Many free web hosting accounts are free to use, however they will cost you a lot of money, time, and customers as well if you have a site that is meant for business purposes and is more than the simplest site imaginable. Consider the following items as to why free web hosting might cost you more than you had bargained for when you signed up.

Consideration #1 Bandwidth
Frequently, free web hosting providers offer you little bandwidth which means it will take longer for your page to load. When your page takes more than 10 seconds to load you will lose visitors because they will simply move on. Because of this, you might lose a lot of customers and sales from your free web host.

Consideration #2 Advertising
Many free web hosting companies are “free” to you, however, you will have advertising posted on your website as well as pop up ads. Most people do not like this and will not visit your site because of it. Be careful about signing up with a free web hosting company that uses advertising. It might not bother you, but it will probably affect your traffic and sales.

Consideration #3 Web Space
Since the web host is free, you cannot expect a whole lot of web space. Frequently people do not have the space they need to upload their web page and include all of their information. Be sure to check with your free web space provider or the ones you are considering to make sure you will have enough web space to host all of the required elements of your web pages.

Consideration #4 Reliability
Another consideration with free web hosting companies is reliability. Often times limitations are put on your traffic flow and if you exceed this, your site may be disabled for a period of time or you may even receive a bill. Find out what the rules are for traffic and what the consequences are for exceeding your limits.

Consideration #5 Limitations
More often than not, your free web host will have rules regarding the size of photos, icons, and more that you can upload. You will want to check into this before you sign up for free web hosting because if you cannot upload what you need, it is time to look at other options.

While free web hosting is technically free, it frequently costs websites more money in the long run because it limits activity and business from occurring at the rate set by consumers. Because of this, if you have a growing site it will eventually be too big for the free account and you will have to make some changes. Instead of dealing with the hassle, figure out if a free server will really be worthwhile and make a plan for change and growth ahead of time.
About the Author

Michael Turner reveals his foolproof way to increase website traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it free right now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/

Misunderstood and Often Overlooked, Cultural Differences Can Make or Break a Project

Recent examples of failed offshore outsourcing have made headlines and become hotly debated among opponents and supporters of outsourcing. Typically, there are a number of contributing factors that cumulatively result in a project being abandoned or failing to meet its intended goals and objectives. Offshore outsourcing projects are no different and can fail for many of the same reasons, but offshore outsourcing projects are vulnerable to additional risks.

Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB) November 12, 2004 — Recent examples of failed offshore outsourcing have made headlines and become hotly debated among opponents and supporters of outsourcing. “Typically, there are a number of contributing factors that cumulatively result in a project being abandoned or failing to meet its intended goals and objectives. Offshore outsourcing projects are no different and can fail for many of the same reasons, but offshore outsourcing projects are vulnerable to additional risks” states Scott Noble of Global Sourcing Insights LLC, an outsourcing consulting and advisory company. He explains that these risks can include:

• Barriers to Communication – more than just language differences, special considerations must be made for methods of communication that bridge the geographical and cultural divide

• Complexity of Infrastructure – creating the ability for workers to access the tools they need is critical and there can be legal, regulatory, and other environmental impediments

• Division of Labor – avoiding simple labor rate arbitrage and truly deciding where specific types of work are most efficiently and effectively performed

• Cultural Factors – subtle and insidious, misunderstood or mismanaged cultural differences are often at the root of outsourcing failures

“In our experience, the most frequent unique causes of failed offshore-outsourced projects, beyond those causes that are typical to any project, are related to cultural elements that are commonly ignored or misunderstood” notes Mr. Noble. “You have to understand subtle cultural differences and how those will affect the way in which work is done – that comes with experience” states Ron Kreutzer, a partner at Global Sourcing Insights. “We have addressed some of these issues in our latest publication ‘Why Offshore Outsourcing Project Fail’ which is available on our website”.

Mr. Noble concludes “As companies skip around the globe in search of lower costs, they will find that those cost savings can be significantly diminished if they do not adequately address endemic cultural, business environment and social factors … preparation and experience are critical.”

About Global Sourcing Insights LLC Two senior managers of a large offshore outsourcing service provider formed Global Sourcing Insights in. The company advises organizations in using offshore outsourcing as a part of their business strategy. They provide application feasibility assessment services to quantitatively determine if IT applications are suitable for outsourcing and would benefit from using this strategy. GSI also provides advice on outsourcing best practices to mitigate business and political risks.

GSI has in-depth expertise in offshore outsourcing and has assisted many Fortune 500 companies in analyzing the feasibility of outsourcing their IT application portfolio. Their expertise of the best practices for outsourcing as well as their in-depth knowledge of the major offshore outsourcing service providers allow for independent, honest and practical advice.

Source: www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/11/emw177741.htm

This article is powered by A-1 Technology, an offshore outsourcing company.