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Hosting is very important to your online business. Do not fall into the trap of getting cheap hosting and then being confronted by a lot of down time You must do your research to find a web host carefully before making a contract with a hosting company When you are looking for a cheap web host, you will find there are a number of companies with different types of services.

Before you make your decision in what hosting company your will use, look over these points:

Reliable: Your host simply has to be reliable. You cannot afford to have downtime. This will destroy your credibility and cause you to lose sales. Really check out the web hosting company you want to use, reviewing their service completely before signing up. Check what sort of servers they have and their reliability. Check out the testimonials they should have displayed and see if they seem authentic.

Good customer support: This is essential for your web hosting, as you never know what sort of tech problems you may be facing in the future, and you need to know you can rely on good support.

Monthly contract: Read your contract and ensure you have a monthly contract and not one for six months or a year. And they won't have a penalty for canceling.

Set up fee: Don't sign up if there is a set up fee. If your hosting service really appreciates your business with them, they won't charge you for set up.

Backing up files: Make sure your host backs up their (and your) files and find out how often. It is important that this is done regularly.

FTP access: Some web hosting companies offer FTP access which allows you to upload files to your site, updating your information. When you have changes or additions to make, this is very useful.

A good number of email addresses: Make sure you have enough email addresses to service your business. The amount you need will depend on what sort of business you are in.

Bandwidth (traffic) allowed: 5GB is the average and all right for most websites. Be sure you know how much you are getting in your web-hosting package.

Extra services: Make sure there are no hidden costs with extra services that you aren't aware of in the main ad for the host. Check with them about all costs.

Price: Prices are very different from host to host, and the available options can also vary. You may pay anywhere from $5.95-$19.95. It isn't always bad to go cheap. Research these points with care. You can get very good reliability and support from Reseller Zoom (who I use It isn't always a bad sign to only be charged a low fee. It depends what you need.

Cpanel: This feature is very useful for you in managing your web hosting from one place. It is easy to use and you can also access statistics for your site and your mail. Make sure your host has a fast connection: You hosting company should have a fast connection, because your visitors will have all types of connections. Your host should be fast for the visitors with dial up connections, as that way they will still have much better speed. This will make a lot of difference to the loading time of your site.

Knowing these points will enable you to know the best web hosting company for you.

Dan Farrell has a newsletter, Build An eBusiness On A Shoestring. To sign up with free bonuses, go to: Web Hosts