Low Cost Hosting: "Budget" Doesn’t Have to be a Bad Word

Low Cost Hosting

For many people interested in quality web hosting services, the words “Budget Hosting” bring on horrifying images of creepy web hosts with basement servers, ad and banner-filled websites, and (gasp!) shoddy customer service.

The idea here is that the discounted prices you pay quickly dry up when your site is down for days and weeks at a time and you can’t get through to a customer service agent because although the lines are certainly open, they aren’t there to answer them.

While it is true that you get what you pay for, it is probably time for you to take another look at budget hosting services. Especially if you are one of those people who believe that uttering the words “Budget Hosting” in church will get you tossed out on your ear.

In the past few years, the price of web hosting has come way down. Storage space is cheaper than ever to get your hands on, and with so much growth in the ecommerce sector there has been a rapid influx of both web host subscribers and providers.

What this means is that many companies can offer budget and discounted web services through sheer volume. ASP web hosting and eCommerce web hosting are getting a lot of attention these days, and web companies have been quick to offer affordable “budget” plans to entrepreneurs flooding the internet with smaller, niche-style internet businesses.

Finally, it seems, you can discuss budget hosting at the dinner table without your parents looking at you with shocked disgust. These days, it’s affordable, it’s high quality, and it’s perfect for a small business taking its first steps into the world of online business.

Why is Budget Hosting Important?

The main reason budget hosting is important is because of the price. Competing web hosting companies are constantly battling each other for your small business hosting dollars. If you are just starting out or have a very specialized market, you could be exactly who they are trying to target. You know what you want from your web hosting company, and now it seems that they are getting the message.

Aside from technical costs and competition, many web hosting companies realize that if you have a small business to run you may not need or use many of the services normally provided for hosting packages. Therefore, they can trim the fat off your budget package even more by removing some of these services completely.

That doesn’t mean you should go without a service you think you may need because you are trying to save money. There are probably thousands of hosting companies on the internet, which means that there are tens of thousands of hosting packages for frugal-minded business owners. Shop around. Think about your needs and find ways to address them.

“When choosing a budget Web host, you should look for size, speed, and diversity of dedicated Internet connections, as well as what hardware and software the host uses-if they tell you,” says Bob Brooke, owner of Bob Brooke communications (www.bobbrooke.com).

That means that for the most part you can get the same great service and professional customer service that you can get from many standard web packages. If you look around, you can do it cheaper than a larger business could. Let’s face it, small businesses are all about doing things as cheaply as possible.

Budget Hosting Product Reviews

If you are interested in checking out some companies that offer great budget hosting solutions, take a moment to look at these two companies. They’ve worked hard to trim down their costs and bring you affordable, professional web hosting services. You could be pleasantly surprised about the kind of deals these companies can offer.

• Lunarpages offers two main hosting options. The Shuttle plan is perfect for a smaller or medium sized company looking for great bandwidth and storage options coupled with amazing customer service. The Voyager plan is perfect for medium-sized companies and larger companies looking for more bandwidth, more storage, and more options. Lunarpages are eager to serve you and run on a proven track record. Come and see how they can better serve your web hosting needs.
• Ipowerweb has an impressive business hosting plan suitable for any small or medium sized business. They offer bottom-basement prices for healthy space, service, and monthly data transfer options. They also offer an equally impressive reseller hosting plan, for those businesses interested in making a business out of web hosting themselves. Either way you look at it, Ipowerweb is the company to put the power of the internet into your hands.

Budget Hosting Company Reviews

If you would like a little more information on these companies, you can read company reviews about them here. We’ve put together some information about the company overviews, contact information, and some interesting facts on how the company runs and the things that make them a good choice for your web hosting needs.

• Lunarpages is a company that has served over 50,000 new clients in the past 5 years—not to bad by anyone’s standards. They offer some of the best hosting packages around coupled with leading edge technology and a customer service set up that’s second to none. They offer all kinds of options for small businesses with big dreams all the way up to big businesses looking for just a little bit more. Lunarpages can put your company’s web site above and beyond your competition, and take you to heights you never thought possible.
• Ipowerweb believes in the old adage that, “Knowledge is Power”. To that end, they spend a considerable amount of their time researching and discovering new ways to improve their hosting platforms and drive the cost down for consumers. Ipowerweb is also a company that is run by people, and they have made that one of their main focuses. They offer customer support that is out of this world, and their fully trained staff is on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Ipowerweb: The power behind eBusiness.

Discount hosting is a great way for you to get a jump on your competition or to simply test the eCommerce waters. Either way, you never know what kind of deals you could be getting if you don’t take a moment to look around, check out the competition, and keep a clear focus on your needs and wants. In the end, you’ll be much happier you did.

About the Author

Bill Schnarr is a single parent and freelance writer who makes his home in Calgary, Alberta. As well as having dozens of on-line and print publishing credits, he has recently written reviews about numerous web hosting companies and in-depth reviews of various web hosting plans. Look for him in the upcoming "Chicken Soup for the Single Parents Soul" due out in February 2005.