How to choose a web host
With hundreds of website hosting companies on the market it can be very difficult if not impossible to know which web host companies will provide a hosting solution at an reasonable price. When you have a domain name with a good web host, you will be able to get reports on your site visitors and find out which of your web pages your visitors are visiting most often, as well as being able to check out many other statistics.
Your web host will charge you a fee for each month of services that ranges from $4.99 or $9.99. Plan to pay between $75 and $150 for each year of your web hosting. You may be able to use free web hosting services, but you may experience bouts of server problems and you’re likely to have limitations in storage, number of email addresses, FTP services and so forth. You should just take a look at HostingTopList.com where there are current web host rankings of the most reliable web hosting companies.
Be sure the hosting company will allow e-commerce, store fronts, blogs, forums, chats and anything else you may want to add onto your site. Try to figure out what your growth needs are and check that this web host can serve you as your site grows. The last thing you want to do is change hosts mid way unless you absolutely have to do so. Make sure that your bandwidth can handle it, if your website hits develop rapidly, your visitors will not have to wait for your pages to load.
These are the main things you need to look for in a hosting company:
1. First-class Customer Support: Your web hosting provider should to be there 24/7 and give you instant access to the technicians you need to help with your problems. Ask them how long it takes for them to respond to your problems. An effective test is to call them late at night to check if you get a live person.
2. A Sound Infrastructure: Make sure they offer a multi-homed network powered by multiple bandwidth suppliers to ensure redundancy. Many offer a 100% warranty that covers its network availability or network uptime.
3. Financial Stability: If you are running very critical operations, you can not afford to be with a web hosting company that may have only been in business for a couple of months.
If you are are still confused by the jungle of hosting companies, check out the current HostMonster ratings. Currently they are my personal favorite at this time. Good luck with your search for the perfect web hosting company.