For any small or home business looking to launch a website, finding hosting services at an affordable price will be the first priority. Web hosting is a necessary service but prices can vary wildly from company to company. Usually your decision about which provider to go with will rest on what they can offer you, but the prospect of free web hosting can be tempting, especially if budgets are tight. There have also been many complaints about cheap web hosting and this article will give you a few ideas on what to look for.
Web hosting providers will usually carve their packages up to provide private and shared hosting facilities, this maximizes the usage of their data center and gives businesses and private subscribers options when it comes to choosing the best hosting package for their needs. Free hosting is widely available if you take the time to look for it, but is it really a good deal and what exactly will you be getting if you sign up?
Unfortunately the only pros of free web hosting include a more than sufficient amount of space and bandwith, and some providers will offer open source applications such as blogging tools and shopping carts. Usually though this is as far as it goes.
Domain names….
Unlike most paid packages you are unlikely to get a free domain name and if you need one you will probably be assigned a sub-domain. Sub-domains will rank lower in search engine results so for business needs are not suitable from a marketing point of view. If a domain is provided it may include the name of the hosting provider which could affect your ability to establish a credible presence online.
Email capability…..
For any business it is important to be able communicate with customers and respond to enquiries, however, free hosting services do not always come with email options and you may need to pay for third party email services.
Server Uptime….
With free hosting services there is no guarantee of 100% uptime meaning your website could be inaccessible at any given time, loosing you potential customers. Paid packages will guarantee server uptime meaning your site will be accessible for a guaranteed percentage uptime.
Support…..
The majority of free hosting services will be basic, there will be no easy to use control panel interface, no analytic tools and more importantly no support. If you have the technical expertise needed this shouldn’t be a problem, but for most the lack of support will mean any technical problems could leave them high and dry.
Ads……
It maybe free but in fact many hosting providers are not actually giving you something for nothing. Many will run ads on all sites published on a free hosting package, thus ensuring they will make money out of you! Ads, banners and pop-ups can be intrusive and annoying and often are one of the biggest factors in site visitors leaving a page to go elsewhere. The amount of ads on a webpage can also affect your search engine rankings and as such as usually best avoided.
Terms of service…..
Avoid free hosting services if you want control over your account, many providers will give very little to users in their terms and conditions, which by the way they can change whenever they like and without notice.
In conclusion free hosting packages may look like a great deal but in reality they are limited and inadequate when it comes to establishing your reputation online. They lack the necessary tools and applications most businesses require to operate online successfully and rather than helping in making money, the high level of downtime many site owners experience sees them loose more money than they make.
Paid packages on the other hand offer easy to use interfaces, expandable bandwith and file space as your site grows and 24/7 support should you suffer technical issues. Many providers offer a range of packages to suit different needs and budgets, with payment options ranging from annual fees to rolling monthly contracts. For many small businesses the startup investment required to get a website hosted can be based on what they can afford and with the advantages of a free domain, email options, software and an ad-free service.
Free hosting may suit if you are only looking to publish a personal website and not to establish a competitive presence online. For businesses free web hosting offers more disadvantages than it does advantages and business owners must decide if such a hosting service will have an adverse effect on their online business presence.
Article written by Georgina Clatworthy a freelance author writing articles about technology, business and marketing. Although I am not connected to Quality Technology I can recommend them for reliable hosting services to suit any business and budget.
