You don’t need an expensive hosting for a fast website (self-interview)

Is your site slow and are you considering upgrading to more expensive hosting? This interview may change your mind. Maybe you don’t want to buy something you don’t really need.

Let’s go straight to the point, can you prove what you say?
Check this PageSpeed Insights test.

That means you’re cheating. You’re using an expensive hosting, admit it!
$1.45 per month is not that expensive.

So why does this site load so fast?
Because it is well optimized and served by Cloudflare, we have an article on this topic.

So… if a site is not well optimized, an expensive hosting makes it faster, right?
In the same way buying a Ferrari makes you drive faster if you don’t even have a license.

I prefer Lamborghini. Speaking of money, how much do you pay for Cloudflare’s service?
Zero, we’re on free tier.

The only free cheese is in the mousetrap, don’t you know?
You’re right, indeed Cloudflare offers paid services that may be useful to us.

Now I got it, you’re affiliated with Cloudflare!
Cloudflare doesn’t have any affiliation program.

I’m quite confused. Why do many bloggers have a “better hosting” on top of their suggestions list to make any website faster?
Mainly for two valid reasons:
– They think that’s a good suggestion
– They advise services to earn money

And what’s your “valid reason”?
On Google’s developers blog there is a list of techniques for improving site performance. As you can see “hosting” is not mentioned, while CDN is. We’re just remarking it without telling something new.

Anyway, an expensive hosting makes me think of it as more reliable than a cheap one.
Good point, that peace of mind has no price.

Do you mean the need for an expensive web hosting is just a state of mind?
Sometimes it is a well-founded need, more often it is induced by marketing and the false belief that expensive hosting is the best way to have a fast site.

When do I really need expensive hosting?
You need expensive hosting if the content of your site is “dynamic”, for example an ecommerce. In this case some elements of the pages must be generated at every single visit, so there is a need for adequate hardware resources. You may need 24/7 support or advanced security features. These are things only a good hosting can provide. There is no certainty that expensive hosting is good hosting, but that is not the subject of your question.

When do I NOT need expensive hosting?
You don’t need expensive hosting if you don’t need 24/7 support and your site’s content is “static”. It means that the same things are shown to every visitor using the cache. In this case, it is best if you are using Cloudflare. Cloudflare dramatically improves the loading speed of in many ways. It also “replicates” your site on hundreds of servers around the world, reducing the distance between the visitors and your site. No hosting can serve your website faster than Cloudflare, except in rare, geographically limited cases.

If the content of my site is static, can I do without hosting and use only Cloudflare?
No. Hosting is required to create and update your content (for example with WordPress), which is then automatically transferred to Cloudflare’s network to be optimized and served to visitors.

How do hosting companies compete with Cloudflare?
The best hosting companies use Cloudflare’s network to serve their clients’ sites to visitors. The worst retreat into their shells and rely on marketing and affiliations to attract unknowing customers.

The content on my site is static and I’m expert enough, what is the best solution?
Use decent hosting and serve your site with Cloudflare, it’s easy. A suitable shared hosting costs about 5 USD per month. Do your research by focusing on the reputation and quality of the support they offer rather than the hardware characteristics of their servers.

Can you suggest hosting?
The one we currently use can be found in the article with our setup, but it is not a suggestion.

Is having fast sex as important as having a fast site?
Yes, if you’re a busy woman like me.

Feel free to contact us to report any errors, make suggestions or just to say hello. We are also available for consultations.

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