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  1. #1

    what makes a hosting site look professional?

    what makes a hosting site look professional? a good looking support system? being able to sell domains? I'm starting my own hosting business for local people and i would like to know.
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  2. #2
    it's not all about looking professional. it's about being professional that matters to your clients.
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  3. #3
    but if you dont look professional in the first place, people wont think you are professional so you wont have any clients to be professional to
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  4. #4
    Originally posted by flush()
    but if you dont look professional in the first place, people wont think you are professional so you wont have any clients to be professional to
    good point!
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  5. #5
    the point is that he is starting a webhosting business and he's worried about looking professional. he should start off by putting up a good business plan, a realistic financial plan, an effective marketing plan, getting the right services (servers, domain registration, merchant account, etc.), the proper software, and technical & support staff.

    only then should he concern himself about looking professional by creating an appealing website.

    that's being professional.
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  6. #6
    1. No spelling errors.
    2. Crisp design, doesn't have to look like a pro-premade template, but it should have several hours of work put into it.
    3. Language that suggests that the customers will be well taken care of, rather than such language that makes you feel like you have a pumped up 16-year old on speed that just got a new reseller account.
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    Small biographies on hosts, uptime reports and some reviews
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  7. #7
    Originally posted by boeki
    the point is that he is starting a webhosting business and he's worried about looking professional.
    how do you know he hasn't got a professional web hosting business already and is asking for design tips to promote this?
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  8. #8
    Originally posted by flush()
    how do you know he hasn't got a professional web hosting business already and is asking for design tips to promote this?
    in his post:
    I'm starting my own hosting business for local people and i would like to know.
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  9. #9
    Originally posted by schmeg007
    1. No spelling errors.
    2. Crisp design, doesn't have to look like a pro-premade template, but it should have several hours of work put into it.
    3. Language that suggests that the customers will be well taken care of, rather than such language that makes you feel like you have a pumped up 16-year old on speed that just got a new reseller account.
    well actually I'm not on speed I'm on something super sweet!
    you guys can see what I'm working on here: supersweethosting[.]com
    (can't post urls yet)
    it would be great if you guys could give some pointers.
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  10. #10
    Originally posted by boeki
    in his post:
    I stand corrected, must have missed that part
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  11. #11
    Originally posted by flush()
    how do you know he hasn't got a professional web hosting business already and is asking for design tips to promote this?
    if it's true that he put up his "professional web hosting business" first then asks later whether he should put up a good looking support system or if he should sell domains, that's not being professional, is it?

    he should have considered these matters in the planning stages. unless, of course, i am wrong and he indeed thought about these things and he's just doing a phased implementation of his business plan
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  12. #12
    well i have thought about these things and i started setting up a trouble ticket script, a forum, a billing program, etc..

    i would just like to know what looks more professional, a very nice design or professional shopping cart and support system.
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  13. #13
    look into whm autopilot. it's a pretty good client & billing management system and it's fairly easy to integrate into any website layout. price is not that bad either at us$149 for the owned license.

    do you already have a credit card processor? depending on your volume, you should look into a real merchant account or a 3rd-party processor such as 2checkout.

    these 2 (billing system and card processing) would help a lot in getting clients whether inside or outside of your local area.

    help center live is also a pretty good and functional customer support system. check it out.

    as for your website layout, the concept pretty much fits your domain name but imo, you should lay off a bit on the colors. and some texts are actually a bit hard to read (about us & support pages) due to the use of black text on a fairly dark blue background.

    btw, what's up with the plans pages?
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  14. #14
    Originally posted by boeki
    look into whm autopilot. it's a pretty good client & billing management system and it's fairly easy to integrate into any website layout. price is not that bad either at us$149 for the owned license.

    do you already have a credit card processor? depending on your volume, you should look into a real merchant account or a 3rd-party processor such as 2checkout.

    these 2 (billing system and card processing) would help a lot in getting clients whether inside or outside of your local area.

    help center live is also a pretty good and functional customer support system. check it out.

    as for your website layout, the concept pretty much fits your domain name but imo, you should lay off a bit on the colors. and some texts are actually a bit hard to read (about us & support pages) due to the use of black text on a fairly dark blue background.

    btw, what's up with the plans pages?
    i have an authorize.net account and I've been looking a whm autopilot and modernbill. I've got phpSupport mostly setup and I'll check out help center live.

    what colors do you think i should go with? I'll try out some other color combinations.

    the plan page hasn't been built yet i was going to get the billing script setup first before i i put up that page.

    thanks for the suggestions
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  15. #15
    don't wait till you buy the billing system since, i think, you accept phoned-in orders. you can set up a comparative table of your hosting features per plan to help your clients decide better as it is easier to decide when plans are laid out side by side.
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  16. #16
    Originally posted by boeki
    don't wait till you buy the billing system since, i think, you accept phoned-in orders. you can set up a comparative table of your hosting features per plan to help your clients decide better as it is easier to decide when plans are laid out side by side.
    ok i'll set that up today! thanks for you help!
    Cheap Web Hosting: www.supersweethosting.com
    Website Design - Scripting: www.adrenalinepcs.com
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  17. #17
    If you are targeting the local crowd, don't talk jargon...it won't mean much to most of them. Most of the time, the local business crowd is looking for a means of getting a website and emails setup..cost is an issue to some, and not a factor to others.

    Show them HOW you can get them on the web and show them the tools you provide to do that. Most don't care if they have 50GB bandwidth, however they do want to know that if their website grows, you will scale with them.

    Also, the WHY they should get on the web is very important too, but I assume you would be covering that in you ad campaigns to drive people to your site in the first place.
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  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    94
    Professor makes some very good points.

    But personally, I have a few things I look for when I consider a hosting site:
    - No Typos, or spelling errors, etc.
    - A website that looks like they have put allot of time and dedication into. Not something they whipped up in front page in 5 minutes. Something more comprehensive, with pretty in-depth details about some of the services, etc.

    Most of all, just treat your clients good. That is what pays off in the long run.
    Brandon Davis
    BD Design & Consulting of Austin - Website & Graphic Design, Hosting & More
    http://www.brandondavis.us
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  19. #19
    most professional websites incorporate "white space" which is normally around or near the banner. Also having a good looking, clean website with the same layout on every page never hurts.
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  20. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    1,301
    1) Have a neat website, present your content in a organized manner.
    2) Dont have lots of graphics, it will slow down your load speed.
    3) Have an easy to use help desk/support form
    4) Make sure you dont have any page errors
    5) Have true testimonails

    and most importantly act professionaly whne dealing with clients
    "Web Hosting is not just about selling space, it is about facilitating customers needs with your plans and supporting the customer for a long lasting mutually beneficial relationship."- Yaser
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