What do you expect from a webhosting site?

[kelkat]

There is talk about the webhosting competition out there, so I was wondering what you expect to get from a webhosting site - or what do you offer?

What should be expected from a free site?
What should be expected from a pay site?
How much should be expected to pay each month for the service?

[bob]

I personally would prefer for pay site, it is obvious any one should expect excellent service/support & uptime with knowledge database.

[penguinmama]

I don't know about free. In my experience, free usually means "not permanent" and not the best features.

Our hosting has several levels, ranging from $5/mo to $35/mo - and each level has features that are specific to it.

[monaghan]

Originally Posted by kelkat

What should be expected from a free site?

Ads or requirement to visit and contribute in a forum to gain exposure to ads. There is a lot of churn in the free hosting market as it often takes a lot of "customers" in order to gain sufficient ad revenue to keep the server or reseller account funded. Many hosts fold over night leaving their customers without a site. Ther are some free hosts who make it pay though, so it is potentially OK if you get the right host.

What should be expected from a pay site?

Anything from the same standards as a free host right up to fully managed service, you'll need to be a bit more specific

How much should be expected to pay each month for the service?

This of course depends on what the service is. A few £ per month will get you an account on a host with a sensible balance of accounts per server. You can pay less, but remember that bills have to be paid and the more accounts that are on the server the slower the server will be when under load.

[webme]

What should be expected from a free site?

Some free sites would add their banner ads and removal is non-negotiable.

What should be expected from a pay site?

99.9% uptime, security, 24/7 support, good service

How much should be expected to pay each month for the service?

That would depend on the type of site you have. For a simple blog, I think there are $2 hosting out there then you can upgrade if your traffic and the contents increases.

[desbest]

From a free site
I expect generous hosting packages.
The hosting site not to close down.
The admins to care about its members.

From a paid site
Nice prices.
The admins to give you good support.
Your money not to be wasted.

[aquariancore]

Better service than I got at netfirms which is the worst in support service I have ever witnessed.