Finding a good web host is actually one of the most difficult parts of putting your website up on the web.
There are so many choices, that it is any wonder why people have so much trouble, but they do.
There are companies that will host your website for free, but are they a good idea? Perhaps the question that should be asked is if you want advertising on your site, advertising that you are not getting a commission for? If you aren't interested in making someone else money and want to put your own advertising on your site, then you will have to find the best domain hosting you can afford that isn't free.
Paid hosting is the normal choice for most businesses because it allows you the flexibility to place your own ads if you want, or just leave your website ad-free.
The best domain hosting is not always decided on the price, however.
Perhaps more important than price is customer service.
Especially when you are setting up a new website, you will need a lot of customer support and if the company you choose has customer support farmed out to another country, you might be in for some frustrating telephone calls.
So, make sure that the customer support aspect of the company you choose is domestic and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It is also important to know if you can grow your website without having to upgrade too much in a package.
You may find that there comes a time when you want to add a database or other interactivity and if you can do that without having to change providers or hosting packages, then you will save a lot of money and an awful lot of time.
So, choose wisely and you will have a much better time with your hosting.