So, you know you need it and you know you’ll need to consider the website hosting costs. shared hosting virtual private server (VPS) dedicated hosting The costs vary based on which type of web hosting you use. That’s because your site gets stored in a server that hosts other websites too. Free Website Hosting What about free website hosting? While free hosting is definitely an option you can consider, there is an old saying that you should keep in mind: You get what you pay for. But when it comes to web hosting, free or cheap isn’t always better. Even if an error message doesn’t appear, the increased load time will cause people to bounce. This is much better than having to pay for them individually, or even worse, pay the costs of your website getting compromised or having security problems. Servers You need to make sure that your site hosting servers are reliable as well. A plan that saves you money up front could cost you extra down the road with your website traffic, operational costs, and security.
Understand the price of web hosting and what to expect as you grow
Creating a website is exciting. In many cases, it means you’re starting or expanding your own business.
But in order for your website to be live on the Internet, it needs to be hosted. In short, web hosting provides storage space and access for websites.
So, you know you need it and you know you’ll need to consider the website hosting costs. Like anything else, the costs associated with hosting your website can influence some of your decisions.
Like nearly every other product and service, there isn’t one set for website hosting. There are even some hidden costs associated with site hosting that you need to be aware of.
Allow me to explain.
If you cut corners initially with site hosting costs, it can end up costing you more money down the road. You could run into issues that are more expensive than you might think.
I developed this guide to help educate you on how much website hosting will really cost. We’ll go through different elements that you need to take into consideration.
Types of Web Hosting
There are three main types of website hosting.
- shared hosting
- virtual private server (VPS)
- dedicated hosting
The costs vary based on which type of web hosting you use.
Shared hosting is the least expensive option. That’s because your site gets stored in a server that hosts other websites too. Dedicated servers are be the top of the line option — one that comes at a premium price. Just as the name implies, your site gets hosted on a single server you have all to yourself. (If you’re a small business, dedicated is likely way more than you need.) VPS hosting falls in between these two options. It’s less expensive than a dedicated server but has additional features and greater flexibility than shared hosting.
Free Website Hosting
What about free website hosting? Is it good? Do I recommend it?
These are questions that I get asked all of the time. For those of you who are interested in this, you check out this guide on the best free web hosting.
While free hosting is definitely an option you can consider, there is an old saying that you should keep in mind: You get what you pay for.
Now, this isn’t necessarily true all of the time. If you buy a $500 designer shirt, is it really that much better than a cheap $5 shirt? Probably not. But when it comes to web hosting, free or cheap isn’t always better.
So why do so many services offer free hosting packages? They are able to make money in other ways.
Some free hosting services make money from the banner ads displayed on your website, or even banners on your own dashboard. Some get paid with ads on forums that they force you to visit and post on in order to receive your free hosting. You’ll see web hosting plans that are offered free but then entice you to switch and upgrade to paid service.
You might even come across a startup company that’s running a web host for the first time, and offering free hosting before they transition and go after paying clients. This is something you’ll want to avoid for sure.
Website Traffic
It’s natural to try and save some money with a free or inexpensive hosting service. But eventually, your site is going to grow. Obviously, this is a good thing.
However, when your site reaches a certain size, the host may begin to throttle your website if you’re on a shared server.
A couple of things can happen from here. None are good news for your website.
It’s possible that website visitors will have trouble accessing your pages and…
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