| The fact is, most free and really dirt cheap web | | | | my opinion, having a good, quick tech support |
| hosts sound like a good deal, but they really | | | | system in place is the biggest benefit of going |
| aren't. Basically, there are problems with using a | | | | with a premium hosting company. A really good |
| free web hosting company for any type of | | | | one will have sufficient staff to provide rapid |
| e-commerce or business website, and I'm going | | | | responses to support tickets, plus chat and phone |
| to discuss those issues now. | | | | support, for when you really need it. |
| If you're only looking for a spot to put a small, | | | | You may think that going with a well known web |
| simple personal website, then free web hosting | | | | host that may offer what appears to be an |
| may be what you're looking for. But, if you can | | | | unbelievable deal is your best bet, but the primary |
| afford to spend even a few dollars a month, a | | | | complaints that most people have with the really |
| paid host is a better deal, even for a personal | | | | large cheap hosts have to do with their lack of |
| web site. If you really can't afford to pay | | | | support. Many of them seem to spend more on |
| anything, and you want a "free" website, my best | | | | advertising and celebrity endorsements to gain |
| recommendation is to get a blog at either or | | | | more customers, than they do on providing |
| WordPress.com, and use that for your website. | | | | service and support to their existing customers. If |
| Both of these platforms are stable and easy to | | | | you never need to use tech support, then one of |
| use, and as long as your purpose is simply to | | | | these web hosts may work just fine for you, |
| have a personal website accessed by a few | | | | just make sure you understand how some of |
| friends and relatives, they'll do just fine. If you | | | | their advertising "low balls" their actual costs. |
| want to make a few bucks, you can set up | | | | Really cheap web hosts advertise prices from |
| adsense accounts on these sites, or put links on | | | | $2.95 to $4.95 a month, and some also advertise |
| them that lead to your affiliate sales pages. If | | | | month to month payments. I even saw one that |
| you're looking to make a commercial web site, is | | | | had a special deal and offered the first month of |
| a little more friendly to these kinds of things than | | | | hosting for $1! What they don't reveal in their ads, |
| Plus, the search engines like these sites, and you | | | | is the fact that to get the lowest price or the |
| may find an audience and discover that your blog | | | | special deal, you often have to pay for your |
| is much more popular than you thought it could | | | | hosting for 2-5 years in advance! For example, |
| be. | | | | one site the advertises a $3.95 a month plan, and |
| Most other free web hosts come with one or | | | | a monthly payment option, only gives you that |
| more of the following problems, and really limit | | | | $3.95 price if you pay 5 years in advance. For |
| your ability to conduct business online. | | | | paying for one year, the price is actually $8.95 a |
| 1. Long urls, with the free web hosts name in | | | | month, and to pay by the month it goes up to |
| them. This doesn't instill much confidence in | | | | $9.95 a month! Some web hosting companies also |
| prospective buyers or clients. | | | | offer great specials for the first month or first |
| 2. Free web host sponsored links and advertising. | | | | year, to get you to sign up, but then the price to |
| People who click on these ads make money for | | | | continue hosting with them is much higher than |
| them, not you, and leave your website. | | | | you would pay for a good premium hosting plan. |
| 3. Space and bandwidth given to web sites by | | | | The final major problem with really cheap web |
| free hosting companies are normally quite small. | | | | hosting, especially from sites that offer month to |
| 4. Most free hosts restrict your ability to | | | | month payment plans, is that they attract |
| advertise or run a business web site that | | | | spammers, phishers, hackers and other internet |
| processes purchases. | | | | bottom feeders. The problem for your business |
| 5. No ability to obtain SSL certificates or handle | | | | web site, is that your may wind up sharing an IP |
| transactions securely, even if they are allowed. | | | | address with one of these sites. If you use email |
| 6. Technology used at these sites is not state of | | | | to send newsletters or sales flyers to your |
| the art, and they are often slow to load. | | | | clients, you may find your emails blocked by one |
| 7. Pearl, CGI and scripts are often not updated to | | | | or more of the major mail servers, simply |
| current versions, and requests for updates are | | | | because a spammer who shares your IP address |
| usually denied. | | | | has broken the rules. Eventually, your web host |
| 8. Support is, at best, not very good or quick to | | | | will confirm to the email service that they have |
| respond. At some free web hosts, it is virtually | | | | removed the offending account, and eventually |
| non-existent. | | | | your IP will be unblocked, but in the meantime, |
| 9. Most do not give you the tools you need to | | | | you can't communicate with your customers. |
| build a web site, like an online site builder and | | | | Meanwhile, the spammer or phisher knew their |
| templates, or a free script library to install blogs, | | | | account would be shut down in a matter of days |
| galleries, or other features. | | | | or weeks, and they don't care. They spend as |
| 10. Cron jobs, necessary to run certain scripts and | | | | little as possible to open the site, paste up a |
| other features, are often not provided or allowed. | | | | cloned website, make a few dollars on their scam, |
| Databases may not be provided or allowed. | | | | and just move on to another really cheap web |
| On top of all of this, free web hosting and really | | | | host when their account is closed. |
| cheap web hosting (especially those that allow you | | | | The fact that these bargain hosting companies |
| to pay by the month), attract spammers, | | | | get so many spam and phishing complaints can |
| scammers, phishers and hackers. These low-lifes | | | | hurt your business in another way. You may be |
| of the internet world may wind up on your | | | | unfairly accused of spamming, simply because a |
| shared IP address, and can cause problems that I'll | | | | few of your clients click your email into their |
| talk about when I discuss cheap web hosting. | | | | spam folder, rather than clicking on your |
| In my opinion, if you just want a personal web | | | | unsubscribe link. Many people simply don't realize |
| site to put your thoughts or opinions online, get a | | | | that doing that can lodge a spam complaint |
| free blog and start writing. But if your intention is | | | | against you with their email provider, they just |
| to make a living online, or at least to have a | | | | didn't want to receive your emails anymore. When |
| professional online business presence, you're going | | | | they receive the spam complaint from the email |
| to have to pay for a real domain name and your | | | | provider, most premium hosts will give you a |
| web hosting. If you expect to be successful, and | | | | chance to provide documentation that you aren't |
| you want to make getting a full featured | | | | a spammer, before they close down your |
| professional web site up and running as easy as | | | | account. However, some of the large really cheap |
| possible, plus you want access to a quick, | | | | hosts have adopted a policy of "guilty until proven |
| responsive tech support team to help you do it, | | | | innocent", since the majority of the complaints |
| you really need a "premium" web host. | | | | they receive are valid. You may find your website |
| As with free web hosts, if you're just setting up | | | | shut down, and your domain name locked up for |
| a small personal site, but want to build the site | | | | weeks, while you prove your innocence to your |
| yourself, and want more flexibility as to the | | | | hosting company. |
| template you use, and want to be able to add | | | | For the most part, when it comes to web |
| pictures, video and audio, then a real dirt cheap | | | | hosting, like with most things, you get what you |
| host may be a good deal for you. But for a | | | | pay for. But, this doesn't mean you have to pay |
| business or e-commerce web site, cheaper is not | | | | an arm and a leg to get great hosting. In fact, the |
| always a bargain. | | | | difference in price between a good premium web |
| Really cheap web hosting plans usually have one | | | | host and a dirt cheap one is only a few dollars a |
| or more of the same problems as free hosting. | | | | month. Of course, you can pay a lot more, and |
| Slow speed, small space and bandwidth, overselling | | | | some premium hosts charge up to $39.95 a |
| of both space and bandwidth, lack of service and | | | | month or more to host one website. But you |
| tech support, and less than state of the art | | | | don't have to pay anywhere near that amount to |
| security and equipment. And there are a few | | | | get great, full featured web hosting. I've been |
| problems with really cheap web hosts that can | | | | building and marketing web sites for years, and |
| really impact your business website. | | | | before I switched to the web host I use now I |
| First, if you're building your first website or your | | | | researched literally thousands of web hosting |
| tenth, you're probably going to run into some | | | | companies to come up with the best one for |
| problems or issues. A good premium hosting | | | | e-commerce hosting. I tried out dozens of the |
| company will help make the process easier by | | | | ones that made the initial cut, using their 14-30 |
| giving you a online Site Builder and templates to | | | | day trial periods to find out if they were as good |
| make building the web site easier, and will also | | | | as they said they were, and came up with a list |
| have a script library to make installing a blog, | | | | of Top Ten Hosts that really deliver exceptional |
| photo gallery, forum, or online store much easier | | | | service and excellent hosting packages for a |
| and simpler to do. Still, you may have problems or | | | | bargain price. |
| questions as you build and launch your web site. In | | | | |