- Liquid Web survey examines how independent professionals rate web hosting
- Being sustainable comes down to the bottom line, but half of respondents would pay an extra $50 a year for sustainability
- On average, businesses spend just under $20 per month on web hosting services
Independent professionals are increasingly finding that web hosting is an important investment for business growth, although sustainability is often not their primary focus when choosing a provider.
New research from Liquid Web found that professionals spend an average of $214 annually on hosting, achieving a remarkable 2,319% ROI, with solopreneurs seeing up to 2,846%.
While more than half of respondents claimed they were open to paying extra for environmentally friendly solutions, they primarily sought services that provide a tangible return on investment.
Value for money with a hosting provider
Over half of respondents (54%) said they would pay an additional $50 annually for green hosting solutions, indicating that sustainable practices are a new consideration.
Meanwhile, 23% of respondents claimed to allocate more than $500 annually to optimal performance and support.
Liquid Web found that the provider migration process is both time-consuming and expensive, requiring an average of 6.6 hours or $115 in resources.
And yet, independent professionals were found to still switch hosting providers regularly due to cost, performance or support issues. Almost 7 in 10 reported switching at least once, with 13% doing so annually.
Hidden fees and unexpected billing are big triggers, with professionals finding these are 35% more likely to switch providers.
“It’s fascinating to see how solopreneurs, freelancers and digital nomads prioritize sustainability and customer support. It provides valuable insights to tailor our offerings to their changing needs,” noted David Eblen, Chief Product Officer at Liquid Web.
