Ad-Free free webhosting providers

[Plead]

I was just curious about people that provide free webhosting with no ads.

How is this supported?

I understand people that also have paid plans but I see many free hosting providers who just provide flat out ad free hosting, what is their goal and how are they supposed to survive?

Any input is welcome

[maxhest]

Possibly off maybe free users will become paid one day. It happened to me, also word-of-mouth works very well. They can spread the word about your great company!

[LP-Trel]

I was just curious about people that provide free webhosting with no ads.

How is this supported?

I understand people that also have paid plans but I see many free hosting providers who just provide flat out ad free hosting, what is their goal and how are they supposed to survive?

Any input is welcome

This is sort of an odd question. Asking your competitors for their business models so you can compete with them? :D

Totally advertisement free webhosting is usually very limited and is supported by email marketing, paid upgrades or somesuch like that.

[Plead]

No, I have no interest in providing ad free hosting.

I never thought about it as trade secrets though :p

Thanks for the input

[LP-Trel]

No, I have no interest in providing ad free hosting.

I never thought about it as trade secrets though :p

Thanks for the input

No worries but, you'd be surprised how many of these types of questions I see or get sent personally. Its amazing how many people want you to hand them your business model so they can open up a competing service. Now I have no problem with competition but, I'm not going to help you open your service just so you can compete with me. :pimp:

[Plead]

No worries but, you'd be surprised how many of these types of questions I see or get sent personally. Its amazing how many people want you to hand them your business model so they can open up a competing service. Now I have no problem with competition but, I'm not going to help you open your service just so you can compete with me. :pimp:
Haha, I can imagine. I guess you could compare this to KFC giving out their secret recipe :p

[LP-Trel]

Haha, I can imagine. I guess you could compare this to KFC giving out their secret recipe :p

Thats a pretty good analogy really. It would be sort of like that but, not on that scale of course. KFC's recipe is worth alot more.. mmm.. chicken.

[nick]

I'm by no means a free webhosting expert....but....one of the trends now is requiring X posts on your forum per week/month..when you do this, you create visitors..and run ads on your forums.

Most people won't tolerate ads on their sites anymore.

[LP-Trel]

I'm by no means a free webhosting expert....but....one of the trends now is requiring X posts on your forum per week/month..when you do this, you create visitors..and run ads on your forums.

Most people won't tolerate ads on their sites anymore.

There are some that won't tolerate forum posts either. It is all in your target audience. ;)

[Plead]

I'm by no means a free webhosting expert....but....one of the trends now is requiring X posts on your forum per week/month..when you do this, you create visitors..and run ads on your forums.

Most people won't tolerate ads on their sites anymore.
Ahh yes, the good old post2host host.

I have nothing against them really, just that some of them aren't run too well. There are others that are run great.

[LP-Trel]

Ahh yes, the good old post2host host.

I have nothing against them really, just that some of them aren't run too well. There are others that are run great.

Those that aren't fail, just like any others. I'm just glad there are many types of free webhosts to handle everyone's needs. That way none of us have to provide it all. :)

[Jamesc]

Some people initialy use free hosting as a means of getting the word out about there company. This can work 50% of the time but then all you have is a group of sites going around saying that you offer free hosting which can cause problems if you intend on charging other users.
Some free webhosts (non ad supported) don't put adverts on there clients sites but they do on there website/forum.

[Daveman]

It is all about choices. Offer enough different ways to "pay" for a plan and you can attract different people. Some don't mind ads, some don't mind some sort of space or feature limit, and some don't mind just paying cash.

[Jamesc]

:gthumb: very well put daveman!

[Pricyber]

I currently have a server to host my Karate business website. I use the extra resources to host other people. I don't require ads or payment because my server is already being paid for by my karate business. If my site wasn't so relevant in the success of my business, I would have just gone with shared hosting and opted out of offering free hosting instead but I need resources and stability, and who better to do it than yourself? ;)

[freerackspace.org]

well they can put AdSense on the actual free hosting site, they can offer paid options and people will spread the word about them. However I feel that some sort of ads on client sites should be shown to make some real money.

[KimmiKat]

Some free hosts do use Adsense on their sites or their client's sites.

[freerackspace.org]

Some free hosts do use Adsense on their sites or their client's sites.

are you allowed to put AdSense code into phpAdsNew and then serve it to all the clients? I looked in Google TOS and AUP but it didnt really say...

[Alfarin]

you're allowed to put adsense on sites that you have administrative rights to slot them; and that they do not violate the content filters (no porn, warez etc.) So, technically, yea, you can put them on your client's sites.... but you risk people spam clicking your client's site thinking either A) They're helping your client make money, or B) they're putting your client out of business... Either ways, you get the bitter end of the spoon...

[freerackspace.org]

you're allowed to put adsense on sites that you have administrative rights to slot them; and that they do not violate the content filters (no porn, warez etc.) So, technically, yea, you can put them on your client's sites.... but you risk people spam clicking your client's site thinking either A) They're helping your client make money, or B) they're putting your client out of business... Either ways, you get the bitter end of the spoon...

some of my client sites have 'coming soon' etc. And this automated system will put ads on all sites, so I am bound to be breaking AdSense rules.....:(

[excelblue]

I once offered it for free at my own loss. If the cost is lower than $60/mo total, sure, why not? Get a 30GB VPS or something. However, I simply hosted on my DSL connection on a gaming box that was outdated. Was a nice experience. However, I hosted every customer for free, making no money at all, and left a small donation button. Did get a few small donations, which covers up for time, but yes, it can be afforded. However, that would mean it's a hobby. I did it as a hobby, and thus lost $300 through it. Had to close it when my ISP changed the terms, and I didn't feel like paying extra for a dedicated server or VPS.

[Uncle Mad]

I don't know if this is true, since i don't use free hosting myself.

It's just another way of making money. You've seen some cafe or bar, that's setup for people just to study. What they are earning is hoping that these students might order a coffee or snack and stay around the day.

Now to hosting, other than banners, perhaps in their agreement, they might add a line saying, selling emails, or sending advertisements to it? In a way spam, but if it's in the agreement, you cant do anything since it's free. Perhaps it's that they are providing just diskspace and small amount of data transfer. As site grows, these people might need more diskspace and data transfer, while satisfied with the stability and speed the server has, they might just pay some money to upgrade. Then phone support could just make some money? Else they might offer some space off their server when you register a domain or two with them?

[Uncle Mad]

Some people initialy use free hosting as a means of getting the word out about there company. This can work 50% of the time but then all you have is a group of sites going around saying that you offer free hosting which can cause problems if you intend on charging other users.
Some free webhosts (non ad supported) don't put adverts on there clients sites but they do on there website/forum.

Now that could be like IPB. Making a fanciful reputation and then start charging.

1) either customers liked your services and will continue to pay
2) or they will curse and swear you for charging a free product all along. :D

[Uncle Mad]

I currently have a server to host my Karate business website. I use the extra resources to host other people. I don't require ads or payment because my server is already being paid for by my karate business. If my site wasn't so relevant in the success of my business, I would have just gone with shared hosting and opted out of offering free hosting instead but I need resources and stability, and who better to do it than yourself? ;)

For that, do you find any danger?

What if one of it attracts DOS attack?

Afterall, your server major in corporate hosting, even for your own business.

[geniusgoalie]

Simply, I don't at this point. When my company gets larger, maybe I will consider ads on user pages, but I, believe it or not, made the site so people could have an ad-free and easy free webhost.
by the way, if interested, www.eggloaf.com

[hph]

i use ad free and on my other sites i used txt links that are required by others
but our new site has google ad-sense
http://hostingisfree.com

[shark80]

The free host that i am using does not require posts on the forums and does not force ads, like www.atspace.com, they also offer unlimited bandwith, no ads...this is just unbelievable, how Atspace manage to survive?