Who doesn't love a reliable host? We all want web hosting that offers the best storage, transfer, uptime and security. We want our hosts to be as reliable as any brick-and-mortar building. When something goes wrong, we want our host to be there when we call or open a support ticket. Without proper hosting we are nothing. All our designs, content and marketing efforts mean zilch if our sites go down. Good hosting is the bedrock of our business. When we find the right host, our heads rise and our bodies lighten. There is nothing, nothing like a great host. A great host is one that frees us from worry so that we may concentrate on selling our stuff.
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"Good hosting is the bedrock of our business. When we find the right host, our heads rise and our bodies lighten. There is nothing, nothing like a great host." |
There is, however, a down side to a good host. We forget they are there. These are the days of auto payment which makes the forgetting easier. All those important qualities we attribute to superior hosting, like available tech support, database support, fast servers and uptime, are all relegated to the backs of our collective minds. We take our wonderful hosts for granted and they never complain because that's just how awesome they are.
Meanwhile, we're out playing with new software, new content, new promotional trends. We court some fresh toy or thingy and pay no mind to our host, keeping our home-fires burning while we trip the web fantastic. We're like ungrateful husbands, carousing at will, always expecting a hot meal and a clean house when we get home.
Do we even notice the new handmade curtains, sewn with love? Do we pay attention to the fact that our spouse got a different hairdo, dropped a few pounds or took the time to darn all our socks? When our always-faithful other polishes the floors to a gleaming shine, do we make note of it or do we walk in, tracking mud on the soles of our feet, plop down in front of the television and shout: "Get me a beer and make me a sandwich!"
In many ways, your web host is your significant other. Sure, you work hard all day, pimping for the porn but your host is very much like your house and they take care of that house because you can't. They maintain the servers. They patch the bugs. They perform the upgrades and tweak the security features. They are the ones that insure your peace of mind and keep you functioning in this crazy rat-race of a business. All they ask in return is that you pay your bill on time.
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The question before you is:
Have you Kissed your Host Today?
When was the last time you even talked to them or read one of their emails? Do you just delete their little love notes without a care? Do you even realize that you might be missing great opportunities and offers? Don't you think it's kind of sad that the only times that you notice your host are when there's an outage or they send you a warning about downtime due to maintenance? Those newsletters and emails they send you might contain information that would make you (as a customer) very happy. Seriously, when was the last time you even visited your web host's front page? Admit it. You go straight to the control panel login. Don't you? Short of throwing dishes at your thick, little head, what has your host got to do to get your attention?
Stop being a cad. For heaven's sake. Hit the front page of your web host. Click the offers page. Read the damned newsletter. Better yet, pick up the frigging phone and call your account manager. Ask if there are any new pricing offers or spiffy fresh features. It's very possible you could re-negotiate your contract and end up getting more while paying less. Or what the hell, find out how much you can get by paying a little bit more. Chances are you've been thinking about expanding your stuff and the odds are pretty good that while you've been ruminating, your host has been expanding its stuff as well. Expanding and improving services is part of being that good host you've come to depend upon. You could have opportunities available to you that you never imagined when you originally opened your account.
You don't have to kiss them on the lips. You don't have to fuck them. But for heavens sake, why ignore your trusty web host? How does that make you a better adult webmaster? Talk to your host. Read their site. Browse through new features, upgrades and improvement to your service. Consider it a weekend away with the wife. Consider it a nice gesture that will get you some virtual webmaster nookie. Take the time to be as good a customer as they are a host. You won't regret it and you just might fall in love all over again.