Cheap Web Hosting

When looking for a cheap web hosts, don't just consider price. Start by thinking about the services you need and want from your cheap web hosting provider, including the price you would like to pay.

Some things to consider when looking for a web host include: 

• How much space the web host provides. This means thinking about how big your web site is now, and how big you realistically hope it to be in the future. If you plan to have a lot of media files, you may need more space than if your web page is mostly text.
• File size and type limits. What is the limit of the size of files you are allowed to upload? If you want to include larger media files, including high quality pictures, this may be an issue. Also, if you have files in a particular format, make sure you're allowed to use that format.
• Uptime. This is the amount of time your web site will be available. No server is guaranteed to be up all the time, since maintenance and computer problems do occur, but many cheap web hosts can still promise 99 percent or better uptime.
• Bandwidth. This means the amount of traffic your site is able to receive every month. If you go over the limit, the web host may temporarily shut down your site or bill you for the excess. The amount you need will vary depending on the type of web site you have. 1G may be fine for smaller, personal web sites, while 10G may be too little for large commercial web sites. Even "unlimited" bandwidth offers usually have some limits if you read the small print.
• Web site building tools. Many cheap web hosting services have a web site builder. This can be very helpful for a new web site manager. You may, however, also want to be able to upload your own web pages or other content, which will probably require FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, so it may be important for this service to be available.
• Customization. If you want to customize your site, you need to find out what tools you can use to do so. Many cheap web host offer a variety of tools for your web site, but some limit the amount of customization you are able to do. This may or may not be an issue depending on what you want to do and your technical skill.
• Advertising. Many web sites make some or all of their profits from advertising, such as banners or pay-per-click ads. If this is something you want to do, you should make sure the web host allows and supports it.
• eCommerce. Some cheap web hosts do not allow or support eCommerce features like shopping carts or SSL encryption. If you are planning on taking payments online, these features are essential.
• Customer service. A cheap web host may not be worth the low price if it doesn't provide good service or if you can't get help when you need it. Customer service may be available through email or live chat or, more rarely, phone support. Find out when  customer service is available and how supportive or helpful it actually will be for you.

When you are looking for a cheap web host, consider your needs in addition to cost to make sure you find a host that meets those needs. Read reviews of the web host you are considering or talk to others who have used it, if possible, to find out the pros and cons of the service you are considering.