Free vs. Paid Web hosting
There is a popular adage, “time is money,” and in the case of free Web hosting vs. paid Web hosting, it duly applies. There are very practical and sound reasons why free hosting is not a good option for most. There are also a few good reasons why free hosting might a solution for a small percentage of Webmasters. We’ll look at these two very diverse options with a keen eye on time and the bottom line.
The first thing to understand about a free Web hosting provider is that they are not making money from you, they are making it in the form of banner ads, pop-up ads and advertising partnerships with other companies. For a knowledgeable customer-driven Webmaster who knows that server speed, Web navigation, customer response time, e-mail capabilities, backup protection and security are all long-term determining factors in a Web site’s success, a free hosting provider does not have much to offer.
Free Web host providers support their offerings by selling to advertisers. They’re selling your “free Web space” to customers who option space on your Web pages for their advertisements. For example, if you ink a deal with a free Web host provider and you’re only using your Web page to showcase your pictures of your award winning dog named Sparkle Sassy, then when users hit www.sparklesassy.com , they’re not only going to see Sparkle, they’re going to also be inundated with banners, pop-ups and forced ad content that will have little or absolutely no relation to Sparkle or your Web site.
If it’s only family and friends occasionally hitting the site, or you just like to have Sparkle shine on the Web, then getting the bargain basement pricing called “free”, might work for you. Keep in mind too that many of the free hosting providers host your domain as a sub-domain. Sub-domains are basically extensions of (in this case) the main domain of the host provider. For monetizing Web sites, sub-domains typically are not looked upon as well by customers and potential advertisers as are unique domains.
Let’s go back to Sparkle. If you build a Web site, intended to showcase Sparkle, advertise your services as a champion dog trainer, provide pricing information on your kennel services, an e-mail newsletter, customer database and online product offerings like “Sparkle’s Famous Peanut Butter Bones” , or “Sparkle’s Rhinestone Collar” then free hosting would not be a good option for you. You would be better served to choose a paid-hosting provider. And here are some reasons why:
If your site goes down, you will need 24/7 customer support to get it back up to speed as quickly as possible. Most free hosting providers do not have 24/7 customer support, unless you pay for it as an additional service.
If your site is graphics-heavy and you decide you want to put some MP3’s of Sparkles barking at the moon over the taste of the Peanut Butter Bones, your likelihood of finding a free host who can support those Web site files without passing the cost on to you is slim. Free hosting is not synonymous with “unlimited space.” Note: Most free host providers charge for upgrades as another revenue source.
Free hosting may mean your data is not backed up in a timely fashion, or not backed up at all. With paid hosting, even at the lowest economical level, there is a higher level of support and reliability.
Free hosting means banner ads, unless you want to pay a fee for no banner ads.
Free hosting generally means a bare bones Web site offering, with little or no room for traffic, growth, graphics, database, customer acquisition and product offerings via your site.
Free hosting generally does not include an 800 number to call if there is a problem with your site. If your site is down, and it’s anything other than a ‘hobby’ site, remember “time is money.”
Again, free hosting is not right for most, but it can be utilized on a small scale for people who truly understand both the benefits and drawbacks to free hosting vs. paid hosting.
If you’re a newbie on the Internet and you just simply want a very simple site to showcase your poodle, your poetry or your collection of fake cactus; or if you’re a family who wants to keep in touch with other loved ones via the Net, then free hosting might be the best way to do that. A good start to finding a free hosting solution would be to hit the site below and read their free Web hosting reviews by customers.
http://www.free-webhosts.com/ - An expansive directory of free Web hosting providers, with over 900+ free Web hosts and growing, and is updated daily. One of the most detailed and up-to-date hosting review sites, it includes lots of good comparison and real user information and comments.
http://www.domainstobuy.com/ - Free Web Hosting with No Ads. 50 MB Web Space, 5 GB Monthly Transfer, FTP Access.
Remember, if you invest the time in finding the right Web hosting solution for your company or offering, in the long run that investment will help determine the success of your site.
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Originally Posted by boon.bizhat.com
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