Many times I get asked how to find affordable web hosting that does not end in a disaster with credit card chargebacks and the a website down experience. While the answer is not as simple as it sounds, there are quite a few things you can check before signing up with a web hosting company. Age: The age of how long a web hosting company is around is often the greatest hint to help making a good decision when it comes to choosing a cheap web host. Take IX Web Hosting as an example. The company was founded in 1999. They are in business for 10 years which is ages considering how young the Internet is and what crises it (The Internet) had to survive.

Take pricing. The cheapest web host is often … well, eh … cheap. While cheap web hosting is not always an indicator of the quality, it often is a good indication and a hint to stay. Take Liquidweb web hosting – they aren’t the cheapest kid on the block. However, they were founded in 1997 and they offer web hosting at prices that affordable, but not cheap (cheap, if you are looking for a $1.00 host … you get the idea).

Another hint to discover is the offered tech support option of a web host. If a web host is serious about their offering, the first thing to offer is 24/7 support. There should always be several support options be available. Phone support and an online helpdesk are a great indicator of having found a solid web hosting company. A good web host does not leave it at those 2 options and usually offers a large online knowledge base or maybe even a support forum (available to the public).

There you have it – it is not rocket science to spot affordable web hosting that provides quality at the same time.