Every website that is created needs a location or an address where it can reside. In order to achieve this, the user is required to go through a hosting company. A hosting company provider the user with a web address, server space, bandwidth and a loads of other tools and applications required to host a website. In the process, users may find themselves grappling with various web hosting problems and issues that would come the fore. Listed below are a few common problems with web hosting companies that you may have to deal with:

Lack of technical and/or customer support: A quality web hosting service would offer 24/7 technical and customer support. So, no matter what time difference you are residing in, you should always have access to an open line customer service representative in order to troubleshoot technical/common problems. Make sure that a real person takes your call and it should not be an automated or recorded message on the other end. This would reflect the reliability and credibility of the web hosting company.

Pricing structures, reliability and uptime guarantee: While some web-hosting companies offer dearth cheap hosting services, their services are often deficit of 100% uptime, reliability and speed. These are a few issues that the user must brace himself from, before registering with a company that fails to guarantee a minimum uptime of 99%. Also ensure that the company is offering all the essential features and tools for smooth functioning of the website.

Hidden Costs and lack of add-on features: While the hosting company may offer all the essential tools and application support, ensure that these are offered within the price range of the package selected. Otherwise, you may find yourself shelling out additional money for add-on tools that are usually offered by other web hosting services. Ensure that no hidden costs are involved and all the essential features are in place for your website to function smoothly.

There are a few hosting companies that do not offer the "control panel" which is vital for a web hosting account. The control panel comes equipped with a whole lot of goodies including PGP secure e-mail, shopping carts; log analysis, database creation, etc.

Lack of high-tech servers: The user must ensure that the hosting company that they are about to register with employs the latest technology and expertise in order to provide superior services to their users.

It is therefore imperative to delve into the seemingly intricate aspects of the company before you open a hosting account with them. Do not get lured into cheap deals and ads like "unlimited bandwidth" etc. Weigh your requirements carefully and set yourself a monthly budget. If your website has a potential for growth or is e-commerce enabled, your website requirements would greatly differ as compared to hosting just a simple web page.

Speak to experienced users; get involved in forums and blogs and read unbiased user reviews. This would give you an idea of the level of services offered by the web hosting company.