Draw up a shortlist and do as much thorough research on a hosting company as possible. Search for reviews on websites and forums and do your best to check out their validity.
Impulse buying from a company they offer eleventy billion gigabytes for $3 a month is never a good idea. Of course, they're running a "limited special offer" that will expire this week - but more often than not they'll be running that same offer again a week after the last one ends.
