I figured this would be as good of a time as any to go through some of the Web Hosting Show’s E-mails. From the good, the bad and the ugly, I have seen just about every kind of suggestion, feedback, question and comment you could imagine. If you want to do the same, feel free to do so at mitch@mitchkeeler.com. You can also send me a voice mail message anytime via my login name there, mitchkeeler. Now let us get to answering some of these E-mails.
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Our first question comes from Dominick via Hotmail:
Great show! I was wondering what you thought about ads on Web sites. I want to start up my own site but don’t know if I should put ads or not. Please, let me know your thoughts.
Well Dominick, even though this isn’t really a Web hosting question, I’ll be happy to share my thoughts on it.
Now if you are talking about the ads that have my punch a monkey for a free Playstation Portable, I hate those. I hate flash ads, I hate ads with sound, I hate annoying ads. However, in the last few months I have become a big fan of Google’s AdSense ads.
Why? Well because unlike the “punch a monkey” ads, they are usually relevant to the content on the Web site and they usually lead to real Web sites. Not Web sites that ask me for $20 and a referral to five friends before I can see the Web site in question.
So in my opinion, if you want to play with ads, give Google’s AdSence a try.
Our next question comes from Bobby via Hotmail as well:
Mitch, my web host has an affiliate program, should I sign up for it? I’m not sure what it is for, but I do like my host so I would like to get more people to sign up there. Thanks.
Well Bobby, first let me give a little description about what an affiliate program is.
When a Web host or any company has an affiliate program, that usually means that they are looking for their clients to refer folks (using ads) back to the Web host itself. In return, you might get paid money or some other reward for doing so. I think from both the Web host’s point of view and the Web hosting client’s point of view, this is a great idea.
If you like your Web host, you want to tell others to use them. So you are getting rewarded in one way or another just for spreading the word. I would say make sure you read all the legal stipulations first, and then if it still sounds good, then give it a shot. If an affiliate program still kind of seems scary to you, then you might just put a link on your Web site back to your Web host yourself. Maybe a small text link at the bottom of the Web page. Either way your Web host should be happy.
Our last E-mail question comes from Hunter via GMail:
Dude, you need a cohost or something man. You can’t talk right by yourself and the sound of your voice gets annoying after a while. Get somebody else to host the show and I will listen again.
Well Hunter, thank you for your opinion…
Every so often I get an E-mail like this, and I have to answer it. I make a promise to answer all the mail I get, so this one.. just like the other two, deserves an answer as well.
When I first start this podcast, I heard a lot of comments like this. Not everybody, but a good amount of folks thought I should bring somebody else in to co-host or host the show. Now I’ll give my answer one more time.
Unless somebody offers me millions of dollars to buy out my show, or I am unable to do a show because of one reason or another, you will never hear anybody else hosting this show. Jimmy down the block isn’t the voice of the Web hosting world. Bob down the street isn’t the voice of the Web hosting world. That title falls on my shoulders and my shoulders alone.
As long as there are people out there with questions about the way the Web hosting world works, I’ll be here. As long as there are folks who want to know what I think about Web hosting. I’ll be here. As long as at least one person is listening to this show each and every week, I will be here. I make it my promise to each and every one of you listening to this right now that I will always be here to help you with the way the Web hosting world works.
Well that’s it for this special E-mail edition of the Web Hosting Show. Have a question or a comment you’d like to make? Make sure you send it to me at mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll be more than happy to answer it for you right here on the show. I am Mitch Keeler, and you have been listening to a special edition of the Web Hosting Show, the voice of the Web hosting world.
