Web Hosting
I have not been posting, emailing or keeping in touch as I usually do. This is due to a big change I had to go through with my web hosting. I have about 20 of my own websites, and about 20 or so client websites. Most of these websites have been happily housed on a reliable web host, which I liked, and had good customer service for several years.
Sounds rosy, doesn’t it? Well, good things obviously aren’t meant to last in every case. You should read this so that you can see the signs, problems and find a solution as I did…
I started having trouble with getting in touch with the hosting provider in late November, early December. I had to cancel a credit card since it was found to have fraudulent orders on it. So, I tried to update my billing information at this host. I also had to get a client’s credit card billing information updated for the same reason. I didn’t want our hosting accounts to expire and shut down our websites. There is no way for a customer to update this billing info themselves, so contacting the host directly is the only way.
January came around, and still no response, until… I received a message from the host that the emails I had sent were never received. I was told to send them again, which I did. I know of two websites that this host runs, and also sent the messages through those online forms. Extra measures were taken to also submit trouble tickets and try to call via phone. All bases covered, right? Something had to go through. No more responses again. *sigh
The emails I sent weren’t addressing just the billing information needing to be updated. I was trying to get some hosting accounts upgraded, bandwidth upgraded, etc. These are important issues, and customer service is the BIGGEST concern of all.
I am a patient person. I know I was trying to get these things resolved around the holidays. I figured this host perhaps went on vacation. I thought perhaps they got behind with the New Year tasks. Every scenario went through my mind. I am sure this host wanted my money. Or did it?…
By mid January, all of those scenarios went out of the window! There is no reason good enough to make a customer wait three months to get service.
I had started doing REAL research on hosting companies. In the beginning of January, I spent weeks reading message boards, rating sites, review sites, blogs, etc. Good reviews and bad reviews revealed why people loved or hated the host. I seriously looked to see who was behind each company. If I couldn’t find contact information, what their address was, where their hosting services were run through, etc. I wouldn’t even think about using their services. I wanted to make sure there were many avenues to try and contact the host.
Thank goodness I found Host Gator 
, who I thought would be good to host a few websites on. It had all of the right things I was looking for in a web host. I thought of hosting a few websites over there and spread my other websites over several web hosts. I was trying to stick with the idea of not having all of your eggs in one basket. However, I did dread the idea of having to move all of my websites over to any host manually, file by file. No matter, it had to be done.
Mid January, I started to set up a couple of accounts through Host Gator. Things were going nicely. I decided to move one of my client’s websites as well. Since he is not savvy with websites, I placed my own email address and phone number in the sign up form. The phone rang… “This is Host Gator. I am calling to verify this account…” They were calling to make sure the account wasn’t fraudulent since the name, credit card, phone number and email didn’t seem right. I was shocked, glad, and excited all at the same time. What company does that?!? It is a rare quality!
All was worked out and kosher. While talking to Host Gator, I asked some questions, told my scenario a wee bit, and got information that saved myself from a ton of unnecessary work moving all of those websites. Some of you reading this may already know this, but in case you don’t know… If the old host has a cpanel, it can easily be backed up along with the databases, script settings, email accounts, etc. all in tact. Backed up, zipped up, and uploaded to the new host’s cpanel as if nothing ever happened. The only thing that you have to do is ask Host Gator to move it for you, which they will do for free, and then change your DNS. I use ItsYourDomain for my domain names, so I just go in there and change the DNS myself. It can take up to 24-48 hours for this to go through, many times in a few hours.
As I am working this all out with Host Gator, I haven’t said ANYTHING to my old host about moving my websites. I suddenly find that my site, Dreamish.com, had it’s account closed. WHAT?!? Well… that had to do with not being able to update my billing info, now didn’t it! I lost my membership system that I paid to have installed on Dreamish.com and it isn’t retrievable. Ok… so now I am in a panic. I HAVE to move these websites off of the old host. I HAVE to let my clients know what is going on and have them moved from the old host.
An amazing little problem sort of bubbled up from talking with my clients. As I explained the details to my clients, I found that I wasn’t the only one who had to update my billing information. Quite a few of them had to as well. A few others said that they have never even been billed for their hosting accounts. Now I just find this outright strange. You see it coming, don’t you?… Many of us had to change our credit cards because of fraudulent charges on them. The only thing that we ALL had in common WAS this web host. Hmmmm… Now I am not pointing the blame directly at this host, as it could be the payment processor that is bad, or got hacked. It could have been the host’s billing area that got hacked, or the whole web host is hacked and that is why they haven’t gotten my messages. It could be people working for the host that were doing wrong. Again, every scenario went through my mind. No matter, they aren’t accepting anymore orders.
Due to the circumstance, I decided to move ALL of the websites to Host Gator right away. I didn’t like the other choices I had researched for other web hosts as much. I didn’t have time to research anymore. Plus, I felt that I was totally happy with Host Gator ’s customer support via online chat, phone, and email. I know where the company is located. I know where they host their servers from. I talk to people who comprehend what I am saying and who I find easy to understand when getting support. The billing area is easily accessible, where all of my hosting accounts are in one location. Another good thing, I can update my billing information easily.
After all of these years of working on the internet, it is rare to find good companies to work with. I have gathered a few that I use regularly due to their customer support, high values, ease of use, and affordability in comparison to their competitors. If by sharing these resources, I can help someone, I am happy to have saved someone the time and headache of researching for themselves. Cheaper isn’t always better! I have been there, used some of their competitors before I found them in many cases, and really love the following companies…
- Host Gator – my newfound favorite. Never have I found a web host like this as you read above. I have had a lot of more interaction with them via support than I listed above, and have not been disappointed at all.
- Its Your Domain – sticking with not putting all of your eggs in one basket… I never purchase my domain name from my hosting company. Can you imagine what would have happened if I couldn’t get through to that old host if they were hosting my domain names? I would be held in limbo. I probably would have lost my websites. It has happened people. So, go directly to the registrars. I have used ItsYourDomain for many happy years now.
- aWeber – my favorite newsletter hosting company. You should not host your own newsletter on your own website. I used to do so. It was messy, time-consuming, and a server load. aWeber makes sure they keep up with the latest that filters are requiring of them to make sure your newsletters get through. Undeliverables automatically get unsubscribed so that you don’t pay for subscribers that bounce. They have a flat fee for 10,000 subscriber increments. aWeber also provides auto responders for your use. Plus more that I suggest you check out for yourself.
- Template Monster – there are times that a web designer will benefit from letting a client select a template that they can already see and have tweaked to their needs. It can be very cost effective if money is an issue for a client or for your self. Template Monster has very professional templates to offer. Sometimes just taking a template and changing the images in it will make the website look unique enough.
- My Affiliate Program – I have been an Affiliate for many years. I was also an Affiliate Manager for a company who ran their website through a third party company. It was not an easy backend to use. I go to work for another company who used MyAffiliateProgram and was amazed at how user friendly the backend is. The tracking is really nice, uploading banners and such are easy enough to learn. This one is usually used by bigger merchants. Smaller merchants are offered a lower end version named Affiliate Clicks. I have used both and have been pleased.
- Revenue Magazine - This is the magazine that did an interview on me two years ago and a follow up interview for this year. The people who work here are genuinely friendly. I have had a subscription from the beginning. It is really useful to help keep up on the latest trends, issues, news, companies and so forth in the internet.
I will post these and any other companies that I love in the right hand column of WendyShepherd.com under the title of “My Favorite Services” for you to find anytime you need them. I placed them there for easy access. Only the best will be listed there after they are well checked out and I have used their services.
-Article Copyright © Wendy Shepherd - http://www.wendyshepherd.com
**May be reprinted with permission, credit, and link
…………………………………………
Comments: 1.
Wendy,
Sounds like you’ve been very busy, but not quite as busy as you could have been… I’m glad you were able to fully research your options and found a time-saving, life-saving (sounds like, anyway) web host for your sites. So, did you manage to get Dreamish transferred over, too? You sort of left us hanging on that one. Hope all is well and it’s not too cold up there!
Love,
Lee
Comment by Lee — 2/13/2006 @ 8:36 am
2.
Hey bro! Yes, I managed to get dreamish.com transferred over. I had the pages on my computer. However, I did lose the membership system that was installed. I do have a copy of the original files for it, but not the members. I just have to figure out how to install the thing, or pay to have it installed again. *sigh
It is VERY cold here. Do you want some snow sent down there to you? Love, ~Wendy
Comment by Wendy Shepherd — 2/13/2006 @ 10:18 am
3.
Seniorita~
You are a very smart persons. I no understand anything you say above! LOL!
Adios,
Juan
(*James, there you are being funny again. ~Wendy)
Comment by Jose Martinez — 3/18/2006 @ 1:59 am