Choosing a Web host is not an easy job. There are literally thousands of hosts currently available on the market, and with the business geared towards smaller operations setting up through reselling, etc., it is unlikely there will be a leveling off in the number available in the foreseeable future. To add to the burden of dealing with the increasing number of hosts, a potential customer has to establish what packages and deals each host has to offer. Luckily a ‘community’ of ‘Web Hosting Directory’ sites has emerged that not only offer potential customers the information they need, but also gives web hosting start ups and veterans alike an excellent advertising/marketing venue.
Submit your Site, it’s FREE
There are an increasing number of Web Hosting Directory sites on the Internet providing information on web hosting companies and the services they offer. Listing your company and your services is usually free and simply a matter of submitting your details to a site’s database – a reasonably quick, automated process that means you can submit to all of the leading directories in less than a few hours.
Of course, time is money, and you need to maximize your efforts by dealing with the most popular and well-established directories first – these are the sites where you will find most of your new customers. Try HostSearch.com (1997), TopHosts.com (1997), WebHostDir.com (1997), HostIndex.com (1998), and Findmyhosting (2002). Others include TheWhir.com, Hostpulse.com, Findmyhost.com, Hostcompare.com, Hostreview.com, and Hostpromoter.com.
Use PPC Tools to Promote your Web Site
Of course, these sites are commercial and that usually means they finance themselves using advertising revenue. The good thing about advertising on a Directory site is your advertising audience is focused – why would visitors come to the site unless they wanted to know about Web Hosting? In addition, most directories offer “Pay-Per-Click” (PPC) programs. In these programs your advertisement is displayed in a similar fashion to Google Adwords, and you don’t pay anything unless someone clicks on your link. Some sites (particularly HostSearch.com, the pioneer of the system) enable you to bid for improved ranking in a list of hosts. When you bid your link moves higher in the list, making it more noticeable to potential customers. PPC solutions can get you started even if you have a relatively small budget – less than $100 will buy you some clicks and get you some enquiries.
‘Host Quote’
Yet another advertising tool some Web Hosting Directory sites employ is the ‘Host Quote’. This tool allows visitors to submit inquiries on the type of host they are looking for. If your services match a visitor’s needs, his/her inquiry is forwarded to you at a fixed cost. WebHostDir.com, TopHosts.com and, again, HostSearch.com offer similar schemes. This type of advertising can lead to immediate results and is well worth considering for a start up.
Traditional Internet Advertising Formats
Of course, if you have a bit more money to spend on advertising, the traditional Internet advertising formats can produce the results you are looking for. These more traditional formats are probably the most effective and include banner, skyscraper, and button adverts (as well as text links). Lrge banners and buttons not only help you get sales, they also help you create brand awareness – something that will be very important to your business in time to come. Experience suggests that the types of banners that generate the most clicks include banners showing low prices and great features in big letters with bold fonts! Those with flashy and colorful colors, cartoon characters, or pictures of females work too! Surprisingly, banners with annoying flashing frames sometimes work as well.
Other Free Tools
You can also encourage your customers to submit reviews about your services to Web Hosting Directory sites. Some sites offer reviews and rating buttons that display real time results. Reviews are very much the premium tool end users consider when switching hosts, so do not underestimate their importance. You can also submit photos of your company to some sites, something that creates confidence in customers who have had bad experiences with small home-based web hosts! Check out HostSearch.com for examples of reviews and host picture features.
Best of luck!
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