Overlooked and undervalued
Most web hosts dont tout these freebies as prominently in their sales copy as they do the basics such as storage space, bandwidth, and tech support. This is simply because they know that most potential customers are only comparison-shopping on the basics.
However, low cost web hosting services and/or free web tools can mean the difference between a robust, customer-friendly web site that supports your expanding business and one that is stuck in low gear just as the traffic begins to increase.
What will you need later?
There is a wide array of these free or nearly-free web hosting services to choose from but first you must know, or at least be reasonably able to predict, the ones you are likely to need when your business grows.
Depending on the nature of your online business you may need some or all of the following:
- Custom web site design
- Search engine optimization services
- Inward and outbound link tracking
- Visitor counts
- Free e-mail
- e-mail forwarding
Professionals Don t Discount Their Services (And Neither Should You) Professionals don t discount. Period. Your lawyer
doesn t. Neither does your doctor. A set rate is a set rate. At
least for them.
But what about you? Having a sale on products you sell to
generate interest or say thanks is fine, once in a while. It
even makes people excited to test out your stuff. But have
you ever felt the temptation to discount your services to sign
on more clients? Come on, be honest.
Worse, you may be someone who has a sliding scale,
meaning you determine what to charge once you get that
prospective client in front of you. You ve got to stop doing
that! ..
- Spam filters
- Free web templates
- Free HTML software
- Free website builders
- Auto-responders
- RSS feeds
- Live chat
- Shopping carts
These are just some of the many free or low cost web hosting services and tools you should evaluate before committing to any hosting package.
The bottom line
Stretch your dollars by choosing the low cost web hosting plan that provides as many of these value-packed extras as possible so you dont wind up having to pay full price for them later when your business finally needs them.
Tips about Low Cost Web Hosting ServicesHere are some things you should know before finding a cheap or or low cost web hosting services.
You should pay very careful attention to the terms of use and the acceptable use policy of that low cost web host. You can find a good deal because cheap web hosting industry is very competitive but if a host is way too cheap for the features it offers compared to others, don t go with them.
Going with a low cost web host requires extra research: read the reviews of that host on this site, look for any information about them in the search engines, see how long they have been in business. Visit ..
About The Author
Anthony Hamill is the founder of http://www.Web-Host-Watch.Com which is devoted to helping new webmasters learn the basics of web hosting. It provides tutorials, tips on avoiding common mistakes, a glossary of web hosting terms, and a list of Top Web Hosts.
Anthony HamillUnderestimating the Value of Free or Low Cost Web Hosting Services and Tools
