Hey everyone,

I am wondering - what web host do you folks feel has the best web design? I don't want commentary on who is a good host and who is a bad one (frankly, I'd expect the bad hosts to have better designs than good hosts, because they need *something* to make the customer buy from them), I just want to find out what web hosting customers are really looking for from a web host's web site design.

I'm sure I'm not the first host to wander around the web looking at my competitors' designs and wonder whether they are actually working at making the customers feel like this host is better than that host, etc. Design does have a very important aspect to the first impression, and I really would love to find out what customers (and other hosts) feel.

So, I put it to you - what web host has the best designed web site (in terms of both design and content), and perhaps more importantly, why do you feel that way?

I'm looking forward to seeing the responses. Should be interesting.

Thanks,

Jason

I actually asked this same question a few months ago. My personal favorite was (and probably still is) Burlee.com Maybe webhosting.com as well come to think of it.

Funny enough they both support your idea of a bad host needing a good design as both have gotten a fair bit of flack lately over support etc.

Greg Moore

i like the new designs for cfoxhost.com and the one owned by mikeA is going to have. I saw the new designs on a webdesign site and they looked awesome.

Ones that are live now i love the burlee.com site.

Originally posted by akashik
...a bad host needing a good design...

LOL... ya know, it seems to be true. I won't name names; but in the last couple of years, I can think of at least five hosting companies we've worked with who had great websites themselves -- but who provided the world's worst hosting services.

On the flipside, my most favored hosts out of dozens have extremely simple, straight-forward front ends on their sites.

Maybe the ones who actually spend the time taking care of their customers and their servers simply do not have the time to be designing, building, and maintaining showpiece front ends...?

Originally posted by etLux
Maybe the ones who actually spend the time taking care of their customers and their servers simply do not have the time to be designing, building, and maintaining showpiece front ends...?

Then how do you explain CobaltRacks.com?

I must say I rather like http://odenet.net and John runs a fine web host....

That's a nice piece of design work.

I've been working with the designer that did that site... he does *very* high-quality work.

Stuff like that is a blast to do. For the sake of a cool example: http://www.nearlyhuman.com/nearlyhuman.htm

Exactly! Thats why the majority of our sales come from referrals =).

Without mentioning my own company,
the best web design for a web host would have to be Dreamhost - http://www.dreamhost.com

The whole site is designed so effectively; each graphic has a purpose and each page is consistant. There are only two dominant colors used for the whole site - but that's really all you need. The site is clean, professional, and sets out its purpose of being "dreamy."

Regardless of their service, Dreamhost gets my personal respect for their web design.

With that said, I don't know of ANY other web host really having an innovative design. Most web hosts' sites are bland, inconsistant, novice-looking, or just plain ugly - which really is fine by me :)



Originally posted by Jason Ellis
[B]Hey everyone,

I am wondering - what web host do you folks feel has the best web design?

Jason

Was searching and came across this thread, just thought I'd resurface it and show everyone what folks were discussing as "great sites" a year ago :D