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Thread: Free vs. Paid Web hosting

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    3,040

    Default 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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    FlashWebHost.com - Professional Web Hosting, Designing.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    32

    Default

    Before meet bizhat i had the idea that free hosting was a headpain, but i´m liking very much here. If upgrade to unlimit Monthly Transfers i´ll love it.
    Thanks for the host.

  3. #3
    Tha Enigma Guest

    Default Web Hosting

    I am new to Bizhat and also to web hosting. I am just using it to create an FTP site and store all my programs i make in C++ and Qbasic. So far I haven't used Bizhat, but i heard it was great.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    4

    Default yeah kewl

    bizhatmust be superb if it gives the things it promised..php and mysql support with an additional 100 posts...i dunno now where to request it? admin pls help...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    2

    Default

    Then BizHat must make money from forum posting...?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Maryland, USA
    Posts
    332

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by boon.bizhat.com
    Then BizHat must make money from forum posting...?
    they can't recieve money from forum posting, especially not from forum users. This service apparently is completely user non-profit, though I'm sure it gets funding from the ads here and there around the site.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    9

    Default i need free hosting for trial my website

    i need free hosting for trial only... if i create a project an want to presenting to client why i choose paid webhosting ????

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    17

    Default posting

    Iam a newbie

    trying to know how to setup a web page and upload it.
    using many webpage generator to create them but still do not know how to upload the page. use frontpage and abode still cannto upload


    so now i try bizhat and hope someone in bizhat can tell me how. once i know how will migrate to paid site as i have some 4 gb of pixs on my holiday trips to put on web so my relatives overseas can view them.


    any helps?>??????

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    45

    Default

    I really like this idea, the more you post the more space and bandwith you get!

  10. #10

    Default

    So how on earth do the likes of Bizhat and Atspace make any money?

    I investigated paying for webspace before I moved to Bizhat. However even the most basic packages are expensive, and they dont offer half the benefits the Bizhat do.

    I also would question the benefit of having your own domain name as well.... since most people follow links to websites, and very few actually type the url in.

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