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Should You Purchase a Long Term Web Hosting Plan?

Should You Purchase a Long Term Web Hosting Plan

What is it that attracts you to a web hosting provider? Is it all the bandwidth and disk space being offered? Perhaps the array of features? Everybody has their own reasons but for many it’s a tempting price that is simply too good to pass up. Hold on before clicking the sign up tab on the provider’s homepage. In many cases, that incredibly low price comes with conditions hidden in a scroll of fine print. For instance, it’s very likely that the price of a $4.95 per month plan is based on a contract over a fixed period, perhaps 24 to 36 months. This is something that needs to be considered because without taking heed, you could be in for a rude awakening.

The Rules of Web Hosting

In short, you should be leery of any company actively trying to sign you on for a long term contract. True, these plans serve benefit to some people but if you’re just starting out, it could result in disaster. Unless the company is reliable with a proven track record such as BlueHost and LunarPages, you could find yourself paying for three years worth of service and want to leave after the first three months. Always keep in mind that a stand up company will offers annual plans along with monthly services to. By knowing this, you are less likely to be fooled.

It’s a good rule of thumb to purchase your web hosting plan on a monthly basis, perhaps three to six months at a time. There are a many providers that will let you go month to month and walk away without obligations if things do not work out. You should only sign up for an annual contract when you are completely satisfied with the service of your provider.

Do Your Homework

The long term web hosting contract comes in many different variations. Most of them refer to one-year plans but some are even longer. Can you imagine being obligated to a single provider for years? This is definitely a situation you do not want to find yourself in, especially when dealing with a company you are not all that familiar with. Before looking over the contract, do a bit of research on the provider so you at least have an idea of what to expect in the terms of performance and reliability. If a web host is not dependable, signing up for one month could be a terrible waste of your time and money.

Conclusion

In closing, there is really no reason at all to sign up for a long term hosting contract. Besides, who wants to make such a commitment? By doing so you are essentially restricting yourself by not having the freedom to explore different options and what else is available. There could be different software your host doesn’t provide, programming languages and more. This means you are restricting the growth of your business. Once you become more established and toggle with the idea of dedicated hosting, it may be time to consider a long term solution. Until then, keep it simple and give yourself a few options.

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11th October 2008
Posted by Web Hosting Consultant in Best Web Hosting Tips

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