Five Major Differences Between Paid and Free Web Hosting Services
Do you have a business or are you just starting one? Do you need to have a website? Do you prefer free website hosting to save a little money, or are you willing to pay for it? Free always sounds enticing! However, that may not be the best way to go.
Understanding the differences between these web hosting services is the first step to choosing which is the most beneficial to you. What makes them different?
1. Unique Domain Address
You want your business to stand out, right? Then you need something that is unique and will showcase your business. The first step is to get a domain address.
Free hosting will provide you an address, but it will also include their business. Take a look: mycompany.theircompany.com does not look very professional. You want a mycompany.com, and paid hosting is what will get you there. It’s unique and much more professional.
2. Visibility
Visibility is an essential for your business. Free website hosting has more downtime. What that means is that your website often can’t be seen. This is not a good business strategy. If people can’t see your website, then they will move on to one they can see, giving someone else their business.
Paid hosting has a guaranteed 99% uptime. That leaves only a 1% margin for downtime.
3. Ranking
Search engine ranking is very important, especially in today’s digital era. The higher your ranking, the easier it is to be found.
Free hosting comes with ads and links of their choosing, all placed directly on your webpages. Not only is this unprofessional looking, but this also makes it a beacon for spammers to clone your website, which can lead to infecting visitors with viruses. In essence, say goodbye to your customers and your revenue. The nonsensical ads, irrelevant links and possible spammer threats are not favored by search engines. These things will result in lower rankings, making it less likely for your website to be found.
Paid hosting offers security and protection from spammers and will never place their own ads or links on your website. You are in complete control of what content is on your site. Search engines greatly favor relevant content to your business and only your business, as well as a much safer site. The reward for providing this online environment is higher ranking, which in turn makes your site easier to find. This brings you more views, visits, and revenue.
4. Space and Bandwidth
Bandwidth and storage are essential for businesses on the internet. If you don’t have the space, then you’re facing downtime and, essentially, an incomplete site.
Free website hosting comes with limited bandwidth and storage. That means trouble uploading your content and receiving your emails. If you reach or exceed your bandwidth, your site goes down and your emails bounce into limbo. You will need to wait through a 24-hour period, if not longer, for your site to resume. This could have negative effects on your business.
Paid hosting offers various bandwidth and storage packages. You can find one that suits your business, with the option to increase or decrease the amount you need at your fingertips. The chances of your site going down and your emails bouncing are next to nil.
5. Reliable Support
The best web hosting services should be able to keep your site running smoothly. You’ll need exceptional and immediate tech support and assistance when there is an issue. Without it, your site could be in a lot of trouble.
Free hosting offers very limited tech support and the assistance they do offer can still take quite a while to resolve whatever issue you have.
Paid hosting offers 24/7 tech support, and their assistance rate is quick. They make assistance available via telephone, email, or chat service, helping you as quickly as possible to resolve any technical issues you may be having.
Which Is Better?
These are some of the most important differences between free and paid hosting. It’s up to you to decide which is best for your needs and that of your business. Hire the best web hosting company to oversee your online presence and guarantee uptime for your website.
