Low cost web hosting services are many. Free hosting packages are even more, and look lucrative. After all you need to have your web site up and running on the internet with no financial burden. All you need is create your site, sit back and let your hosting provider set it up for you.What are merits and demerits and which might be better off choosing a low cost web hosting package or free hosting ?
There are a lot of web hosting companies that will offer free space.
So, opt for this choice and you create your site (many ISPs will help you do this too via their software), upload it and they give it a home on the web. Sounds too good to be true? Well, for many people it is – and they move very quickly to a low cost web hosting package instead.
A free hosting package isn't a bad option for some people. It's an OK solution for personal web sites, can be used to test out your site and the response it gets and works for some small business owners. However, before you opt for free hosting, you should take a look at whether a low cost web hosting package might suit your needs better.
The problem with free hosting is that it has limits. You may well say that low cost web hosting has limits too – but they're generally not as restricting. The first issue you'll come across is space. Your free hosting provider will only offer small space for your site. You'll be limited on the number of pages you can have and the design, images and technical packages you can use.
There is none of the uptime guarantees and support services that you'll get if you pay for a hosting service. After all, you're getting this for free, so your provider doesn't have to make any commitment to sort out problems quickly. Find yourself with slow loading times because there are too many sites on their server and too much traffic. They don't have to do ANYTHING about it.
Low cost web hosting packages also have another big advantage over free ones – advertisements. Opt to put your site on a free service and you'll have to have any banners, adverts, pop-ups and pop-unders that they want appearing on your site. This is how the hosting provider makes the money that you aren't paying them for the service! There isn't a bigger advertisement out there to your site visitors that you're on a free package.
