Is it possible to get free web hosting?

You can find a lot of deals for free web hosting on the web. Only a few of them are genuine, but the most of them are not. But how likely are these thoughts to come true? Is it possible to get something good from these deals without dealing with bad service or hidden fees? We will take you on an exciting journey through “free” web hosting. First, let’s talk about what free web hosting means.

Free hosting: What does it mean?

As its name implies, free hosting is a service that is not charged. Most of the time, it has few functions, little support, and few resources. Still, it might be the best choice for people who want to start a personal blog or a small website or learn how to code and create websites. Your main goal for a free web host should stay the same. It would help if you put in the most effort to find a trustworthy one.

How to get free web hosting

Here are the steps to running a website for free if you are starting and want to see what it’s like:

Step 1: Pick a free service to host your website.

There are many free hosting options, which will be talked about in more detail in the next part.

Step 2: Make your website. You can use a website maker, a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, or even just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for static sites to make your website.

Step 3: Put your website online.

When you’re ready to publish your site, follow the platform’s directions. If you have a static website, you can send the files by using the file manager or FTP (file transfer protocol) that your hosting company offers, if we have one.

Step 4: Set up DNS (for unique names)

You need to set up DNS (Domain Name System) records for your custom domain so that they point to the servers of your hosting service. Most of the time, your server company will give you the DNS settings you need.

Step 5: Check out your blog.

Once you’ve uploaded your website and set up DNS (if needed), ensure everything works right by testing it.

Step 6: Keep an eye on how resources are being used

You may need more data and storage when you use a free hosting service. Keep an eye on your site’s traffic and speed to ensure you stay within these limits.

What you need to know about free web hosts before you pick one:

1: Check to see what hosting you need.

Before choosing a hosting service, consider what kind of hosting you need. Consider beforehand what type of website you want to make and your technology needs.

Consider your needs and see if a free web host can meet those goals. It’s worth looking into ahead of time.

2: Annoying Ads

There are a lot of free hosting services that make website owners show different kinds of ads that don’t belong on their sites. This is usually done to compensate for the cost of server space and other services that free web hosting provides.

If you use a certain server service, they may make you put banners on your website. At the same time, others may ask you to see their advertising pop-ups. If you are trying your codes or learning something, having ads on your site might not bother you, but if you want to run a personal blog, you won’t be able to handle it.

Because of this, it is best to choose a service that doesn’t force website owners to put up annoying ads.

3: Access to FTP

If you don’t know, FTP is “File Transfer Protocol.” You send files or web pages from your computer to the server. You will need FTP access to set up a website, but most free web hosts don’t give it to you.

But with some, you can expect an online website builder tool, which is only enough for some.

It is important to check if you have FTP access because it lets you quickly download, upload, rename, delete, copy, and move files on a computer.

4: Space for servers

You should also know this important fact before you pick a free web host. You should check to see if the web room the hosting company gives you is enough for your needs. If you think your website or blog will grow, look for a service provider that makes it easy to add more features as your needs change.

5: Help with customers   

Since you’re new, you probably need to give customer service more of your time. Forget that you can’t later blame the “free” service.

No matter what, you need a plan B in case your website goes down when you need it the most.

It’s not realistic to expect great customer service from most free web hosting services, but you should be able to get in touch with them and get your questions answered.

Look for a host that has chat help and toll-free phone support. If that’s not possible, ensure you get help by email at the very least.

Many companies that offer free hosting also provide free lessons with step-by-step guides on how to fix different problems. Going with these kinds of companies is always a good idea. Another thing to keep in mind is to test the reaction time.

6: Read some reviews

You can read reviews about the services that the web hosts you’re thinking about offer in many places. Read what other people have said about their services and customer service. Take a look at some of the most widely read reviews.

Remember that some server companies also run review sites, so always be careful. Forums and independent review sites are good places to find honest reviews.

7: Setting up .htaccess

You can change the settings for your website with .htaccess instead of changing the server setup files. Many free hosting services limit how much you can change things in .htaccess. Ensure that the company hosting your site is not on the list.

8: Getting to the PHP mail function

Double-check that the hosting company you’ve picked supports PHP mail before you sign up. It is necessary for you if you want to run a website that needs people to sign up in some way. It will be easier to do automatic user registration with it.

9: Verify the connection speed.

You should know how long it takes for your hosting service to answer. Always remember that computer speed and bandwidth limits go hand in hand. Before you start, determine how much data your website or blog will need.

It’s also important to ensure that the email service includes POP3 and SMTP so you can set up your domain emails on your phone, tablet, laptop, etc.

10: All About Uptime

Uptime tells you how long your website is open for people to use.

These days, every web host says they have 99% service or more. When people say this, you should find out if it’s true. Find tools that can help you figure out how long your IT is up. Remember that only three days a year are different between 99% uptime and 99.9% uptime. So, choose the service company with the best uptime.

11: The Control Panel

A hosting company gives you a tool that lets you manage a website. It’s much easier to run and monitor a site this way. The following features are built into almost all control panels:

• Manager of files and DNS
• Managing Your Mailbox
• Stats like RAM use, visitor count, bandwidth use, and so on are tracked.

Pick an ISP with a control screen that is easy to deal with. If you don’t, you’ll have to get help to make even small changes to your site, which is a lot of work.

12: Keep your website safe

In the past few years, there have been a lot more websites that have been hacked. Because of this, security is very important to everyone who owns a website. So, when looking for a free web hosting service, remember to check the security features.

It’s not very important to most free hosting providers that websites are safe. So, pick the one with at least the most basic security features, like safety against malware, firewalls, phishing attacks, etc. Having the ability to back up your files would be a plus.

Conclusion

Yes, it is possible to run your website for free. Many companies offer this service, but it only has a few features and functions. This makes it great for beginners or small projects. On the other hand, paid hosting plans often have to be used for more complex tasks or bigger websites because they come with more tools, storage space, and better customer service. Users should carefully consider what they need before choosing between free and paid servers. So, whether you’re starting a new business or your first blog, pick the best web hosting that fits your project’s size and complexity.