Many people and small business owners have hesitated going online with a website because they don’t think they can afford to do it.  They have taken a look at the large amount of money big companies are spending on their websites and hosting.  But the reality is, most companies can use a cheap web hosting provider and stay well within a budget.

One place to look to in regards to cheap web hosting is free hosting services.  You can not get any cheaper than that.  After the dot com boom free web hosting didn’t disappear they just became a bit harder to find.  There are only a few big names left in the free hosting circle such as GeoCities and Tripod.

Free hosting is good if you are just starting out and money is an issue.  The problem is it has a lot of limitations.  Most come with ads all over your site and you do not share in the revenue they may produce.  If your site was to become popular and have a lot of visitors they could suspend your site because of to much usage or force you to sign up for a paid account.  This may be the ultimate cheap web hosting but may not be what is best for you.

If you need cheap web hosting but are not sure if you want to the commitment of a yearly plan, but you don’t want the limitations that a free hosting company will impose on you, you have a few options available for your consideration.

Cheap web hosting is available on a pay as you go plan.  This is not real popular as of yet but is becoming more available all the time.  You do not pay a monthly fee.  What you do is, put money on your account then each time someone accesses your site a small amount is taken off the books.  This way you are only paying for what you are using.

Another cheap web hosting plan is finding a web host that does not make you commit to a long term agreement.  Many cheap web host providers will offer a monthly plan that is reasonable and affordable.  You have all the benefits, but do not have the long term commitment should you change your mind.

You can find cheap web hosting with great customer service for as little as five dollars or less a month.  You will have all the disk space and bandwidth needed to make your online presence a success.  To find these do your homework.  Research and also find others who have used or are using a particular company you are interested in.

A word of caution in regards to some cheap web hosting companies.  Do not let them over sell you.  You do not need a huge amount of disk space or bandwidths so don’t pay for a excessive amount.  Try and find a cheap web host that will allow you to add to your disk space or bandwidth as you go.

You have to be more aware of the web hosting company that you choose. If you have a budget stick to it, if you see hosting for little or nothing and find yourself thinking “how do they make money” stay well away, the chances are your web site will be hosted with very little bandwidth resulting in a very slow accessible and unprofessional web site. You may also find that the customer service is little or none.

You need to clearly outline your own requirements to the web hosting company, if you do not do so you are at fault and not in any position to point the finger at others. If you make a list of requirements such as particular files you need etc you can send your requirements to multiple hosting companies and see who comes back with the greater service.

If you have more than one web site to host such as affiliate marketers it is not a good idea to put all your sites with the one web host company server to start with, you need to be 100% confident with the service, so start with one web site first as a test. Remember if you do host all your websites with one host company, all it takes is one problem to bring all your sites down and could result in lose of revenue for you. At least if you have some web sites hosted by another company they will still be online.

Some web host companies offer testimonials on their own web site from valued customers recommending them. Seeing is not believing, call these customers and get a face value recommendation for yourself.

What if I have problems?

Lets be honest, problems can occur and they maybe your fault and sometimes the web host company is to blame. Problems with technology can occur any time but it’s how the hosting company react to the fault that will determine if you stay with them or not. If you find your web site dropping off line or downloading slowly at a regular basis simply change to another web host company. On going problems not fixed is a very bad sign and it shows arrogance towards their customers. Support is vital from a web host company and it should be 24 hour if it’s a large organisation.

Virus Problems and Hackers

It is up to the web host company to ensure that your files are protected from virus and hackers at all times. There has been plenty of companies who have had their web sites hacked only then to find out that the web host company had not got the latest patches and security software applied. First timers to web hosting should always ask how often updates and what software is used to protect web sites.

Tips:

In business your web site can be a large source of revenue or sometimes your only source. Always do your own backup of the web site. If the web host company experience problems and for whatever reason has no backups available your whole business could be on hold. Backups are vital so do it as regular as possible or face the consequences. Some companies have testimonials on their web site from customers, do not be afraid to call these guys for an up to date reference.

If you where taking on an employee you would check all references, this is similar. Always get the full contact details of the web hosting company, many people simple go online and have an email address only as the contact. If their email goes down and you need to contact them you should have their full details at hand. Always shop around for the different web hosting plans and compare, you will find large differences, after you settle with a budget ask the necessary questions before you sign up.