When looking for a web hosting service, you should be careful as there are a lot of things they may try to hide from you. Do your research carefully to find the best services and deals you can get from a web hosting service. Here are ten things that web hosting services may not want you to know:

1) Over-marketing - When web hosting services tell you that they’ve been in the business for more than twenty years, don’t believe them. Commercial web hosting industry didn’t even exist in the 80’s so be mindful about inflated marketing claims. Even some of the larger well established web hosting services claim to have been in the web hosting industry for more than ten years, but if you do some quick research you’ll find the claim turns out to be false.

2) Overselling web space - People often wonder why many web hosting services can offer terabytes of storage and seem oblivious to the cost. The truth is; if you use too much space your account might get suspended. So after uploading a few gigabytes of files, there is a chance that all of them will disappear, as you have passed a certain hidden limit and the web hosting service won’t hold itself accountable for any losses.

3) Over-estimating datacenter size - When a web hosting service posts pictures to illustrate of hundreds of web servers in their “massive datacenter”, don’t be fooled easily. Many web hosting services just resell their online storage, so check their records and business address to know if they are honest.

4) Underestimating offered deals - A web hosting service may offer you a large space for $5 each month but may end up charge you $25. Ask them for extra charges related to your account. Check your web hosting package, so you won’t get unpleasantly surprised by unaccounted expenses.

5) 24/7 support - When web hosting services promise you 24/7 customer service support, don’t trust them too quickly. Many web hosting companies run on a limited budget and can hardly afford to have even a customer service support on standby around-the-clock to deal with common customer problems. Their supports are mostly limited to emails as it easier to handle and the cheapest option. What if they’re sleeping when you urgently need help? It would be better to test them out before signing up to see how reliable they are.

6) Exaggerated experience - Many web hosting companies may not have adequate experiences. Many just run the server from their desktop computers instead of dedicated servers to save money. Try to call them and check their competency in catering to your needs and expectations. Otherwise, find a better web hosting service.

7) Web Hosting is Not Their Primary Business - Many web hosting services are jack-of-all-trade and can be involved in other online businesses, such as web design and SEO. This may affect the quality of service they can give to web hosting customers.

8.) Limited Bandwidth – Many low-cost and small web hosts offer plenty of bandwidth, but it may not be fulfilled as promised. To protect yourself from disappointments be sure to carefully read the TOS and check their upgrade procedures if your requirements and websites traffic grows.

9) Crowded Servers - Web hosts usually jam-pack their servers with thousands of accounts which are probably the reason why they keep poor track of bandwidth and servicing. Visit web sites hosted in their servers, to know their connection performance. There are a few independent companies that monitor the uptime of most hosting services and this will help you in making an informed decision.

10) Poor Security - Because of the thousands of accounts kept on all servers, many web hosting services can’t guarantee protection against cyber attacks and malware infections, with high number of accounts and weak supervision you should expect higher risks.