Choosing a Cheap Web Host

The enormous increase in the use of the internet has seen a parallel increase in the number of web hosting companies. Every new website needs a web host. The competition between web hosts is fierce.

For the website operator the upside and the downside come from the same cause. That is, while the number of web hosts out there competing means prices are good, it also means that claims of great service are often exaggerated. If you are a website owner, how do you find a cheap web host that is reliable? Here are some ideas.

First, know that, on occasion, there will be problems. Computers do sometimes fail. All web hosts will tell you that they guarantee at least 99.9% uptime. Is this enough? Some sites need 99.99% uptime, or more. Also, even if the server is up, your site can still be down. The web host does not necessarily know it until you advise them. Their responsiveness in these cases is critical. You need to have access to live support, by telephone – not just email, on a 24/7 basis.

Next, try to avoid so-called free web hosting. A web host needs revenue from somewhere and when they offer free hosting services, they usually require that you allow them to place advertising on your site. In addition to not sharing the revenue, they are free to change the ad messages as they wish. Every time they go into your site, there is an increased risk that your site could be damaged. In addition, do you want advertising on your site that may be objectionable to you or your visitors? When you consider that you can get an ad-free site for a few dollars a month, isn’t it worth it?

Be careful when reviewing claims that assert that you can have unlimited bandwidth, disk space, domain names and email accounts. Some hosts actually really do offer unlimited everything but rarely are they the cheap web hosting sites. Servers cost a lot of money and web hosts cannot just give it all away. Somewhere there will be limits.

If all the websites on a server use all the server features that they wish, there will be an overload and a potentially serious slowdown in performance. You may be operating within appropriate levels, but another site may not be, causing your site to slow down. In today’s internet world, consumers have come to assume rapid access when they visit websites. If yours is slow, the odds are they will go elsewhere.

Take advantage of the competitive nature of the web hosting business. However, do be careful not to be fooled by overzealous claims.