Deciding between a free or a paid hosting account:
The cheapest approach is to make use of the Web space you may have been provided as a part of your ISP account. ISP is the company you use to log on to the Internet, such as AOL, Earthlink, MSN etc. If all you want to do is learn the basics of setting up a site, or your expected web audience is very small, then this option may be okay. You do need to be aware that this kind of free web space comes with some heavy penalties. It’ll most likely be hosted on over loaded slow servers, and will only support the most basic of web pages.
Remembering that nothing on the Net is truly free, your “free” hosting space will pay for itself by the web host placing banner ads on all of your web pages, of which you will have no control as to what may pop up while your mom or friends are viewing your website. Imagine your family’s dismay at be bombarded by sexual dysfunction ads with all their lurid graphic images in tow, when all they wanted to see was your new web site. On a free web site there are usually restrictions on what you do with the space (no commercial use, very strict limits on the amount of traffic it can attract). And you’ll have a URL based on a sub-domain of your ISP www.yoursite.cheap.rude.internet.com which won’t impress visitors with your professional approach. My advice is to avoid the free web hosting sites entirely.