So you want to make your big break into the Web hosting business. Maybe you have been watching the support team at your own host and want to join in on the fun? I’ll give you my thoughts on the best way to get into the Web hosting industry on this week’s show. The Web Hosting Show, podcast 59, is now on the air.
Download the Web Hosting Show, Podcast 59!
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Hello I am the Web hosting industry’s media rock star, Mitch Keeler, and welcome to the Web Hosting Show, the one and only voice of the Web hosting world. This show is supported each and every week by the fine folks over at Web Hosting Chat. Web Hosting Chat is your number one place for Web hosting discussions.
I’ll cover breaking into the hosting business a little later in the show. Right now, I am curious to find out how many Web hosts out there are on MySpace? I use MySpace, so if you do as well, feel free to add me to your friends list. I’d love to talk with you. I’m thinking about covering MySpace as a social tool in a future episode, so I’d like to hear any feedback you might have on that topic. Just drop me an E-mail or feel free to leave me an audio comment.
Now for those of you new to this whole hosting podcast experience, each and every week I try to give you the best the industry has to offer. I’ve been working both on the inside and the outside of the hosting industry for over three years. Over those three years, I’ve gathered a lot of information and I don’t want to keep it to myself.
I’m here for both the Web host and the Web hosting client to learn how to use and live in the wild and wacky world of Web hosting.
Have something you want to tell me one on one? Just send me an E-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com with all your feedback, thoughts, suggestions and comments and I’ll be sure to get back with you as soon as possible.
Web Hosting Headlines
The latest Web hosting news from around the globe is brought to you by the Web Host Magazine & Buyer’s Guide. Do you have some Web hosting news to share? Make sure you send it to me at mitch@mitchkeeler.com.
Web Hosts Get Ready for Texas Blackouts
Record-setting spring heat in Texas and an unusually high seasonal drain on energy prompted energy utilities around the state to conduct rolling blackouts for several hours on Monday. Temperatures in the high 90s, and exceeding 100 degrees in some areas, caused the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the organization that runs the state’s energy grid, to issue an emergency call to power companies, cutting off electricity to thousands of Texans with the rolling blackouts that affected homes and businesses.
Mitch’s Take: Now this was in Texas, so why should you care if you live somewhere else? Well, it is always important to watch the weather these days. If you are a Web host, you want to keep track of weather conditions because you might have servers collocated all over the country. If there is a blackout in Texas, that could take out half your customers, even though you are based in New York.
Now for Web hosting clients, you want to keep track of anything that might effect your Web site’s uptime. You need to go out and ask your Web host where your hosting account is actually located, so you can keep a better track of things.
So as you can see, the weather can play a big role in the Web hosting world as well.
Mitch’s Hosting Talking Points
You pick the topics and I talk about them. All of my Web hosting thoughts, views and ideas are brought to you by Data Center Talk. Do you have a topic you’d like to hear me discuss? Just drop me an E-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com.
How to Get a Job in Web Hosting
Now as I said before, I have been in the Web hosting industry for a little over three years now. Where and how did I get my start? TotalChoice Hosting is where I worked my very first Web hosting job. I did the usual support grunt work to start out. After a while though, I was getting to be apart of some pretty interesting projects. I even got a few fancy titles like, “Customer Support Director” and Customer Support Manager”. At the time, that excited me more than anything. After TotalChoice Hosting, I worked at a few other Web hosts doing little jobs here and there. They were all fun, and they were all learning experiences.
Now how did I get my big break? It was all a matter of being at the right place at the right time. Here are some tips for you if you want to get noticed in the Web hosting industry.
1. If there is any way you can help out as a customer of your current Web host, do it. Many Web hosts have forums for their customers. You don’t want to be the fly on the wall, you want to jump in and help people out. That is how I first got “discovered”.
2. Be a friend to the Web host. Don’t be the guy who sits in the back of the class and says everything is being run wrong. Share the word about the Web host you want to work for, and make sure they know they are getting a few new customers because of you.
3. Just ask! A lot of Web hosts out there are always looking for help on one project or another. Ask your Web host if they need any help on anything, or if there are any support spots available on the team. Even if it is for a temporary amount of time, you now have your foot in the door to give them a taste of what you can do.
The one thing I want you to remember though is you are not going to make tons of money for working in the Web hosting industry. That is just how the nature of the beast works. Don’t get me wrong, you will get paid (often signed on as a contracted worker – not an employee) but it won’t be as much as other jobs out there in the market.
So is it all worth it? I would like to think so. I’ve gained a little recognition from working in the hosting industry. I have met some really cool people. I have even made a few really good friends.
Web Hosting Extra – CSSVista
Now as an extra this week, I thought I would let you know about a new freeware application I ran across last week. CSSVista is a program that will allow you to check your CSS files in both Internet Explorer and Firefox, side by side. After doing a few Web site redesigns lately, I can say this tool is one everybody should have in their tool belts.
Hosting Tips and Tricks
All of my hosting tips and tricks are brought to you by my blog, Mitchelaneous. Do you have a Web hosting tip or trick to share? If you do, send it to me at mitch@mitchkeeler.com.
Now getting folks to talk about you isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world to do. Just like last week, I have an excellent article that Johnder Perez wrote for Hosting Hoopla that might give you some help though. This isn’t just for Web hosts either. These tips and recommendations could really be given for anybody to follow.
The important key areas that he covered in the article were: asking for feedback and request a testimonial. Ask your clients to send you feedback about your services. If you have had a few bigger names check out your services, then you might ask them for a testimonial as well.
After you get what you want, make sure you have some sort of reward set up for those who help you out as well. Maybe you could give them a link back on your testimonial page? That much is up to you.
The one thing to remember is that if you aren’t putting out the quality services, then it is going to be a lot harder to get folks to talk about you.
Related Links
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Final Web Hosting Thoughts
That is it for this edition of the Web Hosting Show. Did I forget something? Do you have something to say?
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Next week we will be doing more of the same! I am Mitch Keeler and you have been listening to the number one Web hosting podcast across the nation and the one and only voice of the Web hosting world, the Web Hosting Show.
For more technology podcasts, be sure to check out TechPodcasts.com! To hear more of the Web Hosting Show through the week, check me on Cool Cast Radio.
