Why Web Hosting is Now a Business Necessity

It”s now 2014, and while many markets have stayed the same over the past several years, web hosting has rapidly changed. With the dramatic drop in maintenance and startup costs as well as the introduction of cloud hosting (something a slew of companies, both large and small, now offer), finding a good web host is now a necessity for almost anyone who takes their business seriously. While using free hosts, one will often have to deal with a surplus of problems including excessive website downtime and sometimes even injected advertisements, which can turn off potential customers or clients.

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The Dangers of “Free” Hosting

Although free hosting may not cost anything directly, it can cost a lot more than one would think. Anyone who has dealt with free hosts for a long period of time knows the dangers that are involved and the profit that can be lost by using these platforms.

Creative Control Companies that offer free hosting often reserve the right to shut down one”s website and hosting at any given time, without notice. Sometimes, all it takes is one spam complaint from an angry competitor in order to destroy a website. For anyone who is serious about their business or website, this can be absolutely devastating.

Downtime One of the biggest problems with using a “free” host is downtime. Often, free hosting servers hold hundreds of different websites and one small problem can cause downtime for all of them. Having a server down for minutes to days can result in a drastic loss of profit, not only short-term but long-term. Even search engine rankings are affected by server downtime, meaning that for those who get a majority of their traffic from search engines can be severely impacted.

Advertisements While injected advertisements aren”t as common as they used to be, advertisements on free hosts can dramatically reduce the credibility of one”s website, especially if used for personal purposes.

Who Benefits from Web Hosting?

1. Freelancers Freelancers commonly don”t consider creating a website for themselves, and if they do it is often free hosting. However, now it is more essential than ever to have a professional appearance and portfolio as a freelancer, as that is all one really has on the internet. By switching to a quality web host, one can have much more control over their website and create something that fits their own needs. For an good example of the potential of a self-hosted and high quality freelance website, visit https://kristihines.com/. This website ranked number one in Google for the term “freelance writer” for over a year.

2. Entrepreneurs Web hosting is essential for any entrepreneur. Whether promoting a business or promoting themselves, entrepreneurs, like freelancers, need to have a professional website with no downtime or unprofessional advertisements. By doing this, one is much more likely to impress potential investors, network and even deter competitors.

3. Bloggers Not only does a free blog subdomain lack creative control, but it is also quite unprofessional for anyone looking to promote their ideas or themselves. By using dedication hosting, one can ensure that their blog is brandable and professional-looking.

Because hosting costs have dropped dramatically, hosting is an absolute necessity for anyone who wants an online presence. Cloud hosting has reduced downtime of many servers and is a great option for those who want to ensure no potential clients or profits are lost.