Cheap Web Hosting Really Sucks

If you're running a website on a tight budget, it's understandable that you'll want to find the cheapest possible deal.  There are certainly some very cheap hosting deals out there, with web hosting companies seemingly involved in a race to the bottom to price out their competitors.  But before you dive in and sign up to a cheap web hosting deal, pause a moment and reflect.  You might not be paying much, but are you actually getting value for money?  In this article, we'll examine some of the pitfalls involved with cheap web hosting.

Why cheap hosting is not a good choice?

The first thing you need to consider is just how the hosting company is able to offer such a cheap deal in the first place.  It costs money to host websites, so how can a company offer such low prices and still expect to turn a profit?  It may be that they're cutting back on the quality of service on offer.

Generally speaking, the cheaper the deal, the more limited the service.  Don't expect advanced features and premium products with a cheap deal.  Another thing to consider is that cheap web hosting attracts lots of customers.  You'll find yourself sharing server space with hundreds, if not thousands, of other websites.  This has a direct impact on your site, by slowing down response times and putting a strain on server resources.

Security is another area in which a cheap web host may be tempted to cut costs.  Even if there is a reasonable level of security, you're more at risk from virus corruption on an overcrowded server, simply because of the number of websites who are sharing that server space with you. 
Cheap web hosting also tends to mean poor quality customer service.  You may find that if you have technical issues, you'll get a slow response, or in some cases, no response at all.  It's not unknown for cheap web hosts to fail to provide any sort of technical support whatsoever.

Finally, cheap web hosts can be very reluctant to part with your money once they've got it.  If you're not satisfied with the service, you may find that you can't get a refund.  Most of us expect a money back guarantee, but just because we expect it, it doesn't automatically mean that it's there.  Be sure to check the small print.

In web hosting, as in just about everything else in life, you get what you pay for.  Although you might save a few dollars on a cheap web hosting deal, it may not be worth the poor quality service you get or the security and customer service problems you encounter.