Choosing a web hosting provider can be very confusing, if you are new to web hosting and just want to get your web site or venture online then you can probably relate to the following sources of confusion

• It all seems very technical - lots of features that you are not sure if you will need.
• Most other hosting directories are nothing more than online billboards filled with flashing ads and marketing hype. Causing more confusion than clarity.
• There are thousands of web hosting companies - which one is best?

What You Need To Know

If you are confused about how the web works and how a web host even fits into the whole equation, then read this short overview about How The Web Works.

Finding Web Hosting can be like walking through a minefield. Some Key Information You Need To Know

Setting aside the confusing aspects for a moment, your choice in web hosting ultimately boils down to the following key points

1. Narrow The Field to Hosting Plans That Have Features That Meet Your Needs
If you have only a simple site, for example a site designed to be an low-key informational site, or something to upload photographs to, or a simple hobby site, then almost every web hosting plan will meet your needs. If you are absolutely new to web hosting, use the Search Wizard to generate a search for plans that suit your needs.

If you have a mid-level site or plan to sell good from your site, then put some thought into what you think your site will be like. Again you can use the Search Wizard to help create a search, or use the Easy / Advanced search tools or the presets. Read through the FindMyHosting Guide To Web Hosting.

2. Evaluate These Hosting Plans in Detail
There are without doubt tens of thousands of plans in the web hosting market that meet your needs, but in reality you just want to find a good plan at a good price, you don't want to compare thousands of hosting plans. FindMyHosting will return potentially hundreds of plans that meet your needs, but they are listed lowest price first (unlike most web hosting directories that simply list advertising slots paid for by hosts and don't help you much at all). Start at the cheapest plan and work down the list.

3. Requesting Quotes From Hosts
FindMyHosting will also let you receive up to 10 free quotes from matching web hosts. This is a valuable feature because it gives you more options, probably a better deal and also allows you to state in plain english what your website is all about. You can evaluate the replies that hosts give you and use this as part of your overall decision making process. It makes sense to request quotes because there is no obligation to even reply to any of the 10 hosts that may contact you.

How do I request quotes? - If you use the search wizard, then one of the last steps allows you rqeuest quotes. Otherwise follow the links on the top right hand corner of each search results page.

4. Ok, So How Do I Actually Evaluate Different Plans?
The following key points are the main factors to take into consideration. The balance is a function of your needs. Consider all the factors.

Factor	Why Is It Important ?	How To Assess	When This Is The Most Important Factor ?
Price	Because you want to get a fair deal and not overpay.	FindMyHosting always returns matching plans lowest price first - so start at the top & work down the list of search results.	If your site is a small site, just for fun and not critical or important
Reliability (Uptime)	You want your website to actually be available. All web hosts have downtime from time to time.	In the Search Results each plan has a link "Click Here To Check Host Reliability" - This will show the Alertra uptime history for this hosts home page, which is a good indicator of their performance.	If you have a mission critical ecommerce site where every moment of downtime equals lost revenues. For most websites, some downtime here and there won't cause any problems. Anything over 99.5% is excellent.
Customer Support	You want to have a hassle free setup of your website and you want to be able to get help if something goes wrong.	You can add 24/7 support and telephone support as search options so that only plans that offer this level of support are returned in the results. Also read the customer reviews and ratings to get an idea of how other customers have found this host.	If you have a very important web site then getting fast and responsive customer service is a must. If your site is a personal or hobby site, then it may not be so critical. Cheaper plans tend to have a lower level of support.

The trick is to strike a balance so that you get a good deal that matches your needs. There is no point in paying $50 a month if a $2 a month plan would be more than enough, but you don't want to pay $2 a month if you need a $50 a month plan to meet your needs!

So, to recap

• Understand your needs, use the Search Wizard if you are really not sure what plan features you need.
• Find a host that balances your overall needs, this is the best way to get a good deal.
• Take the short FindMyHosting Tour - This explains how to use the features of FindMyHosting.

5. Make A Decision
If your website is a critical business then it is worth to spend a good amount of time evaluating plans in detail. On the FindMyHosting detail pages for each hosting plan some example websites hosted by that host are listed. You could contact these websites and ask them for their honest opinion of the host you are evaluating.

If your site is lower end then there is no reason to waste hours and hours making a decision. Use the information available to make an educated choice. Also look at the hosts website - does it look professional? The worst case scenario is that you move to another host later.

A Word About Cheap Web Hosting
There are many web hosting accounts available that are very inexpensive. These can offer great value, but always remember that you get what you pay for. If your website is critical or very important, then don't buy a $1 a month hosting plan and expect tremendous customer support or even high levels of reliability. That's not to say that you couldn't find great performance for $1 a month, but there is a limit to what can be provided at low cost. Low priced hosting plans are also bundled together with hundreds of other customers on a single web server - reliability and performance invariably suffers.

There are a lot of small web hosting companies in the market. The ones that offer very cheap plans tend to be smaller companies and therefore may not be around for ever. If your site is low end then a cheap plan will probably be all you need. If it doesn't work out - you can always move to another low priced host.

A Word About Customer Reviews
Don't be discouraged by one or two negative reviews. No business can keep 100% of all customers happy all the time. Some people are unreasonable, expect the impossible to be completed within 5 minutes and when that doesn't happen they become irate. Look at the overall picture and look for a trend. Are the majority of reviews positive or negative?

A Word About "Unlimited"
Many hosts offer "unlimited" features in their plans. Although this may not present a problem, there are things you should know and be aware of. Read this FindMyHosting article The Truth About Unlimited