Why Clook Internet Could Be a Brilliant Host for Your Small Business Website
If you’ve ever tried building a website for your small business, you’ll know it’s not always as easy as those drag-and-drop ads make it look. One of the trickiest parts is choosing the right web host. That’s the company that actually “stores” your website and makes sure it’s online 24/7. If your host messes up, your site goes down. And if your site goes down, your customers can’t find you. Simple as that.
In this post, we’re going to have a proper look at why a UK-based host like Clook Internet might be just what your business needs. We’ll go over what a web host does, why small businesses have different needs to big ones, and what makes Clook stand out from the crowd.
Just to add that I’ve been a clook client since July 2006 and have been happy with their great service since then.
What Exactly Is a Web Host?
Before we dive into Clook specifically, let’s clear up what a web host actually does. Imagine your website is a shop. You’ve built your shelves, filled them with stock, put a nice sign on the door… but if you’ve got nowhere to put your shop, no one’s going to visit. That’s what a web host does – they give you that space. Except instead of renting a building, you’re renting some space on a computer (called a server) and some bandwidth so that people can look at your amazing site.
When someone types your web address into their browser, your host’s server sends them all the bits that make up your site – the images, the words, the videos, everything. If your host is slow or unreliable, your site might take ages to load or not show up at all. Not ideal.
Why Small Businesses Need a Good Host
It’s tempting to just pick the cheapest host you can find and call it a day. But for small businesses, a bad host can actually cost you money. Here’s why:
- Downtime = lost sales: If your website is down, your customers might give up and go elsewhere.
- Speed matters: A slow website puts people off. And search engines don’t like slow sites either.
- Security is crucial: If your website gets hacked, it could damage your reputation – or worse, your customers’ data.
- You probably don’t have an IT team: So you need a host that offers proper support, not just a load of FAQs.
So, Who Are Clook?
Clook Internet (usually just called Clook) is a UK-based web hosting company [** See below] that’s been around since 2002. That means they’ve got over 20 years of experience, which is pretty rare in this space. They focus on managed hosting – that’s the kind of hosting where they handle the technical stuff for you, like updates, security patches, and server maintenance.
They’re not one of those massive international companies with millions of customers, and that’s kind of the point. Clook aims to be small enough to care, but big enough to do the job properly. And if you’re a small business yourself, that can be a massive advantage.
What Makes Clook Different?
There are loads of web hosts out there. So what makes Clook worth looking at? Here are a few things that stand out:
1. UK-Based Servers and Support
If your business is in the UK, it makes sense to host your site in the UK too. It usually means faster loading times for UK customers, and you don’t have to worry about odd time zone differences when you need help. Clook’s servers are in Manchester, and their support team is UK-based too – no being passed around call centres on the other side of the world.
2. Brilliant Customer Support
This is probably the thing people rave about most when it comes to Clook. They don’t just have support – they have good, no great, support. Real humans who answer quickly, know what they’re talking about, and don’t make you feel daft for asking questions. Loads of reviewers say they’ve been with Clook for years purely because the support is that good and as mentioned I’m one of them having joined Clook on 2006 – I think the longest I’ve had to wait for a, very rare, support ticket to be answered was a few hours, overnight on a non-urgent problem.
3. Reliable Uptime
Clook says they aim for 100% uptime, and while no host can guarantee that, they come pretty close. Their infrastructure is solid, and they monitor everything to catch problems before they become full-blown issues. For a small business, that kind of reliability means peace of mind.
4. Managed Hosting Options
If you’re not technical, managed hosting can be a life-saver. Clook offers managed packages where they handle all the behind-the-scenes stuff. So you don’t need to worry about installing updates, dealing with security settings, or fixing weird bugs – they do it all for you.
5. Fair, Transparent Pricing
Clook’s prices aren’t the absolute cheapest, but they’re fair for what you get. And there are no sneaky hidden fees – what you see is what you pay. They don’t do that thing where you get a super-cheap first year and then your bill triples the next. That alone makes them stand out.
What Do You Get with a Clook Hosting Plan?
Let’s break it down. Here’s what most Clook plans offer:
- Fast SSD storage: That means your site loads quicker.
- Daily backups: If something goes wrong, you can roll back.
- Free SSL certificate: That little padlock in the browser, showing your site is secure.
- Email hosting: So you can have an address like you@yourbusiness.co.uk
- Spam protection: Keeps dodgy emails out of your inbox.
- Control panel: Makes it easier to manage your site without being a tech wizard.
Who Is Clook Best For?
Clook is ideal for small businesses that want:
- A UK-based host with fast, friendly support
- Reliable performance with minimal downtime
- Help with the tech stuff so they can focus on running their business
- A host that won’t try to upsell them stuff they don’t need
If your business is mostly local, or you’re a freelancer, sole trader, or small shop owner, Clook could be a really solid choice.
What About the Downsides?
No host is perfect, so here’s the honest bit. Clook might not be the best fit if:
- You need super-cheap hosting – there are cheaper options, but as you may have guessed, they come with trade-offs.
- You’re planning a huge site with millions of visitors – Clook is great for small to mid-sized sites, but you’d want something more specialised for massive traffic, although they can provide managed cluster servers if you need something powerful.
- You’re very DIY and want full root access and total control – some plans are managed, so you’ll be a bit limited on the back end.
But for most small businesses, these aren’t deal-breakers. In fact, managed hosting is often a plus – less for you to worry about!
How to Get Started with Clook
Getting started is pretty straightforward. You just pick a plan, sign up, and they’ll guide you through setting up your site. If you’re moving from another host, they’ll even help with the migration. You don’t need to be a tech expert – they’ll talk you through it step-by-step.
Top Tip:
Before you sign up, have a rough idea of how many visitors your site gets and what kind of site you’re running (basic info pages, an online shop, blog, etc.). That’ll help you pick the right plan first time (but, you can change your plans if you get it wrong).
What Do Real Users Say?
Here are a few things actual customers have said in reviews:
“Been with Clook for over a decade. Can’t fault their service. Every time I’ve needed help, they’ve sorted it fast and without fuss.”
“Brilliant support team. They actually care and don’t treat you like just another number.”
“Moved my small business website over to Clook after issues with a bigger host – best decision I made.”
“Great service as always from you guys, if only all businesses were like this when a customer needs help.”
Of course, not every review is glowing – a few people mention wanting more advanced features – but overall, the feedback is seriously positive, especially from small business owners.
Final Thoughts
When you’re running a small business, you’ve got enough to think about without worrying if your website’s going to fall over. That’s why it pays to choose a web host that’s reliable, easy to work with, and there when you need them. Clook ticks a lot of those boxes – UK-based, excellent support, fair pricing, and a solid track record.
If you’re looking for hosting that won’t let you down, and you like the idea of working with a smaller company that actually cares, Clook Internet [** see below] could be the perfect fit for your business.
Give them a look – it might just be the easiest part of your website journey, it certainly was for me back in 2006 when I moved from a self managed server in a webfarm.
** This is an affiliate link that generates a small payment to me if, and only if, you sign up for their service, but it doesn’t influence the content of this article which has been written from a long-standing, satisfied client.