Is Free Web Hosting For You?

There has been an abundance of articles online stating that free web hosting simply isn’t worth your time and effort, or perhaps that “you get what you pay for.”  Wow, that’s a new thought!  Let’s chew on that one a while, shall we?

Now that you’re back with us, open up your mind to the possibility of free web hosting.  It’s true: free web hosting is not really comparable to premium web hosting services.  Free web hosting service is almost always limited when it comes to bandwidth and disk storage space.  And it’s true, no company is going to give 24/7 expert customer assistance or 99.9% reliability for a free site—to a customer that never pays!

However, if you are not overly concerned with constant reliability (usually only a worry of the online store owner) then you may find free web hosting the most practical solution for your business needs.  If you mainly want a website to advertise and promote your local business then free web hosting is ideal.  If you conduct most of your business in person or on the phone (such as a contracting service or repair service) then occasional downtime and slower-than-average operation (but still high speed Internet quality) will not be that big of a deal.

Wait a minute.  What about those popup ads and banners?  Shouldn’t I get rid of those if I want a professional site?  Well, first of all try and understand that many professional sites are bombarded with advertisements, so it’s not like you’re alone.  Your current homepage probably has at least a few ads playing right now!  It’s not really advertising that turns people off; it’s amateur web design.  A site that’s full of poorly designed banner ads and little content is going to turn people off.  A site with a discreet banner here or there is not going to disgust the average consumer.

Furthermore, there are now web hosting packages available from top providers that actually host free plans that don’t include banner or popup advertising.  You may have to search for quite a while, but they are out there.  Some of these companies may try and charge you for a domain name, while others will stick to their “free hosting!” guns.

All in all, don’t conclude that in order to be legitimate you have to spend money.  There are many companies and individuals who have no special need of premium hosting packages and are completely satisfied with their free site.  Free web hosting may very well be just what you need.