Hello all,

I was wondering what you all think when a hosting company offers web development.

I am thinking of employing a few designers and coders to offer web design and coding services. I know HostaTree does this. Would this effect your decision on purchasing with us? Is having a web development services important to you?

Thanks

It wouldn't make a difference to me since I do my own coding.

It would really depend on who your target client is. If you're marketing to small businesses, possibly but its a big "maybe" since they PROBABLY have their own developer(s). Large corporations? Definitely not.

If you're targeting the general "personal webpage" audience then it could be a desirable feature.

It wouldn't make a difference to me since I do my own coding.

It would really depend on who your target client is. If you're marketing to small businesses, possibly but its a big "maybe" since they PROBABLY have their own developer(s). Large corporations? Definitely not.

If you're targeting the general "personal webpage" audience then it could be a desirable feature.

Agreed that it's based on market. Our target is more "personal webpage" and "small businesses" but, of course we don't say no to "Large Corporations".

Thanks for the input.

I have said this before and will say it again, stick to your cup of tea and try to improvise your service offerings within the hosting industry since you're in the hosting business.

By offering design & development services, it will definitely bring you additional revenue but you will lose focus and it will get to a point when you wouldn't be able to control both LOB's. However, if you must offer design & development services, work with a local design & development firm or someone over the internet on an affiliate or commission basis and make it vice versa so it is beneficial to you as well.

Hope this helps!

I have said this before and will say it again, stick to your cup of tea and try to improvise your service offerings within the hosting industry since you're in the hosting business.

By offering design & development services, it will definitely bring you additional revenue but you will lose focus and it will get to a point when you wouldn't be able to control both LOB's. However, if you must offer design & development services, work with a local design & development firm or someone over the internet on an affiliate or commission basis and make it vice versa so it is beneficial to you as well.

Hope this helps!

youre right, focusing on what you do is success, in the past I did all services together providing: hosting, seo, marketing and webdesign and couldn't focus on one thing. I was making money but couldn't expect real success because too many work. The you think hiring a webdesigner... I did this but 3 of 5 I hired I fired because they do their own business at my office, forward some of my customers to their personal hosting with lower prices, play online games while I was out of office..... just too many problem and money lost.

Now I m focusing on hosting.

Also most of web designers have affiliate banner (hosting) on their site or have resseller account.

Thanks for the inputs. Keep them coming.

You'll definitely attract people that are new to the webmaster world. So it could be a great idea if you can make it work and keep it cost effective.

But personally, I have too much exp with developing sites so it wouldn't sway me one way or another. Most likely I wouldn't use the service if a host gave you access to it anyway. But like I said, it will attract new webmasters and more and more people are getting into owning their own websites so if you can market it properly, I wouldn't be surprised if you see success :)

You'll definitely attract people that are new to the webmaster world. So it could be a great idea if you can make it work and keep it cost effective.

But personally, I have too much exp with developing sites so it wouldn't sway me one way or another. Most likely I wouldn't use the service if a host gave you access to it anyway. But like I said, it will attract new webmasters and more and more people are getting into owning their own websites so if you can market it properly, I wouldn't be surprised if you see success :)

Thanks for the input =)

I wouldn't worry too much about designers/developers stealing your business. Just do your due diligence when you hire them by checking up on them to see what else they're "in to". Search WHOIS records, site names, etc and make sure they don't run a competing business. I wouldn't hire anyone who already has a conflict of interest in the first place. Once you hire them make sure they sign a conflict of interest agreement of some sort.

Once they're working for you if you keep them busy enough they won't have time to mess around on their own projects while on "your time".

You should be careful that you don't spread your offerings too thin though as mentioned above. You definitely want to make sure you "keep your eye on the ball" until you're established enough to move in to some vertical ventures. If you can do that already, then go for it.

I wouldn't worry too much about designers/developers stealing your business. Just do your due diligence when you hire them by checking up on them to see what else they're "in to". Search WHOIS records, site names, etc and make sure they don't run a competing business. I wouldn't hire anyone who already has a conflict of interest in the first place. Once you hire them make sure they sign a conflict of interest agreement of some sort.

Once they're working for you if you keep them busy enough they won't have time to mess around on their own projects while on "your time".

You should be careful that you don't spread your offerings too thin though as mentioned above. You definitely want to make sure you "keep your eye on the ball" until you're established enough to move in to some vertical ventures. If you can do that already, then go for it.

Thanks for the input, keep them coming.

You must becareful when hiring, if you're not behind them forget it specially if they have access to hosting management, as told in my post above, we had many problems like one employee who hide a hosting for his adult site (witch is not allowed in our TOS) or another one who have using our pcs for spamming people and being arrested by police. So my only tip I can give you focus on what you can do, start slowly then grow and hire serious employers, always have an eye on them.

With all the lesson learned in the pass, I'm starting from scratch with a good base. I'm quiting a company (hosting/design) witch we are 3 investors/partners in it and founding my own hosting business.

I'm actually doing something similar. I run a web design company and I'm now in the process of setting up hosting within it. My main reason for this is so that I can offer my customers a complete package. However, one this I am looking to do is offer hosting as packages on their own.

Not sure if it's a good idea or not.

I have said this before and will say it again, stick to your cup of tea and try to improvise your service offerings within the hosting industry since you're in the hosting business.

By offering design & development services, it will definitely bring you additional revenue but you will lose focus and it will get to a point when you wouldn't be able to control both LOB's. However, if you must offer design & development services, work with a local design & development firm or someone over the internet on an affiliate or commission basis and make it vice versa so it is beneficial to you as well.

Hope this helps!

I would have to agree. Several years ago now, I was leading a hosting company that branched from hosting back into Web design (the company had actually originated in the Web development business), SEO, PPC management, etc. We did lose our focus, the business suffered, and it ended up being sold. Once after that, when running a free hosting service, I expanded into things like free games, free chat, and the like....again, when I did so the laser-like focus on the core hosting business suffered. From that point forward, my hosting ventures have been 100% hosting focused.

That's not to say it can't be pulled off - only a warning that, at least sometimes, it cannot. Perhaps my management style is an inhibitor to multiple-industry businesses from a leadership standpoint.

That's my 2c.