Best Free Web Hosting

Author: Julia Shipley
Finding the best free web hosting service for your website may not be as simple as you think in fact it could be quite complex. There are so many companies a nearly endless choice all clamoring to be the top of the hosts in the best free web hosting service arena and this could make it nearly impossible for webmasters to sort fact from fiction.



The most effective way to decide on a best free web hosting service is to choose the selection process one step at a time. The following are some steps that you need to look at and consider carefully when choosing the right host for your site:



Evaluate Your Needs

The very first point to address in deciding on the best free web hosting service for your needs is to really distinguish what those needs are. What kind of website are you looking to host? Small personal homepages will have a very different hosting criteria from a large company website. To determine the best hosting service for you, it is crucial to ascertain precisely what you plan to host now, and ideally take into consideration anything you are planning to host in the immediate future. Whilst you can always move your website when it grows at a later date, it can be time consuming and costly. So do think ahead. Where do you want to take your site?



Rate should not be a top influencing factor until you have narrowed down a list based on other criteria such as:



Reliability and Speed

The best free web hosting services will offer uptime of over 99%. This ought to be a guarantee to motivate the company to keep all servers up all the time. Naturally, all visitors had better be able to access your site speedily. Depending on the type of website you are looking to host this could be more of an issue. If you have a site with a lot of pictures/images this will affect the speed of loading your site to the web.



Data Transfer and Disk Space

Bandwidth demands develop with your site. Web hosting companies pay for bandwidth, be sure you have an appropriate amount of disk space reserved. Most websites need less than 3GB. But again if you find you need more in the future you may find yourself looking for another hosting company to accommodate your new circumstances.



Technical Support

It is really crucial to be able to contact the hosting company if your website begins undergoing problems. The best free web hosting support one can hope for is accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Virtually all companies know this, so take their declared hours with a pinch of salt. Always spot check the companies with emails at indiscriminate times to see if they actually have somebody available to help 24/7.



Scripts and Special Features

Various websites have different needs, and the best free web hosting service for you ought to accommodate those needs. Email addresses should be standard as well as the capability for an assortment of scripts. Make certain to see if additional features like shopping carts and secure servers are available as standard.





Control Panel

How much control does the hosting company offer webmasters? You do not want to have to go through customer service all the time for simple tasks such as change a password or to alter an email address. Make certain hosting companies provide some form of a control panel accompanying hosting.



Don't stop at price, and if you plan on using your website in a professional capacity, it is crucial to move beyond free web hosting. Free hosts are great for small family or fun sites, but are not suited to the needs of internet marketers - even those just starting out.