Starting any business, including an online venture, isn’t free, but the costs of starting online businesses slightly differ from those of physical businesses. Unavoidable costs in the online space include building a website, buying a domain, and hosting your platform. While the costs of building a website and purchasing a domain name are fixed, web hosting costs vary from one web hosting service provider to another. While these are unavoidable costs, the following tips can reduce your expenditure on web hosting.
1. Use a reputable web host
With more than 300,000 web hosting service providers globally, finding a reputable and dependable web hosting service provider can be difficult. Fortunately, several web hosting services guides can ease your search.
Among the many options, iPower Web Hosting provides customizable hosting services. You can choose from seven hosting plans, each with unique features tailored to suit your website needs. What’s intriguing is the platform’s affordable shared hosting, which allows users to start their websites at low costs.
IPower’s affordable hosting doesn’t compromise its quality, like other hosting platforms, making it an excellent and affordable option for those who have just started their online businesses.
2. Avoid free web hosting
Avoid free web hosting unless you are launching a personal project or building a test site. Choosing the free web hosting option is very tempting, especially if you are price conscious. While many web hosting providers have this option, free hosting has a catch, as providers still need to make money.
All free web hosts display ads on your website, significantly limiting web traffic. They also find creative ways of locking you into a contract, mostly by upselling their subscription plan with other services, which can be costly in the long run.
3. Choose a long contract
Choosing a long contract with your preferred web host is a good way of saving money. Web hosting service providers often offer low introductory prices to new customers. However, once the initial plan expires, you should renew at a higher price. You can avoid these costs by taking advantage of discounts offered on long contracts.
4. Include domain registration in your web hosting plan
Most people prefer separating domain registration and web hosting. However, beginners looking to save money without complications can put both under the same roof. Most web hosting service providers offer free domain registration for their plans. For instance, iPower’s starter plan of $3.99/month includes free domain registration.
Bundling the two eliminates the overwhelming hassle of looking for third-party domain registrars and hosting providers.
Endnote
Other creative ways of cutting on web hosting costs include taking advantage of freebies, avoiding upsells, and using shared hosting for your new website. Remember that web hosting is a recurrent expense that increases as your website grows and gains more traction. With time, these beginner cost-saving tips won’t be practical. Scaling your web traffic, upgrading to a VPS hosting, and monetizing your site to offset hosting costs can come in handy as your site grows.
