So you are planning to launch or re-launch a web site and need to consider where it will be hosted.  Before deciding which web hosting company you need to do your homework.  As you research different companies and the hosting packages they offer, make sure you are getting what you need at the best price.  The guidelines below will help you know what to look for.

Price

Most Web hosting plans charge a monthly fee, ranging from $1.99 to $6.99.  You can expect to pay more for Virtual Private Servers or dedicated hosting but for most sites the best solution is shared hosting.  Shared hosting will meet or exceed most hosting needs at the best price. Some hosting companies charge a setup fee and domain fee. Most of the companies we have selected offer free setup and domains.

Features

The most important features you should pay attention to is disk space and bandwidth.  You may also be interested in multiple domains, Web site builders, traffic reporting, shopping cart functionality.  You may also need to find out how many email accounts they offer and what other email features are included. Don’t forget to check to see if the company offers a guarantee. If they don't offer some sort guarantee don't bother and look elsewhere for you hosting.

Security

It is very important that your data is secure at all times.  Do not settle for less than a daily basis for your server backups. All of the compaines we review offer daily backups and to notch security.

Support

If you are a non-technical person who will depend heavily on the expertise for your web hosting, you will need a different level of service and support than a person who plans to run their own virtual server remotely.  Again, all of the we review offer 24-hour telephone, email or live chat support.

Compare

Finally, compare several web hosting plans before making a final decision. We offer easy-to-use comparison tools that can help you look at different hosting providers side-by-side.  These tools can help you see at a quick glance which companies offer which features.  Another great benefit of using online comparison tools when shopping for Web hosting is access to customer ratings.  Knowing how real-life users rate any given Web host is very helpful.

We believe the 3 hosting providers below are best hosting providers for most individual needs.