Thinking about starting your first website? The first thing that you should do before launching your website is to look for a reliable web host. There are literally hundreds of web hosts online to choose from but few of them actually live up to their promises and during this age of economic uncertainty you can never be too careful with your money.
Before choosing just any web host you should research that company online to make sure that they have good customer feedback and are a member of the Better Business Bureau because this organization is a sign of trust in the business world.
Web Host Cost
If you’re planning on building a basic website that’s only one page you can expect to pay anywhere from $3.50 to $5.00 per month. The more pages that you add to your website, the more you can expect to pay so before you sign with a web host you should lay out your website on paper, determine how many pages it’s going to be and also if you will need any special services. Fortunately, you should never have to worry about taking out loans for people with bad credit in order to pay for something like hosting.
A typical website has a page structure like this:
- Home
- About us
- Contact Us
- Privacy Policy
- Disclaimer
If you’re going to be selling anything online you will need to add a products page and also have an online shopping cart to sell your products. These added pages and features can amount add up to a cost of $20 or more per month (very affordable) but still a cost that should be considered.
Stretch Your Money!
Before signing with a website host you should look for a company that offers you the most bonuses for your money so you don’t get into debt or take out a small loan to cover your websites expenses. The average web host is now offering bonuses like: Google Adwords credit, free toll free number and so much more. Don’t hesitate to shop for deals seek out the best freebies so you can get the most value for your money before you sign up with a web host.
What Else Can Drive Up The Cost?
Other factors that can drive up the cost of hosting are having your website hosted on a shared server or dedicated server, uptime or downtime and customer service/support. You should make sure that you verify what all of the costs are up front before you sign up with web host just so you don’t get taken by surprise down the road and find that your credit card was charged for an amount that you didn’t authorize. Don’t let inattention tank your credit score.