Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » cheap web hosting http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog Web Hosting Industry News, Latest Trends, and Analyses. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:48:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 How to Get Cheap Web Hosting that Doesn’t Remind you It’s Cheaphttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/08/how-to-get-cheap-web-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/08/how-to-get-cheap-web-hosting/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:07:28 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=2200 Web hosting in our economy must acknowledge that it is a buyer’s market. Even if you are restricting your options to inexpensive web hosting, say, under $12 per month, you have more potential candidate companies than you can list. Thus, you know that you can get it cheap, but ensure that you also get it good.

With the number of web hosting companies out there, a compromise between cheap and quality can be obtained. The hard part is finding out who they are. Just about every web host has a pretty store front. What you want to know is what’s under the hood. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can find this out before committing any money and effort.

Good tech support – The new best feature

It doesn’t take much to run your own web host: you can actually do it from your own home. Now it’s not the technology that’s hard to obtain, it’s the people who know how to explain it.

It may be surprising given how desperate so many people are for jobs, but the truth is that the entire IT world has a reputation for bad customer service, one which is unfortunately well-earned. To be fair, it’s not a problem which is restricted to the dot-coms, but there are certain truths about a web host’s existence that help feed this problem (for example, almost no support is face-to-face, leading to an “out of touch” psychological dynamic).

If you want to find a web host with good tech support, send ones you are interested in an email with a question that’s a bit difficult and a touch complex, but still reasonable. Here’s an example: “I notice there’s a new version of PostgreSQL, which I use for my site. Do you plan on getting it?” Then, focus not just on the content of the answer they give you, but in how honest it sounds: that may sound difficult, but when you see several answers side-by-side, it’s not as hard as it might seem. Notice, for example, whether or not they address you by your name.

Age before beauty

It may be tempting to go with a flashier web site on the assumption that that must automatically make them experts. Don’t believe the hype. Being pretty is not the same as being functional.

Look instead of how long they’ve been around. If they have at least ten years of consistent operation, then you can reasonably assured that it’s for a reason, and that they’ll be around tomorrow as well. This isn’t to say the newer web hosts are necessarily unreliable, it just means that you’re taking a bigger risk.

Know your features

Some features are worth more than others. Some are meant to sound exciting but really aren’t highly technical. Some hosts may offer you lots of email addresses for your domain name, but in reality this costs almost nothing to do. Better to get a user-friendly control panel or good spam protection.

In truth, really bad web hosting is hard to come by, but you still don’t want to prove it still exists. Use some simple litmus tests, and you should have no problem having it not just good or cheap, but good and cheap.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/08/how-to-get-cheap-web-hosting/feed/ 0 Does Cheap Web Hosting Really Exist?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/07/15/does-cheap-web-hosting-really-exist/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/07/15/does-cheap-web-hosting-really-exist/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:32:13 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1727 Perhaps it’s the million dollar question attached to a thrifty price tag.  The short and sweet answer is yes: cheap web hosting really does exist.  Web owners looking for a hosting provide may follow the initial question up with an inquiry was to whether or not the services are watered down due to the inexpensive monthly hosting fees.  The answer is absolutely not.  The secret to finding reliable cheap hosting providers, however, is opting for a host with a proven track record of delivering affordable and quality hosting services depending on your web hosting needs.

How Can Web Hosts Offer Services at Affordable Rates?

Many customers may wonder how in fact is it that hosting providers offer web hosting plans at such affordable rates.  There are a couple of reasons for the affordability.  Competition is a huge factor in the reasoning behind cheap web hosting.  With new web hosting companies emerging every day seemingly by the hundreds, the competition tends to drive down the costs.  For example, if web hosting company A provides the exact same hosting features as company for several dollars more every month, chances are the potential customer will opt for the cheaper package offering the identical bang for the buck, like in case of WebHostingHub that runs its marketing very aggressively by taking global market share without the impact on the quality of HUB’s services and products, based on their customer’s reviews.

Furthermore, it’s caused providers to advance with the technological times and provide the most and fasted features currently being offered by competitors.  Web hosting features including unlimited storage space, bandwidth, e-mail accounts, MySQL databases, FTP access, respectable network uptimes, cPanel support and quality customer support are generally included in most hosting packages.

Another factor in cheap web hosting is the fact that a single server is shared among multiple users.  By allocating web hosting space to numerous customers, it allows the web host to save on resource and additional maintenance costs.  Although customers share one server, hosting resources such as disk space, bandwidth, free domain names, MySQL and FTP access are shared among customers to support individual websites.  While shared hosting has many advantages, however, it also has its drawbacks.  Larger websites with heavy traffic flow don’t make very good candidates for shared hosting; instead Virtual Private Servers are the better option.      

Conclusion

Although there are many more very affordable web hosting providers, it is important to perform in-depth research to find only those hosts that offer an abundance of free features and services at very affordable prices.  Even small business ventures have the ability to launch and maintain a professional-looking website on any budget.  Just remember when choosing a web hosting provider to make an initial assessment of your hosting needs, and then determine which best accommodates your website needs.     

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/07/15/does-cheap-web-hosting-really-exist/feed/ 0 What Type of Hosting Has the Cheapest Startup Cost?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/04/07/what-type-of-hosting-has-the-cheapest-startup-cost/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/04/07/what-type-of-hosting-has-the-cheapest-startup-cost/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:28:54 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1531 The majority of novice webmasters allocate a very limited budget to their beginning endeavors online, as they are not yet confident in their ability to generate web traffic and bring in a residual income with their websites. In fact, many novice webmasters don’t even know how to build a website, have never owned a web hosting plan before, and are therefore understandably cautious about the amount of money they want to invest in web hosting. While more experienced webmasters may opt for hosting types such as dedicated hosting (which provides access to a server which is solely dedicated to the websites of a single webmaster), inexperienced webmasters usually opt for cheaper hosting types such as shared hosting. When trying to find the hosting type with the cheapest startup cost it is important to consider two types of hosting – shared hosting and VPS hosting.

The Startup Costs of Shared Hosting

Although shared web hosting provides the cheapest monthly costs, with prices starting at as low as two dollars per month, the start up cost of a shared hosting plan is usually much more. It is important to note that, the longer you pay in advance, the lower the monthly cost will be, and many shared web hosting providers will require you to pay at least one year up front. If you choose to only pay a year, it is very unlikely you’ll receive a price as low as two dollars per month, as the average price (when paid on a yearly basis) is about $5-$10 per month. Thus, the minimum startup costs associated with shared hosting are usually about $60-$120, plus any additional setup fees that may be charged by the hosting company.

The Startup Costs of VPS Hosting

Although the monthly cost of a VPS hosting plan varies widely at about $10-$200 per month, depending on the plan capabilities and hosting provider. However, the majority of VPS hosting providers do not require you to pay a year in advance, and instead will allow you to pay on a monthly basis. Thus, the startup cost for VPS hosting plan is no more than the cost of the first months hosting (which can be as cheap as $5-$7 in some cases). It is important to realize that you can also pay in advance of VPS hosting in order to receive a lower monthly cost, just as you can but shared hosting. It should also be noted that some VPS hosting providers do require payment for a year in advance, so it is important to shop around to find a VPS hosting plan with a low start up cost.

Conclusion

While shared hosting is ultimately cheaper than VPS hosting the long run, it is cheaper to purchase a monthly VPS hosting plan for $5-$10 per month if you are on a strict startup budget for your first web hosting endeavor. If you find that you would like to continue with your online endeavors, VPS hosting gives you the advantage of being able to cancel your plan without losing any of the money that you would have paid in advance.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/04/07/what-type-of-hosting-has-the-cheapest-startup-cost/feed/ 0 An Overview of the Pros, Cons, and Types of Managed Web Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/03/11/an-overview-of-the-pros-cons-and-types-of-managed-web-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/03/11/an-overview-of-the-pros-cons-and-types-of-managed-web-hosting/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:15:22 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1467 Dedicated web hosting is usually seen as the top of the hosting industry, offering unparalleled access to customized Web server resources that are only allowed to be utilized by one webmaster at any given time. The majority of cheap web hosting plans offered by major web hosting providers are operating within the shared hosting environment, which is much less robust than dedicated hosting because you have to share a web server with hundreds of other website owners, which usually amounts to thousands of other websites.

While dedicated hosting is definitely preferable over shared or some types of VPS hosting, not all dedicated hosting types are the same. The enhanced functionality and additional capabilities offered with a dedicated server come with difficult server administration duties that must be performed to ensure optimal server performance. Fortunately, managed hosting provides an all-inclusive solution that does not require the webmaster to be familiar with Web server administration. The following paragraphs provide a brief overview of the pros, cons, and types of managed web hosting.

Partially Managed Versus Fully Managed Web Hosting

There are two main types of managed web hosting – partially managed hosting and fully managed hosting. However, the boundaries that separate these two types of managed hosting are not always made clear by individual web hosting providers. For example, what one web hosting provider may call fully managed, may be another hosting provider’s idea of a partially managed plan. In general, a fully managed hosting plan will include 24-hour customer service, on-site technical support, and fully managed server administration and performance maintenance. On the other hand, a partially managed web hosting plan would only provide services such as routine server resets, and ensuring basic functionality of the server. Partially managed hosting is therefore only ideal for webmasters on a budget that are experienced with server administration. The following are the pros and cons of fully managed hosting.

Pros of Fully Managed Hosting

Perhaps the most appealing advantage of fully managed web hosting is the ability to focus on more important tasks associated with managing an online business, while the managed hosting provider handles all of the administrative server duties on a continual basis. Since you no longer have to update, optimize, and maintain the performance of your web server, you can boost the productivity of your business in other areas, expanding your outreach into more diverse endeavors. Instead of spending several hours of your day trying to fix technological bugs within hosting control panels and performing server maintenance, you can spend the same amount of time soliciting new clients and expanding your business for greater profits.

Cons of Fully Managed Hosting

Unfortunately, for webmasters that are experienced and demand the utmost control over their web server, a fully managed hosting plan may not be the best solution. Along with the simplified server management and included technical support comes reduced freedom over the software configuration of your server. Hosting providers tend to think that webmasters that do not know how to use a Web server should not have full control over it, as they may accidentally cause software errors that will consume the time of the hosting providers employees unnecessarily. Fully managed hosting also tends to cost more than other types of dedicated hosting.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/03/11/an-overview-of-the-pros-cons-and-types-of-managed-web-hosting/feed/ 0 Why is Web Hosting Cheap Today?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-cheap-today/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-cheap-today/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:10:58 +0000 Dmitry http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=3718 When we date back to 1991, and the advent of the internet as well as web hosting and viewing web pages, it was only the rich people who could afford to use such services. Or so it was thought. Most of the time, it was related only to large business organizations and those few people who could shell out a lot of money for such services.

How did it change? It was all about evolution, and the internet and the World Wide Web grew every day. This industry is the only industry that was able to connect the world in an instant. It is the industry that allowed the hosting of free email services, instant messaging and also company web sites for business purposes.

Each day, the field was explored to make things less complex. Right from server space to data base management, there has been evolution. As the potential grew each day, more companies sprouted that offered web hosting services. Now it was all about who offered the best as well as cheap rates. And thus, the competition started.

When the world found out that this was the best way to access fast and cheap communication, everyone flocked to the internet. And for the internet the World Wide Web was needed, and for this web hosting was needed. Each company saw the potential of making so much money, they began offering their services at very competitive rates.

While earlier only large companies used server spaces, small companies and individuals too began operating, because by then they all began to understand the technology behind it. The competition was such that some companies even offered web hosting services for free, and they were backed by advertising.

With this concept, web hosting became a top industry and also offered cheap services to customers. For those who think the internet and web hosting is easy very naturally, then they are a gold mine even when they offer cheap web hosting services. As this is the single way of communication the world uses at large today.

There are many clever people who even rent the server space and host their own web pages. It has become a big challenging as well as exciting environment, with all the competition around. There are web hosting services for as less as a dollar each month. This has also made it easy for the common man to use the internet, and has made life simple for the world.

Because of cheap web hosting services, several industries have flourished. We can include online gaming, and web site designing and several other common industries too. As with every field, the web hosting industry also became cheap because of its evolution, and also with determination people developed more ways to make it accessible for less to the common man.

With cheap web hosting, the world has become a smaller place, as just about anyone can connect anywhere in the world. They may do so for personal as well as business reasons.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-cheap-today/feed/ 0 Shared Web Hosting vs Free Web Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/10/07/shared-web-hosting-vs-free-web-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/10/07/shared-web-hosting-vs-free-web-hosting/#comments Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:28:35 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1152 Shared web hosting is the cheapest and most common type available, which is one of the reasons it is often compared to other hosting types. Free web hosting on the other hand is often despised by serous webmaster, and many people do not believe it is worthy of any comparison. However, both free and shared web hosting have their applications, and many people use both of them with success on a daily basis. If you’re wondering whether you should spend money on a shared hosting plan, then you may want to consider the following comparison between shared and free web hosting.

Reliability

Many people have problems with the reliability of shared hosting because shared web servers have a tendency to experience server down time. Shared hosting plan are often criticized by experienced webmasters because of the lack of reliability in comparison to VPS and dedicated hosting plans. Free web hosting on the other hand is nearly as reliable as shared hosting, as long as the limitations of the hosting plan are not exceeded. Unfortunately, the limits of free and hared hosting plans differ greatly depending upon the provider and the specific plan.

Limitations

Although each plan is unique, in general shared hosting plans have far less limitations than free web hosting. Free hosting plan are designed for novice webmasters that need a way to get a little bit of hosting experience without spending money on a hosting plan. There are very few web sites on the internet that utilize free web hosting for an extended period of time, simply because there are too many limitations involved with nearly every free web hosting plan. Nonetheless, a lot of personal sites and portfolio sites do utilize free hosting, as it is certainly possible to host several pages on a free hosing account without having any problems.

Choices

In general, shared web hosting provides many more options because there are a wide variety of plans available. However, free web hosting also comes in many forms, as there are many ways to establish a site without ever setting up a hosting account. For example. Web 2.0 sites lie Squidoo and Hubpages give individuals the opportunity to set up their own pages, or as many pages as they’d like. If you are just looking for a way to put your opinion on the internet then web 2.0 is undoubtedly your best option. Most people don’t realize that they are spending money unnecessarily on shared hosting, when in fact they don’t even need a hosting plan. If you do not foresee the need for expansion then you may ant to investigate some of the free options available before purchasing a shared hosting plan.

Conclusion

If you’re planning on using free web hosting then you may want to consider the benefits of setting up a simple web 2.0 property. Shared hosting plans are great options for novice webmasters, and should only be considered by individuals that are planning to operate their we site regularly. Purchasing a shard hosting plan does not make sense if you do not intend to utilize it to its full potential.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/10/07/shared-web-hosting-vs-free-web-hosting/feed/ 0 Cheap VPS Web Hosting vs. Cheap Shared Web Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/08/25/cheap-vps-web-hosting-vs-cheap-shared-web-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/08/25/cheap-vps-web-hosting-vs-cheap-shared-web-hosting/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:49:17 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1076 Cheap web hosting is often frowned upon by more experience webmasters, however it is a beacon of hope for aspiring web site owners on a very limited budget. Cheap web hosting gives the average person a gateway into the web hosting community by giving them the ability to host their web site for only a few dollars a month. However, it is debatable as to which kind of cheap web hosting is the best.

VPS web hosting is very different from shared hosting because it comes in a wide range of plans, all of which are priced very differently, with the cheapest plans starting at about $10 per month and the most expensive costing about $200 or more per month. The cheapest shared hosting plan on the other hand only costs about $3 per month, with the most expensive type costing about $50 per month. The following information will attempt to draw an accurate comparison of the two hosting types in their cheapest forms.

Fees and Startup Costs

Since budgeting is of obvious importance when shopping for cheap web hosting plans, it is best to compare the fees and startup costs associated with each type of hosting plan first. The fees associated with VPS hosting plans will differ greatly depending upon the hosting company, however most hosting providers do charge a setup fee when the plan is first purchased. Even so, most cheap VPS plans do not require you to pay more than  one month upfront, which greatly diminishes the total setup costs. Cheap shared hosting plans usually do not have nay setup fees, however many of them require you to pay at least a year upfront, which makes the startup costs equal to or greater than that of a cheap VPS hosting plan.

Features and Limitations

Even though novice webmasters do not need a very comprehensive hosting plan, it is still beneficial to have access to the best possible hosting plan for your money. Shared web hosting plans are known for having strict limitations that cannot be bypassed without upgrading your plan to a more expensive solution. However, VPS hosting is slightly more expandable because it is possible to instantly draw resources from another part of the server and allocate them to your site during unexpected traffic surges. If you are expecting traffic surges then you may want to consider a VPS hosting plan, as they are better at accommodating sudden server loads, and they are easier to upgrade.

Support and Reliability

As in every other industry, you will undoubtedly get what you pay for. As such, cheap web shooting plans of all types are notorious for being unreliable and inconsistent. However, the reliability and support of a hosting plan will usually depend primarily on the hosting provider. Nonetheless, VPS hosting is consistently more reliable than shared hosting based on the server environment and how it is configured. Ideally, a new webmaster on a budget should look for a cheap VPS hosting plan from a reliable hosting provider with no startup fees and a flexible billing schedule.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/08/25/cheap-vps-web-hosting-vs-cheap-shared-web-hosting/feed/ 0 Unix Hosting Vs. Windows Web Hosting – Factors to Considerhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/03/19/unix-hosting-vs-windows-web-hosting-factors-to-consider/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/03/19/unix-hosting-vs-windows-web-hosting-factors-to-consider/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:36:35 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=808 Choosing the right web hosting plan for you can be difficult at times, especially if you are not sure what each plan entails. With so many different types of web hosting plans, it seems as if there is an endless sea of web hosting solutions to choose from. The main differences between web hosting solutions is the amount of server resources that are allocated to you, as well as how much total control over the server you have. Aside from limits, there are also basic differences in the visual and functional aspects of the server environment. When referring to web hosting solutions that use certain operating systems, there are some key fundamental differences that should be weighed before making your decision. The most common forms of web hosting are Windows and Unix based web hosting plans.

Cost

The first thing most people look for when shopping for a hosting solution is cost. When comparing Unix and Windows based web hosting solutions, Unix is most definitely the cheaper option. This is because there are free Unix operating systems available, like Linux. Windows server software is nowhere near free, so therefore the overall cost of Windows web hosting is higher.

Software

Since Windows is manufactured by a Microsoft, a Windows based web server is guaranteed to be compatible with all Microsoft software such as VBScript and Microsoft Access. Unix web hosting does not provide compatibility with Microsoft software, which means it is not a viable solution for websites that require the usage of Microsoft applications.

Reliability

Although both Unix and Windows web hosting are considered to be reliable, Unix based web servers generally experience less downtime and therefore are slightly more reliable than Windows based web server. However, the actual reliability of a web hosting service will ultimately be determined by the competence of the web hosting company itself.

Support

When an error occurs in a Windows based web sever due to Microsoft software, the only people that can usually fix the bug in the software is Microsoft. Unix on the other hand is an open source software, which means that anyone with the skill can write code for it and repair any bugs for it within a very short time.

The Final Decision

Before you make the final decision, you need to consider the above comparison, and think about what feature s you’re going o be enabling on your website. If you will need to have Microsoft software on your website, then you can definitely rule out Unix web hosting. If you are not concerned with the type of software, but instead would like to have your own custom solutions made and enjoy more server uptime, then you may want to consider Unix web hosting. You’ll also want to consider the price of each hosting plan. If you;re on a strict budget and Microsoft software is not a concern for you, then you may want to consider a Unix web hosting plan. In the end the final decision is up to you, and should be based on the knowledge you have acquired here and the needs of your website.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/03/19/unix-hosting-vs-windows-web-hosting-factors-to-consider/feed/ 1 4 Critical Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Cheap Hosthttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/07/08/4-critical-factors-to-consider-before-choosing-a-cheap-host/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/07/08/4-critical-factors-to-consider-before-choosing-a-cheap-host/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:52:07 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=410 Even though cheap hosting has become more prevalent in recent times, there are many factors you need to consider before signing up for service.  Because you never know what is behind that unbelievably low price, here are four critical factors you should keep in mind:

Downtime

A web host could provide you with all the tools needed to create a professional, feature-rich website that garners the attention of your audience.  However, if your site is constantly unavailable, its beauty will not mean a thing to the users who cannot access it.  Realizing that excessive downtime is one of the easiest ways to kills your online popularity, it is critical to find a cheap host that is more committed to reliability than a low price.

Limited Bandwidth

Before entering any type of hosting arrangement, it is vital that you consider the monthly bandwidth allocated to your account.  It is a known fact that bandwidth is a key component needed to support website traffic and plays a huge role in its success.  If your site has a large number of visitors, it will obviously require more bandwidth.  The challenging part of it all is that you may experience traffic spikes when least expected and be left with a sudden shortage of resources.  This is definitely a situation you don’t want to find yourself in as it could once again lead to dreaded periods of downtime.  If traffic is of any importance, make sure your cheap hosting plan comes included with enough bandwidth to support your current and future traffic requirements.

Technical Expertise

The technical expertise of the hosting provider is one area that doesn’t get enough attention.  This doesn’t necessarily refer to the company’s infrastructure or hardware, but the people behind all the technology.  Web hosting providers must be technically inclined for the simple fact that many of their customers are not.  This expertise will be needed to provide you with support and encounter all the technical issues that might arise.  You may not know a thing about servers but there is no excuse for your web host, cheap service or not.

Level of Support

One of the biggest drawbacks of cheap hosting services has been the lack of support.  It seems as if some companies are cutting cost in various areas to provide affordable service and the critical department of support is often the one to suffer.  Support is very important and should come at no additional cost.  Even if you are only paying a couple of dollars per month, ensure that your plan comes with world-class support that makes you feel like a million dollar customer.

At the end of the day, it is not impossible to find a company that provides a cheap service yet works hard to keep up the reliability.  However, it may take you a little extra time so exercise a bit of patience and make your selection wisely.  After doing your research, it should be much easier to find a premium service that comes at a bargain price.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/07/08/4-critical-factors-to-consider-before-choosing-a-cheap-host/feed/ 2 Beware of Cheap Web Hosting Practiceshttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/01/19/beware-of-cheap-web-hosting-practices/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/01/19/beware-of-cheap-web-hosting-practices/#comments Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:42:17 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=158 At first glance, cheap hosting is an ideal solution for individuals and small businesses looking to create a web presence.  After all, why pay top-dollar when so many hosts are offering the same service for next to nothing?  Yes, cheap hosting appears to be the route for obvious reasons but is it really a reliable solution?  You may find this service questionable after reading about some of the most common cheap hosting practices.

The Ambitious Newcomer

It takes a lot to run a web hosting company.  Providers require servers, bandwidth and a plethora of IT experts to help maintain the infrastructure.  Those who lack the resources and expertise to run the infrastructure outsource their hosting operations to third-party professionals, thus enabling them to elude the hassle and enormous costs.  Aside from financial resources, the cost savings obtained from outsourcing is what allows many companies to offer web hosting packages at competitive prices.

Along comes a new company looking to dabble in the web hosting industry.  Noticing all the low prices on the market, they come up with the bright idea of offering their service at a fraction of the price.  What better way to increase profits and overall growth of the company?  Things usually start out well for the new ambitious web host.  With everyone searching for affordable hosting, customers flock to the cheap service provider.  The veteran hosts even notice some of their clients fleeing for the cheaper service as well.  In the spirit of competition, they also lower their prices in order to keep pace in the market.  Here’s the catch – more than likely, the prominent web hosts have the flexibility and resources that allow them to trim costs without suffering any major financial losses.  The brilliant newcomer?  Well, they usually find themselves in a world of trouble.

Cutting Back Equals More Losses

Despite all the customers, the incredibly low price leads the newcomer to cut corners and make sure the company remains profitable.  They start by relieving some of their IT staff and technical support personnel.  When that isn’t enough, they began to trim away more essential aspects of their infrastructure.  They cut back on the maintenance and security procedures that are vital to any web hosting company.  Next, they overload their servers with customers.  From there, its reducing the number of servers entirely.  The cheap web hosting provider is still in business but in bad shape.  Limited personnel and IT engineers has resulted in horrible customer service.  The lack of preventative measures leads to more hardware failures and excessive downtime.  Overloading and minimizing servers results in poor performance and you’ve guessed it, more downtime.  Now that cheap but reliable web hosting package isn’t nearly what it is was advertised to be.

There is Hope

The cheap practices of an overzealous web hosting company hurts you the most.  Fortunately, not all cheap services are cheaply run as there are several reliable hosts on the market.  There is nothing wrong with trying to save a few dollars with an affordable web hosting service .  Just don’t go too low because you might get less than you paid for.

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