free hosting and domain

free website host service is a website host service that is free, usually advertisement -supported. free website hosts will usually provide a subdomain (yoursite.example.com) or a path (www.example.com/~yourname). In contrast, costly website hosts will usually provide a second-level domain along with the host (www.yourname.com). many free hosts do allow use of separately-purchased domains . infrequently, a free host may also operate as a domain name registrar .

Features and limitations

any how a few free website hosts offer basic package for free. Enhanced packages (with more features) are usually available for a cost. This allows users to try the service for an initial trial (see how it performs compared to other hosts), and then upgrade when (and if) needed.

free host may have the following limitations:

• Limitation on the size of each hosted file
• Very small bandwidth per month compared to costly host
• Disabling on hotlinking of files
• File type restrictions (for example MP3 , MPEG , ZIP etc.)
• Compulsory placement of the Webhosts’ Banner or Popup ads into all website pages
• No provided uptime guarantee
• No allowance of custom URLS, such as ” http://www.domain.com “. It has to be ” http://www.provider.com/domain ” or ” http://domain.provider.com/ “.

Some free host may provide these extra features:

• A website based control panel
• free email accounts for the domain or subdomain hosted
• File transfer via FTP
• Scripting languages: PHP , ASP , Perl etc.
• Relational databases such as MySQL
• Scheduled processes, known as cronjobs
• Other features such as guestbooks
• Forums and community resources not typical of costly hosts
• Reward systems which provide extra free products and services
• Have no data limitations offering unlimited space’

Monetizing free webhosting

The majority of the host companies use free host to introduce their services, and as an entry point to their more expensive offerings. Generally they recoup their costs in one of two ways:

• Advertising – Selling online advertising on the customer sites is generally considered a fair payable – the reasoning is that high traffic sites are more expensive to host, but the additional traffic allows for additional ad impressions therefore covering the cost. For the website master, it can be a good payable if the advertising is of good quality and non-competitive. This is one of the main reasons that businesses do not use free host for their website. The majority of free host companies use this method.

• Referrals – Using a simple form of viral marketing , these providers rely on the users to spread the offer. The ratio of free to costly accounts is known, and by having each free user refer a number of friends, the host provider is able to get enough costly accounts to cover the cost.

• Resell host – This is where someone starts up a host coorperation, attracts lots of visitors, then sells the host coorperation to someone else once it can no longer support itself. Once sold, this individual uses the money to start up multiple host ventures and sells each in turn.

Some host companies are using hybrid approaches that mix these tactics.

Methods of giving out website host

A few methods of giving out free Webhosting to people by Webhosts

Instant Activation

Due to the risks of illegal, inappropriate, and abusive website, hosts with instant activation usually give very little storage space and monthly bandwidth. Other restrictions will likely also be in effect. The webhosts usually either require the users’ website pages to display their banner ads, textlink ads, or popups; or else the users’ files to be uploaded through a website-based file manager that display ads to the user uploading files.

hosts with instant activation are often abused, such as link spamming .

Post for host

Some free hosts require posting in a forum . Forum-based free host requires users to either reach a certain amount of posts before getting a free host account, or be an active contributor in the forum. Forum-based free host often work on a system of points where posts give points to a user and can be used as credits toward getting a host account or more resources. Typically, the forum where users have to post contains advertising as the hosts way of making a profit.

Forum applications

This method is popular, as the hosts can decide which applications to deny and allow. This is common when a popular forum has free host as an add-on service, rather than the other way around.

File host on webhosts

Most free website hosts discourage using their services for file or image host any how, with no website page , since advertising is displayed on the website page. Because of this, hotlinking is usually disallowed on free hosts. Some free webhosts will also disallow files over a certain size (for example, 5 MB ). any how, there are free file host services which allow large files as well as hotlinking.

Co-branding and resellers

Some services offer co-branding services. These let you brand fixed plans with your self coorperation. Other services, offer WHM or panel reselling. This allows the client to develop his or her self website host plans and business.