The first step in locating the best and most affordable web hosting company for your needs is to hit your favorite search engine and then to start collecting email addresses of hosting firms.
Take a quick look around at what each company offers to determine possible suitability. If their web site doesn't function correctly, it's wise to look elsewhere. Ensure you review their company profile to get a "vibe" about their practices and ethics. If the company profile only details how good they think they are, run like hell. The rest of your initial enquiries can be handled via email.
Let the hosting services know that you are approaching a number of companies. You can make this clear by putting all the company email addresses in the CC field. This strategy will quickly identify the companies who genuinely want your business and also allow you to easily run through an initial cull, saving you valuable hours in research.
Not all web hosts are created equal
The criteria for the first cull is simple - if they don't respond to your enquiry within 24 hours, delete them from your "possibles" list. This also applies if they only send you links to promo material without any personalized message. To really test them out, send your email late on a Saturday night - wherever the hosting company is in the world, it will be the weekend.
The idea behind the 24 hour strategy is this - if a company can't respond to pre-sales questions quickly, it may be an indication of what their customer support is like. Also, many web site hosts don't see the "big picture". You may be starting out small, but who knows how big you'll become and how many other people you will refer to their service? A forward thinking company recognizes this and communicates appropriately.
Don't make it too hard on the hosting companies in your email to start off with, you can ask more detailed questions as you reduce the list of possibilities. .
Hosting Service Recommendation: uses a excellent email support service that makes telephone support look positively antiquated. Test it out for yourself and ask them some pre-sales questions! Visit ThinkHost today!
Looking for a new web host?
The first step in locating the best and most affordable web hosting company for your needs is to hit your favorite search engine and then to start collecting email addresses of hosting firms.
Take a quick look around at what each company offers to determine possible suitability. If their web site doesn't function correctly, it's wise to look elsewhere. Ensure you review their company profile to get a "vibe" about their practices and ethics. If the company profile only details how good they think they are, run like hell. The rest of your initial enquiries can be handled via email.
Let the hosting services know that you are approaching a number of companies. You can make this clear by putting all the company email addresses in the CC field. This strategy will quickly identify the companies who genuinely want your business and also allow you to easily run through an initial cull, saving you valuable hours in research.
Not all web hosts are created equal
The criteria for the first cull is simple - if they don't respond to your enquiry within 24 hours, delete them from your "possibles" list. This also applies if they only send you links to promo material without any personalized message. To really test them out, send your email late on a Saturday night - wherever the hosting company is in the world, it will be the weekend.
The idea behind the 24 hour strategy is this - if a company can't respond to pre-sales questions quickly, it may be an indication of what their customer support is like. Also, many web site hosts don't see the "big picture". You may be starting out small, but who knows how big you'll become and how many other people you will refer to their service? A forward thinking company recognizes this and communicates appropriately.
Don't make it too hard on the hosting companies in your email to start off with, you can ask more detailed questions as you reduce the list of possibilities. .
Hosting Service Recommendation: ThinkHost uses a excellent email support service that makes telephone support look positively antiquated. Test it out for yourself and ask them some pre-sales questions! Visit ThinkHost today!
http://www.thinkhost.com/index.php?11137
About the Author
Annette Thomas is business marketing and management professional.
