A good web hosting solution is essential to the success of your site. Read this article before you subscribe to a web host.
Free web hosting is a good way to cut down on costs but it should remain a temporary solution. You should know that most free web hosts do not last long and will not provide you with the same kind of service you would get with a paying plan. Read reviews and compare different free services. Find out how these services you are interested in make their money; avoid any service that will place ads and banners on your website. Your visitors will not take your online business seriously if they see unrelated ads everywhere. Think about upgrading to a better plan as you start getting more visitors since your free service will more than likely not give you more bandwidth to accommodate this traffic.
You should invest in a good web hosting solution to make sure your site is up and running all the time. Look for a web host that has been around for more than five years and compare rates and plans before you subscribe to one. Get unlimited bandwidth and make sure there are no restrictions regarding time or number of visitors. You also need to select a plan with enough storage space for your site; expect your site to grow quickly as you add more material. Pay attention to the uptime of a web host. The uptime should be around 99.9%, which corresponds to occasional server maintenance. Make sure maintenance is performed at times where you are not likely to get many visitors.
If you select a relatively cheap solution, you will have to share your server with other sites. This could become a problem if these sites are illegal or offensive; find out more about the policies of your web host. The I.P. address of your server might be blocked by certain internet providers if it is associated with illegal sites, which could have a negative impact on your business. Getting your own dedicated server is an option, but expect to pay more for this service. You also need to find out more about the reputation of your web host and call the customer service to make sure you will get quality assistance should you run into difficulties.
If you plan on creating a blog instead of a site, look for a web host that supports the plugin you want to use. Most web hosting services offer their own plugins, but you should easily find hosts that support the WordPress plugin or any other popular plugins you want to use. Beware of site building tools; often, you will be charged for using this service and the results are not worth your money. You can save a lot by sticking to a plugin you are familiar with and can use to get quality results.
Keep these tips in mind when shopping around for web hosting solution. Do not hesitate to transfer your site to another server if you are not satisfied with the first host you select.