When choosing a web host, not just any host will do. There are specific features that you need to look for, as well as additional features that will be required depending on what your plans for your website are. It is important that you make sure that your web host is able to accommodate your needs from the very beginning.
One of the first features you should look for in a web host, no matter what your plans are for your site, is the guaranteed uptime. While no web host can guarantee that your site will be up 100% of the time, you definitely want to choose a host that guarantees at least a 99% uptime, and preferably a 99.9% uptime.
A 100% satisfaction guarantee is also vital. Often, you won't be able to tell if a web host can fulfill all of your needs until you sign up for the service. If you find out that the web host does not meet all of your requirements, you will want to have the option of canceling your service and getting a refund. Not all web hosts offer this, so be on the lookout for it.
You definitely want a web host that has a power generator to deal with power outages, and also one that does automatic, scheduled backups of your data. A web host that uses DOS protection, to protect against Denial of Service Attacks as well as other types of attacks, is also vital.
Finally, 2 other features that you should look for, no matter what other features you may require, are server monitoring, where the web-hosting company monitors the servers 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and e-mail support, where you can get your questions answered or issued addressed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Once you've found a host that offers everything above, you are ready to look at other features that you may require, such as an adequate amount of disk space and bandwidth. You may also require unlimited FTP accounts and e-mail accounts.
MySQL databases will be important to some web-hosting customers, as well as e-mail lists.
Depending on your plans, you may also require subdomains, parked domains, and add-on domain names. If you don't know much about HTML or building web pages, you need a web host that offers a web page builder. Other features you may require include FrontPage extensions, Dreamweaver Compatibility, the ability to install a blog or a forum, or several other scripts that make your site more interactive.
