The web is filled with sites explaining why your business needs to have an online presence. I think by now everyone has figured out that the web is a wonderful, powerful advertising medium. It’s the marketplace of the world and if you own a business or provide a service and you’re not online you are already behind the curve. So, there.

But, what if you don’t own a business? Is the web only for business marketing? If you’re not selling something (or by extension, buying something) is there no place on the web for you? Well, we already know the web is unmatched as a research tool. Though the sum of mankind’s knowledge may not be available online (yet), I think it is safe to say there is at least some kind of information on just about anything you’d care to know. So, if you have some special knowledge to impart to the world you should definitely be online.

But, what else? What if you’re just an average person, you’re not trying to sell anything or impart any special wisdom; why should you be on the web? I can say it in four words; “web two dot zero”…that is, “Web 2.0”. Although technically it’s described as the new infrastructure paradigm of the Internet after the tech bubble collapse of 2001 and is most often associated with new technology and business practices, more importantly it describes how a more mature and knowledgeable Internet community is restructuring the web to meet the needs of a new connected society.

Contrary to the early fears our parents expressed about an alienated youth living virtual lives alone in their rooms, experiencing human contact only via electronic intermediaries, in this new society people are more connected across a wider spectrum of experiences than ever. The youth of today are in near constant contact with each other. Through IM, online gaming, cell phones, blogs, chat rooms, etc. we are developing a new culture that encompasses all of the connected world, and the world is becoming more connected every day. It’s not unusual in the least to meet with friends at the coffee shop in the morning and have a chat with friends in four different countries in the evening.

Most Web 2.0 discussions tend to revolve around the changing Internet infrastructure, open source, network application platforms, data ownership and the like. By focusing on the effect they are missing the point; the real revolution on the Internet has little to do with the infrastructure or the technology…it has to do with the people. The new web is a social phenomenon, not a technical one. The Internet is becoming part of the fabric of our society and as such people are changing it and adapting to it in new and unpredictable ways.

So, why should an average person with nothing to sell and no particular drum to beat be on the Internet? Because that’s where the rest of society will be. Personal websites will be more commonplace than telephones; they’re incredibly inexpensive and easy to build, and most people will have more than one. They will have family sites to share pictures and stories with family and friends, personal blogs to maintain a dialogue with friends and strangers alike on the events of their community and the events of the world. Garage sales, wedding announcements, graduations, births, parties, resumes, recipes, pictures, videos, etc. all on your website(s).

The world is flattening and the nuclear family quickly becoming a memory. As more countries come together in common cause and open their markets up to each other, families spread out around the globe and lose touch. The Internet is opening up avenues of instant communication that allow people everywhere to see, hear, and share with each other any time they want. The personal website is the front porch in a new online society where you welcome up friends and neighbors for a sit and a chat in the evenings. It’s the fence you lean on in the afternoon to talk gossip and share recipes. It’s the living room you hold your Cub Scout meetings in as well as where you post the latest pinewood derby results. It’s even a refrigerator door where you post A+ papers next to crayon masterpieces for all the family to see.

Build a site and join an online community of millions around the globe.

Looking for a perfect web host is kind of like looking for a perfect partner. We want to believe they exist, everyone else seems to have found one, but the search is long and it’s easy to get discouraged.

By now I’m sure you realize that, just as their is no perfect mate, there is also no perfect web host. Just like people, web hosts are subject to mishap and seem all too often to let us down just when we need them most. Given these shortcomings, finding a web host we can feel comfortable with should follow some of the same rules for finding a mate.

So, where to start? Start with yourself and your needs; self evaluation is critical before starting any long-term relationship. What needs are you trying to fill? Do you want to start a personal blog? An e-commerce web site? A family web site? A forum to discuss urban landscaping?

The list of web hosting services can be narrowed by determining what kind of site you have in mind. Do you plan on a full-blown e-commerce site with dynamically generated pages, shopping carts, and lots of database activity? You should consider going straight to a dedicated server. Just want a site to share pictures of your favorite felines with your cat club? A shared host will be more your cup of tea.

Is this your first time? Look for a host that gets good reviews for customer service. Don’t be fooled by friendly and eager responses during those heady days leading up to a commitment. Be sure to test their support after you sign up but before you put a whole lot of effort into building your site. Pick various times of day and use all of their available forms of contact and make sure you get helpful answers in a reasonable amount of time. If you don’t get support from them now when it’s easy, you’re not going to get it later when it’s hard, either.

Make sure the software you want to run is compatible with the host you select. Will you need MySQL or POP3 support? Do they support all the PHP modules your application requires? Do they have installers for the blogging software or the image management package you want to run? Whether you already know exactly what you want to run or you’re not really sure and just want to know what’s available, ask. It’s better to find out early on in the relationship that the two of you aren’t really compatible.

If you’ve experienced the hosting scene before, think about your prior affairs and what you liked and didn’t like about them. It sounds obvious, but try to find hosts that offer the features and services you liked and avoid those you did not. So often we tend to repeat the same mistakes we made in the past both in choosing patners and in choosing web hosts. Just because they promise us a terabyte of bandwidth doesn’t mean we’ll really get it. Read the fine print.

Undertand yourself and your current situation first, then seek out a web hosting provider that meets your needs. Research thoroughly before you dive in, remember to read the fine print, and don’t be afraid to end a relationship that isn’t working.

So, there’s no such thing as a perfect web host. If you’re careful in defining your objectives and do some conscientious research you can find one that you will be happy with for the long term.