Free WordPress hosting. It’s tempting, right?
You’re just starting out, maybe testing an idea or building your first blog. Why spend money when you can get hosting for zero dollars? Here’s the thing though, countless website owners learn this lesson the hard way. That “free” hosting ends up costing way more than you’d think.
Let’s Talk About Those Ads
First off, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. These hosting companies aren’t running charities. They make their money somehow, and usually, it’s by turning your website into their personal advertising platform.
Picture this: You spend weeks perfecting your professional services website. Every word is carefully chosen. The design is clean and modern. Then boom: giant banner ads start appearing at the top of every page. Maybe they’re pop-ups for completely unrelated products and services, worse, ads for your direct competitors.
You can’t control them. You can’t remove them. You can’t even choose where they appear.
Consider a professional photographer. They may lose major clients because intrusive ads make their portfolio site look cheap and untrustworthy. Equally, business consultants could see potential customers click away, confused by flashing banner ads that have nothing to do with their company or services.
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