It isnt easy trying to choose the correct and best web hosting plan to best suit your needs. Even though there are so many web-hosting companies out there, some thought and careful consideration should be implemented. Two things you dont want are:

You dont want to end up having to pay for extra features that you realize afterwards you needed.
You dont want your sites not showing up on the Internet due to excessive downtime by your hosting providers servers.

When choosing your web host you also need to consider your requirements. You will need to consider:

How many websites will you need?
How much disk space and bandwidth do you need?
What extras will you need eg email with auto-responders included?
How much do you want to spend on web hosting?

You should compare at least 5 hosting providers to see what they are offering. Here ís what you should look for

A reasonable price for your needs - usually a monthly fee.

Disk space and Bandwidth allowance ñ is your site or sites going to have audio, video or downloadable material?

How Many Domains ñ look for unlimited.

Sub Domains ñ look for unlimited.

Does it have an in-built Website Builder? Comes in very handy if you donít know much about building websites.

24/7 email and phone support ñ this is important. Not everyone has this.

At least a 99.5% uptime 99.9% is best

Free set-up ñ no hidden charges.

Unlimited email accounts allowed.

FTP accounts.

Auto-responders included if you dont want to pay extra to add on an auto-responder later.

Compare all other special features even though you believe you may not need them like

CGI.
FrontPage.
Streaming Audio and Video.
Hotlink protection.
Web stats.

When choosing a web host itís important you take your time to compare hosting plans before you make the decision. There are some out there that are absolutely useless at web hosting, remember that anyone can become a web host. Your best bet is to go with a company that has been around a few years. Search for online reviews on the company you are considering.