Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

For people who've outgrown the limitations of free blog services or social networking sites, the next step is building and hosting your own website. But with hundreds of different hosting companies vying for your business, it can be difficult figuring out which company and package is right for you.

A great site to check out if you're in the market for professional web hosting is webhostingchoice.com. It offers a free comprehensive guide to selecting a web host that meets your requirements, while not breaking the bank.

Your individual web hosting needs are likely to be very different, depending on whether you're looking to host a small personal, or a large e-commerce business website.

The site has a searchable directory, which lets you narrow the hundreds of webhosting companies and plans by setup fee, monthly cost, disk space, and bandwidth limits. An advanced search is also available, if you're needing specific features like PHP, ASP, or Shopping Carts.

Web Hosting Choice also has a great 'Learning Center' for those new to the concept of web hosting, with good info about getting started with your first site, avoiding scams, and a big list of common 'FAQs' or Frequently Asked Questions. I recommend checking out this site before you take the hosting plunge.