Student Web Hosting – Not So Black and White

For the vast majority of students there are of course millions of more important things to blow money on than web hosting…and we all know what they are. That’s precisely why outside the hobbyist arena and to some extent the smallest of businesses, students represent one of the biggest markets in the world when it comes to free web hosting. Which really isn’t difficult to understand – you get all you essentially need for free, so why bother paying out?Well, here’s the thing – what has to be kept in mind when choosing student hosting is the importance of the content the site will be used to house or showcase. The reason being that if you’re only looking to build a site for a bit of fun that’s of no value to anyone, then of course it’s fine to go with a free hosting package. However, if by contrast the site is to be used to showcase important work and to some extent exists as a professional portfolio, it’s often worth thinking twice before opting for the first free hosting service you come across.    SecurityFor example, there’s a pretty good chance that your website will contain a fair amount of personal data that you could really do without being hijacked. You don’t want your intellectual property to be stolen and nor do you want anyone hacking into the site and playing merry hell with everything it features. It may be rare but it does happen and can really make a mess of all you’ve worked so hard to put together. Free hosting rarely features the best possible security, so be sure to keep an eye on just how well you’re covered.ProfessionalismThen of course comes the subject of professionalism. If, for example, you are to use your site as a portfolio and point potential employers in its direction, you want a site that looks the part from start to finish. It’s all well and good having a bog-standard blog, but it’s another entirely to have a beautifully presented and fully-featured website that does justice to its content. Needless to say, the latter demands a great deal more than the average free hosting service will offer, so if professionalism matters, then think more along the lines of professional hosting.UniquenessThe same also applies in a similar vein to the site’s URL. When you’re building a site as a student, you’re effectively building your brand. You might not necessarily have a company name or even a business yet, but you yourself are a brand in your own right and how you represent yourself online matters. As such, it’s always worth considering paying that tiny bit extra for a wholly one-of-a-kind domain and URL, rather than going for a generic freebie as is standard with free hosting.ScopeLast but not least, if you intend to build and develop your portfolio over time…which of course you do…you don’t want to find yourself being held back by the inferior hosting package you chose. Don’t just think about the bare minimum that will suffice for the time being, but instead think ahead to what you may need further down the line and give yourself space to grow and flourish.