Web hosting is one of the cornerstones of the e-commerce industry. Competition is fierce and consumers often reap the benefits of getting excellent service at low prices. However, despite low rates, web hosting services are still priced out of everyone’s reach. Thankfully for those on a tight budget, there are a number of free web hosting services. Just because it is free does not mean one should settle for the first free web host that comes along. Choosing the right web hosting service makes all the difference and the following tips should help during the selection process:

Space Available:

Under normal conditions, the size of the website dictates the amount of space a website owner purchases. With the free web hosting services, the situation is reversed; the amount of web space available ends up dictating the size of the website. Always keep a lookout for web hosts who offer the largest amount of space. Also, some few web hosting services allow clients to purchase additional space for a small fee; keep a lookout for such a feature if it is expected that the website will grow.

Amount of Bandwidth:

Once you have enough space for your website, check out the amount of bandwidth on offer. No point in uploading a website if not enough people will be able to view it. Normally, the more web space a free web hosting service offers, the less bandwidth is available. The trick to get around this dilemma is to create websites that are too big. Not only will these sites be ideal for the ‘low-space high-bandwidth’ packages, they will also have a much better uptime and can be accessed more quickly.

Limitations:

Though you will have a certain amount of web space allotted for your website, the web host is well within his rights to restrict the files you upload based upon their size and what type of files they are. Normally, this is done to prevent individuals from using the site to indulge in piracy. Other times, web hosting services claim that it is done for the greater good since customers often forget how much (or little) space they are afforded. Read the fine print to see what sort of files are allowed on their servers; sometimes free web hosting services completely ban any kind of audio or video files.

Ads:

Free web hosting servers are not charitable institutions and the only reason they let you host for free is because they make their money via advertising. Whether it is via pop-ups, banners or both, it is inevitable that ads will be included on your website. Always opt for a website that gives you a choice over which kind of advertising model you’d prefer. It is not uncommon to find people forgoing their own domain name to be hosted on a particular site that is willing to offer advertising-free hosting space. However, since such an arrangement is not very profitable, web hosts have almost completely moved away from this model.

If chosen wisely, even a free web hosting service can do wonders for a website. Hopefully, with these tips, finding the right web hosting service should be a much easier process.