// Key takeaway
Check where your data is held, what the uptime SLA actually promises, who answers the phone at 3am, how backups are tested, and how easily you can leave.
Where is my data?
Ask for the data centre locations for both live systems and backups. For UK businesses, keeping both in the UK simplifies data protection obligations.
What does the SLA really cover?
An uptime percentage means little without knowing how it is measured, what is excluded and what compensation applies. 99.9% allows roughly 8.8 hours of downtime a year; 99.99% allows under an hour.
Who provides support?
Find out whether support is 24/7, whether you reach engineers or a ticket queue, and how quickly critical incidents are picked up.
How are backups tested?
Backups that have never been restored are a hope, not a plan. Ask how often restores are tested and whether backups are immutable and off-site.
What security is included?
Look for monitoring, a web application firewall, DDoS protection, patching and malware scanning as standard rather than expensive add-ons.
How do I leave?
Good providers make exit straightforward: clear notice periods, data handed back in usable formats and no hidden fees.
Published 16 October 2026 by the Digital Hosting Services engineering team, York.
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