Even today there are many business that live an almost entirely offline existence. This is usually due to one of two factors; either they have decided that their business does not require a website to thrive, or the cost of the website outweighs the potential benefits they may gain from their investment.  Whatever the reason, you simply cannot escape the facts; the vast majority of people will use an internet search engine to look for a service, rather than using a phone book or asking around for a recommendation.  Therefore, if your business is not receiving customers from the web  you are effectively shooting yourself in the foot.  If you are new to the whole idea of internet marketing or just creating a web site then the potential costs of it all can be intimidating.  However, if you know where to look, it will not cost you nearly as much as you may think.

Low cost web hosting is usually defined as web hosting that costs less than $5/month.  That said it can be as cheap as $1.95/month.  Like with everything, you get what you pay for.  You cannot expect high quality for such a low price, however, even the cheapest web hosting will provide you with the foundation for a great website.  Your value per dollar is likely to be much better in the lower cost bracket, with the $5/month hosting services normally having the best balance between price and quality.  At such low prices there is little reason why not to at least give low cost web hosting a go, perhaps on a trial basis. I guarantee the benefits to your business will far outweigh the surprisingly small amount of money it will cost you to expose yourself to thousands of potential new customers.  

In order to get the best deal for your budget here are some things to consider. 

Track the server uptime of the web host you are thinking of buying from (99.5% is the absolute minimum).  Access  reviews about the service they provide.  Most of the cheaper web hosts are likely to have less money available to spend on customer support; however this does not mean that they will not provide the best value for your dollar.  In order to gauge this you should talk with customer support prior to  your purchase and ask some relevant technical questions to see their responsiveness and helpfulness.  

You should also watch out for expensive renewal fees.  Some web hosts will incentivize your sign up with a cheap first month price, but this may increase to nearly double that over the next few months. For this reason, and many others, make sure you read the terms of service carefully, taking particular note of their cancellation policy.  If their cancellation policy seems dubious or unnecessarily difficult then this is a no go; you want a web hosting service that retains its customers through a good service, rather than a cancellation loophole.