I was always consulted about webhosts and usually 20% of people I hooked up with a host would have made a horrible decision if they did not reconsider their original plans to get hosting from a particular company. The thing is that hosting is kind of like moving into a new neighborhood. If the neighborhood's houses are beautiful, that does not mean it is the neighborhood for you. Perhaps the neighborhood is full of dope dealers. Or the owner's association is crap. These are things you also have to consider when choosing a web host:
1. Read reviews other people write about them on other websites (but even this can be a problem because some hosts get some of their own people to post reviews in order to boost popularity). Be negative and look at the bad reviews to see what people did not like about it. Don't just see what people say to glorify the web host (it is obvious a lot of people will say it is a good host without any knowledge of what a truly good host has to offer).
2. Do a traceroute analysis of the backbone like Money Man did (whom I thanked for saving me the trouble).
3. Verify more about the authenticity of the company. Never take a company's word for the quality of service it provides.
4. If you can, talk to people who have used that kind of web hosting.
These, among other things, are things you should really do before choosing a web host. Otherwise, you are gambling with your investment. Put your money into something worth it. I hate to see people get scammed. Money Man seems to know what he is doing, so if you need some assistance about a host, you can talk to him or me about it. I will help when I have the time.