Free Hosting – Experts Urge Renewed Caution

In the business world, you don’t normally get anything for free and when it does appear as though you’ve found a freebie, chances are there will be more strings attached than you know what to do with. As such, when something looks a little too good to be true you can normally rest assured that it totally is – freebies are approached with extreme caution by successful business leaders and rightly so.Which is where the idea of free web hosting comes into the equation, which is today being offered by more hosting providers than ever before and never fails to scoop up all manner of takers. After all, what could be better than a free hosting package? It sounds too good to be true, but it exists in spades and the punters love it. However, industry experts are once again putting the call out for renewed vigilance on the part of those considering taking up a free hosting package as there are certain risks and downsides that go along with the gift itself.    Severe LimitationsFor example, while it may tick all the right boxes to take on a free hosting package to build a blog or hobbyist website, it’s safe to say you won’t be able to do a great deal more. There are so many limitations in place in terms of what you can do with the site in the first place that when it comes to business, establishing a portfolio or in any way building and running a functional website, free hosting doesn’t usually measure up to the mark. Which in turn means that unless your interest in web design is purely casual, you might be best advised to set your reach a little higher.Little Room for GrowthAnd it’s not all about where you are now and how your site is performing either – you also need to factor in where you’d like to be. Even the smallest of businesses would like to think that they will experience growth and expansion in the future, so unless you are wholly convinced your site will never need to grow or branch out, you need to be careful when opting for free hosting.Inconsistency If the reputation of your website and your brand as a whole matters to you, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the limitation imposed on free hosting can lead to serious inconsistencies. From slowdowns to blackouts to complete and total inaccessibility for any given reason, these are the things that say a lot about the service you offer and will play a role in your future success.SecurityAnd finally, while there are plenty of solid and reputable free web hosting providers out there, others aren’t in any way bothered about the nature or intent of their subscribers. By not properly vetting those that sign up and allowing anything and everything to happen, their servers become flooded with rather questionable site owners and operators that in turn can pose a serious risk to security. So when it comes to running any business where money, goods or any given online property comes into play, free hosting is seldom the option to go for.