There are many great choices for Joomla Hosts, so how do you know which one is right for you.

First I would go with a name that you have heard of before or is one of the industry standards, HostGator, BlueHost, Rochen are some of them.  These are well established companies that will not disappear on you.  Many smaller hosting companies only resell other companies services.  Why go with a reseller when you can go with the original service provider.

Second go with a hosting company that is known for Joomla or runs cPanel (learn more about cpanel) as the server software. By using a well known Joomla solution you will avoid many of the nagging problems that could arise.  The problems can be php errors, permission problems, or ion cube loader issues.  Additionally by using a cpanel server most joomla developers and forum posts relate to cpanel, so finding help is easier and faster.