Originally Posted by ~ServerPoint~

So now $60 annual package sticked with your web design or web development offer might look quite attractive. Do not sell that separately. Sell that to your web design customers.

Doesn't look like he has customers for either.

Five, to answer your question - nowhere and everywhere! There are virtually millions of web hosts, and the market is now highly saturated. There is no one spot to advertise, that another host hasn't already thought of! As far as getting ahead of others in the business, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. You need big, big money to advertise such a company.

Now, what did I mean by everything? The "good times" we've all become oh so comfortable with, allows most of us to have the time and money to pursue the start of their very own business! Virtually anyone can do this. What does this mean? Well you can advertise almost anywhere - and given the characteristics of our society, a few people will always be interested, due to this very fact - they all want to start a business and earn a bit more money.

I think thats a bit disrespectful tbh, the guy is trying to provide for his family and needs all the support he can get, im sure after a few yrs of web hosting he has some customers but his site offers hosting at $2/site which is just nutts and thats why hes not making money.

If you live in a local town then you can advertise in the local newspaper, in shop windows, maybe offer webdesign to the local stores and give them hosting for $2 if they buy webdesign from you, simply just package it nicely, it is not about offering it as low you can it is about finding that niche and showing to your customers why they need to choose you. In business its called USP (Unique Selling Point).

Another way to get customers is get in touch with your local council or town hall, ask for where they have business meetings for new or existing companies, go along talk with people, tell people what you do and your niche. Just keep at it its a 24hr/day job everyday there is no rest just got to keep doing it and hoping.

A job at McDee's pays better than owning a Web Hosting Company. If he's looking to make money, and is seriously in financial trouble - then it's not the business for him. I'd focus on a real job.

Originally Posted by andrei155

Doesn't look like he has customers for either.

Five, to answer your question - nowhere and everywhere! There are virtually millions of web hosts, and the market is now highly saturated. There is no one spot to advertise, that another host hasn't already thought of! As far as getting ahead of others in the business, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. You need big, big money to advertise such a company.

Now, what did I mean by everything? The "good times" we've all become oh so comfortable with, allows most of us to have the time and money to pursue the start of their very own business! Virtually anyone can do this. What does this mean? Well you can advertise almost anywhere - and given the characteristics of our society, a few people will always be interested, due to this very fact - they all want to start a business and earn a bit more money.

I do have plenty of customers they paid for a year in advance and this month is just deadlock with customers

You would have the same amount of money, even if they paid monthly. Sounds like you went out and spent it all.

Originally Posted by fiveacehosting

I do have plenty of customers they paid for a year in advance and this month is just deadlock with customers

Difficult times right now. I think that you need to wait and I'm sure that things will improve

thanks. I spent it on server upgrades nothing silly :P. I cant wait till the creditcrunch ends (not anytime soon)

good decision Best of luck.

First of all, do you have a business plan?

It seems that you're trying to compete with the big guys on price and space/bandwidth. You'll never succeed this way. You need to find another way to differentiate yourself.

Just to break even, you will need to sell 12 or your large hosting packages and maintain those customers as monthly subscribers to pay for your server and domain names.

And looking at your site, you look just like every other host out there and you need to find a way to break out of the pack to MAKE people want to host with you and then you have to BACK IT UP with great service and support.

I suspect you started on the endeavor without a business plan and that's why you find yourself in trouble today.

For offering website design as a service, did it never cross your mind to design your own 'company' website rather than use a grim template?

I believe that is always first web site in the web design company's portfolio. IMO

Originally Posted by J.C

For offering website design as a service, did it never cross your mind to design your own 'company' website rather than use a grim template? So at a educated guess, I presume each idiot that's signed up to your website design or ecommerce solutions has received some form of template or other jumble of a mess that can be bought off eBay for £0.99.

Ecommerce solutions that can be set-up in less than a day for $25. Hosting for $2/$3/$5 a month. You clearly know nothing about profit margins and nothing about the industry you're attempting to work in, not even the products you're trying to sell. I don't know what age you are but whatever it be personally you come across as some ludicrous 16yo trying to make a quick buck from a bedroom.

I think someone mentioned McDonalds before. It might be worthwhile pursuing a career with them because you're clearly going nowhere if you continue to pursue the path you're on. And the reason this market is highly saturated is because tomfool's like you.

No i dont do this at all. I do my own webdesign and nothing is template based. Made from scratch. The reason thats a template is because that was before i started doing web design. I do know about profit margins. I am making profit from this site. the web design and ecommerce prices have gone up lately to $99.99 For ecommerce and varying prices for web design. I do know about hosting. This thread was created purley because i just needed one customers because of hard times. This month has been gridlocked. Before this there has been a steady flow of money

TS is confusing everyone and then he himself is confused now

If you are trying to sell your hosting how about advertising! I know that it is a novel idea, but you could tell other about your site, get backlinks to it and do seo like the rest of us.

thanks specialk . I own an advertising site (xD how ironic) But this thread was created purley because i wondered if there was anywhere that web masters just chat. I know this forum is that but no advertising is aloud

http://www.webmaster-talk.com/marketplace

yes but i have tried a couple of times there. Nothing sells and no-one looks

This just screams "Hey, im 13 and own a web hosting company!".

Businesses will not buy web hosting @ $60 a month...unless you contact them and meet with them...and convince them that your $60 a month plan is more benefficial than (ex.) Gixxer PC(Yay for self promo) $3.45/mo. plan!

Sure..you might "give" them more space and/or bandwidth...but they'll think long and hard that...if they dont use that much.

Then, assuming they do buy...and your servers are crappy...they'll bad mouth your "company" to hell's end.

have you not read this thread Gix? You have probably just read the first post. My hosting is $5 a month and i just needed a quick sale. Next time Read the entire thread before comiong to conclusion.

I think, I have already seen your hosting offers on a couple of forums. Just do a research in Google for webmaster forums, web hosting forums and domain discussion boards and make a list of them. Then think a bit about your hosting price and cut it to half or so a month ($5 a month to $2.50 a month) and post that offer on all those boards saying it is a promotion of your hosting services and it will end soon.

Use your signatures to promote the offer with attractive anchor text. Also do a little bit of research as to which host is offering which deals on the same forum. Your prices should be competitive enough to attract the attention of the users. I would like to quote an example here. Hawkhost used to sell hosting at $3.95 or so per month for a 3 GB disk space and 30GB bandwidth (or $5.95 for a 6GB disk space and 60GB bandwidth). It seems they needed some quick amount fast at one time (one year ago), so they offered the package at $5.95 per YEAR on Digitalpoint forums. Needless to say they got some quick sign ups and made some quick money.

If you are in urgent need of money, why don't you follow that way to raise some quick money? Once you have made the amount you are looking for, you can close the promotional offer.

A couple months ago, I needed a webcam. I went to WalMart, and bought one for 19.99. It broke 2 weeks later.

What drugs am I on, and what does this have to do with anything?

I'm assuming http://fiveacehosting.net/ is your site.

BUSINESS PLAN
Unlimited Disk Space
Umetered BW Transfer
Unlimited Emails
spam & Virus
filters

$5 A month

From an educated customers perspective. This scares me. It's like my 19.99 webcam thats now in the garbage. Cheap isn't always the best selling point. I'll go to Best Buy next time.