Common mistakes picking a video host

February 14, 2023

There are a few common mistakes we see video creators make when buying video hosting services. These mistakes can add up to overpaying thousands of dollars a year for services that you don’t need. Take these steps to avoid overpaying to get your video out there.

1. Get charged premiums for bundles you don’t need

Because premium plans often include more features and larger usage limits, it can be hard to understand what you’re really paying for by moving up in a video host’s tiers. Wise consumers benchmark what they’re really paying for in premium tiers. For example, if you need a premium feature but have small usage, don’t settle with a host that forces you to pay for big limits. Similarly, if you need basic features with high storage or bandwidth, pick a provider that can give you great value on usage without charging for features you don’t need.

2. Underestimate overage or future growth

Going viral can cost you big time - and not in the way you think. If your business is growing, your website is getting more traffic, or you start creating more content, don’t get caught needing to upgrade your delivery (bandwidth) costs at a huge mark-up! Many video providers will charge as much as $0.085 cents per GB of bandwidth and if your audience grows, you can get hit with thousand dollar bills from your video host.

3. Assume you can change anytime

Video hosting can be a pain to change. Not only do you need to migrate all of your videos, you’ll need to ensure they’re updated everywhere you’ve posted them. If you have a lot of video, it can be tedious to switch providers. Getting a host that will provide a good service, affordably will pay off in the long run.

4. Assume brand = quality

There are some large video hosts that have been around for a long time that charge large premiums for basic hosting. Shop around and make sure you’re not buying a basic product for a premium price.