One of the important decisions you'll make when you decide to put your business on the web is which web hosting provider to use. The web hosting company that hosts your personal page may not offer the best plan for your business needs. Here are some things to take into account when you're looking for a web hosting provider for your professional web pages.

Windows or *nix Web Hosting

When a web hosting provider refers to operating system, they mean the operating system that their server uses. You do not need Windows hosting if you're using a Windows operating system on your machine. You don't need Windows hosting if you're building your pages in Front Page. The major reason that businesses use Windows web server hosting is to take advantage of .asp and .net programming capabilities, which can be extremely powerful. If you're unsure, check with the person who will be designing your pages and ask for their recommendation.

Choice of Web Hosting Services

Look for a web hosting provider that offers all the services that you need to build the web site you want. Some of the services that make a good deal even better are:

Reduced price or free domain registration

When you're building a company web site, having your own domain name is essential to present a professional image. Many web hosting providers will register your domain name for free, and take care of all the details of renewing and updating information so that you don't have to worry about it.

Secure server transactions on their server

If you're planning to accept payments or exchange personal information over the Internet, access to a secure server is an absolute must. Look for a web hosting package that includes SSL in its basic price.

PHP and mySQL support

If you choose a UNIX server, PHP and database support can give you powerful tools for running applications and forums, content management systems and more. Most business and e-commerce plans include them.

Design Services at reduced prices

Many web hosting providers offer professional web design services to their customers at a discount. If yours does, consider taking advantage of it. A professional looking web site inspires confidence in your customers.

Web-mail services and POP Email Boxes

Look for a business web hosting plan that offers you the maximum POP email boxes you can get so that you can assign email addresses to all your employees and departments. A web-mail interface will allow them to access their mail from any computer.

You can find a web hosting provider that offers all the features that you want at an affordable price. It only takes a little comparison shopping to come up with the best business web hosting for your professional web site.

To view our recommended web hosts, visit, Recommended Web Hosting Companies.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an informational website, with articles and the latest news about various topics.