While paid web hosting can be more reliable when compared with free and cheap web hosting, not all paid web hosting companies are reliable. Here are some “signs”.
Check the reputation of the web hosting company. Is it a company that has a good history and good reviews from other users?
Check out the policies/terms of service of the web hosting company. If possible look for a page that lists their policy changes. If you find that the company is changing policies too often and is making drastic changes every time, you cannot rely on such a company.
Does the company offer web hosting plans at various levels? Like shared, VPS, dedicated – and even various sub-plans in each level, like Hostgator, for instance, which offers Hatchling, Babycroc, and similar sub-plans on the shared plan? This is important because, you should be able to choose the right plan for your type of business. Not all businesses are equal and you cannot go with the floods here.
Also you should have the option to upgrade or downgrade at any point, if needed. You should see that your web host offers this facility.
Spend some time to research about the web hosting companies that are available. Read reviews, analyze their plans and other things I mentioned above. You should also see that the one you choose is affordable too!