Affordable Website Hosting Plan

What to Look for in a Hosting Plan

Before you start looking at the cost of a hosting plan, you need to take a look at what it offers and what you want to get out of it. Elements included in a good hosting package are:

• Speed: How fast do the pages upload and can be viewed?
• Reliability: Does the server crash often? Are backup servers available?
• Bandwidth: Traffic between your website and the rest of the Internet; 1GB is usually sufficient.
• Safety and security: Protocol should be in place to protect sites from unwanted visitors.
• Customer service: 24/7 help should be available via telephone, e-mail or chat.
• Control panel: Central area where you can set up and check your e-mail and domain accounts, as well as logins, page editors and more.
• Service contracts: These vary from month-to-month terms to yearly. It is usually cheaper to sign a longer contract.
• Software: Operating system of the server; usually Windows or UNIX

Is Cheapest Always Best?

The old adage, "You get what you pay for," rings true for hosting companies. A simple Google search will return thousands of companies offering free and low-cost hosting plans. But can they be too good to be true? In most cases, yes. There are many reputable companies out there trying to provide good service to its customers. However, others "say" they offer an affordable website hosting plan only to find out the small print says something else. All of the little "extras" that you thought were part of the package can turn out to be unexpected hidden fees:

• If you sign up for an unlimited plan, make sure you read the Terms of Service first. Limitations may apply to CPU or RAM usage.
• Individual pricing for each service can really add up and not be affordable after all. Many of the lower-priced hosting companies offer a la carte items as a marketing scheme. They plan on uneducated consumers not understanding or not reading the fine print about all of the different prices.
• Cancellation fees may be quite expensive if you terminate your contract early.
• Domains may be free if your hosting company owns the domain, but if you try to move it to another host, you may be stuck with some unforeseen costs.
• Periodically check to make sure your hosting company hasn't increased its fees as they can be passed on to you.

Top Affordable Website Hosting Plans

Low-cost hosting plans are good for those who only want to host one domain or blog. The bandwidth is low and there really isn't much maintenance that is needed. As long as you read all of the fine print and are satisfied with what the hosting company has to offer, then go ahead and purchase a package. Some of the top low-cost hosting companies as rated by b2evolution.com:

• InMotion Hosting has plans as low at $3.33 per month.
• Web Hosting Pad offers hosting starting at $3.96 per month.
• Lunar Pages has plans starting at $4.95 a month.
• Host Monster starts its basic plans at $5.96 a month.
• Host Gator offers its website hosting for as little as $4.95 a month.

Final Note

Take your time and peruse all of the options the low-cost website hosting companies have to offer. If a plan sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. If you are unsure about what to buy, enlist the help of a friend or family member experienced in web design to help.