Web hosts offer some dramatic advertised prices that can easily sway the budget conscious company. However, determining the total cost of web hosting entails much more than simply looking at that advertised price. Some web hosts offer very low prices with some hefty exclusions. In addition, there are many factors that play a role in the total cost that go beyond that advertised price. What are these “hidden” areas? How do they affect that real price that you pay?

Uptime – Server uptime is one of the most important areas of consideration. A low uptime of only 99% can increase the cost of your webhosting by reducing profits earned through your website. In short, if your web server is down for maintenance, updates or due to failure, your website is down as well. The longer your website remains down, the less money it brings in.

Technical Support – Tech support is a very important part of the total actual cost of your web-hosting package. For instance, you may find a web host that offers very attractive pricing, but does not offer 24-hour support. This increases the cost to you if you have to outsource your troubleshooting, or even do it yourself. If you are forced to wait until the support center opens once more, it also adds to the costs you incur.

Security – If your web host offers very low prices, but does not offer the best security, you can find your total costs skyrocketing. Hackers can easily break into an unprotected website, harming your website, stealing vital account information, customer information and more.