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Don't believe for a minute that having a good web host isn't vital to your online business. If you get cheap web hosts, downtime can destroy your profits. Don't sign a contract with a web hosting company until you do some research. You can find many degrees of service with the many different companies out there.

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

Reliable: it is most important that your host is reliable. You cannot afford to have downtime. You will lose credibility thus 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: It's vital to have good support services when you find a web host you will use, because you never know when you might have technical problems face you.

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: This is a useful feature that some web hosts offer. This will allow you to upload your site whenever you have any changes or additions to your website.

A good number of email addresses: You may need a number of email addresses in your business, so ensure your host has enough for your needs.

Bandwidth (traffic) allowed: If your host has 5GB of bandwidth, this should work for you. You should know how much you will be provided with.

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: With a Cpanel, you can manage your web mail and access stats for your site. It is a helpful feature and is easy to use. Make sure your host has a fast connection: Make sure you will have a host with a fast connection or your visitors who only have dial-up will have trouble. If your host is fast your visitors will have optimum speed even if they are connecting from dial up. This will make a lot of difference to the time your website loads up.

With these few points you will be able to make an educated decision when you choose your web hosting company.

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