This article is about my experience of using different Website Hosting providers via free and paid for services,and the unseen problems and pitfalls that a novice website creator is is likely to encounter. My first step on the website creating ladder happened when I realised that my free email provider provided free webspace (if activated). The condition was that I had to use their dial up service and unique phone number to transfer (ftp) my website files,enabling them to get commision via part of the call charge in exchange for providing my Webspace.

This is what I found :
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# Webspace was limited to 20MB
# Individual file size was limited to 1.5MB
# Tech support FAQ's were next to useless prompting expensive phone calls (strangely "left" on hold for ages)
# For security and data usage reasons,facilities such as CGI,PHP,PERL,Databases,Frontpage extensions etc were not available,so no forums,counters,tracking,scripts,eshops,etc
My webspace had an obscure,odd domain name URL e.g. http://mysite.hosthemost-members.com/mygreatsite.

However I still retain this "free" webspace as it serves a usefull purpose for simple website testing and for the storage of ebooks that I sometimes sell as downloadable items.(Ebay etc)

Other "free" webhosting deals involve a period of free usage (usually a year) followed by a pay or leave type situation,quite disruptive and inconvenient  if you have a nice website or download area operational.

My next step was to gain a broadband connection with the added attraction (in my particular broadband package) of "free"  webspace (5 separate 25MB websites) and bigger file size limits, but this initial "excitement" didn't last long however as I found these big disadvantages :

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#   I could only ftp files using my home broadband connection (no use if you need to ftp files from a non home area)
#   Every webpage had a large advertising banner at the top of the page (so professional looking)
#   Each homepage was in frames and so did not contain the code of your original "index/home page" ie without optimised text,hyperlinks etc,making it was next to useless for SEO/search engine purposes.
  Technical help was almost impossible to obtain,and when you eventually did get to speak someone via the expensive tech helpline,they didn't seem very competent.

Eventually I decided to pay for my hosting because I needed the extra facilites of counters,forums,trackers,database,etc and after a long search, I settled on a 1and1 package, because it included free software which contained a website building program which was far superior to the one I was using at the time. So because I was paying for this service I expected some real advantages to free hosting,and this is what I found :

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# My queries were always answered to my satisfaction by technically competent staff.
# I was never left on hold for hours on end.
# I was able to store "scripts".,CGI,Perl etc on my Webspace.
I was now able to use counters,forums,chatrooms,forms, newsletters,etc.

It is common sense really,but like many other things in life these proverbs come to mind, "you get what you pay for"

"you pays your money and you takes your choice"

So all things considered,I would recommend a free hosting package for beginners and simple testing purposes,and an established hosting company for absolutely everything else!

Sergio D'Alesio is Webmaster of Webpro101.com a site that promotes Affordable Web Hosting,Quality Website Templates,and 3D Graphics for Website Logos and eBooks.