Cheap hosting is brought and used more than any other form of hosting on the market, because of its price. Many people will flock to use cheap hosting based strictly on its price, because they do not understand the potential downfalls of using this service. On the other hand, there is nothing to say that cheap hosting cannot offer you everything you require. In this guide, we will explore all you need to know before buying cheap hosting.
It is Probably cheap for a Reason
With every single purchase, you get what you pay for unless there is a terrific deal on offer. Web host providers sell cheap hosting space because they can afford to sell the space at this price; they are not doing you a favour. This is not always the case; sometimes you might come across a new company offering ‘cheap’ hosting to capitalise on a tough market. If this is the case then you should always take in to account that it is a new company, therefore, they probably do not have a reputable background.
Low space and Poor Performance
On most occasions, cheap hosting packages offer both low space and poor bandwidth. This means you should expect your website to run slowly almost all the time, because not only is it on a shared hosting package (which 99% of cheap hosting packages are), it also does not have much bandwidth space to operate.
Once you buy cheap hosting you instantly limit the potential success of your website (unless you change operator). It is never a good idea to buy cheap hosting for a website that has the capacity to grow, or needs to be a big website to start off with.
Having a website that does not perform to its potential is not an ideal situation. You could have the best website in the world in terms of information but never get seen because your home page takes two minutes to load. This is not the case for all cheap hosting packages, but you need to check that your websites capacity can be match by the cheap hosting provider.
Check what you are Buying
If there are two products, one being offered for £1 a year and one offered for £15 a year, many people’s instant reaction would be to buy the £1 a year product if the products appeared the same on the surface. However, when you put the two in perspective, you will more than likely see that the £15 a year deal offers much more in the way of increased services, amplified space and better bandwidth. Buying a £1 a year hosting package for a website that requires much more will leave you with problems, ones that can be avoided with just a little research.
Establish the Difference Between Cheap and On Sale
You should always make sure you check to see if the price on offer is a sale price or if the product is always that ‘cheap’. If the product is and always had been the same price then the chances are the specifications will be poor, however, if the product is on sale then you may find that you are in fact getting a great deal. Researching cheap hosting packages will allow you to avoid poor providers and packages and make sure you buy a package more suited your needs.
Watch Out for Advertisements
Something you need to make sure you watch out for is the fine print of the terms and conditions on your purchase. Some cheap hosting websites place copious amounts of advertisements all over your page in return for their low price. While this could suit a personal blog it will not suit a business or company. If you are looking to sell advertisement space then it is much better to pay for more expensive hosting, build you website to a great level, then retail advertisement space, this will work out much better in the long run then selling your space to your web provider.
Cheap Does Not Mean Bad
Regardless of what has been said above, buying cheap hosting might be the right option for you. The chances are, if you have a small website then cheap hosting can probably meet its needs in terms of performance and capacity. You may also come across a great deal on a website, which makes the product seem like cheap hosting, when the reality is it is a very good package for a cheap price. Things you should be looking out for on every deal is the price, then check for performance and security. Past this you should be looking for any smaller pieces of information in the terms and conditions.
While cheap hosting has picked up a reputation for offering a poor service, your decision should come down to what you require rather than what you have heard. Evaluating all your options before buying is the best choice, then making sure there are no hidden bits in the conditions are the next step.