With marketing run amok on the internet, it can be a challenge to separate the wheat from the chaff as it pertains to web hosting companies. There’s so much information out there, and so little of it is any good. That’s why it’s helpful to have review sites and message boards where people can learn from independent sources what to look for in a good web hosting company, and which ones have impressed people the most. Of course, beyond that, there’s nothing wrong with taking matters into your own hands. If you want to have a head start on picking a good web hosting company without having the answers spoonfed to you, here are three tests to put to work. If a web hosting company passes all three, chances are you’ve found one you can trust with your website.

Test #1: Forego the Unlimited Domain Names

One thing some web hosting providers use to attract customers are the offer of unlimited domain names. In theory, this may sound like something you want, but you need to be aware of a few things. Bandwidth is often divided among all of your potential accounts. Therefore, if you have a set limit of 35 gigs of bandwidth (just to throw out a figure), the host provider will divide that 35 equally among your many domains. Simply by having too many, before you even begin to build sites, you could use up all of that valuable bandwidth. Soon, you could be paying exorbitant amounts for going over. You have to be careful you don’t get caught in a money trap.

Test #2: Monthly Payments Are a Good Thing

If you’re like many people, you see monthly payments as a convenience and nothing more. In fact, typically one can get a better deal by paying for a service or product in a lump sum. But with web hosting, monthly payments are exactly what you want. If you pay a year in advance, you’re going to find yourself stuck, no matter what kind of service you’re getting. This falls in line with signing long term contracts, which we also do not recommend. You don’t want to leave yourself without any options if the service you’re getting turns out to be worse than you imagined it would be.

Test #3: Customer Service

One of the first things you should do upon choosing a web host provider is think of a question or concern you have and email their support department. Time it out to see how long it takes them to respond. This is crucial. You don’t want to wait until you have a real problem before you find out how quickly they communicate with you. If you find they take forever to get back to you, you know you might be better off going with someone who has a little more time for their customers.

Companies such as IX Web Hosting and StartLogic are good places to start when it comes to finding a good web hosting provider. Not just those two, but they are good enough examples of companies that have passed numerous reviews and have a good track record. Upon picking one, apply these tests and use these tips to make sure your website exp