Versatility - Your web host should be compatible with windows, linux and mac, if they're not then that means they have a poor system. Go ahead and choose another host.
Reliability and Support - Uptime is of utmost importance! No matter how great the features are if they're always down then its useless. Ask around in forums for a feedback on your chosen host. If the web host themselves have their own forum then that is great, that means they are confident enough to be open for criticisms. 24/7 support is a must for providers, if they don't. DON'T!
Web space and Bandwidth - Web space is important so you'll know how many pages you can have in your site, for beginners smaller web space is ok but if you're business is growing then you'll need a bigger space, so right from the start go for those that offer larger web space. Bandwidth determines how much traffic you get, its the amount of bytes transferred from your site to your visitors. As your site becomes popular you are going to need more and more bandwidth. So again, right from the start go for those that offer larger bandwidth or else you'll get charged extra for exceeding your limit.
FTP Access and Website Builder - Creating your own website can be a difficult job specially for beginners (just like me). Having a website builder is an added plus which I think is important but this has its limitations as well, as you become an expert in building websites these free website builders might not have the facility you need, so an FTP access is a must so you can upload your pages.
Domains and Sub-Domains - How many domains and sub-domains will you be able to host. The more, the better.
Scripting - PHP, CGI-BIN, .htaccess, SSI, TELNET, CRONTABS, mySQL. Make sure that your host supports all these. CGI-BIN is used to run scripts like counters, guestbooks etc..if you want to add a database on your site you will need mySQL/PHP support. .htaccess is needed so you can customize error pages, cron jobs are needed for those programs that are run periodically.
E-commerce Readiness - You'll never know when you might think of setting up a store. If you're host does not support this then you'll go through the hassle of choosing another host for your store. SSL is required so you can collect credit card information from your site, a shopping cart and oscommerce would be nice.
E-mail, POP3, Mail Forwarder, Auto responder - Most redirect your emails to you. Having a POP3 allows you to connect directly to their servers and get your messages.
Nice to Have's - like fantastico install popular scripts in your site like blogs, portals/CMS, discussion boards, image galleries etc..
These are the must haves when choosing your web host and this need not be expensive. There is no perfect host but what's important is, how they treat you as a customer, how willing they are and how fast the are in fixing any problems that you might have.
Check out some hosting providers that I recommend here, compare their features and services and choose the best suited for you.
JP Mendez owns the site myspot that aims to provide free and real online opportunities to the public.
For the recommended web-hosts click below and choose the best one suited for your needs.
