Finding what is known as cheap website hosting is a tricky thing. Beginners have to cross this bridge all the time. Many of the articles written on this topic don’t really provide much practical help when it comes to searching for cheap hosting.
You don’t need to spend a fortune every month on hosting. There are plenty of companies with solid shared hosting packages available for around $5 to $10 per month. Here’s how you can find the cheap website hosting for your needs without breaking the bank.
Defining Cheap Website Hosting
Before we go any further, we need to define cheap website hosting. The short answer is any hosting at $7 per month or less. Most of us would agree that $7 per month isn’t going to make or break us.
Of course the cheap website hosting must also provide adequate features with plenty of resources. You should also get 24/7 technical support, along with a stable server network. The uptime should be at the very least 99.5% guaranteed, if not more.
Is there a Catch with Low Hosting Prices?
As you start searching for cheap hosting, you will encounter some deals that seem way too good to be true. Some hosting companies will offer a rate of $3 per month or less, as a special discount. However, when you renew your hosting, you will find that the price triples.
There are a few other issues with this type of hosting. Sometimes, super cheap website hosting companies will rush their servers because they oversell their packages. They promise unlimited resources, but they shove way too many accounts on each server. This can negatively affect your uptime and cause major issues for your website.
If you’re concerned with super cheap website hosting deals, you can check the uptime of the company with Pingdom or Uptime Robot. These tools will help you to see what is really going on.
Another issue with super cheap website hosting is the possibility of becoming a part of a bad neighborhood. If you end up on a server with a spammer or a hacker, you could be negatively affected by it.
Will the Support Live Up to the Price?
Finding and using cheap hosting is a tricky proposition. Some of the cheapest website hosting companies offer lower hosting costs because they don’t provider good technical support.
The best way to avoid horrible support from your hosting company is to talk with the support department before you sign up. Ask a few technical questions about things, such as inodes limits, bandwidth limits and other things they should be able to answer. You can judge the experience for yourself based on the speed of the response and the quality of the answers to your questions.
Finding the Right Cheap Hosting Company for You
It’s important to understand that cheap website hosting isn’t all bad. Some companies are not good, but others are very good. You don’t need to spend $20 to $50 a month for shared hosting. This is simply too much for this type of hosting.
The best way to ensure you get the right hosting for your needs, without spending too much, is to test the support. You should also eliminate any hosts offering packages for less than $4 per month.
Another way to narrow down your list is to look at how long they want you to sign up to get the special price. If they require more than a one-year contract for the best price, it may be a hosting company you should avoid.
Making the final decision isn’t easy. However, when you follow the advice in this article, you will be able to find a cheap website hosting company able to fulfill your needs.