Hosting Selection Criteria

As documented by Hosting Reviews Exposed, many host review sites sell their rankings. If a host wants to be the top-ranked web host, they only have to pay the review site the going rate. Each of the top ten rankings is a paid placement, not a true ranking based on objective criteria.

Yet other review sites merely rank the hosts with the highest paying affiliate program as the best host. Now, there's nothing wrong with affiliate programs, but there is something wrong in trying to deceive innocent people with phony rankings.

I know for a fact one host that is ranked highly on most host review sites is a horrible host. I know because I tried them and left them because of far too much downtime and extremely poor support—imagine one to two hours on hold every time you call to talk to tech support, and you have to call them once or twice a week on average because your site keeps going down. And to think, this is a top ranked host on several host review sites!

How I Chose Which Hosts to List

Note: I included my associates recommendations to offer more choices, otherwise there would only be a handful of hosts listed.

Check the sidebar to see why I use several hosting company.

Admittedly, my lists of recommended hosts are fairly short, especially compared to the pages and pages of "rankings" at host review sites. That's because I'm not posting just any host, these are the actual hosts we use. Besides, you only need one or two good hosts, right?

Who would know better which hosting companies are good than those of us who rely on them for our living?

I did put together a big list of web hosts for those who do want to look at more hosting companies than are on my recommended lists. While my recommended hosts are also on the big list, be advised that neither I nor my associates have used the majority of the hosts on the big list.

Hosting Criteria

• High Reliability
• Responsive 24/7 Tech Support
• Redundant Infrastructure

While those three items are my most important criteria, they're not the first thing I look at because they take time to research. The first things I look at are features and price.

Why?

Because if the host doesn't have the features I want at a price I like, there's no sense taking the time to research the other stuff.

If they pass the features and price test, then I look into reliability, support, infrastructure and a few other items, such as how long they've been in business, their service level agreement, terms of service, and other items.

I usually research at least a half dozen hosts when I'm looking for a new one. After the above process, there's usually more than one still left standing. So how do I decide which one to host with after all that?

Money! By that I don't mean choosing the lowest cost host. Choose the one that has the best affiliate program so you can make money from them instead of only paying money to them!

By placing advertising for your host on your site you can create a passive income stream. If you only get a couple commissions per year it pays for your hosting costs. The potential is there to earn a lot more money, but that isn't all...

Having an advertiser does more than earn money for you. Most well known sites have advertising on them. If your site has advertising on it, that can help create a subconscious perception of credibility for it in the minds of your visitors. In psychology and marketing this is called spontaneous trait inference or attribution by association.

You may have noticed I have advertising for web hosting companies on this site and some of my other sites. This is where they come from. I've made as much as $300 in one month by advertising for hosts that I use. Some months I make nothing, but everything I make is more than I had.

My Links to Web Hosts

Since I've gone to the time and trouble to create this content about hosting, and since it doesn't cost you any extra if I earn an affiliate commission, I assumed you wouldn't mind that I use affiliate links. If you do mind, you're welcome to read my free ebook that shows you how to choose a host on your own and I won't earn a commission. Fair enough?

I also don't offer fake rankings, there are no rankings at all, just links to good hosts. Everything is above board, as it should be. Find the one you're comfortable with rather than the one I make the most commission from and we'll both be happy. That's a win/win for us.

Some of the best paying affiliate commissions are from hosts I wouldn't recommend to anyone because I've tried them—and left them because of their poor service—so they are not on my list. Some hosts on my lists pay very little by comparision, but they're included because they're good hosts that I or my trusted associates in the business use.

So, the difference between my lists of recommended hosts and those of most host review sites are these:

• I'm honest enough to tell you most of the links are affiliate links.
• Either I or my trusted associates actually use the hosts we recommend.
• Placement on my lists are NOT for sale.
• You can download my free ebook, How to Choose a Good Website Host and learn how to pick a good host on your own if you don't like the idea of me earning affiliate commissions for my efforts. I always strive to offer value to everyone whether I'm making money from them or not—that's how I believe business should be conducted.

I should also mention that most hosts DO NOT allow you to be your own affiliate customer. In fact, some will revoke your affiliate status for trying to cheat them. No one likes being cheated, especially when it comes to love or money.

I hope you've found this article refreshingly honest. I have several web sites and earn my living online, so my credibility is crucial in maintaining and growing my income level. If I recommend a bad host because they pay well, it makes me look bad.

I'd much rather look good while making money . . . as good as a slightly out of shape, slightly balding, middle aged guy can look anyway. :o)