How low can you go! ! ! That’s the question

The way hosting companies are going now is to keep dropping their prices to compete, and new companies just start pricing their packages low. But when does it get to the lowest. 300 MB for $4! Soon or a later all hosting companies will be FREE, because they now sell hosting now next to nothing! ! And the host who has higher prices will not survice ! ! ! Why, because really good host will soon become cheap as well !!

I know that all host who dont want to see this happen will disagree! !

True, but this may not happen the way you think.

Many cities/towns are considering laying groundwork bringing ethernet connectivity to every home. Combined with an upcoming IP standard (IPv6) each computer - and possibly even appliances - will soon be capable of having a unique presence on the internet. With high-capacity lines running to the home most avid computer users will simply host their sites from home rather than pay someone else to host their information.

On the other hand there will always be web novices who simply don't have the knowledge to do this or connections to have it setup for them. There's still at least one generation left of web newbies before today's BSc in computing science will be common knowledge for everyone keeping profitability in streamlined web hosts for some time.

Sincerely,

-Doc

Most of the companies who provide home internet access also provide webhosting, and probably wouldnt be real keen on taking themselves out of their own market by giving it away for free... thats alot of the reason why most places you can't host off of cable modems etc.

-Brendan

But see the problem is if everyone has high capacity lines that just means that we will have to serve files quicker. Instead of offering 2 GB / mo for $3.95 or whatever we will have to offer 200 GB / mo for $3.95. Its all relative.


-- this also means people will want to have streaming video and content on their site to make it more interactive. Technology has been there, just not the lines.

Originally posted by bahres
And the host who has higher prices will not survive!

No, the expensive hosts are fed by former customers of cheap hosts :D

Originally posted by Walter


No, the expensive hosts are fed by former customers of cheap hosts :D

I agree, I host a lot of cheap host refugees, even of some new host that seems that WHT loves it :)

1. Employees cost money
2. Servers and computers cost money
3. Bandwidth costs money
4. Food costs money
5. Housing costs money
6. ...You get the idea. ;)

Now if those things all became free, I'm sure hosting would as well. Unfortunately, they aren't free. Not yet anyway. :D

Yes, we've been planning on offering free reseller accounts soon. Including a free domain name for 2 years and 24/7 technical support for your clients. And if you sign up today, we'll pull a free DSL line into your house at absolutely no cost - anywhere in the world! :rolleyes:

Hello,
We have no plans to go free and I'm sure not many others do either. I actually think the price of webhost will raise in the future because more people will have more $$$. But anyways. Like Kiwi said giving a way free reseller accounts and installing a dsl line for free is not possible well it is but you know!

Originally posted by bahres
And the host who has higher prices will not survice ! ! ! Why, because really good host will soon become cheap as well !!

I think you have this backwards. There are very few reputable hosts that offer prices like $4 a month for 300MB disk space and 10 gigs of bandwidth. Most of these hosts are kids trying to make a quick dollar, and have no concern for where they will be in a year (let alone their customers).

A business like hosting cannot happen with this kind of profit (or lack thereof). It does not take long for people to realize that they get what they paid for. There is a reason that the top hosting copanies can get away with charging hundreds of dollars a month for hosting.

Budget hosts will always have a place in the industry, as will premium hosts. However, unless you have a little "this is my homepage" site, or a huge corporate site, there will be a need for something else. Which is where the majority of hosts fit in.

-Dan

Hosting, is becoming a competitive biz however it really isn't.

See people come to these forums as complete newbies (NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT HOSTING) and assume that the biz is hard and that its competitive. I agree it is, however it really isn't.

Most companies resell space or have dedicated servers. So there are different levels of competition.

The Data Centers
The Resellers
The Colocationers-people who colocate and give virtual
The Dedicaters-People who get deds and then give virtual accounts

Get it........so in my opinion the prices won't go anywhere up or down. Maybe quality of service will go up or down.....but prices I don't think will.....


This reminds me of that MCI commerical where they are like........"Most companies take you data........and pass it on........then they pass it on again........then those people pass it on again.........Here at MCI.......we don't pass it on......MCI the nations largest IP network.."

hehe......

Sav

I find the whole statement interesting and confusing seeing how during the last year we have seen the collapse of several large companies that were into the business of providing "free" services.

Declining advertising revenues (meaning we don't seem to click on the ads anymore...) have made some of the mighty tumble and fall.

Unless we all start clicking those ads again I forsee the end of many things that are currently free on the internet.

Free doesn't pay out in the end...

Originally posted by Pilgrim
Unless we all start clicking those ads again I forsee the end of many things that are currently free on the internet.

Unless those developers, who lay out the ads for us to click on, don't stop making the ensuing link open up 200 web browsers, reset our browsers homepage, and generally screw us over in the ultimate search for another 0.0003c...then I doubt we'll start clicking on those ads anymore.

Gary

:confused:

Many businesses will always need to outsource thier web hosting. The biggest part of web hosting is providing a service and that takes people. Those who offer it for free will be out of business. Not too difficult a concept.

I have found that many of my clients picked me because I was near to them and willing to meet with them face to face and discuss their needs. That kind of service can never be free.

I have several who left Earthlink because they got tire of being placed on hold and then not understanding the person they spoke to.

Originally posted by avara
1. Employees cost money
2. Servers and computers cost money
3. Bandwidth costs money
4. Food costs money
5. Housing costs money
6. ...You get the idea. ;)

Now if those things all became free, I'm sure hosting would as well. Unfortunately, they aren't free. Not yet anyway. :D

I say we move to implement communism throughout the hosting industry...WHO'S WITH ME?




(yes I'm joking)

The cost of hosting should be regulated so we don't lose money!

:)

It will be free soon, When we first started it was expensive now its going down and down because of stupid people who just want quick money

Like I said before, we HAD free. It came, it saw, it went under. No doubt new free companies will spawn again but there will always be need for payed hosting because payment gets you quality.

Well, it SHOULD anyway :D

Also specify "free"....

If people think that there is a philantropic club of business people out there who have made it their goal to provide free hosting for all the people on this earth...think again.

Just as unlimited bandwidth is a lie, free is a lie. Sure you do not pay with cash each month but you pay in other ways.

They splatter your page full with advertisements
They sell your email address
They put you on mailinglists
They make money ways that you and I do not even think of.

Free. Yah right :rolleyes:

Goodness bahres! I don't think you know what you're talking about.

Despite the fact that there will always be lowballers in any industry, I think that web hosting pricing will eventually "find its own level" soon and maintain.

You can charge average or above-average prices and still continue to get new accounts provided you offer exceptional service, and hopefully, some kind of value-added service over and above hosting. This basically holds true with any type of business. In the long run, most people really do appreciate superior customer service.

Let the lowballers beat their brains out. They'll all fall off, one by one, and their disgruntled customers will be happy to pay you more for getting more in return.

IMHO, of course...

"vito"

Your right you know .....................


:o