A monthly hosting fee is the recurring charge you pay to keep your website stored on a server and available to visitors 24/7, and it usually includes the hosting platform plus a set of reliability, security, and support features based on the plan you choose.
At the most basic level, hosting covers server space (where your site files and database live), network bandwidth (how your pages get delivered), and access to a control panel or dashboard. Better plans add performance features that matter for small businesses in Orlando, like caching, a CDN, and monitoring so you find out fast if the site goes down during a busy weekend or after a sudden traffic spike from ads or local news.
What a hosting fee usually includes
- Server resources: storage, CPU, and memory (how much your site can handle at once)
- SSL certificate (HTTPS): encryption so visitors see the padlock
- Backups: automated backups and a way to restore (frequency and retention vary a lot)
- Security basics: firewall rules, malware scanning, and account protection (plan-dependent)
- Updates: at minimum the server stack (PHP, database, OS); in managed WordPress hosting, often WordPress core updates too
- Support: help when something breaks (hours and response time vary)
If you want hosting where our team actively monitors, patches, and supports a WordPress site, our WordPress hosting is built for business owners who do not want to babysit servers.
What is often not included
This is where many “cheap hosting” surprises happen. Hosting is not the same as website management. Many plans do not include content edits, new pages, design changes, tracking setup, SEO work, premium plugin licenses, email deliverability help, or hands-on cleanup after a hack. Some hosts also charge extra for one-click restores, staging sites, advanced security, or higher traffic limits.
| Plan type | What the monthly fee usually covers | What often costs extra | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic shared hosting | Server space, basic SSL, limited support | Restores, performance tuning, security add-ons | Very small brochure sites with low traffic |
| Managed WordPress hosting | WordPress-tuned performance, backups, monitoring, stronger security | Dev work, plugin work, content changes | Most local service businesses and practices |
| VPS or cloud hosting | Dedicated resources, more control, higher capacity | Server administration and hardening | High-traffic sites, complex plugins, custom apps |
| Hosting plus care plan | Hosting plus routine updates, monitoring, and support | Major rebuilds, new feature builds | Owners who want one accountable team |
If you are chasing speed and better lead flow, it helps to understand why hosting is only one part of performance, our FAQ on what causes a website to load slowly breaks down the usual culprits we see.
Before you pay any monthly hosting fee, ask two simple questions: “How do backups work, and how do restores work?” and “What happens if the site gets compromised?” If you take online payments, your checkout setup must follow PCI DSS expectations, and hosting alone does not cover that entire responsibility chain.
If you are rebuilding the site at the same time, pairing hosting with solid build work prevents a lot of recurring headaches, and our web design services are built around clean structure, fast load times, and calls that turn into booked appointments.
One last note: HTTPS is table stakes for trust and browsers, and it can affect crawl and user confidence, our FAQ on whether HTTPS affects SEO explains what it changes and what it does not.
