When you are just putting together a website, you are going to need a web host. However, it can be completely daunting to have to choose from among the hundreds of web hosts out there. How do you know which to choose? Here is a short guide that will help you to choose the right one for you.

1. Look at IP blacklists and find out if the host is blocked. Save yourself a lot of trouble by simply doing a little homework first. Find out if the host has been blocked by different websites. You would hate for your site to be finished and then end up being blocked. Being blocked shows that something is not quite right, so do this step first.

2. Find out what their customer service is like before you buy from them. Call their phone number and see what kind of service you receive. In fact, you may find that a lot of web hosts don’t even have phone service. You want to avoid those hosts.

3. Make sure they take the kind of payment you’d prefer to use. With so many web hosting choices, it’s important that you seek out what you would like to do. If you prefer to use Paypal, for example, you can find a web host that uses that kind of payment. Whatever you want, you can probably find it.

4. Find out whether they allow you to look at uptime statistics. This can help you determine what their speeds are like. This can tell you a little bit about how often their servers are down and other things you need to know before you make a final decision. You can compare these statistics with other hosts and see what’s right for you.

5. Ask whether they take on affiliates. If they have an affiliate program, that can be even better for you. As an affiliate, they can offer you a percentage of any money you bring to them, which is relatively easy. Most web hosts are affordably priced, and everyone with a website needs a host for the site.

6. Find out what packages they have. Do they allow you more than one domain on the same account? Think positively here and make sure that they allow you room to grow. If they have an unlimited package, make sure it’s truly unlimited.

7. Finally, go by cost. Cost is not the best way to choose a web host because there are so many factors involved. It is preferable to choose something that is cheap but not if it means that you are going to have terrible service and horrible hosting. If you have to pay a little more for good service, it’s worth it.

Start with a few web hosts and compare them to see which fall into the final category where you actively are considering them. Do your best to use the tips here, and you will find that finding a good host is easier than you thought.