Where To Look

Let's start with where not to look. You may find that there are directories of hosts where hosts are listed and rated and compared. Some of these directories are legit, while others are created by the hosts themselves. Understandably, the "fake host directories" provide glowing reviews for the hosts that created them. Other host directories will provide favourable reviews for any web host who pays them a fee. What may seem like a list of several equally capable hosts may actually consist of two great hosts and three terrible ones.

Any search engine will provide you with a big list of possible web hosts. You just need to remember that it's very easy to start a web hosting business and charge very low prices. It's much more difficult to run a web host, keep your low prices, and stay in business. As much as I hate to say this, expect to have to change web hosts a few times before finding one that you like. Because of this, you should always keep site backups on your own computer. That way, you're covered if your host does a disappearing act.

If I had to pick a recommended web host, I'd say Dreamhost. They're reliable, reasonably low-priced, and their disk storage and bandwidth allotments grow automatically, with every month that you are a customer.