There are many good affordable small business web hosting companies - but equally just as many poor ones. What you will find is that both types of web hosts may offer you a range of free bonuses for doing business with them.

The important first point is not to be convinced to agree to a contract with a below-par affordable web host just because of all the bonuses they offer.

Decide on what you need from your web host for your small business and find one or more suitable candidates before you even consider the bonuses. However if you need to make a decision between 2 or more affordable small business web hosting companies that look equally good you might like to check out if any of them offer any additional bonuses for doing business with them.

Here are just a few examples of what I have found in the past which offer real value…

Advertising Credits - Probably one of the best free small business web hosting bonuses you can get is some free advertising credits such as with Google Adwords.

This has real value when you put some time into learning what you’re doing and can start off your website nicely with some free visitors to test out the content on your site to see if it turns browsers into buyers.

Software - Most (but not all) free software given away with affordable small business web hosting accounts is pretty mediocre. If it was worth $300 then they’d be selling it for that much, don’t you think?

The benefit for the the web hosting company is that it costs very little to duplicate and send out to you so they keep their costs down whilst seemingly offering you hundreds of dollars of free software.

Domains - Save money and effort by letting your small business web hosting company furnish you with a free domain name for your website. Just watch out what limits (if any) there are on these names - and ensure they are registered in *your* name, not that of the web host you have chosen to use.

Search Engine Submissions - Generally a pointless exercise. This is not the way to get good search engine listings and feeds on amateurs and newbies who don’t know what they’re doing. A waste of your time if you ask me. Much better to learn how the pros really do it (and it ain’t this way!) then go get some really good results.

Gift Vouchers - For CDs, DVDs, dinner for two and so on. This can be a valuable bonus but before signing up with an affordable small business web hosting company offering such a thing consider how much of a positive impact it will have on your business. AFter all, that’s why you’re getting hosting sorted out, right?!