Choosing a Web Hosting Company: Why Should You Try It Before You Buy?

After creating your personal or business website, online store or blog, the next step in building your online presence is finding a good web host.
Companies in this market offer a variety of hosting solutions that range from basic; low-cost shared hosting services to VPS, cloud and dedicated server options.

Some providers offer hosting services for popular content management systems (like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla) and others may provide reseller packages for those who wish to deliver website hosting services to their clients.

It’s a highly competitive market, and every company offers its unique mix of technological features, functionalities, and capabilities coupled with its own set of pros and cons.
Each host usually offers multiple plans, and each one has its own characteristics in terms of disk space, bandwidth and memory limitations, control panel type and common features like website builder, SSL, FTP, email tools, backup, site statistics, and many others.

However, small or basic sites, online stores, professional blogs or large and high-traffic websites all have very different needs in terms of technical requirements, security, data center location, guaranteed uptime, customer support options, and budget.

So how can you determine which platform is ideal for your specific demands?
Since there are many alternatives available, the best thing you can do is try some out for yourself and obtain independent insights on which web host deserves your hard-earned money.

The no-obligation testing period allows you to review all of the components of a given service in a hands-on way and get a feel for how it works.
It helps to form an independent opinion about the company, discover its strengths and weaknesses, and reach a research-based conclusion, whether a long-term paid subscription is worth it or not.

How to Make the Most of a Hosting Service Trial Period?

Using the initial trial period allows you to try out a paid hosting service for free before committing to a monthly or annual subscription and without spending a penny.

It’s a great way to verify that the provider you consider delivers on everything you’re looking for before actually putting money down.
Research, reviews, and customer recommendations are extremely useful, but it’s not the same as actually taking a platform for a test drive.

This time window enables you to fully explore the system’s features, evaluate its ease of use, assess its value for money, and experience the provider’s customer service and support channels.
You get all of this paying nothing at all and with no obligation to join the service as a paying customer.

After starting your free trial, set up an account and upload your website to the server.
Test the website’s performance, monitor uptime, page loading speed and other metrics important to you to verify your website is fully accessible with no substantial glitches.

Experiment with the user interface of the host’s control panel and see if it offers advanced configuration options that give you better control and flexibility.
Try contacting tech support with beginner questions, technical difficulties or administrative problems and see if you’re getting quick and helpful responses.

Ask yourself: do you like using this hosting service? Is the uptime as good as promised? Do you feel confident that the vendor will provide a good home for your website? Do you think you get a decent deal with good value for your money?

If you’re happy with what you saw and experienced, feel free to purchase a paid plan.
However, if the provider did not meet your expectations or needs, simply cancel the trial and look for better hosting alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Trying out and comparing a number of potential professional web hosting options is a vital step before choosing a provider and selecting a relevant package.
Here’s a list of common questions (and answers) that often come up during this process.

• Why Should You Sign Up? Benefits of Using Free Trials before Choosing Any Paid Service
  
• “Credit Card Required”: Why Do Some Free Trial Offers Require Users to Enter-In Their Credit Card Information?
  
• Risk-Free Offer Models: What’s the Difference Between Free Trials, Freemium and Money-Back Guarantee?
  
• Common Free Trial Scams: How Do They Work and What Can You Do To Avoid Them?
  
• Tips: How Do You Cancel a Free Trial You Signed Up For?