Web Hosting in Billings, MT: What You Are Actually Paying For

A lot of Billings business owners pay a hosting bill every month and have no idea what it buys. That is not their fault. Hosting gets explained in jargon. Here is the plain version.

What hosting is

Your website is a set of files. Hosting is the computer that keeps those files online and sends them to anyone who visits. No hosting, no website.

Hosting vs. hosting and care

Cheap hosting gives you space on a server and leaves the rest to you. “Hosting and care” means someone is also looking after the site. At Blaze Digital Design our hosting and care plan covers:

• SSL. The padlock in the browser. Without it, browsers warn visitors your site is not secure.
• Backups. If something breaks, the site can be restored.
• Uptime monitoring. If the site goes down, we hear about it, not your customers.
• Updates and ongoing care so the site stays fast after launch.

That is why hosting and care are required with every site we build, including our $500 one-page build.

What goes wrong without it

These are the problems we see most when we take over sites in Billings:

• The domain or SSL expired and nobody noticed until customers said something.
• The site got hacked. Old plugins and unpatched software are an open door. Hacked sites sometimes get spam pages added that show up in Google under your business name.
• Nobody knows the logins. The person who set it up moved on, and the owner cannot get into their own domain.
• It is slow. Bloated themes on cheap shared servers load slowly on phones, and people leave.

Questions to ask any hosting provider

Whoever you use, ask:

1. Do I own my domain, and is it in my name?
2. Is SSL included and does it renew automatically?
3. How often are backups taken, and how fast can you restore one?
4. Who is watching if the site goes down?
5. If I leave, do I get my files?

If you cannot get clear answers, that is your answer.

Switching hosts

If your site is stuck on a platform you do not like, we handle migrations off Wix, WordPress, GoHighLevel, Wild Apricot and others. Domain, DNS, and email cutover are quoted separately. See our services page for the full list.

Talk to a local studio

Blaze Digital Design is a Billings web studio, and we also look after sites for businesses in Laurel, Lockwood, and the rest of Yellowstone County. See pricing for how hosting fits in. Book a free strategy call or call (406) 272-5734 and we will tell you honestly whether your current setup is fine or needs work.