Why Big Sky Hosts Every Site It Builds
We get this question on every discovery call, so let us answer it up front.
Hosting is required for every Big Sky site. Not because we want lock-in, but because we cannot stand behind our 3-Way Guarantee without it. The 24-hour update promise, the email deliverability, the security, the speed, the uptime, all of it depends on us having full control of the server.
Most web designers do not host. They build a site, hand you over to a separate hosting company, and walk away. When something breaks, you are stuck in the middle, calling the designer about a problem the hosting company has to fix, or calling the hosting company about a problem the designer caused. We have seen it a thousand times.
We made the call long ago to run our own hosting on Cloudflare Enterprise, take responsibility for everything, and put it all in writing through the 3-Way Guarantee. One point of contact for your website. One company that can fix it when something needs fixing. One bill.
What is Included in Every Hosting and Maintenance Plan
Every Big Sky hosting and maintenance plan includes the following:
Hosting and Reliability
- Cloudflare Enterprise hosting on Big Sky-controlled servers
- 99.9%+ uptime, monitored continuously
- Automatic off-site backups (off-site is the most secure way to back up a website, so that is how we do it)
- SSL certificate always kept current
- Domain management. About 97% of our clients transfer their domain to a Big Sky-managed GoDaddy account so it is one less thing to worry about
Security
- Cloudflare Enterprise security and DDoS protection on every site
- OWASP-standard protection with continuous antivirus scanning and active security monitoring
- Brute-force attacks, bots, and malicious scraper traffic blocked automatically
- Automatic software updates and a locked-down server environment with no outside server access
- Private hosting environment for Big Sky clients only, with all payments securely handled through Stripe’s PCI-compliant platform
Speed
- Cloudflare Enterprise speed optimization on every site
- Edge caching, where copies of your site are kept on servers around the world so visitors load it fast no matter where they are
- Image optimization built in (your photos look great and load quickly)
- Fast load times on every device, including phones
- Designed to load quickly even on slower connections
Email Deliverability
- Email setup configured so your site’s automated emails actually reach inboxes, not spam folders
- Automated emails (contact form submissions, payment confirmations, auction notifications) delivered reliably
- We monitor email delivery and fix problems before you notice them
Updates and Maintenance
- Unlimited content updates through the 24-hour update guarantee
- New horse listings, new stallions, foal announcements, photos, event dates, results, sponsor changes
- Software and platform updates handled by our team, not yours
- Annual platform updates with new features at no additional charge
Support
- Real human support. Email Debbie or our team, send a text, or leave a voicemail.
- Most updates live the same day
- Live auction support when your auction is running, treated as highest priority
Email Hosting Optional Add-On
- Custom domain email accounts ([email protected], etc.)
- 25 GB of storage per mailbox
- $72 per year per mailbox
- Unlimited mailboxes available
- We set everything up
- Instructions provided for using your email on phones and computers
Unlimited Updates Within 24 Hours
The 24-hour update guarantee is built into every hosting plan. Send us a change request and it is live within one business day. Most are live the same day, often within hours.
What counts as an update:
There is no per-update fee. There is no monthly update cap. Send us five updates a week or one a month, the price does not change.
Cloudflare Enterprise on Every Site
Every Big Sky website runs on Cloudflare Enterprise, the same high-performance platform used by major companies. This delivers excellent speed and security as a standard part of your plan.
How Hosting Pricing Works
Most Big Sky hosting and maintenance plans start at $75 per month or $750 per year. Pay annually and you save two months free.
What we will tell you up front:
- The hosting fee covers hosting, maintenance, security, speed, email reliability, automatic off-site backups, software updates, AND unlimited content updates inside 24 hours
- There is no per-update charge, no monthly cap, no surprise fees
- We do not charge by site traffic or storage tier
- Hosted email accounts on your domain are available as an optional add-on at $72 per year per mailbox (25 GB each)
- Larger or more complex sites (full association platforms, big auctions, multi-section operations) may need a custom plan, which we quote at the time the site is built
The price we quote is the price you pay. Read the full 3-Way Guarantee.
Backed by the 3-Way Guarantee
28-day money-back. 24-hour updates. 100% transparent pricing. No one else in horse website design offers this.
Common Questions About Our Hosting and Maintenance
Why is hosting required? Can I host my site somewhere else?
No. Every Big Sky site is hosted on our Cloudflare Enterprise setup because that is the only way we can stand behind the 3-Way Guarantee. The 24-hour update promise, the email deliverability, the security, and the speed all depend on us having full control of the server.
Is there a contract?
We do not lock you into long-term contracts. Hosting and maintenance are paid monthly or annually. Cancel anytime. If you ever want to take your content elsewhere, we hand over everything you need to move it.
What if your servers go down?
Cloudflare Enterprise gives us 99.9%+ uptime, monitored continuously. If something does go down, we know about it before you do and we get it fixed. Live auctions running on the platform are treated as the highest priority in the office.
Do you back up my site?
Yes. Automatic off-site backups run regularly. Off-site is the most secure way to back up a website, which is why we do it that way. If anything ever needs to be restored, we can do it without you lifting a finger.
Do you host email accounts too?
Yes, as an optional add-on. We host email accounts on your domain ([email protected], [email protected], anything you need) at $72 per year per mailbox with 25 GB of storage each. You can have as many mailboxes as you want. We set everything up and provide instructions for using your email on phones and computers.
What does "unlimited updates" actually mean? Is there a hidden limit?
No hidden limit. Send us five updates a week or one a month, the price does not change. The cap is on what counts as an update. New features are projects, not updates, and those get quoted separately. Anything a horse operation normally needs to keep current is included.
What counts as a "normal content" update?
New horse listings, sold horse moves, foal announcements, Stallion additions, breeding fee changes, breeding contract updates, Event calendar additions and changes, Photo uploads and video embedding, Sponsor logo additions and tier changes, adding Show results, points, and earnings, Copy edits and new pages of normal length, anything else a website normally needs to keep current.
Can I update my site myself?
Yes, on most sites. Clients can update their own for-sale listings, foal announcements, photo galleries, blog posts, and video pages directly. Or you can send everything to Debbie and our team. Most clients do a mix.
What happens if I want to leave?
We hand you your content. We do not hold your data hostage. The site itself is custom-built on our platform, so it cannot move to another host as-is, but everything you would need (text, images, member records, results, sponsor lists) is yours and we export it for you.
Why not just use Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy?
Because none of them can do what we do for the horse industry. Generic site builders cannot run a stallion service auction, do not understand your horse business, cannot support what an association needs, and the support is whoever picks up the chat that day. They also share hosting, email setup, and security with millions of other sites, which is why we built our own hosting on Cloudflare Enterprise.
How is the SSL certificate on my site handled?
Yes. Every Big Sky site has an SSL certificate (the lock icon in the browser bar) and it is renewed automatically. No expired certificates, no security warnings.
Ready to Talk About Hosting Your Site With Us?
If you are a current Big Sky client and you have questions about your plan, call us. If you are evaluating Big Sky for a new site and you want to understand how hosting works before you commit, the same number works. Thirty minutes, no pressure.
Or call us directly: 979-217-1544