The short answer is: Maybe. Free web page hosting may be a great way to get started with your Web presence, especially if you are planning to develop a personal website.

Nearly all Internet Service Providers give you very limited free hosting when you sign up for an internet access plan. But it's usually just enough for a page or two. There are even some web hosting companies who'll give you a fairly complete free web site hosting package.

Quid Pro Quo

The give-back with free web page hosting is that you must accept online ads plastered all over your web site over which youll have no control. If you are hosting a personal web site and are not concerned about a bunch of unrelated or possibly offensive ads on your web pages, a free web site may be a good way to go.

However, if you plan to establish an online business presence you should simply forget about free web page hosting. The limited range of features, coupled with a barrage of ads unrelated to your business, will certainly be a turn-off for your visitors.

Its Not 1995 Anymore

Most web surfers today are pretty savvy and can spot a free website at a glance and will not take your business seriously if your website doesnt exude at least a basic degree of professionalism. You just cant do that with a free web site.

The Good News

Its actually pretty easy to find paid, yet affordable, web hosting that will enable your online business to compete effectively against the big guys. That is, if you know the kind of web hosting solution that will suit your immediate and long term needs.

Lets take a look at the pros and cons of free web page hosting versus a more comprehensive paid web hosting plan.

Free Hosting - Pros

• Well, nothing is completely free. In the case of free web page hosting, its pretty close to being free except for having to put up with those pesky ads.
• Free web sites that come with your ISPs internet access plan are generally easy to set up and modify using free, though limited, web site design tools provided.
• This is also true of the free hosting packages offered by some mainstream web hosting companies. They get some ad revenue. You get online for free.
• Free sites should cause no concerns if you are planning to build a web site that is essentially non-commercial in nature.

Free Hosting - Cons

• The main drawback with free web page hosting is that it obviuosly looks to your visitors like a non-commercial (read "unprofessional") web site.

So if you are planning to transact any business online, whether product, software, or services sales, or affiliate and pay-per-click marketing. you simply must pay for your hosting.

Not To Worry

At Web-Host-Watch we report on a variety of free and low cost hosting solutions. Spend some time with our tutorials, tips, and recommendations to get the information you'll need to select the best paid or