Very Cheap Pricing - A cheap web hosting company offering very low rates because they are doing a tremendous amount of volume. To a cheap web hosting company, you are just a number, especially if you are a small business. Aggressive spammers generally go with the cheapest web hosting package they can find because they know that they only plan to be in business for a certain amount of time. In short, when you share your IP address with, say, 1000's of other businesses, and one of these businesses happens to be a spammer, the entire IP address can, and most often will, be banned by the Search Engines. Then it's goodbye, business. You probably won't even know what has happened to make your traffic drop so dramatically. On top of all of this, a very cheap web hosting company will generally have very slow servers and common services will be denied because there is not enough bandwidth. You will be doing yourself and your business a tremendous disservice by going with a cheap web hosting company.

Limited Room for Expansion - Your online business will almost certainly expand. You should be able to choose from different web hosting packages that will help you do this. Even better, the web hosting company should be available to consult with you and help you make decisions when the time comes. One size definitely does not fit all. If the web hosting company doesn't understand this, then it's time to move on.

Underdeveloped Website - Web hosting companies should have a well-developed, informative and easy-to-navigate site. It's that simple. The site's FAQ and Help features should be visible. Also you should have a way to contact them, and not just via email.

Dubious Claims - 99.99% guaranteed uptime. The truth is, most web hosting companies claim that they can deliver this. Very few offer real guarantees in the form of money back or similar guarantees to ensure your satisfaction, and give you alternatives if they don't deliver. Don't let web hosting companies get away with this.

Lack of References - A good web hosting company will have a list of satisfied customers, and will welcome your contacting them to get references. You should know whom you are going into business with. If the web hosting company refuses your request to check references, keep moving. Make no mistake about it, web hosting is not just a business, it is a partnership.

Aggressive Selling Tactics - When you call the web hosting company for information, are they constantly pressuring you to upgrade, buy this, buy that? Does every call end with them trying to sell you something? Specifically, are they asking you to pay for a whole year of web hosting upfront? Did you realize that if you do this, and later decide that their services are not working for you, your money is gone for good? Can you afford to do this? Do you want to risk it?

Bait and Switch - Look at the fine print. Does it say one thing in the headline and another in the small print? For example, does the web hosting company limit the number of emails that you can have and/or send out at once? Features such as these are critical if your business is going to be able to service your customers quickly and efficiently. You don't want to purchase a web hosting package based on a promise only to find out later that there is a catch. In any case, you wouldn't want to trust your business with a web hosting company that would do this.

Package/Software Inflexibility - Are the packages that the web hosting company offers limited? Are they able to direct you to the web hosting package that is right for your business? Or do they direct everyone to the same package? A web hosting company's ability to be flexible should be the key in your decision to either go with them or to keep looking.

Very Large Companies - Just because a web hosting company is very large, doesn't mean it is the best. You need to ask yourself if you will get the personalized web hosting service that your business deserves, or will you be just a number.

Shoddy Customer Service - A web hosting company's attitude toward customer service is your indication as to how reliable they are as a company that you are entrusting your business with. Any web hosting company should give you all of their contact information. As a matter of fact, this is a must for any business. Online business runs 24/7. These days, impersonal web hosting service cannot be tolerated. The bottom line is that for the most part, all any web hosting company really has to sell you is their service.