On Friday, I was awakened at 8 AM (don't people know web designers don't get up during the day? :) by a company called Blue Genesis. They were telemarketing their hosting services rather aggressively and in the course of the conversation (which I'm surprised I was able to carry off at that point in anything more than a grunt), they offered a deal to me in which I would be listed as a web designer on their site that customers could contact for web design needs if I hosted the customer's site with Blue Genesis.

While I'm not especially impressed with the services (price-to-value ratio) or the fact that I was telemarketed to, I am intrigued by the "alliance" nature of the deal that they proposed, and would be interested if there are any hosts out there who would offer me a similar deal but with a service of superior value (this isn't necessarily a price thing, but it's a combination of the price to value).

So the question is are there any hosts that offer to list designers on their site (preferably Toronto-based) on the condition I, as the designer, use them as the host?

Thanks.

Actually I'll let you in on a secret. Webhosts and Designers have had alliances of sorts for a very long time. It might not be as obvious as your telemarketing friends there, but special rates, and refering of clients (both ways) is pretty common practise.

It's a symbiotic relationship. Both companies are looking for the same thing, but for different reasons. Hosts need bums on seats, and designers need clients to build. Hosts sends client enquiries about design to the designer, and the designer sends client to the host.

They're just being lazy about it and only offering you a link instead of actively sending business your way. :) The trick to it is to find a webhost that doesn't offer any development of their own, and approach them with an offer. All the more chance if you have a couple of clients to bring along with you.

We usually do all our own development ourselves, but send almost all flash design to a client of ours. We often refers us to his own customers for hosting, as an example

Greg Moore

Originally posted by TheGAME1264
don't people know web designers don't get up during the day?

Amen.

I like the idea of alliances, but I do both already. :rolleyes:

Absolutely,

Many companies enjoy the benefits of web designers. We offer sponsored hosting to designers so they can freely promote themselves while selling their services.

Sincerely,

-Matt

I guess I should have specified that I develop sites that employ Windows 2000/NT technologies and therefore any hosts I'm looking for would have to, like Blue Genesis, be NT hosts.

I apologize for not mentioning this before. Somebody goofed Ralph! (Trouble was it was me.)