I know what you're thinking... I can't afford a website right now and why should I have to pay when there are sites like Blogger.com?
While that is true, you never really own your content and it could be taken away in an instant. All your hard work could be gone and you have absolutely no control over what Blogger does with your website.
Don't make the same mistake I did. After this nightmare, I vowed to never go the "free route" again. Web hosting is so incredibly cheap these days, it's worth the small investment to ensure you own and control your website.
I know what you're thinking. I'll just start off free and then get paid hosting after I start making money.
Bad idea.
I would rather you wait and save your money then to choose a free host today with the intentions of upgrading to paid hosting later.
I can tell you from the e-mails I receive that those who start off free and plan to upgrade later end up regretting the decision simply because switching hosts and moving your website is a royal pain in the you-know-what. So you might as well build right the first time.
Not convinced yet? OK, I understand. Read on...
Disadvantages of Free Web Hosts
- Limited web page space
- Can't add interactive features (chat rooms, forums, membership areas, games, etc.)
- Search engines often ignore them (Your traffic will be limited)
- Your visitors may doubt your credibility
- May have banners and/or pop ads on your homepage and/or all of your pages
- Long and hard-to-remember web address (instead of yourdomain.com)
- No guarantees of site availability and longevity
- No branded emails addresses (you@yourdomain.com)
- Poor help and support options (if any)
- May not be free forever
Advantages of Owning Your Domain Name
- Easy to remember website address (yourdomain.com)
- No banners or popups
- Easier to get listed in search engines (Google, Yahoo etc.)
- You have more control over the look and feel of your website.
- Multiple branded email addresses (you@yourdomain.com)
- Plenty of web page space for site expansion
- No worries of site being removed unexpectedly
- Looks more professional
- More flexibility for design and functionality
- Help is readily available
Free Websites & Making Money Online Don't Mix
It amazes me how many people tell me that they want to start a business website but don't want to invest any money. I don't know of a single successful website owner that created their business website on a free host.If you were starting an offline business, you'd plan on investing some money right? Well, doing business on the web is no different. If you don't plan to invest anything to start a business then I'd have to question how serious you are about this venture.
I've been making money on the Internet for over a decade and I have YET to read a success story from someone hosting their site on Blogger.com or Yola. It's no coincidence that successful people own their own domains.
Plus, you can't expect people to take you or your site seriously if your website address starts with something like is http://myfreesite...
And if the address doesn't tip your visitor's off, the banners and pop-ups you'll be forced to display sure will. Also, the templates (if any!) they provide are generally very basic and lacking a professional appearance.
Think about it. Wouldn't you be a little suspicious if the web address of a business was something like http://members.aol.com/users/myhomepage.html with pop-ups and banners instead of www.companyABC.com?
Web surfers are becoming much more Internet savvy and they can smell a "cheap site" a mile away. You don't want to lose credibility and potential customers because of the unprofessional feel.
Any time someone sends me their "business" site on Blogger.com I immediately discredit the site. Sorry, but that's what most people do. Free web hosts just aren't taken seriously in general.
Not to mention, you can only do some much with them. So if you want to add shopping carts, order forms and additional interactive features you probably won't be able to do this because most free hosting companies don't offer that kind of functionality.
More Problems Free Website Hosters May Encounter
It is quite expensive for these companies to run a free hosting service because the company has to pay for the space and the bandwidth (traffic) to host thousands of web sites. And since they are offering these sites for free, some companies find themselves loosing money very quickly.They try to keep their service free by slapping banners on the member's pages, hoping that people will click and purchase products...but think about it...how many banners have you clicked on lately?
Exactly.
Then some may try to redeem themselves by charging a "small" fee for their service. And of course, if you aren't willing to pay for your site, you can say "bye bye" to all of your hard work.
If you haven't read my story, here it is again.
Almost all free website providers let you know in their terms and conditions that there are NO GUARANTEES when it comes to keeping your available. Which means they reserve the right to remove your site at anytime, regardless of how much work you've put into it.
If you're still thinking of using a free host after all that, then I'm not sure there's much more I can say to convince you. If money is tight, I can certainly respect that.
As I said earlier, I'd rather you wait and save some money instead of starting free and planning to upgrade later. Sorry, but in my opinion free hosting is almost always a bad idea -- especially for long-term, business/money making websites.
The Best Way to Build a Website
My recommendation is to register your own domain name and build your site from scratch.The registration process is very easy. You're able to search the Internet's domain name database until you find a name that hasn't been taken. Within seconds you can reserve it and it's yours for as long as you want.
Once you have the name you want, you'll need a place to create your web pages. A web hosting company will provide you with the help you need in this area. You'll be happy to know that the hosting options recommended here provide top notch support.
Just do yourself a favor and try it. You have no obligations to keep your site. Hosting fees are not expensive and you can terminate your plan anytime.
I hope you'll make the smart decision. :) Good luck!
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