Top 5 Shared Hosting Tips for Small Indian Businesses in 2025: Expert Insights

Top 5 Shared Hosting Tips for Indian Businesses in 2025

Shared hosting is the most common type of web hosting and makes up about 37.6% of the world market by 2025, and is the most preferred form of hosting amongst SMEs and start-ups in India. The reason to start with shared hosting is that it is cheap, and one does not have to learn a lot about how it works.

Setting up itself may have problems that a small business in India may have, which is interested in establishing credibility and growing sustainably as an organisation. Here, you will find guidelines on how to. You are also going to notice how the smart tool usage, such as the one offered by alternateproduct.com, can lead to a multiplicative effect on your outcomes in this guide.

Shared Hosting Tips for Small Businesses

Tip 1: Choose Indian Data-Centre Hosting to be Faster and SEO-friendly

The Question of Why

It is reported that only 17 per cent of Indian websites are hosted by Google-hosted solutions, whereas 42 per cent of Indian websites are up and running on Apache grounds, locally hosted systems.

There is also Indian data centre hosting (e.g., Ultahost, HeroXhost), which has a faster load time and uptime since the latency is lower.

Real-Life Example

A handicraft-based e-commerce site located in Pune found that the page load time reduced to less than 2s after the move to the Mumbai server when the site was hosted on their internal server. They experienced a 12 per cent increase in conversion rate.

How to Do It

  • When considering shared hosting plans, check for the “India-based” label and the “Mumbai/Delhi data centre” label. 
  • Look for any CDN integration, particularly for Cloudflare and LiteSpeed, to further reduce latency. 
  • Use site speed test tools to measure the before-and-after impact, based on the server location.

Tip 2: Protect Your Site from Day One

Take Security Seriously

Shared hosting puts several websites on one server, enabling cross-site vulnerabilities, especially assuming the host provides proper isolation.

A study from Heroxhost states that if you are on a shared plan for less than ₹250/month, they are still giving free SSL and/or malware scan, which is an absolute minimum.

Community Opinion

In Reddit, an Indian user of WordPress shared: “I had my blog on GoDaddy. It was blacklisted… even though I was careful. I moved my blog to an Indian shared host, added +SSL and firewall, and have never had an issue again”.

Your Security Checklist

  • Check that you receive a free SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt or paid).
  • Verify they auto-scan for malware and auto-backup.
  • Run multiple security scans using tools like Sucuri or SiteGuard occasionally.
  • Update your CMS/plugins/themes every time you have the opportunity.

Tip 3: Optimisation through Caching & Panel Options

Why It Matters

Faster websites keep visitors: a 1-second wait could reduce conversions by 4.4%. 

Most shared hosts (SiteGround, Hostinger, etc.) have caching included—like SuperCacher or LiteSpeed—for quick speed improvements. 

As mentioned on Reddit and Quora, advanced users recommended:

  • Browser caching
  • GZIP compression
  • LiteSpeed/NGINX cache

These options noticeably reduced load speeds—even on content-heavy pages!

Things You Can Do

  • Using plugins such as WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache
  • Using “Enable Cache” in hPanel or “Speed Tools” in cPanel
  • Comparing speed before and after using GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights.

Tip 4: Make Renewals Manageable Know Intro vs Renewal Prices

What The Industry Says

Hostinger has a starting price of $2.99/month (renewal is $11.99) 

Namecheap has a starting price of $1.58 (up to $4.48 after the term)

Real-World Example

A Delhi-based NGO saved ₹6,000/year by realising their current web host was tripling their renewal rates; they switched to Hostinger (who allowed them to switch mid-term), using their 30-day refund policy.

Your Approach

  • Know what the costs are upfront (including renewal).
  • Choose selected plans with a minimum of 24–36 months of discount for pricing stability.
  • Set alerts (on your calendar) ahead of renewal to switch or negotiate.

Tip 5: Utilise Support & Community Inputs

Why Support is Important

Because small businesses often lack internal dedicated IT support, Quora recommends using a host with at least 24/7 local support for quick troubleshooting.

HeroXhost and Ultahost are attentively noted because they have particular India-based email/chat support, which is much closer to home.

Example

A microbrand from Bangalore was attacked by malware late at night. Their support responded in under 15 minutes and restored their website with no financial loss to revenue.

Best practices

  • Before utilising the service, check the live chat response times and ticket response times from the host.
  • Join any subreddit or community on Quora to collect community information and their support experience:
  • Always record support interactions because sometimes the host may honour your service level agreements or SLAs; in that case, recording your interactions can help.

Bonus Tip 

Use the Alternate Product to compare tools. Managing your shared hosting can be a real headache, and trying to optimise associated services, such as SSL service providers, CDN providers, or performance plugins, can be equally exhausting. At alternateproduct.com, we provide one-stop comparisons, ratings and affiliate links all in one location.

For example, when deciding which domain registry or caching plugin is right for your business, alternateproduct will show options based on the cost-benefit for your business in India.

Experiments with economical plugin bundles and hosting toolkits can be explored at alternateproduct.com, based on getting a timely and sensible method for getting your website live.

Discover These Best Shared Hosting Options Listed on the Alternative Product

These are the web hosting companies that are most highly rated worldwide and are recommended for Indian businesses going into 2025: 

DreamHost 

  • Features: Shared, VPS, Dedicated, Cloud, WordPress hosting; Unlimited bandwidth, Free SSL, WP Site Builder. 
  • Details: Beginner-friendly, SSD storage, 97-day money-back guarantee, slow support. 

Pricing: Reach out to us to discuss options for hosting fees. 

Hostinger 

  • Features: Shared, VPS, Cloud, WordPress hosting; Free domain, cPanel, Weekly backups. 
  • Details: Low-cost, Fast loading time, 99.9% uptime, Limited advanced features. 

             Pricing: Check this out for discounted costs on hosting fees. 

SiteGround 

  • Features: Shared, Cloud, WordPress hosting; Free SSL, Daily backups, CDN. 
  • Details: Reliable, Optimised for WordPress, Good support, High renewal pricing. 

Pricing: Reach out to us to have a discussion and build a customised option for other providers. 

Bluehost 

  • Features: Shared, VPS, Dedicated, WordPress hosting; Free domain, Unmetered bandwidth. 
  • Details: Beginner-friendly, WordPress endorsed, Average support, owned by EIG. 

Pricing: Check here for exclusive deals on alternative hosting services. 

LiquidWeb

  • Features: VPS, Dedicated, Cloud, Managed WordPress hosting; High-performance servers, 100% uptime SLA. 
  • Details: Premium, business-focused, Excellent support, High priced. 

Pricing: Reach out to us for customised suggestions for other hosting options. 

MochaHost 

  • Features: Shared, VPS, Dedicated; Free SSL, Unlimited space, Lifetime discount. 
  • Details: Cheap, Mixed reviews, Good for small sites. 

Costs: Check here for coupons for alternative hosting.

Cloudways 

  • Features: Managed cloud hosting, host on DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Linode, or Vultr; free SSL, 24/7 support, auto-scaling, CDN.
  • Details: Easy to use, fast, pay-as-you-go pricing, good for WordPress and e-commerce hosting, does not register domains or host email.

Pricing: Contact us for recommendations on alternative hosts.

A2 Hosting

  • Features: Shared, VPS, dedicated, WordPress hosting; turbo servers, free SSL, anytime refund.
  • Details: Super-fast performance, developer-friendly, consistent, support level varies.

Pricing: See here for discounts on alternative hosting.

InterServer.net

  • Features: Shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting; unlimited storage & bandwidth, cPanel, free SSL, guaranteed price lock.
  • Details: Fairly cheap, reliable uptime, okay for small sites, mixed reviews on support, strong for users on a budget.

Pricing: Click here to receive discounted rates for alternative hosting options.

GoDaddy

  • Features: Shared, VPS, dedicated, WordPress hosting; free domain, easy to use, marketing tools included.
  • Details: Newbie-friendly, upsells, average performance, large number of users.

Pricing: Check out this link for exclusive deals on alternative hosting solutions.

Products At A Glance

Hosting ProviderKey Benefits
DreamhostStrong uptime, unlimited traffic, ideal for WordPress
HostingerBudget-friendly, fast-loading, beginner-friendly dashboard
SiteGroundHigh-performance servers, excellent support
BluehostReliable, seamless WordPress integration
LiquidWebPowerful VPS options, great for scaling later
MochaHostLifetime discount guarantee, free SEO tools
CloudwaysManaged cloud hosting, flexible provider choice, optimised for speed
A2 HostingTurbo Servers for speed, free site migration
Interserver.netPrice lock guarantee, unlimited storage, and budget-friendly
GoDaddyGlobal brand, easy-to-use interface, domain + hosting deals

All of these products can be explored and compared at alternateproduct.com, so start looking for your ideal shared hosting service for your business right now!

FAQs

What is shared hosting, and why is it appealing for Indian small businesses?

Shared hosting is hosting multiple websites on one server. It is the cheapest and most beginner-friendly hosting method available, and this makes it an ideal choice for Indian start-ups and small businesses starting their first website.

How can I tell if a hosting provider has servers located in India?

In the hosting plan description, look for “India-based” or “Mumbai/Delhi data centre”. You can also contact their support and ask, or use tools like Pingdom to trace the server’s location.

Is it possible to migrate from shared hosting to VPS or cloud later? 

Yes, many providers like Hostinger, Bluehost, and SiteGround provide the ability to migrate to VPS or cloud plans as you grow and traffic increases.

Are free SSL certificates safe for business websites? 

Yes. Free SSLs like Let’s Encrypt will provide the same level of encryption as paid SSLs. Paid SSLs usually offer some type of warranty and support options.

Is there a way to strategically reduce hosting renewal rates over time?

Long-term plans (2 – 3 years) usually offer discounted rates, and you can set reminders for when your hosting plan is set to renew to switch to another provider or renegotiate with your current hosting provider.

What tools should I use to build my shared hosting speed? 

Some caching plugins like WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache will increase the caching speed of your site. If you’re interested in some hosting toolkits (such as plugins, CDNs, and security tools) that might be best for Indian businesses, check out alternateproduct.com.

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