Did I get a scare! My website was down!
Although hrough the years by self education I learned a lot about building websites, html and the basics of the Cpanel, I am not a PC and Internet wizzard.
When there is something seriously wrong like a while ago when my traffic exchange was attacked and did not show online anymore, I have a big problem. Or I would have had one if my hosting company had not sorted it out for me. My TE was up and running in no time again.
My hosting company Low Cost Web Hosting is a smaller company. Prices are very affordable but not the cheapest you can find. However service and support are priceless.The owner has given me personal support and advice on several occasions.
You see, with the large companies you are often a number. Their service does not go beyond the standard. I.e. most also offer back up features but if you do not know how to do a restore you have a problem.
In my case I would have been forced to start from scratch rebuilding my traffic exchange and rebuilding the membership. I would lose over a years work. Or pay a lot of money to hire an expert to sort it out.
My hosting company gives personal support. They give help beyond the standard service package, even one to one support through skype. My exchange was back online within a few hours. I gladly pay a bit more for such an excellent service. And I am talking a few dollars. A hosting company with good support is priceless and crucial, especially when doing online business. When you loose your site, you loose your income!
So unless you are an expert in all I recommend hosting at a smaller company with good support. Sooner or later you will face technical issues, through a virus, a Trojan, a hacker or what ever. Make sure you are prepared for that.
By the way LCW also helps when you want to transfer an existing site and they also offer an excellent extra back up service.