I'll like to first point out that each step listed below is not necessarily in the order of importance as I deem each point to be just as important as the other. Choosing a dedicated server host is a very critical aspect of your business online. To put it simple, it could make or break you. Issues ranging from downtime, slow support, a very slow network can all kill your website and revenue FAST! I've outlined five points that you should consider when selecting a host for your dedicated server.

1) Reliability

This is not something you can actually know by just looking at their website, so you'll have to do a bit of research. It's always a good idea to do a search about the host to find any reviews from past or current clients. To do this, simply search using Google for keyword phrases using the company name. For example, Rackspace review or EV1Servers review, or you can even take a step further, by reviewing the support forums of the host if they have one. There you can easily find as much information as you need. How does this help with regards to reliability? Simple, it can show how fast they respond to complaints and issues by reviewing what past or current clients have said, and postings in the forums can show how they handle customer feedback.

2) Cost

We are all looking for a cost effective deal. It's important that we factor in quality over cost when choosing a dedicated server host. Selecting a $29/month server may not be the best option if it's backed with poor support and perhaps your server built with recycled hardware. Take note, this is not saying that cheap dedicated server hosts produce low quality service, but I'm saying that in 8 times out of 10 you do get what you pay for. Do price shopping and take note of each host's price along with their server specs, bandwidth, network, and support guarantees. Review each and then you'll be able to figure, which one is truly the most cost effective. Is it really worth it to have a $29/month server with only 256 MB RAM which may be slow and unresponsive if hit with a spike in traffic? It's going to be up to you to weigh those options.

3) Support

This is crucial for issues such as downtime, ddos attacks and general issues dealing with your server. It is important that you communicate with the support team before purchasing a server. Why? Simply because you want to test their response before investing any funds. If you would rather not send an email or call before making your purchase, if the site you're thinking about has a support forum, you can register and post your technical question there or review the questions asked prior to get a better idea of how solid their support technicians are with regards to answering questions.

4) Longevity

This is usually not listed as a priority as many startup dedicated server companies are solid, but it's usually a best bet to track the length of time that a company has been in business. You can do a whois of the host's domain name to see how long a host has been in business. It can be a good indication that they're in for the long haul if they've been around for awhile. This is not to discredit choosing a new company, as many solid server hosts are started regularly who go on to be huge successes. Simply use your best judgment when reviewing if to go with a host that's been around for years instead of one that's now getting started. I should point out here, that in some cases newer hosts will fight harder for your business and give you an overall better support in the beginning in some cases as they really treasure your business. It's really a toss up here, that's where your natural instincts for decision making will have to be the deciding factor.

5) Network

A fast upline provider is very important. Unfortunately not all networks are fast, secure and of high quality. When choosing your server host, it is important that you find out who is the backbone provider, i.e which company is feeding their connection to the internet. Not only do you want to know which company, but you also need to know what's the speed and maximum burst that can be achieved. Many networks have crumbled due to starting with too small of a connection causing all the servers hosted to literally crawl when traffic spikes occur. In addition, you'll need to find out if your server will be automatically behind a firewall or if that's an optional service. Every network should offer the ability for firewall protection but not all offer it as a standard inclusion. Do not overlook this, as if any attacks on your server do occur, and you are not behind the firewall your server can crash.