional secu…Managed vs unmanagedWith managed hosting, the host looks after the server for you: updates, security, backups and monitoring. With unmanaged…What is Plesk?Plesk is a web-based control panel for managing websites, domains, email, databases and SSL on a server, without using t…Small business hosting costA UK small business should judge hosting on the total yearly cost, including backups, SSL, domain, migration and support…Is cheap hosting worth it?Cheap web hosting is fine for hobby sites and test projects, but for a business website it often costs more over time th…What hosting should includeGood web hosting should include server space, daily backups with a clear retention period, free SSL, DNS management, sec…How often to back upMost business websites should be backed up at least daily, with backups kept for at least two weeks and a copy stored aw…SPF, DKIM and DMARCSet up SPF, DKIM and DMARC by adding three TXT records to your domain's DNS: SPF lists who can send your email, DKIM add…Why a website is slowMost slow websites are caused by large images, too many plugins, an old PHP version, no caching, a slow database, or ove…Do I need a dedicated server?Most small business websites do not need a dedicated server. You may need one for very high traffic, large databases, st…Hosting an AI appWhere to host an AI app depends on whether it calls a hosted model API or runs its own model. API-based chatbots and too…Choosing a UK web hostChoose a UK web host by checking who supports you, what backups and security are included, which PHP versions run your s…When a domain expiresWhen a domain name expires, your website and email usually stop working within days. There is normally a grace period to…Who hosts a website?To check who hosts a website, look up its IP address and DNS records, then find who owns that IP. A WHOIS search shows t…Best ecommerce hostingThe best hosting for a UK online shop is managed hosting that supports your shop software's PHP version, includes daily …Website hackedIf your website has been hacked, put it into maintenance mode, change every password, restore a clean backup from before…Do I need UK hosting?No law says a UK business website must be hosted in the UK, but hosting close to your visitors helps speed, and knowing …Not secure warningBrowsers show 'Not secure' when a page loads over plain HTTP, the SSL certificate is missing or expired, or the page pul…Emails going to spamBusiness emails usually land in spam because the domain is missing SPF, DKIM or DMARC records, the website sends mail it…Point domain to new hostTo point a domain to a new host, either change its nameservers at your registrar or update its A and AAAA records to the…Check domain ownershipCheck who owns a domain with a WHOIS lookup (Nominet for .uk, ICANN Lookup for .com), then confirm the registrant name i…Rebuild or keep old siteKeep an old website running if it still brings in work, can be made secure and does not need big changes. Rebuild when i…Hosting renewal price riseIf your hosting renewal price has jumped, check what the plan includes, ask your host for a better rate, then compare th…What is DNS?DNS, the Domain Name System, is the internet's address book: it turns a name like example.co.uk into the server address …GDPR and web hostingHosting is not GDPR compliant on its own: you, as controller, must use a host that acts as a processor under a written d…
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