The primary reason for selecting a particular company to host your web site is their reliability. Web publishers and online business owners have verified this fact repeatedly.

But "reliability" is not a simple thing. If you assume for the moment that most web hosting companies are technically competent, have been consistently upgrading their systems, and have products that are reasonably priced, then a major part of web hosting reliability comes down to good old fashioned "customer service".

When you have a problem with your website, will you receive timely, no-nonsense answers? Unfortunately, with many web hosts, the "no-nonsense" concept seems to be decidedly lacking.

When you are discussing a problem with the technical support person for your web host, it might seem like they are on the line with a few other people at the same time. This is because of the number of clients they have, and the fact that when something goes wrong, almost all of those clients will be on the phone. This can make for difficult conversations to resolve the issue.

Many times the technical support person at the other end of the conversation will just automatically assume the probelm is at your end. You will get the standard response, "Have you tried this, have you tried that..." all of which imply that the problem is at your end.

This kind of troubleshooting is understandable, since the user side can be the source of the problem. The frustration arises because, in many cases, the hosting end is the trouble. Hours can be wasted looking at the user's website even though rebooting the host's server is the proper solution.

Unfortunately, many people who work in support roles at web hosting firms have a minimal understanding of why customer service is important. One difficulty lies in how support employees feel better than their clients. They also realize how difficult it is for a client to transfer to another company, enabling them to get away with poor, rude service.

Many hosts will assist you if you want to transfer your domain to their system. Alternatively, there is now enough step-by-step information available for you to change hosts on your own. This is definitely a welcome change.

Unfortunately there is no completely fool-proof way to know in advance where you are likely to get good, reliable, customer-friendly service.

While you could look at review sites for web hosts, keep in mind that not all are as they appear. Some are trying to make money by reselling services, and their reviews are colored by the money they might make. Representatives of web hosts can make posts on public boards anonymously. These people can post a review that says their own host is great, and make up bad things about the competitors.

Forums on sites about web hosting can also supply reliable information, though they may be subject to the previously mentioned manipulations. However, the rapid pace of change in the web hosting industry means that comments over a year old are probably no longer applicable.

A great idea is to begin by examining the website of the host and if it is sort of perplexing or full of jargon, it may mean that the host does not care about communicating with clients. Usually, this tips you off to a problem that you might find navigation of their support structure difficult or that just getting a plainly worded answer to your questions could be extremely difficult.

What will tell you if the company is customer focused or not is if you find a simple layout, with a number of easily accessible help and support and products that are customer-oriented. You should also contact the help desk to test the level of service you get.

You should also look for testimonials from real web hosting customers. Make sure they are clearly identified with names and website addresses. If you really want to be aggressive, you might contact some of these people directly.

Naturally, there is no absolute guarantee in this. The web hosting business is extremely competitive, however, and, all things considered, you will probably be most successful if you find a web host with a simple, up front, customer-focused approach.

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