The Wholesale Forums

[Pete]

10 - Reasonable Prices, not the cheapest you can find, but very reasonable. At under $ 5 a month for plenty of space it's a good deal.

9 - Unmetered Bandwidth, you never have to worry about having your site shut down on the 25th of the month because you've reached your bandwidth limit for the month. Yes, it really does happen. (It happended to me in my prior life as a newbie.)

8 - I can carry on a conversation in fairly good (US) English.

7 - I virtually always reply to emails within a matter of several hours.

6 - FREE SHOPPING CARTS, installed free!

5 - You can talk to me (email preferred) about anything. Unlike most hosting companies, I'll talk about more than just the server and related problems. You can pick up the phone and talk to me. Or, we can talk on MSN. Again, in fairly fluent English.

4 - You are dealing with someone you know. A fellow forum member who firmly believes in reciprocity. "What goes around, comes around" is one of the mainstays of my life. It's said in many ways (one hand washes the other), but it boils down to helping each other out, to the benefit of all.

3 - When is the last time someone from HostGator or GoDaddy or any other large hosting company came to a forum to offer advice on any number of things? I'll discuss shopping carts or hosting anytime, anywhere, anyhow!

2 - You get me included in every hosting package. Advice on just about anything business related. Truly Priceless!

1 - Many of your fellow members here do host with me. Not a one that I can recall ever just clicked my signature link and ordered hosting. Virtually every one of them carried on a several day to several week long email conversation with me before actually ordering. For many it started out "I'm new to this, what do you suggest?" You don't get that with HostGater, or most any hosting companies. (See Number 2)
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[h20ho]

I too, host sites and program sites for clients, but that is not the reason for my reply. I want to agree with Pete in regard to all his points. Yes, there are many webhosts around that will charge you less than Pete will and if you like to be in with the crowd thats exactly what you will be ... customer number 16,566,554 and for the most part host gator, go daddy, wildwest, dime host, bluehost or any of the other top 100 hosting companies (top meaning top amount of customers) won't care who you are or what your name is or if they have to suspend you or not because you forgot to pay this month, etc...

Pete will know your name, know your website, know your business, help you with any questions and support you. In addition, if there is a problem, Pete is going to feel bad. Will Go daddy feel bad if your site goes temporarily down as that person clicks the pay now button for 10 products... no.

Pete is a value-added reseller. The key words there are value-added. Let's talk about value and $5 for a moment. It's Friday night and you are at your favorite bar ordering your favorite $7 drink. You go to the bar because no one is serving you at your table and you get your drink yourself, there is a new bartender and he does not know your name. He does not make your drink the way you like it but it's still OK. You give him $10 and he gives you back $3, $2 in bills and $1 in change. You might give him half the change or even the entire $1 change. You go back to your seat and you enjoy your drink for it's 15-minute life. Now you are not upset or angry about anything. You feel you got value or what is to be expected for the services provided.

Let's take a look at what Pete is offering. Pete wants you to be happy. He is charging you less than what one meal at McDonalds costs. He will offer you advice from real experience that is worth your time, frustration and money. When you need support and you ask questions, who responds but Pete, your web guy. Pete really cares that you are happy and even more he cares that you are successful. If he can help with these two components then you will remain his client. With larger wholesale hosting companies you get the flavour of the day support technician. Today's support might be excellent, tomorrows support on the same ticket is someone else, still OK but took a while for the new person to get up to speed on what is happening with the issue. Perhaps on the third day you get some useless support from someone else and on the final day of the issue the first or second person might or might not give you good support according to how busy they are that day.

Pete will give you advice on SEO, coding, opensource software, resources etc... and what is it going to cost you $5? no, its going to cost you $1 because that is all he charges more than godaddy a month. Now, you paid $8 for your 15-minute drink on Friday night and you had 5 of them. Is Pete a value at the $1 more you pay? I think so.

One of the most frustrating issues with webhosting today is that customers usually say ... but I can get it for this much here.... but they really do not compare what they are getting properly. Kinda like comparing apples and oranges. If you have lots of web experience and you can program and you understand Internet infrastructure then you might want to go with go daddy, but even if you are quite technical you know what your time is worth and to have Pete on your side for $1 is the best deal you will get on earth today. Trust me, I know from real experience what value added resellers bring to the table.

Pete, I wish you success with all your endeavours.

Sincerely.

[imaggroup]

As a recent purchaser of a hosting package from Pete I'd like to say I'm very happy with the personal service I received, and feel that I also learned quite a bit through the change over process of moving my domains to host with him.

[the hoff]

Its value for money!!LOL

Joking aside, Pete, the advice you have given me has been really helpful and i would recomend you to anyone. I am still mulling over that Bombay and tonic though so i guess it proves your point about the pre sales process!

Cheers Roger

[Pete]

Oh, yes. Well it's May now, so I can start on the "summer drink". We Southern gentleman need to stay in fashion. Old Fashions or hot buttered rum through the cold months, then G&T lounging on the veranda.

And, yes, I do have a tendency to sort of gently guide folks into doing it themselves. It's never that I won't do something, but after a bit of time to get used to things, I'll say something like "I'll do this for you, but you know, you could handle this on your own........"

Just like a B&M shop owner, I believe an online shop owner should know every nook and cranny of their place.

Thanks h20ho, your check is in the mail.......

One comment on that - I do not have much to do with SEO. It's a full time undertaking and one of the areas I don't get deeply involved in.
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[h20ho]

Hey Pete, um.. Thanks for the cheque

As you just commented you will do it for them, but you try and ease them into doing it themselves. This again is value that is invaluable to online entrepreneurs. Having the ability to be independant is a must. As well, if they can't do it you are there to ensure they don't mess things up royally.

In addition, once someone has accomplished something new to them, they usually have a greater respect for your abilities and usually your time as well. Some people haggle and nickel and dime you to death and usually over $10 or something trivial. When they realize you are just a normal human being hopefully they come to their senses and realize that their Internet presence and ability to earn online income is costing them the same as a Big Mac and fries per month.

So Pete, since we are on topic... what kind of packages do you offer? What can someone expect when they decide to drop the big bucks for your services? What do you suggest someone that is new to the Internet do to get an online presence? What do you feel some of the biggest mistakes are when people deal with webhost providers? Do you think it is important for the owners to have utimate control? Is it important for a web host provider to ensure that the owners have control and understand the ramifications of db backended websites? Will you get more business making sure customers do not have to rely on you? should web hosting companies try to make it difficult for their customers to use other hosts for their sites? Is success for you when your customers do not need to exclusively use your services but they do?

[Pete]

Originally Posted by h20ho

So Pete, since we are on topic... what kind of packages do you offer?

http://www.affordablehoster.com for most of what I do here.

http://www.smallbusinesshoster.com for Lifetime Hosting as well as the other packages.

I also offer "reseller accounts" with 20GB server and unlimited bandwidth and a max of 20 domains for $ 15 per month. These include a Web Host Manager that allows setting up their own 15 Control Panels. Also has a dedicated IP per each WHM.

What can someone expect when they decide to drop the big bucks for your services? My undying gratitude.

What do you suggest someone that is new to the Internet do to get an online presence?

The mini starter pack with one of the free carts. Basically what I'm talking about at the start of this thread.

What do you feel some of the biggest mistakes are when people deal with webhost providers?

Letting them take care of "the whole thing", including registering their domain and then "holding it hostage", should they decide to move on. Also buying package deals where they end up with a proprietary website that they don't own and can't take with them.

Do you think it is important for the owners to have utimate control?

Sure do. I think it should be just like owning a real world shop. Pay the rent and run it your way. In this case instead of 4 walls and a roof, you rent space on the server, but just like the landlord of a building is responsible for the roof and walls, the hosting company should end up being only responsible for the server related services.

Is it important for a web host provider to ensure that the owners have control and understand the ramifications of db backended websites?

It is, but few do. And I think that is the server people's fault. They have promoted relying on them for db backups, but they can sometimes screw up.

Will you get more business making sure customers do not have to rely on you?

I hope so. But there are always "hiccups" and occasional issues that the must deal with through the host. My entire life I've felt being an "indpendent businessperson" meant being just as independent as you can be.

should web hosting companies try to make it difficult for their customers to use other hosts for their sites?

No, but many do. As you pointed out, we're talking about 5 bucks a month. There is no reason to jerk someone around for pocket change. Many do. They feel like they own the customer.

Is success for you when your customers do not need to exclusively use your services but they do?

Sure is. That's where much of my lifetime and higher end clients come from. They've been elsewhere and word of mouth has brought them to me.

Thanks for the "interview."

I may have to really send you a check.........
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[h20ho]

You see Folks, that's exactly why I said earlier that Pete was value added!