Most of us spend a lot of time doing comparison shopping. When it comes to a product we're less familiar with, like a web hosting comparison, some tips can be helpful. This article reviews factors to consider in a web host comparison in order to choose a hosting plan.

Where to Start with Web Hosting Comparison

There are several directions from which you can begin a web hosting comparison. One approach is to start with the web host with which you are inclined to go if no overwhelming evidence appears to make you change your mind. This could be your domain registrar, a web host you've used before, or a web host that comes highly recommended by a friend, family member, or colleague. Find the appropriate plan on that site, and navigate to the page that shows its superior features. Then, as you consider other possible websites, find their features and draw a comparison. If other web hosts offer features your original choice doesn't, you can use either Live Chat or the sales number to follow-up.

A second place to start, particularly if you don't have any initial thoughts about which web host to use, is with a thorough review site, like Web Hosting Ratings that not only reviews web hosting sites but also does an exemplary job of comparing them. Their web hosting comparison is available  at web-hosting-ratings.com. In fact, there are numerous web hosts ranked and reviewed.

What to Look for in a Web Hosting Comparison

A web hosting comparison should not be affiliated with a particular host. Standout features of Top Web Hosting Reviews will help you know what to look for in any web host comparison and/or look for in your own self-made comparison.

• An overall score that takes all the information into account

• Sensible categories for web hosting comparison, including, for example, factors the have to do with the basic offerings of the hosting package: the disk space, bandwidth, server operating system, etc.; factors that have to do with ease of use; factors that have to do with support; factors that have to do with building websites; factors that have to do with marketing; a summary of programming languages and related items; a description of the email accounts offered and their features; a collection of ecommerce web hosting offerings; etc.

• A well-rounded collection of items in each of the categories.

• A reasonable system that either let's you know that a feature exists (e.g., daily backups) or the exact parameters of the feature (e.g., disk space = unlimited; server = Linux).

• A side-by-side web hosting comparison that allows you to quickly see how different web hosts compare, or let's you see at a glance how many of them have a particular feature that may not be so common, like IIS.

Even if the web hosts that you are interested in aren't among the hosts that Web Hosting Ratings Reviews covers, having a look at their website will help give you an idea of features to look for and questions to ask if certain features aren't listed on the site of the web hosting plan that you're considering. Whichever way you go about it, if you consider this information, you will be able to make a valuable web hosting comparison, and therefore, an informed decision.