Searching for a web hosting provider

What are the functions your website needs?
What features are good?
What features are critical?

Things to think about:

What programming language are you going to use?
Do you need a database?
Do you need e-mail addresses?
Do you have a domain name?
What bandwidth will you use?
How much disk space do you need?
What is your budget?

Once you know your needs, examine your choice of web hosting providers:

Do they have fast connections?
Do they have a backup system to protect your data in case of an outage?
Do they require upfront payments?
Which company processes payments, in-house or a third-party payment gateway?
What is their customer service?
What is their response rate?
What is the skill level of the support staff?
Do they provide you with an online website manager or account control panel?
Do they have an online support manual, knowledge base or tutorials?

The basic features you should consider when choosing a web hosting provider:

▸ Reliable 24/7 technical support.
▸ Your own domain name
▸ Monthly transfer (traffic) and disk storage sufficient for your website needs.
▸ POP3/Webmail account, mail aliases and autoresponders
▸ Scripting support according to your web site requirements
▸ Unlimited and free access to your server via FTP
▸ Easy access to your log files
▸ A referral program