A web search will reveal pages of website hosting reviews to the point where you really need a review of the review sites to know where to start. You have to ask how independent these sites are - are they influenced by payments from the hosting companies? Given the vast number of hosting companies how do these sites decide which services to review? A bit of research shows that the same hosting companies do keep appearing on website hosting reviews but it is quite possible to see a service topping the list in one review and not appearing at all in the next. Sometimes customer reviews are shown but there is no way of knowing if these are real and even if they are, have they been carefully selected.

I think that it is clear that some review site listings are influenced by financial reward. Some sites make it clear that they are affiliates for some or all of the website hosting providers reviewed on their site and therefore receive a commission if they refer someone who buys the service. Others do not mention this. Despite claims that customer satisfaction is their top priority I believe it is inevitable that hosting reviews are influenced by potential earnings.

At this point I should say that suppliers paying commissions to affiliates is perfectly acceptable. This is a very common method of marketing but anyone receiving a commission cannot really claim to be independent. Ultimately the problem with website hosting review sites is that having looked at lots of them you can still end up confused. However, at least you will have learned who are the well known names in the market.

My conclusion therefore is that there are too many review sites, many of questionable merit and whilst they serve make you aware of who are the major players in the hosting market they can leave you unsure how to move forward. There is no substitute for doing your own research. Once you know the major players in the market place look for independent user feedback and balance this against the price they charge. It is worth checking out forums like http://webhostingtalk.com but always bear in mind that people are always more likely to complain than praise.

I personally have sites with two hosting companies, one I would recommend and one I wouldn't. The issue with the second hosting provider concerns a problem I experienced after I had set-up the site and is something I would never have anticipated (although I have since discovered that others have had the same problem). There is therefore always going to be an element of trial & error so I would recommend looking for a well known company that offers a money back guarantee. You can then set-up your site and if all is well - great. If not you can get your money back and try again.