And we’re good at what we do! In fact, for a business web site hosting company we’re so good at marketing we spend nearly all our time doing it. Once we’ve got you, we move on to the next potential sale, like a shark, constantly moving forward.
The never ending sales pitch
OK, the shark analogy is a bit dramatic but it’s pretty much the way it works. Because of the intense competition in the industry, every small business web site hosting company has to offer cut-rate introductory hosting plans if they are to have any hope of getting your business.
Once you’re on board, the web host has to spend a inordinate amount of effort trying to upsell you to more expensive services….all the while continuing to search for new customers who will also have to be upsold once they’re on board.
It’s a vicious cycle but it’s the way it is. It can be a great thing for the small business owner because it means you can find a great hosting plan at an affordable price if you do your homework You just need to be aware of what is driving the small business web site hosting company before you commit to a hosting plan.
Why you should care
A business web site hosting relationship is a marriage of sorts between the online business owner and the business web site hosting company. And as in any long term relationship, breaking up is hard to do. The better you understand your partner before you tie the knot, the greater your chances of a successful long term relationship.
What should you look for? The main thing is to look beyond the sales pitch that caught your eye in the first place. The amazing deal they offered to get you on board is already a given. But what lies ahead?
If you’ve done your homework correctly you’ll have examined your web host’s more advanced plans which you will hopefully need to take advantage of when your web site’s requirements grow.
Check them out
You’ll have also checked out their customer service record to be comfortable that what they promised in their sales pitch is for real. You can do this by contacting the technical support team by phone, or by e-mail, and asking a few questions about how things are handled.
It doesn’t really matter what kinds of questions you put to them, assuming the questions are relevant to web hosting. What you are really trying to do is get a feel for how professionally and promptly they respond to your question. If it takes two days for them to get back to you, that’s not a sign of great customer service.
The bottom line is that you need to look past the hot deal that their marketing department used to attract you and focus on the things that will be important to you as time goes by.
Our Great Traits section covers the things that distinguish a quality business web site hosting company from the wannabes.
You can also head over to our Top Hosts section to see which companies scored well across the board and represent the best overall value.
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Secret #8
