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Thread: Is it worth it?
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05-06-2004, 10:35 PM #1Disabled
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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.....
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05-06-2004, 10:38 PM #2Temporarily Suspended
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Will you place any ad's on the sites?
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05-06-2004, 10:41 PM #3Disabled
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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.
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05-06-2004, 10:42 PM #4Temporarily Suspended
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Do you mean, you will make someone remain active in the forum in exchange for free hosting? If so, which forum?
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05-06-2004, 10:45 PM #5Disabled
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Yes.. obviously our forums. Must be usefull posts for the hosting industry or anything related to internet life.
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05-06-2004, 10:47 PM #6Temporarily Suspended
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So, basically your paying people to stay in your forums, making it a lively place - so others will want to come and join?
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05-06-2004, 10:51 PM #7Disabled
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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?
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05-06-2004, 11:02 PM #8Location = SoapBox
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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
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05-06-2004, 11:08 PM #9Disabled
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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..
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05-06-2004, 11:12 PM #10Hosting Systems Specialist
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Yes that is an excellent idea !
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05-06-2004, 11:35 PM #11Location = SoapBox
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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
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05-06-2004, 11:38 PM #12Aspiring Evangelist
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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?
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05-06-2004, 11:42 PM #13Disabled
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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
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05-06-2004, 11:45 PM #14Disabled
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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..
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05-06-2004, 11:47 PM #15Web Hosting Master
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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?
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05-06-2004, 11:49 PM #16Disabled
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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.
I was really looking for some pros and cons.. Not that your comments aren't helpful cPanelSubs
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05-06-2004, 11:54 PM #17Web Hosting Master
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Originally posted by top25hosting
. . . I was really looking for some pros and cons . . .• WLVPN.com • NetProtect owned White Label VPN provider •
• Increase your hosting profits by adding VPN to your product line up •
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05-06-2004, 11:58 PM #18Disabled
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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.
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05-07-2004, 12:13 AM #19Web Hosting Master
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Just working my way to the big 10K.
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05-07-2004, 12:31 AM #20Temporarily Suspended
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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
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05-07-2004, 07:22 AM #21Disabled
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Good thoughts....
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05-07-2004, 09:04 AM #22Disabled
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So far it seems to have no major drawbacks.. still waiting for someone to really bring something up that would deture.
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05-07-2004, 09:42 AM #23Web Hosting God
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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
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05-07-2004, 04:41 PM #24Newbie
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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
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05-07-2004, 07:41 PM #25Disabled
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I think we have a good plan for it... good thoughts, thanks guys..