Free Web Hosting VS Paid Web Hosting
Choose a free host utilizing a professional webmaster carefully and the FREE non-costs will be worth the slightly offset url name. With No server down time / large site availablility at your fingertips / stats and application access that would cost you a fortune in fees otherwise / and in most cases you will only pay the light costs of a designer that will be avail to you and your company, for the lifetime of your website for a min. fee. if not free of charge. Not to mention spectacular designs and templates that include flash options or multi function pages that you would notrmally pay 10's of thousands of dollars for.
With the economy the way it is right now, new entrenpenurs are looking for ways to save money in their startup costs. Every one seems to be looking for free web hosting but they really don’t understand the cost to their business by doing this. If you are reading this after the recession of 2008-2009, the following information is still relevant as it relates to building a reputable online presence for your business. Let’s look at the cost to your business if you go with free web hosting.
Professional Appearance of Business
When you use free web hosting, your URL (the web link for you website) will look something like this:
http://website-checklist.blogspot.com/
In the example above blogspot.com is the company providing the free hosting.
If this is a business blog or website, it doesn’t give the appearance that you are serious about your business.
For a more professional image of your business, it would be prudent of you to invest in a domain name and some professional hosting.
Outgrowing Your Free Web Hosting
At some point your website/blog will outgrow the features offered by free web hosting providers.
If you move from free web hosting to your own domain with paid web hosting you don’t have the capability to upload a .htaccess file to redirect the search engines and visitors to your new web hosting space. To let the search engines know you have moved you use instructions in the .htaccess file to 301 permanently redirect them to your new location.
Also, you cannot use a .htaccess instruction to permanently redirect your visitors and search engines when you delete a page within your site.
After years of building your website/blog on free web hosting, your efforts will be lost and you will have to start over, from scratch.
Some will say you can include coding in the existing pages to redirect the visitors and search engines to the new location. But these methods do not provide a 301 permanant redirect instruction, which the search engines need.
…Use a 301 Redirect to permanently redirect all pages on your old site to your new site. This tells search engines and users that your site has permanently moved. ….
…Don’t do a single redirect directing all traffic from your old site to your new home page….
…To prevent confusion, it’s best to retain control of your old site domain for at least 180 days…
Moving your site – Webmasters/Site Owners Help at Google
Free Isn’t Free
How do you suppose a company that offers free web hosting makes any money to run their operation? Answer: Through advertising.
Free web hosting companies need to make money somehow. They do this by inserting advertising into your page. You have no control over what advertising is shown. What if a competitor’s ad is shown or an ad inappropriate for your target audience is shown?
E.g. Advertising
To support the service we may occasionally show Google text ads on your blog, however we do this very rarely. You can remove ads from your blog for a low yearly fee. In the future you’ll be able to show your own ads and make money from your blog.
WordPress.com Features (way down at the bottom of the page.
Choose one carefully and the FREE costs will be worth the slightly offset url name. No server down time / large site availablility / stats and application access that would cost you a fortune in fees otherwise and in most cass you will get a designer that will be avail ot you for the lifetime of your website for a min. fee. Not to mention pspectacular designs and flash or multi function pages.
Free Web Hosting Doesn’t Last Forever
When using a free web hosting service there is no guarantee that they will stick around. A some point, even large providers of free hosting decide to pack it in.
Case in point: Yahoo! has decided to close their 360 service on July 13, 2009. They have also decided to close GeoCities free web hosting service.
Ok, paid web hosting companies don’t last forever either but, if you have a web hosting account where you are able to download your whole site, then you are covered. You have a backup of your site that you can upload to a new hosting company and get back up and running quickly. You should backup your website each time you make a change anyways.
ISP Web Hosting
Usually when you signup for internet access with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) your package includes a small, free web hosting space. When using this type of web hosting your URL will be similar to those provided with free web hosting accounts.
Web hosting at your ISP has the same problems as described above for free web hosting.
Something else people don’t realize is that when you cancel your internet service with your ISP you loose the web hosting space (and your email address, which is a whole other problem if you have used mybusiness@yourisp.com as your business email address).
Limited Features with Free Web Hosting
Free web hosting accounts have limits on what you can and cannot do. You are limited to the features provided by the service.
Some paid web hosting accounts have limits too. If you create a checklist before signing up for the account then you will be aware of the limits of the plan. These limitations are generally less confining that those at free web hosting service providers.
Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Recommendations for webmaster friendly freehosts has some points you should ask your free hosting company before signing up.
