How to Decide If a Free Web Host Is Right for You

You want to set up your own website. You can't decide if you want to use a web hosting service or not. There are a number of factors to consider. The best rule to remember is the following: nothing in life is truly free.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Determine if you get enough bandwidth for your needs. You must also ask what sizes of files you can use. The speed of the host's connection also should be a factor in determining a free web host. A slower speed may cost you customers.
2. Check on the web host's reliability. Work with a company that has a good track record for being online 99 percent of the time. Also, inquire into the web host's procedures for backing up data.
3. Ask what features come with the free web-hosting package. If the features you want are part of a paid package but you don't know that until you read the fine print of a user's agreement, that particular web host may not be the best one for you to use.
4. Find out if the free web host can host pictures on their servers for your website. Most free web hosts don't permit this, and you then have to store your pictures elsewhere for your website.
5. Contact the web hosting company's technical support. If you don't get a rapid response to your inquiries, find a company that offers better tech support for its customers.
6. Decide if you want ads on your web pages. This is often the "cost" for a free package. Determine if you have any say over what kind of ads display on your website.