In recent times web hosting has become affordable to all of us. But there seems to be a great difference in quality versus quantity web hosting. Many companies offer some fantastic deals but they don't seem to keep to their end of the bargain as they disappear without a word as if they had never existed at all. I have personally been caught in this trap and after putting a lot of hard work into your own site it is devastating to have it all taken away from you.

Sure, you can go with the free web hosting options, some hosting providers have been around for a long time and they do offer quality support but for them to recuperate some of their expenses they place their own advertising and/or footer at the bottom of your site. For such things as a blog or a personal home page these sites are fine but it can greatly damage your name if you are trying to make your mark on the internet.

Things to look for when seeking a web host provider:

• At least 99% of uptime, there is nothing more frustrating then to have your visitors go to a site that is down.
• A web hosting company that offers a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.
• 24/7 support - someone to be there when you are needing help with your hosting.
• Avoid shady hosting companies that offer dirt cheap hosting - on the long run you will pay for it.
• Regular backups of your website.
• Web statistics - if you have been marketing you heart out you want to see some results right?
• Is search engine marketing included? - This is a great way to get your name out there.
• Domain name management, it is important to know where your domain is about to expire and what better way then to have your hosting provider manage this for you.
• The use of scripts for newbies just starting out in building their website, a popular one is Cpanel and is very diverse in what it offers.

I have across two web hosting companies that I have been completely satisfied with and each has their separate purpose. I would rather invest in quality but quality does not mean exuberant prices I have not paid more then $6 per month for web hosting.

I have found Wesfed hosting http://www.wesfedhosting.com/r=6 and www.000webhost.com to be my top 2 favourites bot offering a little something that the others cannot. I am fond of Wesfed hosting because it offers a dedicated IP server with their business plan free of charge and both the companies have everything I look for in a hosting provider.