How to market a web hosting business

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by Jasonb, Nov 14, 2006.

  1. #1
    Hi there, i work for a web hosting business and iv just been promoted to head of internet marketing. Now... I have been with the company for 6months and they are very impressed with the fact i know alot about the internet and how it works ect.. The only thing is.. There a Pr5 web hosting company with over 5,000+ customers... They have about 6,000 backlinks some from pr7 pages. They get pretty rubbish traffic accually about 3,000 uniqes a day on avergae looking at the AWstats but for a company trying to break into the mainstream of web hosts the traffic should be alot higher.

    Im just thinking is there anything i could do,suggest to the directors ect.. That would maybe help either bring alot more traffic and raise awereness about the company. I'v allso been looking for free ways to market the business as i have been told free marketing is the best way. Iv been thinking about asking peaple to trade delicious tags with me for the site ect.. also exchanging digg (allthough i dotn know too much about digg someone will have to explain) I know about 50 webmaster related forums but... DP is pretty much the daddy of all of them, all the others are rubbish seriasly :)

    Im just wondering could any one help me out a little in marketing a pr5 web host?


    Thanks

    Jorik
     
    Jasonb, Nov 14, 2006 IP
  2. CaptainB

    CaptainB Peon

    Messages:
    199
    Likes Received:
    10
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #2
    Do you have a referral program? You could have a referral contest. Whoever sends the most new sign ups in a certain month gets a cash bonus.

    Do you have monthly specials that you promote?

    You could set up a SEO contest, with a rule that each site in the contest has to have a link back to the host. You could use free hosting as the prize.
     
    CaptainB, Nov 14, 2006 IP
  3. Jasonb

    Jasonb Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    151
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    195
    #3
    CaptainB, some great ideas, thanks :) Iv heard alot about these SEO contests ect.. Im thinking to build a refferal program, we're baseiccly every customer has the chance to reccomend peaple. Every person they reccomend they get a 5% refund (If they pay yearly) or free hosting the next month if they pay monthly ect.. Baseiccly if you sign up for a $120 per year for 1GB if you reccomend a certain ammount of peaple you could get $100 back in payments.
    But apart from this special, we also really need some SEO, like backlinks ect...


    Jorik
     
    Jasonb, Nov 16, 2006 IP
  4. w3bmaster

    w3bmaster Notable Member

    Messages:
    17,594
    Likes Received:
    416
    Best Answers:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    240
    #4
    Invest in advertising becouse from SEO part this market is very competitive ....on any keyword ....

    Olso 120$ for 1G.b Seems not a preaty deal/atractive one for posiblle clients
     
    w3bmaster, Nov 16, 2006 IP
  5. 30k Challenge

    30k Challenge Peon

    Messages:
    1,188
    Likes Received:
    54
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #5
    No offense but that referral program is pathetic.
     
    30k Challenge, Nov 16, 2006 IP
  6. Jasonb

    Jasonb Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    151
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    195
    #6
    Yeah, im going to get the prices lowerd i think it will be $90 for 1GB
     
    Jasonb, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  7. Jasonb

    Jasonb Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    151
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    195
    #7
    What is so pathetic about it?
     
    Jasonb, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  8. PalSys

    PalSys palsys.io

    Messages:
    2,628
    Likes Received:
    224
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    230
    #8
    I think what he means is that the discounts are a bit low. Hosting is a tough business, especially from a marketer's position.
     
    PalSys, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  9. 30k Challenge

    30k Challenge Peon

    Messages:
    1,188
    Likes Received:
    54
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #9
    It is nowhere near competetive for a hosting affiliate program.
     
    30k Challenge, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  10. Jasonb

    Jasonb Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    151
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    195
    #10
    But the person has the chance to get there hosting completly free. I have told the directors about the idea and they said 10% is best. 10% refund and slashed from there monthly yearly price. If the package is $1.50 a month then the person only has to reccomend a few peaple before they get it for pretty much nothing. Do you think 10% is better? Any more suggestions are welcome
     
    Jasonb, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  11. rahman15

    rahman15 Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    424
    Likes Received:
    11
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    138
    #11
    You can start with not cheating with DP member.
    In virtual world trust is everything….form my experience with you….you have to work on this first.
     
    rahman15, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  12. Jasonb

    Jasonb Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    151
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    195
    #12
    sorry when did i cheat you again??
     
    Jasonb, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  13. rahman15

    rahman15 Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    424
    Likes Received:
    11
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    138
    #13
    Remember we agreed on a link exchange ...I put up your link but you did add my link.
    I checked the website you are supposed to put up my link but you did not. I PM you few times but you did not reply. ..I consider this as cheating.

    I can read you old PMs ..or I can post the communication we had about this deal...


     
    rahman15, Nov 17, 2006 IP
  14. Jasonb

    Jasonb Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    151
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    195
    #14
    Im happy that its now sorted out my freind, :)
     
    Jasonb, Nov 18, 2006 IP
  15. Grokodile

    Grokodile Peon

    Messages:
    425
    Likes Received:
    17
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #15
    Okay, about that referral program you are talking about. You are really just allowing people who already host with you to save some money. It's going to be a hit and miss thing, nobody will be really motivated to put any work into getting referrals.

    I think what most people here are thinking about are the pay per signup referral programms that are out there for other web hosts. It's up around $100 per signup at this point.

    If you want sites that are about hosting to point to you, you'll have to offer some type of competitive payment... or they'll simply point potential customers elsewhere.
     
    Grokodile, Nov 18, 2006 IP
  16. Jasonb

    Jasonb Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    151
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    195
    #16
    hey thanks graokodile, you mean like say you owned a host reviwing website or a host directory , you listed my service and i payed you $100 say if some one signed up. I suppose it could work
     
    Jasonb, Nov 18, 2006 IP