You may be looking for a secure and reliable web hosting, you need to know some of the basic things before you finalize in favor of a particular web hosting company. Or you may already have web hosting, but have you ever stopped to consider how reliable your existing or potential web host is? Here are things you need to be aware of:

How secure is the server on which your web site is hosted? Does it feature powerful firewalls? Of course, you cannot figure this out on your own if you aren't a technical person, and the best way to find this out would be to read reviews about your web host and speak to their other clients.

What's the customer support like? Does the web host feature 24/7 customer support staff or is the host a reseller? If they are resellers, they will not be as dedicated as you would like them to be; or, even if they aren't a reseller and don't have 24/7 customer support, then they are not reliable.

How powerful is the server hardware? If your website is hosted on a server backed by obsolete hardware, which is networked with an antiquated broadband connection, then you've had it. Remember, the computer today is converging with TV and video and the hardware has to be powerful enough not just to support huge multimedia files, but also to ensure that these multimedia files are easily downloaded by the website visitors.

What is the server uptime? Does your web host's server work on crutches or does it hum along perfectly? If you are getting a server downtime of 5% and over because your web host keeps rebooting their beautiful system, then it's time to get a new web host.

Does your web host take backups? All reliable web hosts always back up the data on their server just in case anything goes wrong. And this is a very important feature, which users do not bother to enquire when they rent the space.

Does your server have SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)? If you're planning to set up a shop then no customer will ever swipe his credit card on your site unless your website has SSL.

Is the host server easy to use? Once you upload your website, you will need to change it frequently and for that to happen you need to have access to a control panel that's easy to use. Plus, you will also want to plug in automated scripts such as blogs, chat rooms, content management system, etc. on your website. Make sure your web host's control panel is easy to use and that you are given many automated scripts to use.

So, these are some of the simple tips to find a secure and reliable hosting. You should ensure that the server availability is almost 100 percent and the web hosting company provides you an affordable plan for hosting your website.