Free Web Hosting and Domain Registration
Web hosting is an essential service these days and choosing the right web hosting provider is key in succeeding online. There is a variety of hosting companies and services for you to choose from and one of the most common is free web hosting and domain registration. While this is a cost-effective way to launch your website, it should be noted that you get what you pay for and these free services may not be best for some websites.
At StatCounter, we aim to provide our loyal members with the information they need to improve their website and make it more viable online. We also provide our members with information and resources to help them do so. To further this goal, let us fill you in on free web hosting and domain registration and whether or not it is a good choice for you.
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Free Web Hosting Solutions
While most web hosting solutions cost a fee each month, there are some free web hosting solutions available. WordPress and Blogger are just a few examples of free web hosting, and while these services don’t cost you money, there are some drawbacks to using them for a professional website.
For example, most free domains are simply subdomains of the hosting company's site. If you start a free website with WordPress, your domain name would look something like this: mywebsite.wordpress.com. This isn’t inherently bad, but it can give users the impression that your website is not trustworthy or a reputable source of information.
Another drawback is that many hosting companies that offer free domains place advertisements on these sites. In order to remove these ads, and make your website look more professional, you will need to upgrade to a paid hosting solution, such as shared or dedicated server hosting.
Free web hosting solutions can be perfect for bloggers and websites that are purely for fun or personal use. The free web hosting version WordPress has become a popular starting point for beginner bloggers to build an online presence and reputation within their industry.
Free Domain Name Registration
Much like free web hosting, free domain name registration is nearly impossible to find, although free subdomain hosting is an option as mentioned before in free web hosting. This is not a viable option if you plan on using your website to make money, however, if you are simply trying to get a blog started, then free domain name registration is perfectly suited for your needs.
If you are starting a website for your business, you will need to purchase a domain name to make your site look professional. With this, you will also need to determine which web hosting solution is right for you. Most new websites can get by just fine using a shared server, then once their site begins to get more traffic, they upgrade to a virtual private server (VPS) or a dedicated server.
Paid Web Hosting Solutions
As mentioned before, while free web hosting and domain registration services can serve a blog or new website well, in order to give your site a more professional look and feel you will need to upgrade to a paid web hosting solution. In this, there are a number of services to choose from and we have detailed them below for your convenience.
Shared Server Web Hosting
One step above free web hosting is shared server hosting. With this, your website will be hosted on a server that is shared with other websites. Resources and storage space are pulled from this server. Shared servers are a great hosting solution until your website begins to attract a higher volume of traffic, then you will need to upgrade to a dedicated server or a VPS to prevent slow load speed.
Dedicated Server Web Hosting
Once your website begins attracting more traffic, a shared server could cause your website to slow down, which could have negative effects on your search result rankings. To avoid this issue, you will need to upgrade to a dedicated server. With this, your site will be the only one hosted from that server, allowing you more customization ability without the worry of a slow loading site.
Virtual Private Servers
An alternative to dedicated servers is to host your website on a VPS. This has the advantages of a shared server, without the drawbacks. While multiple websites are hosted on a single VPS, the storage space and other resources are divided up equally, unlike a shared server where one website could use the bulk of the resources and cause other sites to crash. This gives you customization ability greater than a shared server for a more affordable price than a dedicated server.
1&1 is the trusted domain and web hosting provider of StatCounter. With a wide range of web hosting solutions for you to choose from, 1&1 is one of the most reputable hosting providers for a reason. Better yet, they have a variety of additional features, like SSL certificates for added protection and security.
Track Your Progress with StatCounter
Whether you have started a website on a free web hosting provider or have paid for server space, you will need to track your website’s progress with StatCounter. If you have any questions or need assistance, please complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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