My question is...

When you see a host who offers a support forum but when you view it you see little to no activity, does this make you leary of their support or level of service?

I don't know why it would there could be several factors. Either they have a small customer base, their customers don't have a lot of web knowledge and don't utilize the forums, or it's new. There could be a variety of other factors as well. I am not standing up for the small webhosts, I actually work for one of the larger ones, but I wouldn't be too concerned myself.

Normally, a host has an inactive forum cause they offer live phone, instant messanger, even a helpdesk, or an IRC chat. Sometimes the forums are just used for 3rd party opinion, or to get some help on things related with their site that the techs at the web hosting company can't really assist on, unless it's installing something for the server physically, unless it's shared, then they usually can install any kind of software you need if it is included.

It's not a bad sign usually, unless that is the only support they offer(that wouldn't be really wise). I wouldn't get too scared of that, unless you see NOTHING but complaints when the forum is active, then I'd be a bit concerned, other than that, nah.

EDIT: Oh yeah, sometimes the forums are used to see announcements, and post problems and see if it's just their ISP or if it is a network outage/connection problem.

I hope not.
tera-byte's support forums were verrrrry slow for at least the first 6 months. I felt like I was the only one posting / helping out.
While I would be waiting for an answer, I would answer other peoples questions. Now they are getting more use.

Right now half of the clients where I work don't even go online for answers. They just call. Also some prefer email because they don't want to appear dumb for not knowing, or maybe they just want the personal touch.

I believe the fact that a host is willing to put up a forum on their site is showing that they are interested in customer service and support and is proud and confident of the services they provide. One small caveat to consider: I've seen post on WHT about hosts who delete negative posts so that is something to consider. I don't care how good a host is someone is always going to whine about something. So to get back to your question I wouldn't let the fact they have had little activity dissuade you. If you've done all your due diligence checks!

'Few clients' has the most votes eh?
I think tera-byte has a few thousand clients, but I can't be too sure. :D

The other side of the coin is that if they aren't active then there aren't many problems :)

Wouldnt bother me at all.

I view Support forums as generic support and a Help Desk or telephone as more of the primary support features. You obviously can't post account specific issues on a public support forum. I do think it can be a good place to post generic "How to's" for the beginner.

If our clients don't post, what can we do?

Originally posted by iWebbers.com
If our clients don't post, what can we do?


I think you hit the nail on the head there , you can't force or make clients post. We have tried for 9+ months to build a forum and get our users active and it's just keeps failing. it's not that we don't have alot of customers but maybe the fact we offer live chat , support desk etc

I don't know if I could bribe customers to post :stickout:

I think it all depends on the clientele you host.
Weve tried forums in the past too, and plan to relaunch it again soon. I dont think its a major priority with MOST clients..maybe the WHT crowd as most are "avid posters" but....
Some clients dont give a darn about whether or not their host has a forum...you meet their needs, and thats really what they are paying for so thats their first,foremost concern.
There are still tons of hosts that dont offer forums...while I think they might be beneficial, I dont think they are a "necessity"

well said , Martie :)

There are still tons of hosts that don’t offer forums...while I think they might be beneficial, I don’t think they are a "necessity" One step further, not offering forums or having very little activity on a provided forum should never be used as any type of benchmark as to that host's competency as a web host.

Originally posted by Martie
Some clients dont give a darn about whether or not their host has a forum...you meet their needs, and thats really what they are paying for so thats their first,foremost concern.
I agree with you on that point Martie as uptime to me is the most important issue. But also is communication.

But, learning the hard way years ago, I learned to not trust what a fancy site tells me about a host regarding support and uptime. They all claim to be the greatest and I have better things to do than try them for 15 or 30 days and then have to worry about unauthorized billings, etc. because I left. Not to mention moving my sites and nameserver changes.

That is why I for one appreciate forums as it gives me, a potential client, the ability to ask current clients and hosts themselves questions regarding their services and the ability to see how clients are dealt with when things go bad (assuming a host does not remove negative posts). This practice has worked well for me in the past as I have never had any problems out of the ordinary and I usually stay with the same host until I have out grown their plans.

When I see a host who does have a forum yet no active posting, I tend to move on. Maybe it's just me.

I think forums are more of a benefit for pre-sales functions. When I’m checking out a host I like visiting their forums. As a customer I like forums because I can check for answers to my questions without having to open a ticket or calling support. I would think hosts would like that because I would believe having forums would reduce the number of emails and calls they would get. It’s like an interactive FAQ.

Here's my two cents...

I have only been a hosting client for a couple of years. When I look for a host, I always look to see if they have an active user/support forum. An active forum tells me what the clients think of the hoster, how the uptime is, what features work or don't work, basic howto's. It also gives me a pretty good idea of whether the host is going to be around or not.

Having said that, I have signed up with a host that has almost 0 activity on the forum. I think Support and I are the only two members, so far... There were enough positive things about the host - price, server location, features - that is has been worth trying out.

Forums are a two edge sword. It you are a new hosting company with few clients, a forum that is set up right away is guaranteed to be slow. It shows that you are serious about service and support, but exposes the fact that you have few customers. If you have no forum, it is hard to demonstrate the quality of your business. As another poster said, anyone can set up a flashy website that looks good - I have been a victim of one of those. Of course, WebHostingTalk helps track down good hosts as well!

I just put one up yeterday and was kinda scared to as I was afraid it may affect new orders for the next while with a dead forum on my site. But I figured if it takes off then it would be great for business in the long run. So far I'm the only thats posted in it. :bawling:
I'll probably give it a month or so and see how it goes and can always replace it with a News-Announcements type page if it don't work out.

Our forum is barely ever used other than getting clients opionions on up and coming services.

We offer AIM, IRC, Email, and Support Ticket system, aswell as forum.

AIM is most used, second is email / support ticket. Most of our clients don't even have accounts on the forum.

I don't think it's a factor, unless that's all they offer. Obviously people prefer as close to real time as they can get (AIM, MSN, Phone, etc) or use ticket systems.

Some customers just don't use forums.
I think we have 63 registered members in our forum and believe me when I say we have substantially more clients than that.

Our fourms get used for announcements and that seems to be about it. Our customers prefer our other avenues of support, tickets, live help, ICQ, Phone, email and they seem to avail themselves of support that way rather than the forum. Of course we also make it clear that a post in the forums are the lowest prioity in getting an answer. So a inactive forum may mean happy clients that are taken care of fast and do not wish to spend time waiting for a reply in a fourm when they know they will get one in 30 minutes or less the other ways.

If forums are important to you then you should look for a host with an active forum that spends many hours a day there, if you are not a fourm person then you may be missing a great host if you turn away because there is not much happening in their forum.

As has been said here before there is no perfect host, only one that is perfect for you.

Most of us who work with computers know that there is no such thing as "one way" to secure it. It is a combination of multiple things. The same applies to contact options.

Most good Web Hosters have 4, 5, or more, different ways of contacting them. A Forum is option for Clients; to seek help, post their opinion, or just be chatty. :)

Whether Clients or Visitors use the Forum is up to them and not something a Forum operator can control. Always good to see one though. Usually a good place for potential Clients to zing out a few posts and see who replies, what type of replies they get, etc.

Well, it doesn't necessarily mean you are new...and it doesn't necessarily mean you have few customers. It may just mean your clientele doesn't utilize it. Only 5% of our clients registered on the board, and no one has posted. Fine by me... I still post announcements there, and at our helpdesk, which by the way doesn't see much action either :) Most of the support calls have been thru email or phone, even though the forum and helpdesk information is included in the welcome email. It must be those excellent flash tutorials from demodemo.... they have certainly cut down the phone calls and emails since we started using them. We don't spend any time in the forums anyway...we set it up for clients to help clients, and an extra place to post announcements. We have had a forum up for most of our existance...first vbulletin, for the first year, which we didn't lease again because of inactivity, and our current phpbb board, which we may remove due to lack of use...

Our support forums are dead, and our helpdesk is still < 300 tickets i do believe :D, typically when customers have problems, they come right to us, or in fact prefer to email. Forum is pretty dead, maybe 40 someodd registered users and 200 posts, most of them mine, no real reason for customers to use the forum, why bother. Only time we encourage the forum over all others is extended client/client support :).

Ours are active :), cuts down on tickets to :)

I agree Robert. I also think that any host that hasn't bothered to build a nice community will argue against the need for one. We started our forum soon after the business was set up and have plugged it to our clients as much as possible.

1) Excellent for support. Members ask each other about certain things and that can cut down on our support time.
2) More than just a host. An active forum makes your business come alive. Apart from the host's support, they can be great communities for anything. We have loads of web designers and programmers that have picked up work from other members and on ther side, lots of members that have had sites done or scripts coded etc.
3) Pre-sales experience. How do you really know what a host is like? Hang around the forum and find out. You can lurk or sign up and ask questions of members direct.
4) Staff/Client interaction. A host and it's clients can get to know each other on a different level and that's very important.

There are ways to build a forum. We have almost 500 members on ours in about a year and I see Myacen has 900ish inover a year and a half so it is possible. I love our forum and the members - it's a great place and I'm proud we've done it. Of course we offer an FAQ, SupportDesk, Live Chat, Phone Support and Email Support. A forum is another form of support - sure, but it is much more than that.

Last point - just has to be a vbull community. ;)

Yes I agree with Laurence on that point. You will find it rather difficult to get members to the forums if

A - You have a free board, not saying it's essential to buy vb.

B - If you keep the original theme of the board and don't customize it. Eg the amount of times I have been to phpbb that look the same :rolleyes:

Laurence, nearly 1020 now :D

Ah, haven't been in a while but glad to see you crack 1000. You SolidInternet idea with support though forums was quite a brainwave. We are mulling over something similar but different. No new brand or anything - just a new service, depends on how much cash we make over next month or two.

Agreed on phpbb. The only host that succeeds with one is SplahHost. I love vb. We have 6 or 7 skins on our forum and it is heavily hacked with great mods from vb.org.

Originally posted by Curtis H.
My question is...

When you see a host who offers a support forum but when you view it you see little to no activity, does this make you leary of their support or level of service?
It probably means they have a small client base, or they're so good, that noone needs much help. :D

I don't think it matters that much to the regular consumer if they use freebie phpBB or buy a vb license just the fact that they have a forum and are trying to build a community is good in my book. Most consumers don't even know the difference. IMO the look and feel are pretty similar anyway when comparing one vb to the next with the same forums (news and announcements, feedback, pre-sales questions, lounge, etc.) Maybe the skins are different that's it. I guess if you have a lot of web designers and programmer types they would appreciate a more tech board but a regular old consumer like me a phBB or whatever is fine.

BTW nice boards you have NexDog and Myacen I found myself hanging out there and I'm not even a customer! Oh no more forums to spend my time at! :D

A forum is a powerful tool to faciliate interaction between folks on all different levels. Websites present information - .COMmunities encourage interaction and involvement.

We have a very busy forum/site. :D It's a great sales tool. Folks come to the site - see plenty of action - see other people here - post a sales question - get involved.

We have a LOT of folks who lurk for weeks, before jumping in. Lots or return visitors who keep coming back, because nothing stays the same for more than 10 minutes. There's always action.

But more to the point of this thread - a dead forum is a turnoff and will not help growth. But a forum has to start somewhere and it's a tad tricky getting things off the ground.

I agree that having a dead forum doesn't matter much, there are many more important factors involved when choosing a web hosting provider such as price, features, backbone and support response speed. However, keep in mind that someone new to this field may think that a dead support forum = dead/slow support :rolleyes:

Well I wouldn't call our client base anything to sneeze at and we have been in business awhile so we are not new. New sign ups are at an all time high so I would not think a slow forum hinders sales.
As I said some people are forum people and if so then host such as HTTPme and Myacen would be good choices for them, however our customers seem to be quite happy not posting and I am not going to try and talk them into it. I would rather make sure they get their answers fast and personal, plus extensive use or our knowledge base and FAQ's and Vito Flash tutorials.

Originally posted by Monte
Well I wouldn't call our client base anything to sneeze at and we have been in business awhile so we are not new. New sign ups are at an all time high so I would not think a slow forum hinders sales.
As I said some people are forum people and if so then host such as HTTPme and Myacen would be good choices for them, however our customers seem to be quite happy not posting and I am not going to try and talk them into it. I would rather make sure they get their answers fast and personal, plus extensive use or our knowledge base and FAQ's and Vito Flash tutorials.
Yeah, depends on the person and what they're looking for in a provider. A forum is just an excellent platform for the exhange of information [customer to company - customer to customer] to faciliate another purpose. Each to his own. I find it makes the sales process easier, but there are other factors like price, quality, support etc, to consider as well.

Originally posted by NexDog
I agree Robert. I also think that any host that hasn't bothered to build a nice community will argue against the need for one.
And I would imagine many of the votes saying it doesn't matter are from the very same people.

I'm not a host but if I was, you could bet your bottom dollar I would have a forum and would try my best to promote it. Give members a reason to use it as there is no way anyone can tell me it doesn't reduce support tickets or help build an informative "data base" for members to search.

I also know that several times with different hosts, I have persuaded potential clients to signup with a particular host by communicating through a forum.

A new host is expected to have a slow forum. But they should work to change that through promotions or contests to encourage participation. But, it's your business and if a host doesn't want to use ALL avenues possible to increase business, so be it. OTHERS will. :D

Originally posted by Curtis H.
I'm not a host but if I was, you could bet your bottom dollar I would have a forum and would try my best to promote it. Give members a reason to use it as there is no way anyone can tell me it doesn't reduce support tickets or help build an informative "data base" for members to search.
I can tell you from experience, that what you are saying is 100% correct. The search button in our .COMmunity is pure gold. :agree:

We're coming up to the 500 client mark and have about 1400 tickets on our Helpdesk. That says something about the .COMmunity support model. Having a detailed knowledge base is also a must.

See Curtis, I do agree with things you say. :D

Originally posted by Aussie Bob

I can tell you from experience, that what you are saying is 100% correct. The search button in our.COMmunity is pure gold. :agree:

We're coming up to the 500 client mark and have about 1400 tickets on our Helpdesk. That says something about the .COMmunity and support model.

See Curtis, I do agree with things you say. :D

Honestly, We have more clients now then we do helpdesk tickets, if you remove the submission by one user (whose submitted over 100 helpdesk tickets, totally insane client).

I was shocked when i ran those numbers the other day, especially considering we *dont* have a huge number of clients, and most of our clients are Dedicated, Colocation, And Resellers (Who typically have a far higher volume of questions then most educated end users).

Originally posted by porcupine
Honestly, We have more clients now then we do helpdesk tickets, if you remove the submission by one user (whose submitted over 100 helpdesk tickets, totally insane client).
That's a lot of tickets for 1 client!!! :D

Originally posted by Aussie Bob

That's a lot of tickets for 1 client!!! :D

"bigtom" :rolleyes:, it makes up nearly 1/2 of our helpdesk tickets, without him we have < 150 helpdesk tickets and nearly 200 customers now :D

Originally posted by porcupine
"bigtom" :rolleyes:, it makes up nearly 1/2 of our helpdesk tickets, without him we have < 150 helpdesk tickets and nearly 200 customers now :D
Not Tom from Melbourne, Australia?? :D

Well, I guess it depends on your client base. The majority of mine come from word of mouth on IRC. They prefer *real time* communications. Now I can sit on the forum (and I do often) and try my best to talk to them within every 3 minutes, but as most (anyone) prefers someone who can anwser instantly, a forum does not provide this.

My clients (aswell as most anyones probably) have better things to do than sit on my forum (even though it would be nice on occasion) and talk to the other clients. They have their own online hobbies, their own online buddies, and they talk to them.

I do see your point about the forum being good -- and it is, a lot of the referrals we get do post to the board, but most do not. They use AIM or tickets or come to IRC and talk to use directly. I can't blame them; I prefer real time too. I just can't get that on most forums regardless of how many people are on it. Not all clients can anwser your questions, and unless you never sleep or have > 10 support members who refresh the board every second you can't get that real time effect the same. Under 5 minutes is still a good time (I'm used to that here) but I do talk to various members of this board over AIM because it's easier to talk in real time versus pm/in a thread (just an example).

Just my opionion. I do however wish our forum was more used ... I'm typically the only one to post to it :| perhaps I'll email them all and ask for them to signup and start surfing it. I do post many deals on it I'm sure none of them see but sure would like to :D

Might try the Aussie Bob plan and get the forum rollling ....

Originally posted by Aussie Bob

Not Tom from Melbourne, Australia?? :D

*sigh* yes, i just learned all about it, i had never heard of him before (he never used the nick bigtom around me either), i posted in that other thread :eek: what a nightmare in general

Originally posted by porcupine
*sigh* yes, i just learned all about it, i had never heard of him before (he never used the nick bigtom around me either), i posted in that other thread :eek: what a nightmare in general
Well, you da man now Myles. :D

Originally posted by Aussie Bob

Well, you da man now Myles. :D

Phew,

I misread that and thought you said "well, you a man now Myles", i was about to say *shudder* :eek::eek2::puke: I swear no helpdesk tickets went that way! :laugh:

I see this thread is now totally off-topic. My work here is done. :D

Some thoughts on DarktidesNET's comments -

One of the hosts I am using has a helpdesk, IRC, and a very active forum. The way things are suppose to work, and they usually do, is that the forum is for status updates from the host, interaction between the clients or between the clients and staff. Clients sometimes point out problems and ask for help in the forum and the staff sometimes fixes the problem. Often, other clients have an answer from past experience. If the client wants to formally ask for help, it should go through the helpdesk. Almost everyone knows that a client that complains on the forum and never opens a trouble ticket is an idiot.. err, not following the process.

IRC is great for realtime status - what's going on with server x, should I open a ticket for yada yada, etc. IRC is pretty informal and sometimes fast and loose, but it is a good way to check what's going on. It is also great for real time answers. It is not great for tracking a problem that is client specific. That goes through the helpdesk.

I don't camp out on the forums, but I do try to drop in every few days to see what is going on.

I do like that sometimes, gripes are publicly aired in the forums. Maybe a client opened a problem and didn't like the resolution. That either keeps the host honest by having to address the issue or shows that the client has no idea what they are doing. In the end, all of the clients win, though it may cause the host to clean up his act. I think that is still good for buisness.

I agree fullroast, an active forum allows hosts to see what clients are saying and act on it, be that negative or positive.

You make a great point. That is why we offer IRC, AIM, Ticket, Email. Soon we will be offering 1-800 # toll free support too. That's a lot of various levels so hopefully everyone can find their own way that they like best.

I do believe I'm going to push them all to use the forum a bit. Some, for example, want to resell but they ask me a lot of questions that I feel could be better anwsered by the existing reseller clients like how hard is it, how do you get customers, etc.

Forum is definitly a plus IMO, but I would most definitly not frown on it being vacant unless it's the only list support form then I'd be scared.

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
I see this thread is now totally off-topic. My work here is done. :D

You know what i do to people who steal my work? *whips out small yet functional nutcracker wooden figurine*

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
See Curtis, I do agree with things you say. :D
I saw that Bob. :D Nothing wrong with disagreement either. Hey, someone has to keep you hosts on your toes. And you gotta give me some credit as this is one of the more constructive threads recently.

Originally posted by Curtis H.
I saw that Bob. :D Nothing wrong with disagreement either. Hey, someone has to keep you hosts on your toes.
hehe. Too right!! :agree:

But I'm such a gentle natured chap that doesn't get into scraps......much. :D
And you gotta give me some credit as this is one of the more constructive threads recently.
It made for good discussion. I'm a big believer of forums and .COMmunities etc. :) Myself and Myles also got to hijack the thread too, so that was worthwhile. :D

Originally posted by DarktidesNET
I do believe I'm going to push them all to use the forum a bit. Some, for example, want to resell but they ask me a lot of questions that I feel could be better anwsered by the existing reseller clients like how hard is it, how do you get customers, etc.

And answered less frequently. Folks get used to searching a forum if answers to their questions are links to forum posts. Inevitably, a percentage will then get involved.

Cheers

Gary

Gosh I wish my client's would use the forum, instead we all get bombed in ICQ and AIM. I don't think I have had a post in the forum in 3 or 4 months.

but I will say this, I did like it, keeps me happy to have something nice said publicly instead of emailed

most likely I will delete it

mike

Actually Mike, nobody has posted on your forum for 34 years.

:eek: Laughing

Originally posted by ADEhost
Gosh I wish my client's would use the forum, instead we all get bombed in ICQ and AIM. I don't think I have had a post in the forum in 3 or 4 months.
I honestly don't know how you can build a support system that's truly scalable, with ICQ and AIM. I guess you could use some kind of system like LivePerson, where each tech gets assigned certian requests. Paysystems has livechat for support and I can never get through. :eek:

Originally posted by Aussie Bob

I can never get through. :eek:

Wise decision by paysystems to limit your access :D ;) :blush:

I always preferred opening support tickets to posting at forums. Reasons being, one, support tickets are emails that can be saved in case of disputes while forum threads can be deleted or edited by the admins if they so choose, two, most mods of support forums tend to either lack technical competence or they have really nothing to say except "hang in there!" I'd rather deal with the guys are working at the host, while forums tend to be moderated by a volunteer support group that may not be able to deliver the results I need. Thirdly, it is a drag to visit the forums every day for responses :D I prefer to get my answers by email, since I check my emails 10,000 times a day anyway!

Originally posted by NexDog
Actually Mike, nobody has posted on your forum for 34 years.

thanks, I saw that issue kick up about 6 months ago but nobody cared about it ( the users ) so we left it alone as a gag. but anyway, your right, I think it's time to kiss it good by and I think I will do a new forum.

maybe I will try something different I don't know

Mike

Originally posted by Aussie Bob

I honestly don't know how you can build a support system that's truly scalable, with ICQ and AIM. I guess you could use some kind of system like LivePerson, where each tech gets assigned certian requests. Paysystems has livechat for support and I can never get through. :eek:

bob it's rather easy, you have each support member handle the support desk at different hours and then rotate those guys off from desk to ICQ or aim.

this way I have always

one person icq or aim and one person on the control panel trouble desk, you just have to have your handoff set up properly.

I got ICQ and aim for about 20 hours and I got the trouble desk for 24 daily. ( it's not fair to have one guy handling both the desk and live )

We opened up our forums a couple o months ago and they seem to be fairly active on a daily basis. In my view, the forums are extremely helpful for customers to get support from each other for things such as third party scripts, which we ourselves don't support. As Bob said, from a sales and support point of view it's fantastic, as a lot of questions have already been asked and a simple search will give the answer.

As far as AIM etc. go, I can see it working for a low client base, but as a business develops I can see this creating a few problems. Especially if you have multiple techs working at once etc. and need to load balance the support requests.

The forums have certainly cut back on our support loads. Another thing I would highly recommend is to have an extensive and searchable Knowledge Base or FAQ in place.