We all know how difficult it can be to find the right web host, there’s so many options and deals available, for the average consumer it’s pretty confusing. So to help I decided to create a checklist that anyone can work though when shopping for hosting. Hopefully this list will apply for all web hosting services and not just the discount/budget side of the market.

• Try not to get locked into a yearly contract if possible. Yes it may be cheaper but if there are problems with the host you’re going to be paying them no matter what. I only ever buy a yearly contract if it’s with an established hosting service.
• Pre-installed services like Wordpress, Joomla and oscommerce are really important because they can save you many hours in setup time. The main program to look out for is Fantastico de luxe which allows you to install virtually anything with just a few clicks.
• Support is essential so find out beforehand what sort of turnaround time you can expect from your host, it’s no good promising 99% uptime if they take 2 days to answer an email!
• Read online reviews! Please don’t skip this step as you need to find out what real customers think of the service, you can’t just rely on the host’s sales pages for an honest opinion. I like to use the “discussions” search on Google to find what people on forums are saying about the hosting provider.
• What server languages are they using? Most sites on the net these days (especially small sites like mine) are run on a combination of php/Mysql. Php is only run on Unix servers so if you want to run a Microsoft language like asp.net then you need to buy Windows web hosting (which always costs more).
• Do you need to host more than one domain? Most people start with just one site but more people are now branching out into multiple sites as they grow. If you want to host more than one domain name you will usually need a “reseller account”, check out how much more this account will cost and also how easy it will be to upgrade at a later date, do they want you to move everything or will they do it?
• Don’t get blown away by numbers! When comparing web hosts it’s easy to get hung up on different stats like disk space/bandwidth/email accounts but it’s unlikely if you’re just starting out that you’re going to max out any of these variables. Instead look for a hosting service that can promise reliability and great customer service, it’s much more important than a few extra megabytes of disk space.

So that’s my checklist for buying hosting, I hope it helps if you’re in the market for your first host or even if you’re in the mood for a change. Remember probably the most important point is to research any provider online before you spend any money.