Monday, February 26, 2007

Key Facts regarding Free Web Hosting

If you don’t want to be your own web host and nor do you want to spend any dollar on getting your website hosted; free web hosting might be the right option for you. In fact, free web hosting is all the rage in the non-professional websites segment and small business websites segment.

Are you also planning to get your website hosted via free web hosting service providers? If yes, you must acquaint yourself with some of the key facts with regard to free web hosting. This will enable you to know the various aspects of free web hosting. Besides, you will be smartly able to zero in on the right choice.

Here is a list of some of the key facts regarding free web hosting.

Free web hosting might not be that free

Free web hosting service sounds free, looks free; however, it might not be that free. Before choosing a free web host, you must weigh up all the pros and cons of a free web hosting deal. Check out for those hidden expenses.

Carry the web host’s ads

Most of the free web hosting service providers post their advertisements, banners, and pop-ups on your website. They make money via these ad postings. You must know this important fact as it can have different overtones which may have its effects on your website.

Lack of updates

Free web hosting service providers host your website free of cost. Usually, this is a one time service. Free web hosting service providers don’t care what happens to your website after that. And more often than not you don’t get any updates or advanced services.

Friday, February 23, 2007

How to spot a Bad Web Host

Your website performance depends a great deal on the quality of web hosting services you get. It is a fact that a good web host can really perk up your online business. On the contrary, a bad web host can ruin it all. Therefore, it is always good to be chary of a bad web host. But, for that, you need to know the difference between a good web host and a bad web host.

Here are a few tips on how to spot a bad web host.
Tatty Website
Before you ask a web host to provide you with a web hosting service, you must visit the web host’s website. You should check out the content and the links of your web host’s website. This will give you an idea about their credibility and technical expertise.

A lot of unprofessional web hosts or the bad web hosts have unprofessional, tatty websites. They don’t update the content of their websites. You must keep close tabs on a web host’s website. And if you find the content in a muddle, move onto some other web hosting service provider.

Lack of genuine Testimonials
Ideally, you will find some genuine client feedback (in the form of their posted comments) on a web host’s website. If you don’t find genuine feedback on a web host’s website, it is highly likely that the web host is not a genuine one.

The bottom line is that you should never engage a web host’s service without taking into account its clients’ feedback. It is so important to be absolutely sure of the credibility and expertise of a web host you are planning to zero in on.

Unclear Location
Most of the bad web hosts do not clearly mention their location and address on their website. Even if some of them do mention it, more often than not, it’s a sham. Unclear location is a reason enough to believe that a web host is a bad one.

Checklist of things you need to know to be your own web host

Although most of the people opt for professional web hosting services, there is no reason why you cannot be your own web host. In fact, there are quite a few people who choose to be their own web host.
However, before you decide to be your own web host, it is imperative for you to know the various web hosting processes inside out. Hosting a website for the first time can be quite an arduous affair. Therefore, you should smartly equip yourself with all that you need to host your website easily and successfully.
Here is a checklist of things you need to know to be your own web host.
• You need to know all the technical aspects of web hosting process.
• You need to have time and resources to handle the intricate web hosting mechanisms.
• You need to have proper internet connection that never conks out.
• You need to have a permanent IP address.
• You need to have expertise to sort out any problems that might crop up from time to time.
• You need to know the installation and configuring process of web the server software such as IIS and Apache.
• You need to be aptly equipped to handle all kinds of web hosting related security issues.
• You need to be smart enough to evade hackers.