Green Hosting Posts - Our News

Green Flags to Look for in Your Web Hosting Partner

3rd Sep 2025

What do you look for in a web hosting partner? Like any relationship, it’s important to notice those green flags that indicate you’ll have a positive experience.

A yellow background with an illustration of a green flag and the text - Green flags to look for in your web hosting partnerHere are some real-life messages that we’ve received from our clients. They show those green flags perfectly:

Customers stay with them
“The best part of hosting with you was your help with staging my site way back when… now it has had 1000s views and I’m still so happy with your service.”
Besma – Curiously Conscious

Customers endorse them
“I've been using Green Hosting for several years now and always recommend it to friends and contacts who are looking for an environmentally friendly web hosting platform.
Melissa – The Ocean Writer

Customers return to them
“As an ethical sales agency and community, we want to work with ethical suppliers so when we discovered Green Hosting four years ago we were delighted. When we launched a new sales community hub recently we went no further than to secure our second hosting package with Green Hosting.”
Corinne – Ethical Sales

Your values align
“Just to stay how much we appreciate having an ethical provider hosting our web site at green-action-elt.uk. It’s great to know our web site sits on ethical foundations while we get on with our work promoting environmental sustainability in English Language Teaching.”
Chris – Green Action ELT

Cost effective services
“The price for the hosting is brilliant and I'm glad that the company supports organisations doing work to make the world a better place. I couldn't recommend their services more highly.”
Amy – Sustainable and Social

Pop over to our Clients page to see more positive testimonials ...


A starter website could be for you

8th May 2025

“…I really appreciate the guidance you’ve given me, particularly as this is my first website and there are a lot of decisions to be made…. and you’ve taken the time to explain everything in a way that makes sense and has left me feeling confident editing and adding to my site going forward.”

Check out the full client testimonial at the end of this article.

An image of a laptop with web design on the screen and text saying - Need help getting started?A new website starter service

This year, we have seen a growing number of clients seeking guidance on how to get started with their websites. Most small businesses and individuals want a professional online presence that reflects the quality of their service or product. However, they often find themselves in an 'in-between' position: they want to keep costs down and learn to manage their own websites, but the initial setup and build can feel overwhelming.

At this stage it can be tempting to turn to a website builder service that promises ease and simplicity. But there are many more benefits that you can gain by hiring a professional web designer to get you started.

Because of recent demand, we are now offering the creation of a small starter website as a service. Let us tell you about some of the key benefits.

The start-up is the hardest part

Starting up involves installing and configuring your website software, applying the necessary security features, actioning accessibility, creating a responsive design and adding structural features that won’t very often change. This is the technically most difficult stage of a website’s life and done correctly will only need to be carried out once for quite a few years. The question is, why take time out of your business to learn this step when we could do it for you?

Avoid hidden or surprise costs and being ‘locked in’

Once your starter website is built you don’t need to worry about unexpected costs. Whereas website builder services typically increase monthly costs with the addition of simple features. Additionally, once your website is created on a website builder platform it is locked into that service’s hosting and can’t be moved elsewhere. A website at our Green Hosting isn’t only powered by renewable electricity but it is also ‘moveable’ to an alternative hosting provider if you wish to do that at a later stage.

You’re not alone

Having a web designer support you in taking your website forward after the initial launch is incredibly valuable. We guide you through good practice, content preparation and website editing so that your website can stay as fresh and professional as it did at initial launch.

Web design is puzzle solving

Web design is so much more than placing words and pictures on a screen. Use our expertise of over 20 years building more complex websites to help you solve your initial puzzles. This may be around navigation and content structure, look and feel, choice of software, meeting required legislation and so on. You don’t know what you don’t know, right? It’s our job to know.

Website owners have responsibilities

Do you know about all the responsibilities and legal requirements that come with owning a website? We can guide you when it comes to accessibility, usability, sustainability, security and privacy.

One of our recent starter website clients sums up this service so beautifully and encapsulates everything we aim to achieve:

"I love what you do, your ethics and your approach to the work - the process has been fantastic. From initial ideas to the final published site, you’ve kept me informed at every step, making it clear what was happening and when. I really appreciate the guidance you’ve given me, particularly as this is my first website and there are a lot of decisions to be made. I also appreciate your patience - whilst I’m broadly tech-savvy, there’s so much more to building a website than you first think, and you’ve taken the time to explain everything in a way that makes sense and has left me feeling confident editing and adding to my site going forward.

I’m blown away by the finished result. It looks far smarter and more professional than I would have achieved by myself or with a website builder, and you’ve given me something that’s such a great fit, but that I would never have arrived at alone. For the service, the outcome and the skills I’ve gained for the future - the price is incredibly competitive too.
Thank you 😊"

FrancesDanylec.com

If this article resonates with you, if you’re looking to get started with a professional website but are not sure how, then get in touch with us at [email protected].


Thanks for being human

1st May 2025

At the end of a recent video call with one of our web design clients, they signed off by saying, "Thanks for being human!"

A pale green background with an illustrated yellow flower and the text - thanks for being humanThat simple comment meant a lot. It’s exactly the kind of thing we look for in a company and it’s something we've always made a conscious effort to bring to our work. We also value this quality in our clients, those who communicate openly and naturally, without any assumptions about how to talk to "I.T. people."

Positive feedback about our approach and process is just as meaningful as praise for the finished website. That's because genuine, human interaction between collaborators is what leads to the best results. In fact, it's such a vital part of any project that we thought it was worth breaking down exactly why 'being human' matters so much in a web design partnership.

Human-centred design goes together with human-centred communication

We don't expect clients to know the lexicon of web development or UX (user experience) - but they do know their aims, why they need a website, their stakeholders and their own resources. These are the things we ask them about. Speaking in clear language encourages better discussion and more useful feedback. This sets the tone for the whole design process, which is about people, not pixels.

Approachability builds trust

Clients may understandably feel vulnerable when commissioning a website. It can be a big investment tied to their business or personal brand. Being approachable and providing gentle leadership helps reduce anxiety and creates a safe space for questions and honest input. Trust and confidence in the web developer leads to a smoother project process that's enjoyable for everyone.

Translating tech into tangible outcomes

Clients shouldn't have to care about the technical details of their website. They care about their goals and calls to action their web users should take, such as accessing support, finding information, booking events, buying a product and so on. Stripping away the tech speak allows us to focus on discussions about outcomes and because we choose to work with organisations and individuals who are making a positive difference, their outcomes are all the more important to us.

How we feel makes all the difference

We want clients to come away from a web development project feeling respected, heard and understood and we want to feel that way too. Positive experiences like this are more likely to lead to long-term working relationships and potentially more opportunities for both parties.


Christmas Holiday Opening and Support

13th Dec 2024

For Christmas break, we will be closing our office at 5pm on Friday 20th December 2024 and re-opening on Monday 6th January 2025.

An illustration of a snow globe containing a countryside theme with a wind turbine in the background and a Christmas tree in the foregroundWe will be taking some time to rest, spend time with loved ones and enjoy the festivities. For any non urgent website or hosting queries, please e-mail us as usual and we will get back to you on our return. We also have lots of helpful guides for common questions relating to billing, e-mails and managing your website hosting in our support section.

If you have any urgent support queries during that time, please use our urgent support helpdesk.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday time and a prosperous 2024!

A huge thank you to all of our clients and colleagues for your support. This year was a big one and our 20th anniversary! We look forward to working with you next year and beyond!


We are 20 years old!

9th Oct 2024

Our business is officially 20 years old! In 2004, two twenty-somethings embarked on a new adventure of entrepreneurship. After having worked in the IT training industry and the voluntary and education sectors we were motivated and inspired by seeing what can be achived when passionate people want to bring about positive change and by wanting to work our own way.

Two decades later and our core values are the same. We are delighted to still be here, celebrating our achievements and the sustainable brands, charities and ethical individuals that we have worked with during that time, via our web design and green web hosting services.

We asked our clients to help us mark this special milestone by sharing a message or memorable moment. You sent in some really heartwarming words which we have published on our anniversary gallery wall.

A screenshot of the Make Hay and Green Hosting 20th anniversary website

We put the participating clients' names into a prize draw to win a year of free Green Hosting. Visit our anniversary gallery to find out who won!


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