Getting your website hosted with a genuine and correct hosting company is as important as the site itself. Hosting has got so many options that it becomes a difficult decision unless you do a detailed analysis of what you need and consider all other important factors such as cost, location and so on.

When you are looking for a host, prepare a checklist of what all you should look for in the service provider.

• Note down the contact information of your host – email, phone numbers and these should be readily available to you and to your support staff. You would need it most often frequently in the beginning.
• List down key features of your website and what are basic objectives of your business. This will directly determine what features and services you want from your host. For example, if you need forums, blogs and plan to sell flowers, you would need more control on the server to manage content and shopping cart.
• Plan your backup and document the backup process. Even if your host provides scheduled backup, you should also take backup whenever you update the site.
• Make a list of all email accounts that you need. Have a policy on having email IDs and passwords and follow the policy guidelines.
• While updating your site, keep a track on how much disk space is available. Always keep a buffer and ask for more space if you are approaching the limit.