With so many hosting companies available, it’s easy to assume that all hosting companies are equal. But they’re not. If you want a site with very little down time, then doing a little bit of research about which hosting specifications you’ll need for your website is absolutely essential.

First, always check out the reliability of the hosting company because it won’t do you any good to have a website if it frequently goes down. An easy way to research a company is to go to Google and type in the Company Name + Complaints. If you see multiple complaints about the company’s reliability, then look for another company.

If the reliability of the company passes the test, then check out additional features. There are three major things you should look for. The first one is the Cpanel you’ll be working with.

You want an easy to use control panel since you’ll most likely be using your hosting company for years. The second thing you’re looking for is a mail host. Some companies will allow you to have as many mail accounts as you want, but they limit your storage to one gigabyte. Others will allow you to have a certain number of mail accounts, but they won’t limit storage. Be sure to read about any restrictions on the mail accounts.

The third thing you’re looking for is Fantastico. This system will allow you to install various software scripts to your website without having to pay a designer. Follow three easy steps and you can install WordPress blogs, forums and more.

Once you’re satisfied that your hosting company has these features, then it’s time to look at their customer service track record. A few minutes spent searching the web will show you if they routinely ignore support tickets or if their staff is unprofessional or rude.

Now it’s time to compare prices. You should expect to pay between five and ten dollars a month for hosting one or more websites, but not more than that. If a hosting company insists you’ll need to pay more than ten dollars, then shop around for a new one.

Hostgator is one of the best hosting options out there. It has excellent customer service and a long history of reliability. They allow you to host as many websites as you like for ten dollars a month and include unlimited data storage.

You’ll want to choose hosting based on where you’re going in the future with your business, not where you are now. You may only have one site to start with, but when you grow more, you’ll want the right hosting already in place.