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Thread: Is it worth it?

  1. #1

    Is it worth it?

    Considering offering free hosting for the traffic and to get people in the forums.
    Small space 20megs/ 1 gig bandwidth... NO email.. but will NEVER offer paid hosting so no chance of getting anyone to upgrade to a paid service...

    Is it worth the hassles?

    Any comments.....

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    504
    Will you place any ad's on the sites?

  3. #3
    No. If I end up doing this, will require activity in the forums only.

    But I don't want to turn this thread into what will you offer, because I am not trying to push this.

    I am trying to find out if it is even worth it. Anyone out there doing it think it is worth it.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    504
    Do you mean, you will make someone remain active in the forum in exchange for free hosting? If so, which forum?

  5. #5
    Yes.. obviously our forums. Must be usefull posts for the hosting industry or anything related to internet life.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Ohio
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    504
    So, basically your paying people to stay in your forums, making it a lively place - so others will want to come and join?

  7. #7
    In a round about way I suppose you could say that. Considering this.. that is why I am asking the question that we have yet to approach....


    IS IT WORTH IT?

  8. #8
    Hi Top25,

    Well - Heres the way I would approach this -

    What are active forums worth to you ($ amount) - in other words, how much money could you generate from your forums & associated sites if you were able to add - lets say 100 regular posters....

    How much would it cost you to host those 100 people - server costs, support, etc...

    Do up some ballpark numbers and make a decision from there..

    Its hard for someone to give you a Yes or No on this, as we really have no idea what your forum or network could be worth in terms of revenue if your forums were more active...
    www.cartika.com
    www.clusterlogics.com - You simply cannot run a hosting company without this software. Backups, Disaster Recovery, Big Data, Virtualization. 20 years of building software that solves your problems

  9. #9
    I am really not looking at what revenue can be generated. I am looking at costs wise of maybe capping it at 150 or 200 if it was to get that high.

    I am just looking to get USEFUL posts in the forums and get the activity.

    I am really not looking for a Yes or NO.. I suppose but if anyone out there is doing something similar is it worth it..

    I will never go paid hosting so they will have to go to another host for email, more space, bandwidth and all that.. they can choose one of the hosts from our site if they want to pay, and that would actually be nice becuase then we can get some votes coming in..

    I am looking for some pros and cons..

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    1,265
    Yes that is an excellent idea !

  11. #11
    Interesting idea actually - well - its all about how much work it will be to support those customers and if you see value in it. If the value you see is to increase the activity in your forums and create host ratings - then it will probably work...Just make sure youre prepared to handle the support - though with a basic offering - the support time/costs should be low -
    www.cartika.com
    www.clusterlogics.com - You simply cannot run a hosting company without this software. Backups, Disaster Recovery, Big Data, Virtualization. 20 years of building software that solves your problems

  12. #12
    Well, you have to think.

    You cant force the people to post in your forums. Sure, your offering them free hosting, but bottom line is, if they dont want to post, they wont. Which means, you will delete their account, and then it will just be a constant create account - delete account game.

    Now, is that worth it?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Denton, Texas -
    Posts
    215
    Yea... then you can just rename it

    HostingLimbo.com "Wait here, till you choose a host from our list"

    Give them a time limit of say 60 days, and have them fill out a request form to search for a host that is in your directory listing. Then have them rate it every 60 days. Create a database for the reviews unless you already have it.

    hmmm

  14. #14
    I had thought about that as far as the adding / deleting. But I think after some time of adding and deleting I would be able to get the 100-200 (maybe) in time that would be good as far as posting so that is when I would cap it and not offer any other free hosting. And just open it back up as some of the free ones go paid with someone else.

    Maybe by that time some of the free ones go paid and go with some hosts on our site and then they can come vote.... just so we are clear, we do NOT accept any affiliate program or payment from webhosts for signups..

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    24,027
    Originally posted by cybexhost1
    So, basically your paying people to stay in your forums, making it a lively place - so others will want to come and join?
    Gee, I must have been thinking back_to_front with HTTPme's business model.

    WLVPN.com NetProtect owned White Label VPN provider
    Increase your hosting profits by adding VPN to your product line up

  16. #16
    HostingLimbo.com "Wait here, till you choose a host from our list"

    We will not be pushing for them to choose a host from our site, if they go else where and find one they like hopefully they come back to us and tell us who it is.. We can add them and then they can vote on them.

    Give them a time limit of say 60 days, and have them fill out a request form to search for a host that is in your directory listing. Then have them rate it every 60 days.
    Who said anything about there being a time limit? If we did this they can stay as long as they like as long as they obide by the rules..

    I was really looking for some pros and cons.. Not that your comments aren't helpful cPanelSubs

  17. #17
    Join Date
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    Australia
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    Originally posted by top25hosting
    . . . I was really looking for some pros and cons . . .
    IMO, it's a bit hairy, but could work. Folks like to congregate in communities anyways, so add that to free hosting (another thing that folks would like), and it just might work. Lots of variables there, as free hosting can attract an unwanted element onto your server/s. Could be worth a shot, but it could also fail. Only way to find out is to venture down that path. I'd probably try and find some other hosts trying to operate the same model, and see how they do it.
    WLVPN.com NetProtect owned White Label VPN provider
    Increase your hosting profits by adding VPN to your product line up

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Denton, Texas -
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    215
    Originally posted by Aussie Bob
    IMO, it's a bit hairy, but could work. Folks like to congregate in communities anyways, so add that to free hosting (another thing that folks would like), and it just might work. Lots of variables there, as free hosting can attract an unwanted element onto your server/s. Could be worth a shot, but it could also fail. Only way to find out is to venture down that path. I'd probably try and find some other hosts trying to operate the same model, and see how they do it.
    #9989! that's a few.

  19. #19
    Join Date
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    Just working my way to the big 10K.
    WLVPN.com NetProtect owned White Label VPN provider
    Increase your hosting profits by adding VPN to your product line up

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    United Kingdom
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    Of course it would work. If you offered someone free hosting just to post on a forum once a day no doubt they would jump at the chance. The thing you need to think about is weather you want all the hassle with it. IE: "My page is down" , "whats an ftp" all this will reflect on your forums and over time may damage them.

    Regards
    Ben

  21. #21
    Good thoughts....

  22. #22
    So far it seems to have no major drawbacks.. still waiting for someone to really bring something up that would deture.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
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    Above The Clouds
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    Well, we have a free webhosting service and in 6 months, we've had 5000 signups. However, for months we wrestled with pornsters and in the end we firewalled most of China. The server load would hit 200 sometimes when a link to a porn site on the server was posted on a chinese forum or something. We don't use Plesk or Cpanel or anything but a script called WebUmake that automates anything.

    We used to offer FTP with it but after the porno problems, we now make people put up an index page and request FTP in our forum. Also, we only offer support via the forum but as the service doesn't allow cgi/php - any server side scripting or POP/SMTP, what is there to support? We have a webmail system and people use that but not too much. But that area of our forum is not active at all and people have to go there to get support - and it's still not active. So unless you offer free Cpanel/Plesk/DA etc hosting, I doubt you are going to get alot of forum activity. But if you are going to go with Cpanel/Plesk/DA etc, I would say that your forum would be very, very active if you make people go there for support.
    Laurence Flynn @ HostNEXUS.com
    Managed WordPress Hosting Solutions
    Focused on speed. Obsessed with security.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Maryland and Indiana
    Posts
    27
    As long as you can start small with good expense controls
    in place, just figure out if it's a risk worth taking.

    Consider the benefits of having newbies learning how to
    build sites on your network. Over time, can you build a
    product line to market to these users? If not, do you have
    the organizational skills to manage a relationship with
    other product providers who could responsibly leverage the
    user base?

    You may be able to contact your hosting company, and offer
    them some sort of great advertisement on the free host, and
    attempt to work with them to create a mutually benefitial
    deal that will allow you to launch this free host and experiement
    with it until you can nail down the specific formulas that will
    allow you to create profits, or at least have the free host pay for
    itself.

    Good luck!

    elPresidente
    SiteSled.com
    http://www.sitesled.com
    100% Free Web Hosting
    Come on and Take a Free Ride!

  25. #25
    I think we have a good plan for it... good thoughts, thanks guys..

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