To Pay or Not to Pay
These days, anyone who runs a business had better have a website—particularly if you work from home. For the independent entrepreneur, your website is your business. It is the first thing customers see when they check you out…and if it doesn’t work, it’s the last thing they’ll see as they take their business elsewhere. Choosing the right website host for your business is integral to your success. With thousands of options out there, how do you find the website hosting service you need? Your first consideration will always be to pay, or not to pay. Hundreds of companies offer free website hosting, and it’s easy to believe having a free website is the better choice. After all, free is good—right? Not necessarily. In choosing a website hosting service, you should remember this tried-and-true axiom:
You get what you pay for with Free Hosting
In some cases, free website hosting is a good thing. However, in order to have a dynamic business website, there are some things you just can’t get for free. When you’re deciding which website hosting company to go with, here are a few things to consider:

1. Domain name. With a free website host, you won’t be able to use a private domain name (www.mycompany.com)--you’ll be stuck with a long and unwieldy URL that is difficult to remember (www.superfreeEZsite.com/mycompany). Also, most search engines tend to ignore free website URLs, and getting your website up there in search engine rankings is vital to your business.
2. Bandwidth and storage space. How much traffic do you intend to have for your website? Bandwidth is the amount of data transfer a website host allows for its sites. Low bandwidth, which most free websites feature, could spell trouble in the form of slow-loading or non-loading pages, and the potential to turn people away if you exceed the daily bandwidth allowance. Storage space is also an important consideration for website hosting. If you have multiple products, you’ll need multiple web pages and images. Ensure the website host you choose has sufficient storage space for your business.
3. Features and extras. Free websites offer some features and extras, but paid websites offer so much more. Many website hosting companies have tracking capabilities, built-in page designing tools for the HTML-intolerant, and even an integrated shopping cart system.

In your business, you can use free websites to set up mini-pages that increase your exposure and direct visitors to your main website. However, if you’re serious about building a dynamic and successful work-from-home enterprise, you should consider your website an investment, and the money you put into it will be well spent. The good news is: paid website hosting is surprisingly affordable, with comprehensive service packages ranging from $5 a month to $50 a month for a full package with all the bells and whistles.