Considering A New Host For Active Forum & WP Site.

I've been with Bluehost for over three years. I've really not had any big problems with them. But I've learned that people usually don't have problems with hosts unless they actually have a website that has good traffic.

Well, as my main site has grown, I think I'm outgrowing my host.

I have a forum (SMF) with over 1500 members and close to 80K posts. It's got a good core of very active members. Doing well. The main part of the site is on WP platform.

Friday, I try to bring up the forum and POOF! It's not there. Just a blank screen. No error, no nothing. Call support and they have no clue, but the support guy comments out a line in one of my SMF files and the site comes back up. Don't ask me how he knew to comment out that line or anything.

Things go fine for a few days, then yesterday P.M. I start getting "exceeding CPU" errors and then a 500 error. Keep in mind, I've done nothing to my site in these days to cause any of this or any changes to even make me suspect anything.

Called support two times last night and finally was told to submit a ticket to their scripting department. I could see the PHP errors in my CP and I knew it was something wrong on their end, but no one could figure it out. Well, I haven't heard from support but my site's back up today.

I'm just thinking it may be time to consider switching. Not sure I really want to deal with that, but I'm having more errors and glitches with them in the last year.

I know HostGator gets mostly great reviews. Will my experience there be any different though?

I know lots of people here ask for web host suggestions. I could really use some guidance, not just in companies, but the things I need to keep in mind about my site in particular that would help me choose one.