Top Rated Web Hosting Sites
What web hosting service would you recommend?
I don’t feel like I can trust most of the review sites out there, because their top ranked plans are generally completely different, and their reviews of the same services can be polar opposites (leading me to question their integrity). I’m looking to spend no more than $10/month of a cheaper plan. I need PHP5, MySQL databases, email, an included domain, and a script installer. I’m not really into “unlimited” bandwidth/storage at a flat rate fee, because I know if your site expanded substantially, they would cancel your account for using too much resources, so I would like clearly defined limits on the resources which are available to me. Also, It would be great if I could find a reputable host that offers plans which I can upgrade too at a later date, so if the site is consuming too many resources I can upgrade, and know my site won’t get shut down.
Thanks!
I don’t know if it was your intuition that you shouldn’t believe those “top 10″ sites but that is definitely true. Some of those sites are run by web hosting companies themselves (and their sister companies) and they obviously rank themselves high. Others usually have a paid for 1st spot and whoever pays higher (in whatever way) gets the spot. In the process, truly good hosting companies that don’t have a huge marketing budget never make it to top on those lists. A better place to find good hosts would be on forums (though I’d say take everything with a pinch of salt).
$10/month can get your good shared hosting plans with PHP5, MySQL databases, Email and Fantastico (script installers). It can also get you a free domain at many places but I don’t suggest you get yourself the domain you want badly through the free domain feature on any web host. The reason is, when you register a domain name you are supposed to give your contact details and such to establish its ownership for the period you pay. But when a web host registers a free domain, they register their addresses as the owners but kinda “let you use” the domain name without any problem till you host with them. If you don’t like their hosting or want to transfer to some other host for whatever reason, then there is a chance that they can deny transferring the domain over to you. Mind you, this is not imagination but it happens for real. I am not saying this happens with every host but most of them. So what do you do? Register your domain separately with a reputed domain registrar. And choose a secondary name when you use the free domain feature (if you decide to go with a host who gives one.). For e.g. if you decide to register oamey.com for yourself separately, try and get oamey.net through the free domain feature, so even if you lose the net domain, it doesn’t matter much.
You are right about the “unlimited” plans for most part, but let me tell you that there are some real good ones who have “unlimited” in their plans. Simply put “unltd” is a marketing ploy. Most people (at least beginners) fall for it, so they do it. However, internally whether they cram a 1000 people on to the same server or just 10 is up to them and that is where some companies provide good service even though they offer “unlimited” plans. Don’t grow suspicious 
I am not going to recommend an unlimited web host, that was just for your information. But if you wanted to know I’d have told you.
I’d suggest a web host called MDD. You get clear limits and great support. Here’s the bitly link:
http://bit.ly/mddhsh
Their site isn’t the most beautiful one you would have seen but for some reason they keep it that way. Check for their “reviews”, not on review sites but on forums just for an idea.
I’d also want you to read:
http://www.mikedvb.com/2010/03/21/beware-of-web-hosting-review-and-top-10-web-hosts-sites/
You’ll know where to research web hosts, what not to believe and what to do if you clicked on a link you wished you hadn’t. 
Irrespective of who you finally decide to go with, start paying monthly for a few months (3-4?) and then shift over to paying yearly if you are comfortable with that. By that time you’d have a good idea of what to expect of them. And when your site grows, you can shift to higher plans or even a VPS/dedicated but don’t be in a hurry to.
By the way, I am not an employee providing a fake recommendation here. I truly believe they are good. All the best.
Best web hosting sites- Hostgator and Bluehost