We're feeling metaphysical, so give us a riddle: Can anyone hear a tree fall in the woods? And, in the ever-crowded wasteland of the internet, do you really survive if you don't have your own website?
Yes, of course. On both questions, the answer is obviously yes. But, much like the mighty tumbling oak, if you don't have a nice little corner of the web to advertise yourself, no one will be there to marvel at your brilliance and sing your praises. Every day, billions of people around the world use the internet. That means there are billions of potential eyes to discover your skills and ideas, as well as an equal number of potential pockets to fill if you have a service or product to sell. So, how can you even carve out the room on the internet these days?
One of the first steps in getting your personal or company website up and running is to find a web host. However, if you're not sure what you're looking for, finding a decent web hosting service can be costly. Are you still in need of unlimited storage and email? If that's the case, you shouldn't be paying the higher price. If you're starting a small company, promoting your skills, or just blogging for fun, you don't want to waste money on a web host that offers much more than you need. Fortunately, there are a plethora of low-cost hosting choices available, several of which come in the form of low-cost hosting plans from reputable providers (the same ones that bigger businesses use for their more extensive needs). These low-cost hosting plans might have fewer features or storage space, but they're still adequate for small-scale requirements. Furthermore, if you choose a web hosting company that offers a variety of plans, you can always upgrade in the future if you need to scale up, and you can do so with far fewer headaches than if you moved to a different hosting service entirely.
With that in mind, keep in mind that not all low-cost hosting services are created equal, and there's still a lot to consider before entrusting one with your online presence. But don't worry; we're about to tackle some of the most frequently asked questions so you can make the right decision for your low-cost web hosting needs.
What is a web host, anyway?
Simply put, a web hosting company allows consumers to store their files on their servers and have them delivered to the internet in the form of a website. In this case, we'll be discussing inexpensive hosting solutions so that you can get your website up and running for less than $5 a month. Unfortunately, this means that some of our favorite web hosts didn't quite make the cut. However, they're pretty cool and have a lot of cool features, so you can certainly check them out if you have any extra cash on hand now or in the future.
However, when it comes to low-cost web hosting, the price is all subjective. A shared hosting service, for example, would be much more cost-effective than a VPS or dedicated server.
What's the difference between cheap shared hosting and dedicated hosting?
Shared web hosting means that your website can share a server with other people's websites. No one else will be able to access or touch your files, but you'll all be sharing the same resources (i.e. storage and bandwidth), essentially lowering the cost of being hosted there. On the other hand, since you all share the same space and resources, if another site on your server receives a lot of traffic, it will affect your site's efficiency. A virtual private server (VPS) shares space with fewer domains, so you're less likely to have performance problems as a result of your server mates.
Dedicated hosting, on the other hand, provides you with your own server, so you won't have to worry about other people using up your bandwidth. However, this comes at a high price and is not a viable choice for a low-cost hosting plan. However, if you're looking for low-cost web hosting, you probably don't need such a large amount of capital for your platform. Instead, you'll probably find the best deals with a shared hosting service or WordPress hosting.
What is WordPress hosting?
If your site's primary purpose is to serve as a blog, WordPress hosting is your best choice, as it offers some of the most affordable web hosting options available. WordPress is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) that is particularly well suited to the development of websites and blogs. You can create and design your entire website with their CMS, then set up shop on the internet with a WordPress host. This form of shared hosting plan is designed to make the transition from WordPress CMS to your host's server as painless as possible, and they'll usually take care of all backend changes and technical issues so you don't have to worry about anything but your material.
What can you reasonably expect to get with a cheap hosting plan?
Your interests will eventually determine what parameters you should seek in a web host, whether it's a portfolio to highlight your talents or a basic landing page to advertise your business' hours, contact information, and services. Obviously, if you're going to be posting a lot of photos or videos, you'll need a lot more storage space from your web host than if your site is just text.
You can expect to get anywhere from 10 to 25 GB of storage with a low-cost hosting plan. Most sites should be fine with that, but if you plan to upload a lot of high-resolution media files, you'll want to look for an unlimited storage option. Some low-cost hosting plans include unlimited storage, and you might be able to get a good deal for the first few years before the price jumps when it's time to renew. Though you'll have to pay more in the future, it's something to think about if you anticipate future growth.
When it comes to site traffic limits, you'll find that most hosting companies offer unlimited bandwidth, even on their cheapest plans. Simply put, you will not be charged extra or restricted based on the amount of traffic that visits your website. Unmetered bandwidth, which is essentially a set amount of bandwidth that you can use to transfer as much data as you need, may also be mentioned. Although the maximum server speed is limited, you will not be charged extra for high traffic.
Most low-cost hosting plans include a free domain for a year as well as a free SSL certificate for your website. (This is the Secure Socket Layer, which encrypts data and makes browsing and conducting e-commerce on websites safe.)
What are the non-negotiables when it comes to inexpensive hosting?
Any self-respecting web host (cheap or not) should provide customers with solid support options, regardless of how much space you'll need or how much you'll pay to have your site hosted. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day. You don't want to be caught off guard with your website down.
That brings us to another area where you should not make any compromises when looking for a low-cost hosting service. The uptime of your web host is perhaps the most important factor to consider. Your audience or customers will be unable to contact you if your site is down, resulting in lost sales and opportunities. You obviously want to avoid this situation at all costs, but you shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg to do so. (Seriously, your web host only has one job: to host your site, so consistent uptime isn't unreasonable.) Fortunately, most web hosts deliver on their promises of 99 percent uptime or better, and we will not lead you astray with our recommendations.
What should I look out for when choosing a cheap web hosting plan?
If you want to keep your costs down, in the long run, make sure you read the fine print before signing up for a budget hosting plan. Most web hosts provide multiple service tiers, and they may sweeten the deal on a more expensive plan with introductory offers and a temporarily reduced price, making it appear to be a better deal. And it is at first... until it reverts to its regular monthly price, and you're stuck paying for a bunch of features you don't use. You're usually better off sticking with the lowest-tier option if it has all of the features you need (even if it will cost a little more than that shiny advanced package for the first few months).
Keep an eye out for plans that require you to sign a long-term contract in order to get the best monthly price. If you're not sure how much your site will grow or what you'll need in the future, you should probably avoid signing up for a multi-year plan.
We've rounded up some of the best cheap web hosting plans for a variety of needs so you can get the most bang for your buck now that you know what to look for.
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