So you think you might want a free website?  Hey, why pay for something when you can get it for free. Right?   Even though there are a several free website hosting companies on the internet, the majority of the free website offers are not really free.  So before you jump in and create a free website, be careful, and shop around.  When shopping around for a free website hosting service, try to see some examples of one of their current websites to get a feel for how your site will be hosted.

As a note, free websites for advertising your own products or services should not be confused with some affiliate opportunities that offer free websites  to promote predetermined products and services with replicated websites.

Here are some of the features you should look  for when shopping around for  free website hosting

  • Free domain names. (You will have to choose an existing name from a list of sub domains)
  • Unlimited web pages (clarify what is meant by unlimited before signing up)
  • Free web hosting. (Make sure that the company has been in business for awhile.  A lot of free hosting companies are here today and gone tomorrow)
  • FTP access for uploading files.
  • A WYSIWYG program to design your own website free.  (This is wishful thinking)
  • At least 5mb file size limits. (This is important)
  • Unlimited bandwidth (Clarify this before signing up)
  • Secure hosting service.  ( Up at least 98% of the time or better)
  • Interactive features (chat rooms, message boards, games, online ordering.  Some companies offer this as a paid add on)
  • Free email account(s)
  • Online support and help desk (shy away from companies that don’t offer support)

You may not find all of the above features on any one free website host, but you should be able to find most of them.  Some free hosting companies will supply a lot of these features and charge for others, such as chat rooms, message boards, etc.  Some will give you everything free and then start charging later.  Be ready to pay or bail.

Unfortunately, build free website comes with restrictions and limitations.   Spam is not tolerated with any web hosting company, free or paid, and when it is free, any “sniff” of spam can cause immediate cancellation without explanation.  Although, the companies will advertise unlimited bandwidth, if you plan to offer movies, large mp3 files, or some other large files, you may have to limit your downloads, in order not to exceed the actual bandwidth limitation.   Because free website services generate their income from advertising on the free websites they offer, you will not be able to redirect your website for any reason and any attempt to do so will probably result in termination without notice.

Even with the restrictions and some of the annoying limitations, it is possible to get your product or service on the internet at no initial cost to you.  However, if you intend to stick around for awhile and brand your identity on the internet, you may want to get your own domain name and investigate some of the paid services which start as low as three dollars a month.

In the meantime, if you’re dead serious about doing it all for free, I found some really cool free web building tools, a ton of information, and links to other free websites over at http://buildfree.org.  If you find anything useful, come back and let me know.