Why it pays to invest in your website

So you’re looking to launch a new website and you’ve heard on the grapevine that you can host it for free. As the saying goes – “The best things in life come for free, right?”

Well, hold your cliches for a hot second. Yes, you can host your website without spending a penny – an attractive prospect to get your business online quickly and cheaply. But short-term gains often lead to long-term pains, especially when it comes to building a successful website.

Trust us – it pays to invest in your website.

The lure of free web hosting

To get your business online and accessible, you’ll need a web hosting provider. These come in all shapes and sizes, like dedicated hosting, cloud hosting and shared hosting – the latter being when one server hosts multiple different websites. While there are various paid plans out there which offer this type of hosting, you can in fact get it for free.

Think of it like living in a shared house where your landlord doesn’t charge you. In the current cost of living crisis, this sounds like a dream – a roof over your head, no rent payments and the freedom of living without commitment. But over time, as you settle in and grow as a person you’ll probably begin to yearn for a better quality of life, wishing you had more privacy, protection and support from your landlord.

In the same way, free hosting can be a good stepping stone for early-stage startups. There’s no cash splashing, it’s beginner friendly, there’s no long-term contracts and it’s a great way to play trial-and-error. But here come the trade offs – poor performance, clunky UX, little customisation, and shoddy security. In other words, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

Get what you pay for

Do your business (and sanity) a favour – invest in a paid web hosting provider from the get-go. We’re not suggesting you set up your own mini-data centre in your shed. There’s plenty of beginner’s plans out there that won’t break the bank, so don’t panic. But investing a little now, will save you a lot down the line.

Here’s a quick overview of what paid hosting can give you that free hosting can’t...

Performance and reliability

You only have a few seconds to capture someone’s attention online, so a smooth running website that doesn’t buffer or disappear is golden. Free hosting is too unpredictable to give that level of reliability.

Scalability

When you grow, a paid provider is more likely to offer you an upgrade to support more website traffic and usage. Because as you expand, your site should reflect this.

No third party ads

Many free providers will make their buck from slapping ads all over your website. Choose a paid host to prevent this and protect your brand integrity. A site visitor is less likely to stick around if ads overwhelm them from the get-go.

Customisation

You get what you’re given with free hosting. Paid plans often facilitate plugins and installations to make your website more unique and create new ways to connect with your consumers.

Security

Free hosting will leave your website more vulnerable to hacking attempts and data breaches. Pay for the privilege of protection and avoid costly consequences to your finances, data and brand.

Custom domain

Would you trust a website whose URL was full of random gobbledygook? Custom domains give you that all important identity in the online world – often part and parcel with paid hosting.

Fasthosts are the best hosts

We don’t like to blow our own trumpet (just kidding, we do) but we really are the hosts with the most. Choose either our Start, Grow, Scale or Pro packages, based on what suits your needs and budget. We can get you started with easy hosting and all the essentials you need for as little as 50p per month for the first 6 months.

Get in touch today, let our friendly folks know where you’re at, and we’ll find just the right fit for your website. Give us a call on 0800 0612 153 or message us via live chat.