interested in web hosting?

[mellocj]

I am starting a small web hosting company. I already have 2 servers setup that I am leasing in a colocation facility. I would like some feedback specifically from AnandTech users about what they would pay for in terms of web hosting.

I already plan to offer very good tech support via email - with a response almost always in less than 12 hours, usually within an hour. But, what sort of features do you guys and gals really want? I figure that most small websites don't need a SQL backend database, but may want to write their own CGI scripts? Virtual domain hosting and email is standard though.

I may be able to put together a special for ATOT users only if there is enough of a need. I hope to be able to attract some users who want affordable hosting without gambling on Cyberwings.

 

[RossMAN]

First of all I would check out your two main competitors, what they offer and for how much:
CyberWings and Dixiesys (also known as 3-95.com)

Secondly I would do some research on the WebHostingTalk.com forums to see what people's major gripes are, what they want and how much they're willing to pay.

Lastly I'd read some reviews at WebHostingReviews.com and WebHostingRatings.com.

I'm not sure what I'd be willing to pay, it depends on the turn around time to get accounts setup, the uptime, tech support/customer service, and most importantly how much bang for my buck that I'm getting.

I think you're going to get mostly personal/family/hobby website customers here from ATOT which is fine since they don't take up a lot of bandwidth compared to eCommerce websites.

If you had an ATOT special, I'd be willing to pay around $10 per year for at least 300MB, 6GB bandwidth per month, at least 25 e-mail addresses, Plesk control panel, 1 or 2 subdomains, etc.

 

[Blieb]

I love how people on WHT often want stuff for free ... and then bitch about poor service ...

 

[mellocj]

Yes, I've been to webhostingtalk.com.. I think $10/year is too low for any type of web hosting service. My rates would have to be higher than Cyberwings, but my customers should expect a higher level of service and stability...

any more interest?

 

[yllus]

There really are 1,001 barebones web hosters out there. Why don't you try to hit a niche? Offer somewhat customized solutions.

A) Let users choose between an independent implementation of Apache 1.3.26 or 2.0.39 under Win32 or *nix as they see fit. Make sure you've patched up, by the way.

B) Then allow users to configure their servers with whatever modules they want. mod_perl, mod_php and mod_proxy are probably going to come into play as experienced web admins see fit.

C) MySQL or MS SQL Server access is going to be essential.

D) Fully disclose your location, available bandwidth and backup schedule.

E) Run a promotion for perhaps your entire first year. Many of us stake our reputations on recommending webhosts and right now it's sounding like your company is the kind that will disappear overnight. You have a lot of trust to earn yet!

Good luck with your company, though. If you actually put into place the kind of company I've outlined above with some degree of reliability I know a hell of a lot of people who will want to do business with you.

 

[mellocj]

Thanks for the tips yllus

Right now I am setup with two servers. I have one running Ensim 3.1 control panel, and the other is more of a barebones Apache 1.3.26 with php. I anticipate that most of my customers will want the user-friendly control panel, but I can customize and tweak Apache on the other server as needed for custom accounts.

My two servers are located with Rackshack, which is fully disclosed on my website. I am doing backups every 3 days (which I haven't 'announced' on the website yet).

Mark
tqhosting.com

 

[Stifko]

man, Cyberwings is cheap, but I bet you get what you pay for.

 

[astartz]

Best of Luck, My best advice, find a niche, advertise and treat you customer great.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Stifko
man, Cyberwings is cheap, but I bet you get what you pay for.

True and true. You should read the ongoing battle in the Hot Deals forum, most people are satisfied with CyberWings (after all what you expect for $3.90 per year) while some are having non-stop problems.

I have 8 web hosting plans I bought from them and haven't set up any of them yet. I'm hoping I'll be satisfied rather than disgruntled, otherwise Shawn will not be happy

 

[notfred]

What I would want:
Unix
CGI support
Ability to write my own httpd.conf
ImageMagick and PerlMagick installed
Every perl module you could ever want
A site admin who will actually try to install software for you if you ask for it
uh, that's about it