Disadvantages Of Free Web Hosting

If you get what you pay for, anything free must not be worth much. This is as true for free Web hosting services as any other commodity. A free Web host may or may not provide the required level of reliability. Therefore extreme caution must be taken when choosing a free Web host.

There are several restrictions likely to appear. These include:

1. Advertisements, potentially those of competing Web sites, may be placed upon any site they host. This is a common source of revenue for a free host. These advertisements prove to be an irritant for many customers who may not like their browsing experience to be affected by these ads.

2. There may be little to no support with a free hosting plan. Sometimes only a FAQ page is offered as support. There may be no chance for change or correction of problems even when a complaint is filed.

3. The host may suffer frequent server breakdowns. There may be insufficient bandwidth to support the Web site’s needs. There may be no scalability. There may be thousands of other Web sites competing for the same server resources. This “death of a thousand paper cuts” result in hosts that look good at first glance, but fail miserably in practice.

4. Few free Web hosts offer significant storage space or even restrict the type of files allowed for use. For example, files typically that use a lot of bandwidth (like MP3 files) may not be allowed. This can cripple the utility of many Web sites.

5. Free Web hosts may also require the use of a sub-domain, which makes the ID much longer than it would have been if the Web site used its own domain name. The vast increase in URL length for the site can result in many potential customers forgetting, misspelling, or otherwise failing to reach the site quickly and efficiently.

These are not insignificant disadvantages. The Internet is a very competitive and unforgiving environment. Visitors can be very fickle and are unlikely to return to a Web site that suffers from frequent technical problems, is cluttered with obtrusive banner advertisements, or which otherwise encumbers their navigation. Because the Internet makes most tasks very easy, this ease of use is expected. Complications are typically greeted with simple avoidance, as there is almost certainly an easier way to accomplish any given task.

Generally speaking, a free host should be avoided if the desire is to set up a business Web site. The resultant loss in terms of customers lost can be much higher than the actual gain to be had through Web presence. A sub-standard site is often the sign of a sub-standard business.

Free Web hosts are, however, a safe choice if the Web site is an information Web site or a personal Web site. Even then the goal should be for this to be a limited period. For a Web site to grow, money will have to be invested eventually.

The Key Ingredients Of An Effective Web Hosting Package

When you launch a website there are a variety of decisions that must be made in order to ensure your success online. Everything from web design to web content must be considered in order to effectively launch and maintain an online presence. Just as integral to a successful website as design and content is the web host that is chosen to orchestrate online access. Finding an appropriate web host that will offer a comprehensive web hosting package is paramount to a website’s success.

As a website owner you have undoubtedly been faced with the challenge of finding a web hosting package that fits the needs of your website. For the uninitiated this can seem an overwhelming task. But ultimately, the best web hosting package for you should address several essential elements.

First, a web hosting package should include the space that is essential for your website to effectively operate. A web host “rents” space on its server – a computer that has reciprocal access to the Internet. A larger web host will provide larger space – imperative for websites that attract high traffic and support large files and graphics. Often you will pay for the space that your website requires; it is important to balance present day cost with future growth. If you are anticipating growth in your website – or you are working to increase traffic – then it may be worth the money to purchase a web hosting package that offers unlimited space.

A web hosting package will also differ from company to company depending on whether they are a virtual web host or a non-virtual web host. A virtual web host will offer you space on their server but under your own domain name; in other words, you have your own website address regardless of your web host or the server through which are working. The majority of websites online work with a virtual web host. A non-virtual web host will offer you space on their server under their domain name; so in order to access your website a visitor will often have to type in the web address of the host usually followed by a backslash and then your website or company name; or the web host will provide you with a domain name rather than you choosing one for yourself. The upside of a non-virtual web hosting package is that it is often much less money than its virtual counterpart.

Security is essential when choosing a web hosting package. It is important to ensure that any web host that you consider offers its customers the most up-to-date security measures available today. This is especially important if you will be offering your visitors the opportunity for online purchasing.

Finally, just as important when choosing a web hosting package is ensuring that you will receive quality customer service. Web hosting is a service you pay for and for which you should receive clear communication, responsiveness, and professionalism.

Web Hosting Help – What’s Bandwidth

Bandwidth can make all the difference when choosing where to host your website

A common mistake made by so many people when looking to choose a web host company is not asking about bandwidth. After spending so long designing or with a developer designing your web site you do not want to see a good web site ruined and only viewed by a handful of people at a time. A web site is generally your shop window and you want as many people as possible to look in and hopefully click on your information or purchase online if you are offering products. All web host companies will offer you a limited amount of bandwidth, it’s then up to you to calculate whether or not you need to pay a little extra for bandwidth you may require.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from the web host company, it is there job to help you along the way and after all it’s you who is paying for there service. You will need to advice them as to how big each page is on your website and if possible a rough calculation as to how many people you think may view your site on a weekly or daily basis.

Is it possible to save bandwidth?

Yes it is and this comes into play at the time of designing your website. If you are looking to save the bandwidth you should put all photos in the JPEG format and all graphics in GIF format. By doing so you are compressing the files using only the very least bandwidth required.

Why do some companies offer only a very limited amount of bandwidth?

You have got to remember that web hosting is an extensive market and very profitably for the web hosting company. The more people they can attract to their services the more profit they make. They in turn have to pay out to the telecoms companies for the bandwidth provided to them and are only wanting to pay the bare amount to keep profits high. Web host companies that are not offering you the additional bandwidth are the ones to avoid. If they say it is not possible to purchase additional bandwidth, then the chances are this is a small company with poor technology behind them operating on a shoestring budget.

What will happen if I do not have enough bandwidth?

It’s very simply really, if your website has not got enough bandwidth to operate with, one of two things will happen. Your website will download onto peoples monitors very slowly and the chances are they will not wait around. The second problem is that your web site may only be viewed by a very limited audience at one time. You may have great link backs from other websites driving traffic your way only for that traffic to be diverted elsewhere to a properly functioning competitor.

How can I ensure that this will not happen to me?

Undoubtedly it is very frustrating to spend time and money developing a good informative website only to have it’s viewing reduced by lack of bandwidth. You need to be honest with your web host company and tell them the number of pages and how large your overall files are, by doing this the onus is on them to offer us the service your require. You can ask for a guarantee from the web host company that all will be fine with your site and there are many out there willing to give such guarantees. If you decide to go it cheap and risk the low bandwidth you are only fooling yourself. Look at the rates from the different web host companies for extra bandwidth and you will be pleasantly surprised that it will not cost an arm and a leg to have a little extra. Knowingly going over bandwidth with only cost you revenue in the long run and makes your website very unprofessional. If you are hosting with a reliable web host company they will not allow this happen anyway.

If you are unsure as to how large your website actually is act the person or company who developed the site for you to advise or simply ask the web host company, all will be happy to oblige you.

When is it time to change your web hosting provider?

Building a web site is the easy part, getting it hosted right is difficult. There are many options like Host way, iPowerWeb, Homestead, which are paid hosts and many free ones like GeoCities.

The cost of a paid service would be between US$ 5 and US$10 a month. The most immediate advantage is that you pass on the burden of storage, security, and bandwidth to another’s shoulders.

A good host whether paid or free should have in place:

• Usable web design tools. And an updated server software.

• E-commerce advice as well as options likes form remailer, chat, or bulletin board.

• Remote access. Allows access to and uploading of files from anywhere in the world.

• Unparalleled services. Answers to technical questions as well as solutions to problems. Customer service must be 24×7 in actuality.

• Plan options.

• Sufficient disk space and bandwidth.

• A 24×7 uptime.

• A free trial option.

• Quality Internet connection plans. The host should be clear about what they can offer for example, if they offer T1 then it allows only 1.544 Mbps while an OC-256 allows 13,000 Mbps.

• Server speeds that are not hindered by the number of sites being accessed simultaneously. Ping a site and see the response time.

• Processors that can take immense load and not slow down the site’s transmission.

• Tight and dependable security measures. Ensure that your site will be protected from unwanted intrusions. Security protocols should be clearly outlined. The hosting company must have plans in place to upgrade and maintain security measures.

Sadly a web hosting dream can become a nightmare when: the host does not keep promises, the site outgrows the hosting plan, there are no responses to your e-mails or phone calls of distress, the charges are way beyond your budget, the server has a virus or other problems.

Do not panic, take a breath and try and solve hosting problems by using web hosting talk forums. These are interactive and you will get many suggestions and offers within a minute or two of posting your dilemma.

Do your homework well visit one of the links below it will narrow as well as facilitate your work.

• HostIndex.com at http://www.hostindex.com/ is a well organized directory dedicated to aspects of web hosting .Has in depth information on the top 25 web hosts, domain registration, SME hosting , e-commerce advice, and more.

• CNet.com at http://reviews.cnet.com/Web_hosting/2001-6540_7-0.html is a complete directory on web hosting. Covers articles, buying advice, hosting plans, as well as news and developments in the field. Offers comparisons between services of different providers and invaluable editor’s ratings.

• 1st Site Free has at: http://www.1stsitefree.com/selecthost-directory.htm a comprehensive listing of various web hosting directories.

Web hosting is not difficult if you plan well, know your options, and keep abreast of technological developments.

Which Hosting Options Do You Really Need For Your Website ?

Every Web Hosting Provider offers you a multitude of options, and if you’re new to the game of Hosting a Website, this can be a daunting task in knowing which options to choose from. I have often come accross people that are paying too much for what they’re actually doing with their website. If you don’t use a database, why pay for it ?

Knowing what each option is for, can really save you from paying more than what you really need to pay.

HTML: Websites are written in a language called HTML, and this is the basic function that every Web Host offers you – without HTML, there is no web site.

HTML code tells the web server what the website should look like, where to load the images, and the links to other pages. HTML isn’t really difficult, and is fairly easy to pick-up. To learn more about HTML you can go to http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp which has some great tutorials on HTML. You can also use tools like Front Page and Dreamweaver to build pages,but having a basic knowledge of HTML can only help.

DISK SPACE: The size of the disk space is important if you’re going to have a big website with lots of pages. This is where your pages get stored, and you need space for them. I always like to start small, and then upgrade as my requirements grow.

BANDWIDTH: When ever somebody visits your website, information is being transferred from your website to their web browser. This transfer creates traffic that is and this traffic is measured as Bandwidth. As with diskspace you can usually upgrade this as needed. I have found that it’s better to go with a webhost that charges you extra whenever you go over the allocated amount as this usually ensures that your website stays up and running even if it costs you a bit extra.

PHP/ASP/CGI: Allows you to write various scripts into your website that does little extras that HTML cannot do on it’s own – Anything from allowing people to make comments on your website to creating full member areas. If you want a website that allows people to interact with your website, then you most probably will need some form of Scripting. There are alot of free scripts out there, with PHP being the most popular. It’s important to first know what scripts your website’s going to be running, before going for a webhost – as not all webhosts offer every type of scripting solution out there.

DATABASES: If you want to store hugh amounts of data to make available to your visitors, or run a content management system like Joomla, then you’ll need a database for this. You also need a way to get the data in and out of the Database, so you’ll need PHP as well – But, most web hosting companies will give you both options bundled together.

CONTROL PANEL: There are various control panels that web hosting providers use, and they all perform the same function – allowing you to control your website. I have no real preferance for any specific control panel, as they pretty much all do the same thing.

DOMAINS: Most Webhost providers will register a domain for you at a extra cost. Be sure to check out registrars of domains, to see if you cannot buy it for cheaper. Registering a domain at something like Go-Daddy.com is pretty cheap, and pretty easy to do. What makes it sometimes better to go via the hosting company is that they will manage the whole aspect of the domain for you, where with a service like Go-Daddy it’s up to you to manage the whole domain – So, it’s sometime a cost saving option to go with the Web Host.

A lot of these options you can add to your website as you need them. It’s not always best to go for the most expensive package out there. Find out what you need, and then only purchase those options you need. You can save yourself some real money at the end of the day.