Before choosing a web hosting company, consider the following:

Length of time in business: Is the host new? If they've been in business at least a few years, then they might have some stability. Don't go with brand new hosts.

Uptime guarantees: This is a marketing gimmick, and you should ask for their actual uptime history. Also, bear in mind that 99.9% uptime still means about 45 minutes of downtime per month. That's OK for most people, but if your business depends on that website always being up, then you may want to go with a dedicated server.

Beware "unlimited" hosting: This is quite common in the hosting world, offering unlimited storage and unlimited bandwdih. This is physically impossible (truth about unlimited hosting). It's a lot like airlines overselling their tickets; they are banking on the fact that most customers will not use up all the storage and bandwidth. However, since it's become such standard industry jargon, a host that offers it is not necessarily bad. Just be aware that it's not really unlimited.

Support: If they don't offer 24/7 voice support, then skip 'em. Sometimes they will say 24/7 support, but they really mean you can submit a trouble ticket anytime, not they you can actually talk to a person anytime.

Security: If you are using your site for business-related transactions, then security is an issue. What kind of security does the host offer for credit cards and other transactions?

Backups: Do they provide regular backups to a different hard drive than the one your website resides on?

Near home: Keep your host in your home country. If not, delays can be significant in some cases.