Tips to Help You Choose the Best Free Web Host
What factors should one consider when looking for a web host? Whether you are looking for a commercial web hosting solution or a free web host, it is important to follow some guidelines in order to settle for the best one. Use the following guidelines to help settle for the best free web host:
Web Space Amounts
Does the web host have enough space that addresses your needs? If you have plans of expanding your site in future, you might want to choose a hosting service that has room for expansion. A good number of sites use a web space that is less than 5MB. Remember that different webmasters have different needs. So know your needs first. Needs vary depending majorly on the number of pictures your pages use and whether you will use video clips and/or sound files.
FTP access
One of the most common methods individuals use to transfer web pages as well as other files from their computer to a web host’s computer is FTP. This ensures everyone from any corner of the world can view the files. Some providers of free hosting allow you to create and design your page using their online site builder. While this can be quite useful especially to beginners, you should ensure that there is room for change when you become savvy. The free online page builder should have a facility for your expansion. For you to effectively transfer your files, ensure your platform gives you the freedom to upload pages either through the browser or email. FTP access is of utmost importance.
Size limitations and file types
You should be on the lookout for these two. It is common to find free hosts that impose maximum size on every file you upload. Actually, some impose restrictions of as low as 200 KB. Other free hosts normally restrict file types to GIF/JPG and HTML. Therefore, before opting for a host, make sure you know about this particular element.
Speed of access and reliability
This is another highly important aspect. If your site is regularly down, it will end up losing plenty of visitors. People simply go to other sites if they come to yours and find it is down. Slow access is equally frustrating to visitors. Settle for a site that offers consistent speeds in both peak and off-peak.
Advertising
A good number of free web hosts impose adverts on your website. They do this in order to cover costs of providing your website free. Remember that the web host incurs some costs in order to provide you with a web space and other associated services. Some hosts demand that you place a banner on some or all of your pages. Other hosts display a window, which pops up every time any page loads. Still another group imposes an ads frame on your site.
Some individuals detest pop-up windows, while others dislike having banner codes on their pages. Another group of individuals despise advertising frames. Whichever the method you use, ensure the method you choose works best for your needs.
