Speaking from experience,
(Worked at multiple web hosting companies, as well as ran my own)

A web host is the backbone of your blog/website. Without your web host, you don't exist. A web host can really ruin a good website or online presence. I recommend doing research before just choosing the cheapest web host you find on google or yahoo. There are a lot of determining factors which should be in the back of your mind before you click that payment button to a web host. Things such as uptime, how long they've been around, good and bad reviews you find on the company, is it linux or windows, support response time, do they even support my blogging platform (most do these days). This is just a start. If you have any questions or want me to assist you in finding a good host. Just shoot me a message and i'll be glad to get to you as soon as time permits.

-Eddie