Information on web hosting is very easy to find around the web. However, a lot of what you read can be misleading, and a lot of what people right is simply not the truth. Even still, the myths always seem to gain more traction than the truth, and millions of potential website owners are deterred due to false information.
Although you can undoubtedly debunk hundreds of myths about hosting services, we will cover the top 10 web hosting myths in this article.
Web Hosting Myths
1: Top-Reviewed Companies are always best
Many believe that a good web host will have about 100 pages of positive reviews out there. That’s not true at all. In fact, most of the frequently reviewed hosts pay for that sort of advertising or they’re offering affiliate plans. A host doesn’t have to be a favorite in pop culture to be a good service.
2: Domain Names are instantly available
When you transfer a domain name to a web host or purchase one through their services, it will not become instantly available. There is usually a waiting period, 72 hours of longer, before your domain will be searchable through web engines.
3: Plans are paid by the Month
Another myth with web hosting, many people believe the price they see, $5.50/month as an example, means they’ll pay in every month. This is the price you receive for buying a package, usually for 12 months or more – and you pay it all upfront.
4: You need Unlimited Space
Some flock to sites offering so-call “unlimited” plans and are willing to pay more for these services. But you do not necessarily need this much space. One single GB of space is a lot of room for a personal website.
5: Prepaid Contracts are bad
Paying for your hosting upfront before you start your website is actually a good thing. For starters, it has increased competition in the marketplace, driving the prices down to all-time lows, and it also means you have ample time to cancel should you not like the services.
6: “Unlimited” really means Unlimited
Unlimited space does not mean that you can start loading 500GB of material to your site every month. The host’s servers are shared by every other site owner, and using up a ridiculous amount of space is not allowed by any web host.
7: Instant Traffic with a Web Host
Simply having a real web host and a real site does not mean that you will be instantly found at the top of every search engine. You will still have to traffic your site in conventional ways. Having a host does not guarantee you will be found.
8: Site-Building is Hard Work
Many shy away from starting websites because they feel it is too hard. However, most hosts today offer drag-and-drop tools, one-click install tools, free site builders, and tons of free templates to choose from. Along with tutorials, site-building is incredibly easy.
9: Good Hosting is Expensive
Believe it or not, the top-rated web hosts on the Internet are offering services for well under $10/month. You can get every single feature you need for well under $100 per year.
10: All Hosting Plans are the same
Although web hosts list pretty much the same exact features in bold print, the ins and outs are always different from host to host. Companies have different levels of support, different ecommerce features, different security suites, etc. If you think they’re the same, just do a little more research and you’ll see the differences.
Knowing the truth about web hosts and not buying into the myths associated with them will help you to find the best possible package and operate a great website. Try to avoid the hyperbole out there or anything that sounds too good to be true. Go straight to the source and find out for yourself.