Cheap web hosting most certainly can turn out to be a blessing for small businesses who are just starting out. There’s a lot of really wonderful web hosting services available that have quite reasonable rates. The trouble usually comes whenever you have to choose the right one to fit your business. There are sometimes hidden fees that end up eating your savings, even if you go with a low price service. These are some of the little hidden fees you need to watch for:
Service fees! Lots of cheap web hosting websites brag about their low costs, but they make it up with service fees. They clam to have some toll-free number to call for support, but every time you call, it adds a service fee to your bill. Then you have the hidden fees. These are the sneakiest of all. So you need to make sure right from the start that you’re dealing with a company who is being up-front and totally honest about your charges. Just because a company seems to be inexpensive, doesn’t mean it’s so. Always go over the fine print and terms of service before you sign up for anything.
You also need to watch out for cheap web hosts that tack on multiple domain fees. They lure you in with one thing, and slap you in the back with something else. It’s true, some will offer you unlimited domains, but then they just won’t mention anything about a new fee they have for each separate domain. I tell you, you got to watch out for yourself. Do plenty of research about a cheap web host before hooking up with them.
Then you have what they call ‘setup’ fees. These can really smack you right in your wallet. Most of the companies don’t even mention anything about these. Cheap web hosting is a little like false advertising, unless you find a company that does it right. Then you may have ‘cancellation fees’, this way they catch you one last time as you go out the door. So they try to get on both ends. You should always look for a money-back guarantee in case you decide you don’t want that service due to other fees or their services.
I don’t want to sound overly pessimistic, just want to warn you about those types of web hosts. The truth is there are tons of really fantastic web hosts out there, you just have to be able to tell which one is which. All it should cost this web hosting company to do business with you is the monthly cost for storage and for maintenance. Do your homework and get a cheap rate. It’s easy to find them online, and the ones with good reputations most people have heard of already. Go to a forum and ask around. Read some reviews and look some up and ask about their fees. Always read the contract word for word. It’s not that hard to find yourself a good web hosting service that will do you right and give you good honest service without trying to be sneaky about it.