The internet is full of companies offering free web hosting and this “free” option is very alluring. Starting a website is easy, effortless and can be done free of charge with trusted sites like WordPress and Blogger but it comes with numerous shortcomings.
No doubt, many bloggers have hit the mark starting from free web hosting for their website but why the successful bloggers aren’t using those free services provided by WordPress or any other free host? This is because every free option might not prove beneficial in the long run. Whether you are going to start blogging as a hobby or a first step of your business, it should not come at the cost of quality service.
Many people have been lured into free hosting but there are certain reasons why it is considered unsuitable.
10 reasons to prove why free web hosting is bad for you:
1. Not at All Professional
When you are blogging, you will need to promote your website at some point to gain viewership. Free web hosting sites look unprofessional. When you don’t have a proper domain name, potential customers would find it quite difficult to take your website seriously going by the common phrase- “The First Impression is The Last Impression”.
Also, you cannot create email accounts with your own domain name. This means you will have to use your email account which does not look professional.
2. Limited Design and Functionality With Free Web Hosting
Unlike a self-hosted site where you can choose from thousands of themes, free websites offer only a handful of poorly designed or some basic templates along with the limitation you can not use your own design from the web. Reputable web hosts typically have a back-end control panel or platform as a service that is loaded with features. Common features included in premium web hosting services include one-click installation of common scripts, email setup, database management, traffic analyzer and subdomain setup. Usually, these features aren’t offered by web hosts.
3. Security Vulnerability
Free web hosts generally offer little-to-no protection from cyber-attacks or intrusions. It is your responsibility to safeguard your site from such attacks by using safe and secure hosting services offered by renowned web hosting providers. If your site is hacked, it will be a lot more difficult to get it recovered because these companies give very limited access to your own files and data.
4. Losing Ownership Due to Free Web Hosting is Like a Nightmare
While you can add lots of great content to your website, giving in your maximum time and best of your skills, you never really own it. If you read Terms and Conditions of most free hosting providers, you will come to know that you don’t really own your website.
Some free hosting providers have also been known to retain ownership of one’s content too. That is really disappointing for those professionals who might want to switch their content to their own website later.
5. Low Disk Storage
Free hosting providers usually give you very limited storage to store your data. This is because they host hundreds of websites sharing same server and disk space. When you reach that limit, you are often asked to pay for more storage.
6. Poor Customer Service with Free Web Hosting
First, you set up your site on your own with the help of very limited and poorly presented documentation then further you will be offered no help in most cases. If your site goes offline, you’ll want to approach the host for assistance. Unfortunately, free web hosts have poor customer service. You are pretty much on your own if you can not figure out something.
7. No Backups
Almost every reputable web host offers automatic backups. If somehow your content is lost, an editor accidentally deleted your file or it was compromised in a cyber-attack, you can rest assured knowing that the web host has kept a backup copy of your file.
However, there is no concept of regular backup in case of free web hosting. They do not back up your data and you can do nothing to restore your data in case it gets lost.
8. Transferring Your Site is More Difficult
In case you started off with a free website and later you want to transfer your site to a new domain will future hassles such as downtime. Transferred content can contain glitches that are time-consuming to fix. You need to make sure if your redirects are working well that have been moved so that your RSS feed won’t lose subscribers.
Free hosting services typically have restrictions on server accessibility. Sometimes while transferring, you may not be able to access all your file. Therefore, it’s better you start off your new website with a paid one.
9. Free Web Hosting is Unreliable
Free web hosting is notoriously unreliable. They don’t generally have a great reputation for speed, uptime, and availability. Apart from this, they also tend to shut down a lot.
Free hosting is definitely not suitable for those who are looking to start even minor scale businesses, though, it is okay for those who just want to use it for testing purposes.
10. Too Much Downtime
This clearly implies the indication of a poor web host. It is probably caused due to server abuse by a particular individual. Their servers often go offline for maintenance due to hardware or simple neglect. Nobody wants to visit the site that is open half the time- no matter how great the content is!
You can save yourself from a lot of problems by choosing a well-paid web host. Once you start working on a website, you’ll want to grow more. You will be saved from forced ads, security vulnerabilities, slow speeds with excellent customer service, thereby solving your problems.
Buy a website from the outset and save yourself these hassles.
Frequently Asked Questions!
What are the risks of using free website hosting?
There are many chances to use free hosting, including limited resources, regular downtime, and slow loading times. Because free hosting services regularly host numerous websites on the same server, resource sharing might have a negative effect on your site's speed. Furthermore, free hosting providers may display marketing on your website, affecting user experience and professionalism. A lack of customer service and poor security measures might expose your site to cyber-attacks and dangers, putting your data and user information at risk.
How does free hosting impact website performance and speed?
Free hosting typically provides limited server resources and bandwidth, resulting in slower website loading times. Shared resources among multiple websites hosted on the same server can lead to congestion and reduced performance. Slow loading times negatively affect user experience, leading to higher bounce rates and lower search engine rankings. With limited capacity to handle traffic spikes, free hosting may result in frequent downtime during peak periods, further justifying your site's credibility and reliability.
Does free hosting affect website security?
Free hosting may compromise website security due to the lack of robust security measures and support. Because free hosting services sometimes don't have complete safeguards, your site is subject to program and hacker attempts. The absence of regular backups can result in permanent data loss if any security breaches occur. Furthermore, some free hosting services may display intrusive ads or inject malicious code into websites, posing significant risks to both site owners and visitors.
How does free hosting impact website branding and professionalism?
Free hosting providers may display their own ads on your website, disrupting your branding and professionalism. These ads can be irrelevant to your content and may drive away visitors. Customization options on free hosting are usually limited, preventing you from creating a unique and professional website. The name of your hosting provider may look in your site's domain name, which is uncomfortable and difficult for users to remember. Developing trust and confidence with your audience calls for a branded domain name and an ad-free website.
How does free hosting stop the growth and flexibility of a website?
The amount of storage, interaction, and other services available to your website on free hosting may be limited. These rules may affect your site's speed and capacity as it grows and receives more users. When traffic is better than the set limit, free hosting companies may impose traffic or visitor limits, developing your site to crash or become absent. In addition, free hosting lacks the functionality and flexibility needed to manage complicated tasks or e-commerce skills, limiting the potential for growth as well as expansion of your website.