Saving money on web hosting is vital for an individual or organization with a tight budget seeking to create an online presence. To do this, you will need to evaluate your budget and review the web hosting company’s features as you’ll see in this article.
Although hosting your website on a server can be expensive, there are various ways to maximize your hosting budget. Here are some strategies that may help:
Reviewing Your Hosting Need
When looking for a hosting plan, the first step is to evaluate or review your website hosting needs. Understanding those needs for your business will help you choose the best hosting options. Make sure that you only pay for your requirements and downgrade your plan if you are paying for resources you do not need.
Most hosting companies offer several extra or supplementary services with their default packages which leads to price inflation. Only go for supplementary service when needed. You can send the host a request to remove the supplementary services in your plan to reduce your plan’s price.
Also, you can evaluate your needs regarding various features such as disk space and bandwidth. A small website only requires a little space; hence you do not need a hosting plan with huge disc space that requires you to pay more.
Have a Good Bandwidth
Regardless of specific hosting needs, most companies are careful with their bandwidth. Although most websites use a limited bandwidth, leaving room for future growth is vital. Always ensure that your desired web hosting company does not lock you into an amount of bandwidth that you cannot expand. Check carefully to see if the company will charge you additional fees if you need to change your hosting plan and bandwidth later.
Check the Types and Costs of Different Hosting
There are various types of hosting, each with its associated costs. To assess your hosting needs, consider the website platform you will be using for your business (WordPress, Wix, or Shopify), your website’s performance requirements (most small businesses work with shared hosting plans), and storage.
The popular types of hosting used are as follows:
- VPS Hosting
- Shared Hosting
- Dedicated Hosting
- Cloud Hosting
Most web hosting companies offer shared hosting because it is the most popular type of hosting compared to others. Shared hosting has some trade-offs, and it is the most affordable type of hosting. This type of hosting is a great option for individuals that are just getting started.
However, if your website needs more flexibility and power, you should consider VPS or Dedicated hosting. Although Dedicated hosting offers more flexibility and control, it is also expensive. Businesses that want to scale their resources easily can also look into Cloud hosting. Cloud hosting and VPS offer a mix of good performance and price. The best web hosting depends on your website’s needs and budget.
Use a Cloud Hosting to Save More on Web Hosting
As the online world keeps evolving, businesses keep looking for various ways to reduce the cost of web hosting. The demand for cloud hosting keeps increasing as it stores and manages data using cloud computing technology. Cloud hosting also provides more agility and flexibility than traditional hosting models. This feature makes cloud hosting one of the best options for businesses that want to reduce their web hosting costs.
Purchase Your Hosting and Domain from One Provider
Some hosting providers also provide domain registration. These providers may offer free domain names along with their hosting subscription plans, which helps save money. However, note that unreliable web hosting companies also provide free domain names. For this reason, you should know how to review the qualities of a good hosting provider.
A good web host provider should have a reasonable price plan with free domain names. So, ensure your provider is reliable and has all the other features you need, including a good security system. Note that purchasing your domain and hosting from one provider may also make you eligible for some unbelievable discounts.
Check the Company for the Customer Support
Before settling for a company, ensure to contact customer support. Check if you can contact the support via phone, email, and chat. Test the company’s support features to see how well the support replies to your queries. It is best to choose a host that offers their clients 24/7 live support. Carefully assess the quality of the providers’ customer service before purchasing their services.
Wait for Discounts or Promotions
Several web hosts offer discounts or promotional rates on certain days or occasions. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are notable periods for discounts. These discounts are often as high as 70% to 80% off and are available every November, depending on the web hosts. However, promotions are not limited to special occasions and some hosts release them randomly. These hosts tend to use these promotions to attract more or new customers.
Promotions run for a limited time; hence if your preferred web host offers a good promotion, grab it on time. Take your time and weigh your options before grabbing a promotion. Also, check the promotion for any deceptive prices that make you unknowingly pay the full price. Stick to hosts that most customers trust to avoid deceptive promo claims.
Monitor the Cost of Your Web Hosting
One of the ways to keep your business afloat is always to check the cost of your web hosting and your website as a whole. Always make the required adjustments to your budget if needed. Making the necessary budget adjustments will enable you to stay on track financially. It will also help you get the most out of your money.
To keep track of your hosting costs, you need to set and stick to a budget for hosting every month. You can also cut back on your spending by tracking the actual costs of your hosting against your set budget. Always review your hosting needs and ensure you only pay for what you need. These will enable you to keep your hosting costs and business on track.
Purchase Your Hosting Plan for an Extended Period
Renewing your web hosting plan may be expensive. However, you only get to enjoy some of the promotions and discounts after renewal. Most customers receive a good discount for the first month of purchase or when they buy the hosting plan for long-term use. Purchasing your hosting plan for an extended period lowers your hosting cost as the company will want to retain you as a customer by offering great promotions and deals for years.
Read the Company’s Terms of Service
Most individuals do not read the terms of service before agreeing to it. This may result in agreeing to unwanted fees and limitations you should be aware of. The terms of service often include a refund policy, which states whether or not they give refunds. In cases where they do, the company provides more details on it. Take time to read through the hosting company’s terms of service as it’s an official agreement that you should comprehend.
Conclusion
Take out time to review your hosting needs, choose the most suitable domain, and select the right provider. Many times, the costs of web hosting get updated. So, it’s also imperative to closely monitor the cost for proper budget management as an individual or company. Making the most of your hosting budget allows for flexibility, guest experience, professionalism, and contingency planning.
