There are thousands of hosting companies out there and to be honest they’re all the same! They even have the same template & similar names.

We’ll start of with your name. No matter what you decide to call yourself you should always get the “.com”. Chances are if people don’t know what your ending is they’ll plonk in a .com. Now if you have the .net because the domain you wanted is already taken as the .com you could pass on the occasional client to the .com company! That could be $4 a month, $48 a year…all the people that person could have recommended you to, are recommended to the .com! On the other hand, country code domains, .ca, .us, .co.uk/.ltd.uk, etc, can work. (warning self promotion) I always used to just sign off emails “Afford A Host”. I now always sign them of “Afford A Host UK” and refer to my company as that. I did try to get the .com version, but unfortuanly the owner wasn’t willing to sell it….but you have to work around problems like this (self promotion over)

Another bad part could be, if someone has a bad time with the .com they may go on a few forums, review sites, and tell everyone about their terrible experience with them. If someone who read that a while ago, and see your company…not realising you’re a different company just with a different domain extension they might skip your site.

In the same way a template could do this. Too many hosts have the same layout with that annoying flash header which has to load on every single page of their website, with the same annoying sound effects, and tune in the background. I’ve known people to not even bother with a host because of background music! Now by getting rid of that sound, you could get someone interested in what you sell and you save a few kb of bandwidth – it’s called a win win situation!

Once I got spam from a hosting company and when I came to look for a hosting provider I came across one site and recognised the template to have sent me spam and ignored them!

If you’re starting out, get your own design made, nothing fancy, static images, no flashy flash animation. Spend a bit on it! It’s like your face. Do you really enjoy getting served in Mac Donalds by that spotty, greasy, teenager? Wouldn’t you rather get served by an attractive woman in stilettos and a red dress? In the same way an ugly website is the spotty teenager of Mac Donalds.

So close down that template monster site! Delete those templates you got for $10 illegally of eBay! Designers aren’t cheap, but a good one Is worth it! It might be a money saver to get them to make you an index page & sub page….then do the rest your self! The other way is to buy a ready made template – but make sure it’s unique and will only be sold to you…maybe buy something different from the norm.


(note, my first "tutorial"...more of an article to be honest. Say something nice :))

Those are all great suggestions!

Thanks for the idea, but I have a question. I am starting a hosting company called iFobos. It doesn't stand for anything, but do you think I should make something up?

Also, I suggest to people not to make their template too 3D, but also not too 2D, because both piss some people off. If you want a bit of 3D, use drop shadows, but steer away from 3D gradients and advanced things like that.

Many people also like lighter template, rather than black.

One other thing i recommend, your site is NOT a technological display, keep it simple, but above all, easy. You don't need that "awsomely cool" shoutbox, or a link to your blog.

Anyway, nice article.

Nice starter on this topic, affordahost!
(though I think you're focusing mainly on web site usability issues)
Let me add a couple of pointers on the subject...

First of all, the Corporate Identity should be just that: an Identity. It's supposed to reflect your business stand and differentiate your company from the competition. And it should convey a positive message about your business.
If we look at affordahost's "woman in red" analogy from a different perspective we can find a differentiating factor in the two people portraied: the woman cares about herself and her image, while the greasy kid conveys the message that he doesn't bother about his own image nor if his zits are disgusting to customers...
In short: get rid of any and all things that may carry a negative connotation.

Furthermore, the Corporate Identity must be present in every piece of communication issued by the company. In online bussinesses (and SOHOs in particular) it is frequent to find completely unrelated materials spread all over a site, resulting in a visual patchwork that effectively destroys any chance of establishing a Corporate Identity. It doesn't matter if you've got a cool logo: Corporate Identity is a matter of public perception and one bad perception can easily ruin it.
In short: be thorough and consistent about your corporate image.

Keep 'em commin', affordahost(UK!)...
Cheers,

Originally posted by affordahost
There are thousands of hosting companies out there and to be honest they’re all the same! They even have the same template & similar names.

Take it one step further and think about what would convert your potential buyers to customers. Even if you have a website design that is visually different from other hosting sites, what makes your company stand out from the all the other web hosts out there? Figure out what differentiates your company from your competition and play up that message on your site, your advertising, anywhere a customer can see it. Give potential buyers a reason why doing business with you is better than with your competition.

Make sense? I think I began rambling there :)

Thanks for the additions :) Glad to see it's gone down semi-well :P

I am starting a hosting company called iFobos. It doesn't stand for anything, but do you think I should make something up?

After two years.... hehe
iFobos eh?
Well ... you know, "fobos" sounds a lot like the Greek "fovos" whitch means "fear" ....
iFobos? to me as a Greek, it gives a negative vibe.
Just my two cents.

Nice topic, thank you.

yeah i do have to agree with you on this. corporate identity is important for anybusiness, no matter what sector your in. people need to be able to recognise you no matter what they are looking at. whether its a car, a letter, a fax, an email, a website and so on.

Thanks for the infomation!

Dot Coms and Templates are the front line of your company

This article was astonishing. I thank you 1000 times over for taking the time out of your day to write it, then post it and not try to sell it like the money hogging corporate.... nevermind, you get the picture :) Good job!

You bring some valid points, I am currently trying to hunt down a designer.

Where is that McDonalds?

Good article. Love to read more coming from you. :)