Cheap domain names, Go Daddy’s dominance and a few Web site reviews, what else could you want from a Web hosting podcast? How about if I threw in some of my own Web hosting thoughts, some hosting headlines and a little excitement as well? Mix that all together and you have the one and only voice of the Web hosting world, the Web Hosting Show, podcast 22.
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Hello and welcome to the Web Hosting Show, the one and only voice of the Web hosting world. This show is sponsored by Web Hosting Chat. Web Hosting Chat is your number one set of forums out there for Web hosting discussions. Who am I? I am your verbal guide through the wild and wacky world of Web hosting, Mitch Keeler. We have a lot of great content in store for you this week.
For those of you who have never listened before, just think of us as one big cake. We take all the best parts of the Web hosting world, mix it all together with some fun and excitement, bake it at 500 degrees and serve it to you with a little information, support and help on the side. You can listen to this show via your computer, from the Web Hosting Show Web site, on your MP3 player or any other method you might have to listening to your audio.
My goal in all of this is to make you as excited about the Web hosting industry as I am. The world of Web hosting is not always boring, dull and bland. I am here to guide you through some of the more exciting points, and hopefully by the end of it, you will come out knowing a little more and you too might be able to help somebody with a Web hosting problem they might have.
Want to help me out? Make sure you go sign up and subscribe to the show via Odeo. Make sure you plug us into your version of iTunes and subscribe there as well. Want to do more? Vote for us at PodcastAlley.com as well!
Help me by spreading the word about the Web Hosting Show to everybody you know. The download numbers keep going up every single week, and that is something I’d like to see continue. Are you a Web host? Tell your clients about this show. If anything I am trying to make your jobs easier for you. Are you a Web hosting client? Then tell your Web host to listen to this show! I think we have enough content here to make everybody happy.
Web Hosting Headlines
The Web hosting news and headlines are brought to you by The Web Host Industry Review. The Web Host Industry Review is the place to go to get all the latest Web hosting news from around the globe.
DirectI Accredited for .travel
Domain registrar DirectI announced on Tuesday that it had been accredited to accept registrations for .travel, a top-level domain for the travel and tourism related organizations.
Mitch’s Thoughts: Haven’t we reached the point yet where we have come up with all the useful extensions for domain names yet? Personally, I think the extension at the end of the domain name should be quick and easy and not over three letters. The idea of using .travel just seems like it is really reaching, as far as the domain name business goes.
Go Daddy Integrates with eBay, Froogle
Web hosting provider and domain registrar Go Daddy announced on Wednesday that it had integrated its Quick Shopping Cart with Froogle and eBay.
Mitch’s Thoughts: This just goes to show you why exactly Go Daddy is number one out there, leaving the competition in the dust. This should give folks using Go Daddy’s Quick Shopping Cart tool a lot of help when it comes to selling their products Online. Just plug in a few API’s here and there and you’d be amazed by what you are going to be able to offer the end consumer.
Host Color Offers One Dollar Domain Names
Web hosting provider Host Color announced on Thursday that it is offering one dollar domain registrations with its Max and Mega hosting plans.
Mitch’s Thoughts: How much longer will it be before we do not have to worry about paying for domain names at all? With hosting prices in a fixed market right now, it seems like the domain name is becoming a bigger and bigger bargaining chip on the table. This is also a good practice to keep your current Web hosting customers coming back. Who is going to want to leave with such a sweet deal?
Do you have some Web hosting news? Make sure you send it to mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll try to get it on the next episode of The Web Hosting Show.
Web Hosting Tip of the Week
Every so often you just need a quick nugget of knowledge. The Web hosting tip of the week is brought to you by Mitchelaneous. Mitchelaneous is my own personal writing space where I go one on one with you everyday with some of my Web hosting articles, random postings and updates on my current projects.
What type of perks does your Web hosting company offer? When I worked for TotalChoice Hosting, one of the things that I liked the most was the fact that we highlighted some of the Web hosting clients in a series of interviews I did with them. This gave folks a reason to check out the Web site not because they were having a problem, but because they were learning a little about the community that is hosted there.
A lot of Web hosting companies want to sell you hosting, give you support and then that is it. They haven’t been able to realize that there is more to Web hosting than servers, support and the transferring of money from customer to client.
For the Web hosting clients out there, I want you to ask your Web hosts what do they offer as far as building a community with the visitors and clients? To the Web hosts out there, I want you to let me know what you are doing to reach out to your clients. In a Web hosting company there are so many people coming in and out, why not make a better use out of all those people coming together?
For those of you interested in seeing some of my earlier interviews, here is the link to check them out. These interviews were all done while I was the Customer Support Director for TotalChoice Hosting.
Do you have a Web hosting tip? Make sure you send it to mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll try to get it on the next episode of The Web Hosting Show.
Web Hosting Thoughts, Views and Ideas
Send Me Voice Mail!
All of my Web hosting thoughts, views and ideas are sponsored by Data Center Talk. Data Center Talk is the best set of forums on the Earth about the world of Web hosting data centers.
The first thing I want to remind everybody to do is to download Skype and then send me a voice mail for the show! I will be willing to play just about anything you have to say. Have a question? I’ll get it answered. Have something to say? I’ll play it and respond. Want to just say hi? I’ll say hello right back to you. So get Skype and then contact me via my name mitchkeeler. There is no cost to you, so start sounding off!
If sending an E-mail attachment is more you cup of tea, you can do that too. Record your question, feedback, comments and complaints as an mp3, attach it to an E-mail and send it to me at mitch@mitchkeeler.com. Make sure the subject line reads “Web Hosting Show MP3″. That way I can make sure nothing gets filtered out.
I might even plug your project or your own podcast on the show, as long as you were willing to pay back the favor.
Web Hosting Forum Wars
A thread like this always pops up every few months and it always seems to get a lot of attention on Web hosting forums. It seems like people like to pick on the folks at Web Hosting Talk a lot. This thread comes from the Web Hosting Chat forums, which I can say has nothing against the folks at Web Hosting Talk. It just seems like they are a good lightning rod when it comes to people complaining about how Web Hosting Talk runs. To folks that want to say the Web hosting world is boring, this argument proves the fact that it is anything but boring.
Now who is right and who is wrong? As a member of Web Hosting Talk, Web Hosting Chat and just about any other Web hosting forums out there I can say that I have always been treated the same at just about all the forums I have ever been to. Finding the right set of forums is like finding the right pair of pants. Not every pair of pants fits you just right, but once you find the right pair.. you’ll never want to change clothes again.
Found Forums, Need Hosting Help
Sticking with the Web hosting forum line of topics, another one you see often is the person in need of opinions. They want to know who is a good Web host? Who should they pick? What should they look for? Here is an example of this type of topic from Web Hosting Talk.
Now in my opinion this is like jumping in a shark tank and asking the sharks if they are hungry. You are going to get a lot of folks plugging themselves and bending over backwards to get you to sign with them. A better way to go would be to shop for yourself. Places like FindMyHosting.com and BrowseHosts.com have good and reliable services and opinions that will not let you down. Also chances are you might find a better deal by going this route as well.
Found Forums, Need Hosting Help
For the third most often seen thread on a set of Web hosting forums, we turn to complaints. Everybody complains right? Here is one taken from Web Hosting Talk about Surpass Hosting. Now these usually fall into two categories, true and not true. I am not going to make a judgement call on this one, you can do that at home.
When things that are being said are true, this can be a real problem for a Web host. It doesn’t just make them look bad to customers but it makes them look bad with fellow Web hosts. Much like in life, you don’t want to have a bad reputation in the world of Web hosting.
When things that are being said are false, then you have to put up your case and let the community decide. Hopefully you can come up with enough facts to make your Web hosting company look like the hero. One thing to remember is to never lie. Just tell your side of the story, support it with facts and nine times out of ten you will win the fight.
Have any funny, interesting or confusing Web hosting forum threads you’d like to share? Send them to mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I will check them out and mention them on the next episode of the Web Hosting Show.
Do you have a Web hosting topic of discussion you’d like to hear me cover on The Web Hosting Show? Then make sure you send it to mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll try to get it on the next episode of The Web Hosting Show.
Web Site Design Help
All of The Web Hosting Show’s design help is sponsored by BrowseHosts. BrowseHosts is the most comprehensive Web hosting directory out there today.
This week’s Web site in question is Aquaholic Corals.
Alright, after looking at the front page, I only have two things that really jump up and bite me on the butt. The first thing I would change, is the navigation bar. Everything you have there is good, but it is hard to read. Try making it a little bigger and bolder. You could even try graphics there for the navigation as well.
The second thing is your PayPal verification logo on the bottom of the page. If it were me, I’d move that to the blank space over and under your navigation bar. Right now it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s true you want to highlight and show the fact that you have it, just don’t bug me with the fact that you have it.
Going on to some of the other pages, at first glance I don’t really know what it is you are doing. Give me a few friendly introduction blocks of text so I know what is going on. Give me some definitions for the terminology as well. For somebody who doesn’t know the coral lingo, reading through things is a little confusing.
Other than that though, it is a great looking Web site and I recommend that everybody checks it out. So go visit Aquaholic Corals and make sure you let them know that the Web Hosting Show sent you there.
Do you need some help with your Web site design? Would you like me to just let you know what it is you could do to make your Web presence that much better? Make sure you send me an E-mail to mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll try to get your questions answered and your Web site reviewed on the next episode of The Web Hosting Show.
Web Hosting Web Site of the Week
The Web hosting Web site of the week is brought to you by Banners World. Banners World is the number one place to visit to get all your Web site graphics, banners and designs done.
This week’s Web hosting Web site of the week is Hosting Zoom. Why pick a Web host this week? I picked Hosting Zoom this week because they are just doing everything right. The Web page layout is clean and easy to read. They have lots of support and technical information for you to access, and the Web hosting plans are easy to understand. So if you want to look and see how a Web hosting layout should look, or just want to look for a new Web host, go check out Hosting Zoom and let them know you heard about them from the Web Hosting Show.
Do you have a Web site that deserves to be the next Web hosting Web site of the week? Make sure you send it to mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll try to get it on the next episode of The Web Hosting Show.
Final Web Hosting Thoughts
That is it for this week’s show! Make sure you send me your feedback, thoughts, suggestions and ideas to mitch@mitchkeeler.com or stop by The Web Hosting Show Fan Forums. Next week we will be doing more of the same! I am Mitch Keeler and you have been listening to The Web Hosting Show, the voice of the Web hosting world.
