Free Host For Blog - The Skinny

Who doesn’t like the word FREE? Every time we see those four-letter words, our eyes light up! Fortunately for us, the web is loaded with freebies. That includes web hosting. Fine, our enthusiasm are dampened a bit because we know that Free Web Hosting can be deceiving.

I can think of many reasons why Free Web Hosting is not that popular and I’m going to give three:

* Free Web Hosts are not stable. Sites offering Free Web Hosting have been known to shut-down operation without as much as a wave and taking along our precious hosted blogs with them.
* Free Web Hosts are not REALLY free. Web hosting cannot endure on enthusiasm and passion alone in the long run. Somehow, the free hosting companies have to fashion monetization models to keep their service in threads. These usually include posting-for-hosting, placing of advertisements, integration of links, or any combination of the three.
* Free Web Hosts cheapens websites. Free web hosts do not help the reputation of blogs. If bloggers uses paid-hosting, this communicates to visitors that they care enough to provide a stable environment to shell-out a few bucks.


Now that I have given the cons, would anybody still use Free Web Hosting, especially since paid hosting companies are offering cheap packages? Definitely, since Free Web Hosting is quite useful in the following context:

* No web cash. Paid-hosting companies usually accept only electronic cash. For bloggers that do not have access to web cash at the moment, the barter-type economy of a Free Web Host is heaven-sent.
* Newbies’ first site. Getting a blog online have monetary risks involved that might deter newbies from attempting. Free Web Hosting allows them to try different concepts without fear of losing real cash.
* Testing certain scripts/features. Free Web Hosting allows bloggers to take scripts or new features through its paces before committing. Free Web Hosts can serve as online laboratories.
* Educational purposes. The internet is one huge learning opportunity and the best way use it is to get our hands dirty. Free Web Hosting allows us to twiddle with blog development until we get everything right.


There are always perils involved in web hosting, even paid ones. The trick is, especially for Free Web Hosting, to minimize the risks by researching and looking for Free Web Hosts with the following features:

* Free branch of a paid hosting company. Free-hosted blogs are housed in the same servers are paid ones. The former gets the same benefits as the latter, including security and stability. In addition, there will be fewer hassles when a blogger is ready to move to paid hosting.
* Monetization alternatives. Free Web Hosts that tries to get non-monetary benefits from hosted blogs like displaying of advertisement or site-wide integration of links is better. Why? Because they make the free-hosted pages valuable to the hosting company, which will make them keep the Free Web Hosting up and running. Choose ones that offers unobtrusive text links for hosting.
* The name does not indicate a free host. Choosing a Free Web Host that sound like a regular hosting company is a definite plus. Try to stay clear from one with the word “free” in their name.
* Availability of hosting upgrade. Some Free Web Hosts does not only provide free hosting but even gives members an opportunity to upgrade their accounts.


Lastly, it is always a blogger's responsibility to ensure his website is safe. It is important to regularly back-up a blog off-site. If this precaution is religiously followed, we can bank on free hosting with peace of mind.