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Are Free Webhosting Accounts Really Free? - 5 Critical Things
to Consider Before Choosing a Free Web
Many free web hosting accounts are free to use, however
they will cost you a lot of money, time, and customers as
well if you have a site that is meant for business purposes
and is more than the simplest site imaginable. Consider
the following items as to why free web hosting might cost
you more than you had bargained for when you signed up.
Consideration #1 Bandwidth
Frequently, free web hosting providers offer you little
bandwidth which means it will take longer for your page
to load. When your page takes more than 10 seconds to load
you will lose visitors because they will simply move on.
Because of this, you might lose a lot of customers and sales
from your free web host.
Consideration #2 Advertising
Many free web hosting companies are "free" to
you, however, you will have advertising posted on your website
as well as pop up ads. Most people do not like this and
will not visit your site because of it. Be careful about
signing up with a free web hosting company that uses advertising.
It might not bother you, but it will probably affect your
traffic and sales.
Consideration #3 Web Space
Since the web host is free, you cannot expect a whole lot
of web space. Frequently people do not have the space they
need to upload their web page and include all of their information.
Be sure to check with your free web space provider or the
ones you are considering to make sure you will have enough
web space to host all of the required elements of your web
pages.
Consideration #4 Reliability
Another consideration with free web hosting companies is
reliability. Often times limitations are put on your traffic
flow and if you exceed this, your site may be disabled for
a period of time or you may even receive a bill. Find out
what the rules are for traffic and what the consequences
are for exceeding your limits.
Consideration #5 Limitations
More often than not, your free web host will have rules
regarding the size of photos, icons, and more that you can
upload. You will want to check into this before you sign
up for free web hosting because if you cannot upload what
you need, it is time to look at other options.
While free web hosting is technically free, it frequently
costs websites more money in the long run because it limits
activity and business from occurring at the rate set by
consumers. Because of this, if you have a growing site it
will eventually be too big for the free account and you
will have to make some changes. Instead of dealing with
the hassle, figure out if a free server will really be worthwhile
and make a plan for change and growth ahead of time.
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