I am just curious as to what you guys think is going to happen to the hosting industry in the next few years.
Personally i think that we may see an end to this $2 hosting for several reasons
1. The obvious they will all go bankrupt.
2. So many people will have been messed around by them that they will be glad to pay more to get better service.
3. Things go in cycles and the original expensive hosting has to come back at some point.

I am redesigning my site at present and while its been down i have increased my prices for new customers, this comes along with new features for the clients so i feel that the increase is justified. Not just that though, if i continued at my current prices i wouldn't be around that much longer and that would be worse for my clients.

Just my $0.02 let me know what u think

I think that we shall not worry about the future since its not in our hands and try to adjust to the present idustry. No one knows what will happen. The pricing issue is just a minor issue related to the topic.

very wisehosting words :)

"Try to adjust to the present industry"
Well obviously that is the case but there is no harm in speculating, besides which the present industry is in different sectors, cheap budget hosts, expensive business hosts and those in between, so adjust to your current area of the market would be a more accurate comment.

Originally posted by Sina
I think that we shall not worry about the future since its not in our hands and try to adjust to the present idustry. No one knows what will happen.

I disagree. If we won't, who will? You can think ahead or stay behind.

Marc, thats my point, if you dont think about the future it will be upon you and it will be too late.
Classic non hosting case would be Marks and Spencers in the UK, they nearly destroyed their whole business because they didnt pay attention to changing fashions, they are still struggling to compete and this is several years later.

I back Kiwi Fruit on this one... :D

Regards
Phillip

Originally posted by Kiwi
I disagree. If we won't, who will? You can think ahead or stay behind.
Yep. What worked last year means just about nothing. The internet is evolving so quickly. It's keep up or go extinct. :)

Hosts that hold fast to old practices and who are unwilling to adapt/evolve are simply giving ground to newer players. And that's quite ok with us. Their arrogance and stupidity is our gain. :D:agree:

Originally posted by Kiwi


I disagree. If we won't, who will? You can think ahead or stay behind.

I did not mean to not consider the future. Just we should not let the future stand in our way. Who knows if web hosting will even exist in the way it does today in a few years.

Originally posted by tazd9t9

Personally i think that we may see an end to this $2 hosting for several reasons
1. The obvious they will all go bankrupt.
2. So many people will have been messed around by them that they will be glad to pay more to get better service.


c y b e r w i n g s

I think someone said it yesterday; the cheap $2.00 host will always be with us, as will the scammers. They will continue to come and go as fast as one closes 2 more open and since people are greedy by nature they will fall for the unlimited, too good to be true traps.

Those that build their business off the serious customer base I think will be in business a while, those that try and build businesses based on the customer looking for cheap hosting are doomed to be in a constant state of flux as the customers come and go.

I really think there is a market for all and will remain that way for a while. Most people have to get screwed over 4 or 5 times before they wake up and realize that they pay for what they get. Then there are those that do not mind lousy service and down time. The cheap hosts are what they want and need.

I think the market will become more nitch driven and the trick is to find your place and market towards it.

There are many things I think the future holds that are new and exciting options to be offered. Again as they are rolled out we each have to offer these options based on our notch we carve in the market place.

One thing I think we can safely say is it will be an interesting next few years in this industry.

Originally posted by Monte
I think the market will become more nitch driven and the trick is to find your place and market towards it.
Aint that the truth. :) We started out nearly 1 year ago and there weren't really that many hosts doing "Multiple Domain Name Hosting". Actually most thought it couldn't be done. :D :rolleyes: Good positioning in SEs was easy. Overture was cheap too. But now that niche is very crowded and harder to crack.

We're at the stage where our client base is large [well, I think it's large ;)] and new accounts just come through the door each day without advertising etc. I'd hate to be trying to crack this market now.
One thing I think we can safely say is it will be an interesting next few years in this industry.
More wise words from Old Man Monte. :D

I think that in a few years the .NET invasion will fully be upon us. I think we will see a much larger market share for MS. Host will need to adopt this to help push up their bottom lines from commodity - basic hosting. MS is already quietly getting more and more developers on board. They will need host who support the .NET framework.

Don't flame me. :) . I am not a MS man at all. I just think this is *one* thing to look for in the future.

People get disappointed when they do not get good customers and return on the investment. You can never say the future of hosting industry is bleak. I could see a good future, maybe with some new technologies coming in.

Originally posted by UmBillyCord
I think that in a few years the .NET invasion will fully be upon us. I think we will see a much larger market share for MS. Host will need to adopt this to help push up their bottom lines from commodity - basic hosting. MS is already quietly getting more and more developers on board. They will need host who support the .NET framework.

Don't flame me. :) . I am not a MS man at all. I just think this is *one* thing to look for in the future.
They've got the money for it, that's for sure. From memory, they had more cash reserves than most small countries. It'll be interesting to see if Bill Gates gets his way. IMO, he'll have to be content to sharing and not monopolising.

Originally posted by Aussie Bob

IMO, he'll have to be content to sharing and not monopolising.

Bill ???? I don't think so ...

Bill Gates is the devil, it is incumbent upon us to stop the .NET invasion and beat back the Devil before he consumes us all.

<<<DO NOT LET GATES WIN>>>:D

Originally posted by Monte
Bill Gates is the devil, it is incumbent upon us to stop the .NET invasion and beat back the Devil before he consumes us all.

<<<DO NOT LET GATES WIN>>>:D
Get thee behind me Satan. :stickout

Us "Getting together" to adjust the situation can be construed as colusion, not sure if it pertains to a global market, nor a more Internet based global market but it might have relevance.