If you’re new to the world of web hosting and are searching for ways to host your new website, you might get overwhelmed with tips and different types of advice online. If you don’t know if you need a website hosting service, or if you should just get a developer, the following may help you make a more informed decision.

  1. Choosing A Free Web Host Service

Having a free hosting service could be useful if your main aim is to start a blog or website as a hobby, or developing a site for a community group. However, search engines usually don’t love sites that are hosted on free services.

There are good free web hosting services, but the market can be highly competitive, making it challenging for your new business to survive. Free hosting services are also not reliable when it comes to mitigating server issues.

On the other hand, since you’re not paying for the service you can’t really expect anything spectacular if your website is providing a powerful user experience due to server crashes and uptime problems.

Support is also minimal. Free hosting comes with no advanced features, such as free databases to recover site data. Your domain name will also be generic. Instead of having an authentic domain name, you will get the free hosting name first, and then the business name in the URL.

There are some free hosting providers that do permit you to park your domain. The point is you usually get what you pay for. However, you certainly don’t need to settle for free. There are plenty of affordable hosting services out there to choose from.

  1. Learn More About Web Hosting

When you search for shared hosting packages you would likely come across terms such as unlimited and free. Server space, bandwidth, and storage still may have limits. However, check the hosting service fine print to make a strong decision.

Restrictions of personal storage file are actually common, just like rules about specific types of media or streaming. Companies implement these restrictions to make sure services run smoothly for everyone on a shared server because server resources cost a lot of money.

Before signing up, ask your web host if you can add stats to your account, maintain multiple accounts, install new software on your own, and use a shopping cart feature on your website. Also, get the facts about uptime issues and server issues before signing up.

  1. Making A Hosting Decision Based On Discounted Prices

Thinking all web hosting is the same, so you can just buy the cheapest that you can find is a common mistake. Also, thinking that the best hosting costs more and you need to go for the higher priced package to get better quality hosting is another common hosting mistake.

Hosting is a product, so it can be very tempting to go for the lowest price that is up for grabs. You may also be tempted by clever marketing messages used to sell you those more expensive packages.

Since the market is competitive, special offers and price cuts are typically used to win customers. But you don’t have to for pay more than what you need.

Always keep your eyes open for hosting discount codes. Cheap hosting packages may be enough for a startup site or personal blog. Remember that the price that you see in advertisements is a monthly price. And when you choose longer plan periods you may get discounts too.

  1. Choosing The Wrong Hosting Plan

There are two main kinds of web hosting packages that you can choose when starting an online business. The most common are shared and virtual private server(VPS). If your site is smaller, shared hosting may be perfect for you.

“If your site is small, doesn’t see a ton of traffic, and doesn’t require a lot of resources, you may never need to upgrade your plan,” Megan Hendrickson of DreamHost said. “Websites fitting this definition often include online portfolios and personal blogs. However, it’s important to realize that shared hosting comes with certain limitations.”

A virtual private server (VPS) is used by websites that have high traffic. When your small site grows in the future you can upgrade to VPS, or even a dedicated hosting plan. At the beginning of your site, shared hosting can help you save your hard-earned money. But don’t feel that you need to stick with shared hosting forever.

In Conclusion . . .

You never want to make the above web hosting mistakes. Doing so may lead to the demise of your new venture before you even begin seeing growth. Hosting is important, so do your due diligence and choose wisely.