Choosing a host or switching hosts can be an agonizing experience. There are so many choices and price structures.
You see the service level guarantees you want, but there is no way to ensure the Host's promised service level will be kept. Sadly, past experience tells you all too often the service promises are unfulfilled.
Experience tells you to steer clear of so called "cheap" hosts, just to save $4 a month but risk huge headaches when your site goes down and no one answers the phone (or you get a "wrong number" response!).
(more tips at http://web-hosting.maxsvr.com)
Choose a host that has a starter package in the $6-$8 per month range and at least 1 GB of storage. Any Bandwidth over 30 GB per month is usually more than enough, if it isn't you should look at the next level of packages the hosts offer. Check how long they have been in business and make sure it is at least more than one year.
Check web host reviews on several such sites and look at detailed comments. (more tips at http://web-hosting.maxsvr.com)
To get real independent feedback on host providers, email several webmasters of smaller but popular sites and ask which host they prefer and why.
Once you have found a host provider that has the right price, has been around long enough, and gets good references go to their link at http://web-hosting.maxsvr.com and place your order.
Location of Provider - I don't think you should worry whether the provider is in your state, or if you live in another country (I live in Canada) that the provider is in your country. There is no real advantage, especially with the top tier hosts that have 24/7 customer service.
There are often disadvantages to using local providers in some regions. Their cost is often much higher and their physical internet location may result in slower delivery to most internet users, except you! (Try the "internet speed test" at toast.net and check your speed to a host and ask friend in the country where most of your traffic comes from to test their connection to the same host).
(more tips at http://web-hosting.maxsvr.com)
Lunarpages and Powweb are selections available at Toast.net and are on the top 5 provider list at http://web-hosting.maxsvr.com.
Kevin Taylor is a freelance writer/webmaster living in Toronto, Canada. http://web-hosting.maxsvr.com