Cheap Web Hosting – 3 Things To Avoid
by AJ Farro
Cheap web hosting can be a good thing if you avoid a few pitfalls that can turn a cheap web hosting deal into an expensive project. Sometimes spending a little money upfront can save a lot money in the long run. It’s sort of like buying an old car for cheap, but then paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs to keep it running.
Web hosting is only as expensive as you let it be. Here are three important tips for keeping your hosting costs in check.
1) Avoid accepting “free domain name” offers.
Some hosts only give you the first year free and then charge bookoo bucks to renew the name a year later.
No matter what the term of the free domain name is, a year or lifetime, you will not have access to the domain name registrar account because the hosting company owns the name, you don’t. That means you can’t make changes and you can’t transfer it to a cheaper registrar.
You may not get a privacy manager to hide your personal name, address, phone, and email from spammers, or the web hosting company will charge extra for a privacy feature.
2) Avoid limits on disk space, bandwidth, databases, email accounts, and add-on domains.
Disk space includes all physical space on the server’s hard drive for your files, databases, email, scripts, images, videos and more. As your site grows, so will your needs for more space.
Bandwidth is data transmission to and from the web hosting server. Each time you upload files to your hosting account or someone visits your site, data transmission takes place. This digital traffic is metered. If you reach the bandwidth limit on your account, be it per day, or month, no one will be able to access your site.
If you aren’t already a blogger, you might catch the blogging bug sooner or later. Blogging lets you create an instant website – no templates, design, layout, or coding and little techie skills required. Installing a blog requires a database installation so you don’t want restrictions on databases if you’ll be hosting more than one blog. However, blogs aren’t the only applications requiring a database.
If you’re running a business or multiple sites, you’ll need to be able to create unlimited email addresses.
Unlimited add-on domains means you can host additional domains on the same web hosting account. You should not have to buy more hosting to host another domain unless you have specific reasons to do so. Unlimited add-on domains is a major money saver.
In summary, if you buy hosting with restrictions, you’ll have to pay for more when you need more. Look for the word “unlimited” in the features list.
3) Avoid buying web hosting from domain name registrars, despite the convenient one-stop shopping.
Getting web hosting from the same place you buy a domain name will drain your wallet faster than a carnie at the state fair. That warm fuzzy feeling you get from trusting them with your hosting needs is nothing more than the heat of their hands in your pocket reaching for your wallet. Any web hosting account you get from a domain registrar will come with exorbitant prices and severe restrictions. They are counting on you “already being there” and will glady take your money when you need more space, more email accounts, more databases, and more of anything.
Cheap Domain Names: Get a cheap TLD domain name with WhoIs Guards for only $8.81/yr at NameCheap
Cheap Web Hosting: Here’s a list of the top cheap web hosting companies
3 Responses to “Cheap Web Hosting – 3 Things To Avoid”
Your first point is a good one, but the 2 and 3 not so much. First, you should not pay for unlimited space if you do not need it. That is how you get ripped off. Only pay for what you need, people! Many small business owners don’t research their needs, they just talk to a host and then buy — don’t do it. Second, your last point is not that valid either. Most web hosts offer domain names for free or really cheap with a web hosting account and they will let you transfer them, if they won’t you are dealing with the wrong host!
I recommend http://www.TheBlueKingdom.com with plans at $3.99 and 99.9% uptime along with great deals on domain names.
@RobRob, I’d like to reply to your exceptions. Calling unlimited space a rip-off is relative to where you’re shopping. If you shop the top web hosting companies, you’re not getting ripped off. However, if you’re dealing with a reseller who rations out disk space like it’s the family jewels and not the parent web hosting company, then absolutely YES, you will be ripped off on unlimited space. In truth, web hosts know people won’t use that much space because they’ve got years of statistics to back it up. Offering unlimited web space for $1.30/mo is certainly more attractive than $3.99/mo for only 10 gig. They may appear to be throwing out the baby with the bath water by offering unlimited hosting, but they’re not. Like I said, they know most customers won’t use that space.
If a webmaster is posting images and video, it doesn’t take long to use that space up. When you run out of your allotted 10 gig, you have to go back to the host for more space. You think they’re just going to give it to you? Nope, you’ll be charged more. You know what they say, “penny wise and pound foolish”. One more point to consider, not everyone will host just one domain on an account. I personally have many accounts and each one hosts many domains. As I build each up each site, believe me, that space goes by quickly.
On your other point about free domain names, “most” web hosts offering free domain names don’t give you access to the DNS record because they own the name, the customer doesn’t. On this point it’s very important to do your homework first by contacting the web host. If you request a transfer, some web hosts “punish” you by back-charging you for the free ride.
You’re right, I’ve opted to use 000webhost to host my new blog although there are restrictions but if it works right, I have plans to upgrade to their paid hosting. And using a free domain from co.cc for my blog. Lets see how it works but I know, there are very good and reliable hosting companies which offer it for cheap.