What if you could get free web hosting? Sounds great, right? Some companies offer you this, while stating that all they need in return is for you to post their ad in a small area of your web page. They don’t tell you that unreliability might be one of the other trade-offs. Read on for more insight into what makes a good web hosting service and why you might be better off paying for one.
You can almost always save money on your web hosting by paying in advance. Discounts for multi-month and yearly packages are common. However, you don’t want to lock in with an unreliable host. Try out a new host for a month or two before you lock in a long-term commitment, and check out the cancellation and refund policy beforehand.
Even if you are offered a discount for doing so, resist the temptation to pay in advance for years of web hosting service. In the event that your host server goes out of business, you could be stuck with no compensation. In addition, you may just be unhappy with their service, or you may find that you need to go out of business yourself. You will likely have trouble getting a refund if you pay too far in advance.
Create a list of your needs ranked by importance before you start your web host research. If you know what your wants are in advance, you can check off whether the prospective host offers what you need. Making this type of list will help you avoid making a decision based solely on one factor, such as price, rather than finding the best deal for your needs.
Decide which host to use based on how well it meets your hosting needs rather than on other services it provides. You might not get the best deal on domain names or other extra services from your web host provider. Don’t purchase these extra services when you sign up for web hosting unless you’re confident that you’re getting the best deal.
If at all possible, choose a web host that has 24-hour customer service via telephone. The larger hosting services often provide this valuable service. You do not want to be working late at night and find that are experiencing technical difficulties. Call them before you sign up, and test the level of expertise of the agents, and whether or not they can give simple instructions that are easy to understand.
The web hosting service that you select must be one that will allow you the needed space to grow your site. While HTML doesn’t take up many kilobytes, videos and photographs can. Look for a host that will allow you about 100MB of space, as this should be plenty to meet your growing business’ needs.
If a web hosting provider offers you a deal that seems to be good to be true, it probably is. No provider can offer unlimited storage space or unlimited bandwidth, so if a host claims to provide these, they are most likely scamming you. Look for a host that offers more realistic services.
You should know that not all web hosting services support Flash plug in. Using Flash on your site allows you to create a more interactive experience for your visitors, for instance with videos, games and new design possibilities. If you are not planning on using Flash, this is not a feature you should worry about.
You should always back up your data on your own, instead of relying on your web host to protect your information. The more backups you keep of your data, the more protected you will be. Before paying a hosting provider, ask them about their backup services and how much redundancy protection they have available.
Choose a web host that charges a low monthly fee. You can usually find a quality web host for between $5 and $10 per month. You may also be able to save money by paying for 12, 18 or 24 months of service at one time, instead of paying for web hosting services on a monthly basis.
When trying to find a web host, make sure that you check out the testimonials. These provide you with an excellent idea of how every company deals with certain situations. You get to witness what other people think of their services. However, be careful, because some hosts fake testimonials on their sites. Testimonials that do not provide a link to the customer’s own website are very likely to be faked. A host with many legitimate positive testimonials should be considered.
Find a service that offers to register your domain name for you. Registering your domain name yourself is feasible and cheaper, but if you lack experience you should spend the extra money and rely on your web host to do this for you. Choose your domain name carefully so it reflects what your company is about.
Check to see if your web hosting service gives you an easy method to submit your pages to search engines. You will also want to know how much control you have over search engine optimization and keywords, as well as how often you can send updates for no charge.
When subscribing to a web hosting service, find out how long it will take for your site to be online or for your domain name to be registered. If the host you chose is enable to guarantee you that your site will be online within a few days, you should look for another solution.
When comparing web-hosting services, you should choose the ones that inspires you the most confidence and stands apart from the competition. Choose a plan that includes all the features you are planning on using and allows for your site to grow. The price should also correspond to your budget.
There’s no question that free web hosting is useful to some people. It depends on the reason for your website. If you plan on doing business online, use the tips above to help choose a web hosting company that can give you fast, reliable service so that you can build a strong business foundation upon which to grow your sales.
