Choosing a host is not a huge decision, but it can be an important one. Cheap web hosting companies provide great plans at miniscule prices, so you should definitely look for a host with cheap rates. However, you don’t want to go TOO cheap. Anything less than $3/month is probably too cheap.
You should first look at price. Cheap web hosting ranges from $3-$6 per month, and there are more expensive and cheaper plans out there. The $3-$5/month range is generally good to start out in. Plans in this range are generally reliable, but they are still very cheap. Anything below this may not be reliable, and anything above it is too expensive.
You should also look through a hosts Terms of Service before signing up. Look out for anything that doesn’t seem right. There are a lot of people out there who would like to scam you, and if you don’t read through the terms you will be at blame. If the company puts something in their ToS, it is legal, regardless of what you think. So, be sure to read over the terms very carefully. You should also see if they allow refunds or not. Obviously you should look for a cheap web hosting company that offers refunds, just in case something goes wrong, you need to upgrade, etc. Most companies will give you a partial refund totaling the amount of time left on your plan.
Also look at the maximum bandwidth and storage space. For most this is not a problem, but for webmasters with larger sites may need to worry about this. Be sure your site will fit on the server, and make sure you won’t use too much bandwidth. If you go over your limit companies will usually charge you massive amounts as a fee.
Written by Web Hosting Expert on Apr 25, 2009.
