Choosing the best web hosting company can be confusing. The large number of vendors advertising their services doesn’t make the decision any easier. We’re here to give you a few tips on what mistakes you should avoid when choosing a web hosting provider. Instead of falling for empty promises and marketing gimmicks, go for the option that suits you best.
1. Too cheap means problems
We all like bargains, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The bigger the savings, the better. Unfortunately, this attitude is exploited by hosting providers at every turn. “Sensational promotions” and “limited offers” are the most common tricks. Don’t fall for them.
If your hosting is suspiciously cheap, you shouldn’t expect miracles. A low price comes at the expense of speed, security, and reliability. How do you know if cheap is too cheap? It’s quite simple. If the price looks ridiculously low, that’s a clear warning sign.
Before you decide on a particular offer, research the market and try to avoid offers with excessively low prices.
2. Hidden costs can ruin your wallet
We’ve already described why you should avoid the cheapest hosting deals on the market. Now it’s time to turn the tables: how not to get maneuvered into additional, inflated costs.
Many dishonest hosting companies lure their customers with cheap service prices by hiding additional costs in the fine print. As soon as you realize that a vendor is abusing your trust, it’s time to look for another company. Remember to always demand transparency from your provider.
All right. So what financial pitfalls should you watch out for? What costs does the provider “forget” to inform you about?
- Renewal pricing – Competition in the hosting services market is fierce. Companies try to attract customers by offering high discounts for a certain period. However, not all customers are aware of the fact that after the promotional period ends, prices may even increase by two or three times. The company representatives don’t attach importance to this information either.
- Unnecessary add-ons – Hosting companies often try to increase the price of a service by adding unnecessary add-ons to the plan. Providers encourage you to upgrade the basic package, so you end up with unexpectedly high costs and a whole bunch of unneeded extras.
- SSL costs – When the secure SSL protocol became essential for every website owner, some hosting companies decided to make a profit out of it. SSL certificate costs range from a dozen to several hundred dollars per year. Fortunately, many companies add this protocol to their hosting plans for free. These are the ones you should pay attention to.
3. Empty promises of unlimited space and traffic
Space and traffic without limits sound like something worth investing in. However, as is so often the case, the devil is in the details. Many companies offer “unlimited” web space and traffic, even though it’s simply physically impossible. You can be sure that these supposedly non-existent limits are listed somewhere in the fine print of the contract. However, the limits aren’t directly stated.
Hosting companies make money by assuming that some customers only need a small amount of space and traffic so that more complex websites can benefit from a larger pool of resources. Herein lies the secret, and also the trap, of “unlimited space and traffic.”
Companies that offer services without limits abuse the trust of their potential customers, which doesn’t bode well. After all, you think you have a unique, unlimited offer in front of you and are willing to overpay for it. More about this: https://howtochoosewebhost.com/guide/
4. Non-existent customer service
If you want your website to be visited by potential customers, you need to provide them with a positive user experience. Your site should be accessible, fast, smooth, and as reliable as possible. To meet these requirements, you’ll need support, and this support is the responsibility of the hosting company.
Don’t hesitate to check customer service before purchasing hosting. Try to contact a company via email or phone and ask additional questions. This experiment will help you assess the company’s general policy regarding customer support.