This isn't going to be a long drawn out list of things to look for because depending on what type of websites you plan to run, and whether you need a dedicated server with lots of bandwidth or can get by just fine with a small virtual account, your needs will vary. However, I think there are some major things to look for once you've narrowed your choices.

1. Don't buy hosting from a reseller, buy it from an actual hosting company. In many cases you won't be able to tell so you'll have to do some checking. I just don't see the point in dealing with a reseller that either offers no support, refers you to the support department at the host he is reselling for, or attempts to handle support issues themselves.

2. If they don't offer phone support (preferably toll-free), I don't even consider them. I also expect that support to be available 24/7. There's nothing worse than having to send in a 'support ticket' and waiting hours or days for a response, especially if your sites are down for some reason.

3. Be sure they offer Linux servers in most cases. Some hosting companies offer both Linux and Windows servers, but I would never recommend choosing one that used strictly Windows.

4. Make sure they provide things you'll need like the ability to run scripts, PHP, MySQL, etc. You may not need it now, but if you need it later and they can't support it, you're screwed.

5. Look for a good deal with plenty of storage space and bandwidth, but be aware that no host can provide you with 1,000GB of bandwidth for $10 a month without cutting corners somewhere or throttling the flow somehow. If you need the hosting for TGP galleries and will be using a lot of bandwidth, you'll be very disappointed if you go with a host that offers what seems to be an amazing deal. Remember the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

6. A few last things that I would suggest checking for would be a good control panel, access to the server logs with some sort of stats program and the ability to move up when the time comes. You may only need a basic virtual account with 50GB of bandwidth now, but down the road if you need more and outgrow a virtual account, you'll want to be able to move up to a managed dedicated account with the same host, because moving a large site is a major hassle.

I use several different hosting companies and they're all good (otherwise I wouldn't be using them), but I highly recommend ATCI Hosting. They provide top quality service and support and I have been extremely pleased with them.