In the case of website hosting, there is a slew of options available to customers. And with all of the choices out there, it can be tempting to sign up for one of the numerous free website hosting companies on the Internet. But along with the advantage of using a free service, there are some negative aspects. Aspects that you may end up paying dearly for in the future. Educating yourself about these downsides by reading the following points so you can enjoy better hosting services.

Less Credibility

On the World Wide Web, a person or business’ website is what visitors will base their first impression on, which can either bring in new customers or turn people off. Unfortunately, free hosting usually means domain names that are very long and cumbersome to remember. The longer the domain name, the more people will think that you do not take your business seriously. If your website appears to be amateurishly piecemeal together, you will find it nearly impossible to build your business’ credibility.

Banner Ads

The biggest reason website hosting providers can offer their services for free is because they force customers to let banner ads be displayed on their site. There is no sense in putting in money, time, and effort into bringing in traffic if the ugly banner ads that clutter your site end up turning traffic in the opposite direction. This is obviously something to avoid.

Not Enough Features

Free hosting providers do not offer much in terms of features. Because their flexibility leaves something to be desired, you will be stuck with a provider that cannot grow alongside your business. For instance, there may be little to zero access to FTP accounts, content management systems, e-commerce options, or email.

No Transferring

People who pay for their registration and domain hosting are able to transfer it whenever they wish. But with free hosting, this is usually not an option. So if you build your website’s traffic and reputation over the course of several years and decide that having a domain name of your own would be advantageous, you might have to throw away all of your hard work.

Overly-Stressed Servers

Servers that are overused can slow down page-loading times and increase your website’s downtime. And both of these negative aspects can seriously impact a business’ profitability and growth in a negative manner.

Inadequate Customer Service

There is yet another downside to free hosting – inadequate customer service. If you are experiencing issues with your website and you need help, chances are it will be extremely tough trying to contact a customer service representative. As a business owner, the longer your website is offline, the more likely it is you will lose money and potential customers.

From the information detailed above, you have probably realized that value of a hosting service runs parallel to the cost of said service. Do not shortchange yourself or your business by using a free provider to save money because what you ultimately want out of your website is positive future growth.