What questions to ask?

Q: Do you have anti-virus and spam protection?
In these days Internet viruses and spam (unsolicited email) become very annoying so having spam and anti-virus protection on the web hosting server is a great advantage.

Q: What server-side technologies the hosting server supports?
This is really important question. If you already have your site designed and ready, you need to be sure that it will be working fine on the web hosting server. If you have hired a programmer to develop your site, ask him what the site requirements are and then ask the web host if they support them. A site which has an on-line shop may need to have access to a database of information, for example to check whether an item is in stock and give a customer an immediate answer on-line. Information sites may also require a database to be available to their customers. Even a simple image gallery or message board require database. It is important to check that the database you have developed for use with your site will be supported by the hosting package you have chosen. Databases developed on Microsoft Access, for example, will need a Windows/NT server.


III. Questions about the hosting company itself.

Q: How long have you been in business?
You can always get an estimate of that by running a WHOIS on the company domain name and see when it was registered. Well it is better to deal with a company that has been in the web hosting business for long years. However it is not always a guarantee that you will get better services there. Sometimes start-ups with 1-2 years of experience offer great support, prices and quality. So always check if there are any customer reviews for the web hosting company you have chosen to host your site with.

Q: How may sites do you have hosted?
Most probably you will find this information on the webhost site. However it is always good to ask. You can also ask for a sample sites to test speed and loading time. Some companies will not give you such information as they have Privacy policy not to disclose any information about their customers. The best way would be to check the web hosting company testimonials pages. The users there will usually post their websites. This will give you a chance to see how fast the sites hosted there are.

Q: If I need assistance or help, how can I contact you? How do you provide support? Is technical support available 24/7?
Most companies have 1-800 support numbers. Also almost all of them offer on-line support. They usually have on-line message board or support ticketing system. As their customer you can login there describe your issue and usually will receive response and/or resolution. The speed of the replies depend on how good their support is. If they are good enough, you should receive response in no more than 10-20 minutes. The host should give a good level of technical support and 24 hour support is a necessity. The technical support usually will help you with uploading your website files to the web hosting server, managing your e-mail accounts, technical problems you may encounter with your site, etc. Some web hosting companies even might go further and assist you with web design and programming issues.
Also, please check if requesting a support will not cost you more money. Some web hosting companies do charge for phone support for example, while email support is free. So have this in mind when you choose your host.