Five Questions to Ask Your Free Web Host

Free web hosting is a great alternative for a work at home mom new to the internet world. Generally speaking, WAHMs do not have a large budget to start their business, so free website hosting can get them online faster without worrying about paying a monthly hosting bill.

There are a multitude of free web hosting companies out there but not all of them are created equal. Here are five questions you should ask while shopping for a reliable free web host:

1. How quick is their response time to customers? This is really easy to determine. Simply send an email or helpdesk ticket with the following four questions and see if you get a personal or automated response and how quickly it arrives. You do not want to be in the midst of a problem only to find out the company’s automated response system is slow or cannot fully answer your questions.

2. Do you offer a free website builder? If you are new to ecommerce, then you probably do not have graphic design or webmaster experience, so choose a web host that offers an easy-to-use website builder as part of your free hosting. Simply choose a template, download your product pictures and write some product descriptions. With one click of a button, you will be live on the internet.

3. Do you offer email with a free account? There is no point in being online if customers cannot get in touch with you. Ask if an email account is included with your free hosting account and review the company’s terms of service regarding spam. Spamming violations carry very expensive penalties so do your research carefully regarding the CAN-Spam Act.

4. How long have you been in business? Do not dismiss small or young hosting companies right away. Some of these owners are work-at-home moms who work personally to make sure their clients are happy and do not experience any problems. Very often, their clientele increases by word of mouth recommendations so customer service is very valuable to them.

5. What kind of ads are put on my free website? Free hosting accounts always have ads on their clients’ websites because the advertiser is paying for the hosting. Find out if it is a single ad, multiple ads, family-friendly, glittery or animated ads, competitors’ ads, or Google Adsense. Having a free hosting account will not do you any good if your visitors are distracted by the number of animated ads on your page or directed to a competitor’s site.

Setting up a new online business does not have to be difficult or confusing for a work-at-home mom. By finding a free web host that offers you multiple services and good customer service, you can be online after just one day of work. Do some investigating early on and you can almost guarantee a smooth transition when putting your business online.

Michelle Waters helps physical product sellers build successful online businesses. She offers free web hosting at www.freewahmhosting.com to new work at home moms.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com