Business Web Hosting, Web Hosting Service.

Make sure the host's server provides a sufficiently fast connection to the Internet.Discover out how many machines will be sharing the server with you. You don't want to be slowed down by traffic from other sites. Compare this number with other hosting services to give yourself negotiating room.

Investigate limits on bandwidth and hits. Make sure you won't be charged severely if a lot of traffic goes through your site. Look for reasonable flat monthly rates as opposed to rates based on use. Find out what kind of customer support the host offers. Twenty-four hour support and speedy replies aren't unreasonable demands. Try to avoid paying for customer support. Look for a host that offers FTP and Telnet access to facilitate uploading files and editing CGI scripts.

Evaluate your e-mail needs. Some servers offer POP mailboxes, while others simply offer aliases that reroute mail to existing mailboxes. Some hosts put limits on the number of allowed aliases. Make sure you fully understand the host's e-mail services.