Start with the renewal price
If a host advertises a steep introductory discount, write down the renewal price before comparing it with another provider. Hosting is usually a recurring infrastructure cost, so the second billing cycle often matters more than the first.
Check what the plan actually includes
Backups, email, staging, CDN, malware scanning, migration help and support can be included, limited or sold separately. A lower headline price can disappear quickly once required add-ons are included.
Migration is part of the switching cost
Ask whether the host provides assisted migrations and what happens to DNS, email, databases and SSL during the move. A good migration process reduces the risk of downtime and makes future switching less painful.
Support quality matters when the site matters
For a hobby site, slower support may be acceptable. For a store or lead-generation site, the value of faster human support can be much higher than the difference between two monthly plans.
Backups should be boring
Find out how often backups run, how long they are retained and whether restores cost extra. The time to understand backup policy is before you need it.