Well I asked for you to send me your questions about the Web hosting industry, and you did just that. Now it is my turn to live up to my side of the deal. Kick your feet back and enjoy yourself, because I’ll be the one working on this special Labor Day “Q and A” edition of the Web Hosting Show.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Podcast 75!
Running Time: 18 minutes | File Size: 8.17 MB

I am the media rock star of the Web Hosting industry, Mitch Keeler and I want to welcome you to the number one Web hosting podcast out there today, the Web Hosting Show. This show is supported by the fine folks over at WebHostingChat.com. Go give them a visit, and let them know what you think of this podcast.

We all have questions every once in a while. One of the things I wanted to create when I started this podcast was a place where some (if not all) of those questions could be answered. When I first started out in the Web hosting world a few years ago, there weren’t many spots to learn about how the business works. Now with the Web Hosting Show, you at least have a resource to start with.

Now lets go ahead and skip the rest of the hoopla and get right into your questions and my answers. I have a stack of E-mails next to me here, and I’ll be going through as many as I can.

Free Domain Name!

This first E-mail is not so much a question as it is a statement towards every single one of you who might be listening out there. JD wants to give you a free domain name!

Mitch, We will give anyone that listens to your show a FREE domain name when they sign up for a hosting plan. Send listeners to www.argosycomputing.com to sign-up.

Well, you heard it. Go check them out and take them up on their offer!

Buy a Web Site Design or Create One?

This next E-mail comes from Mary. She seems to be torn about how to go about her Web site redesign.

Hey Mitch, great show. I want to redesign my Web site but I don’t know how to do it. Should I hire somebody to do it for me, do it on my own or buy one? Thanks for your help!

Well, you have three very different options there. Personally, I would probably just design it myself if I were in your shoes. If you don’t think you have the skill or the time to give away to it though, purchasing a design or hiring a designer are both good ways to go.

When getting a design from an outside resource like this, make sure that you are getting a one of a kind. There is nothing worse than having your competitor’s Web site look exactly like your own. Talk with either the designer or the place you are purchasing the design from and make sure you are the only one getting this layout to use. See if you can get a promise or guarantee written down somewhere as well.

No Support Number from Web Host

Now should every Web host have a phone number to call for support? That is what Mark would like to know.

Hey Mitch, I was looking at a new Web host but they don’t have a support phone number listed on the Web site. They do other support, why not phone?

Well, not having phone support isn’t exactly the end of the world in my opinion. As long as they have a help desk and E-mail support, I say go for it. Some smaller Web hosts just do not have the budget to have a phone line put in taking your calls 24/7. With all the touch tone options you get with some support numbers, I would rather E-mail somebody and have them fix my problem that way. There is nothing worse than having to sit, wait and push a button on the phone over and over to get a response.

So as long as they have other reliable forms of support, I wouldn’t worry about the lack of phone support.

Support for Third Party Applications

This is a question I had for a really long time. I finally figured out the answer, and now I am going to share it with you. Bob asks…

I wanted to get my Web host to help me install WordPress, but they told me they couldn’t do that and told me to look at their support forum. Why is this? They are my Web host, shouldn’t they help me with the account?

Now I hate to burst and bubbles here, but your Web host is right in doing what they did. Web hosts (for the most part) don’t like to give support to scripts and services they didn’t create or own. Think of it as taking your broken toaster to the guy who built your house. You wouldn’t expect the guy who built your house to fix your toaster, would you?

If Web hosts did start support for every script somebody could install out there, they wouldn’t have time to do anything else. Your best bet for support would be to go to WordPress’s homepage and search for your problems there. If you had a problem, I can bet at least a dozen other people have had the same problem.

Another Question About WHIR TV

I knew some of my comments about WHIR TV might get somebody mad. Matthew has this to ask me.

Here is a question for you. Why are you so mean to Anastasia Tubanos of WHIR TV?

Well, lets make one thing clear. I don’t hate Anastasia or anybody at WHIR TV. Maybe saying that her doing the show in a bikini to get more downloads was a little pig headed of me. I would consider myself more frustrated with the WHIR TV product than anything else. They have the vehicle, the money and the popularity to do something grand and spectacular. What they have now though is nothing much more than Web hosting’s version of CNN.

I doubt Anastasia or anybody associated with WHIR TV is listening to this though, so my complaints fall on def ears.

Web Hosting Battle Royal?

This question from Jen is a little strange, but hey… I like the strange ones the most!

Who do you think would win in a fight between Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.com or George Roberts of HostingCon?

Well, speaking of people that will probably never be on or listen to this show, I think Bob Parsons would get totally mauled by George Roberts. If anything, I’d have to sneak George a steel chair (while the ref wasn’t looking), cause he is a good friend of the broadcast here.

Find a Web Host Wizards

There are a lot of “find my host” wizards out there. George wants to know which one is the best!

I keep seeing these wizards on Web pages that help you find a Web host. Which one is the best or are they all the same?

Well, a lot of them are the same. Others have more choices, some have better listings. If I had to pick two that pretty much sum up the best of the best, I would point you towards FindMyHosting.com and the wizard that TopHosts.com provides.

These (or any others like them) offer folks a quick and easy way to find a Web host that matches up with what they need. So if you want to create a Web site and know what you are looking for, this is a great tool for comparison shopping in the hosting industry.

Windows Web Hosting vs Linux Web Hosting

John wants to know which platform is better in the Web hosting world? Is Windows-based hosting king here too?

I think I have most of the hosting lingo down the only thing I don’t get is the different choices like Linux and Windows hosting. You have a great podcast, and I would really like to hear you talk about this.

Both of these solutions are good at what they do. Right now I would say that Linux-based hosting is more popular than Windows-based hosting. When you toss out all the stupid arguments for not using one or the other, you are left with two pretty stable options.

It really comes down to what you want or would want to do with your Web hosting space. If you have your eye on some script that only works on Windows-based servers, your choice is already made for you. Some server scripts have versions for both flavors. When that happens, I would investigate where the better version is.

Search Engine Optimization - Is it Bunk?

Sherman wants to know about Search Engine Optimization. Is it a real science or just something that spammers use to get to the top of Google?

I am interested in getting my Web site to the top of Google for a few keywords. Should I hire an SEO specialist or just do my best at doing it myself? Thanks for everything, I have learned so much from listening to your shows!

Once upon a time I wasn’t a big fan of Search Engine Optimization. This was mainly because the guy in charge of it at the old Web host I used to work for was a total jerk. Now that I have done some SEO work myself, I can say there is a science to it.

Should you go to somebody else to do it for you? I would say that would only be OK as long as they could show you results and you could talk to past clients. A lot of the work an SEO does will not give you instant results. Because of this, they could not be doing anything at all and still earning your cold hard cash.

My best suggestion would be to read up about it some, and try to tackle it yourself. If you do it for a few months and start feeling the pressure, then you might bring somebody in to lighten the load on you.

How Do You Generate Free Press?

For our last question this week, Jesus wants to know how you can get folks to talk about you or your business.

I noticed your interview on HostSearch.com about the Web Hosting Show. How did you get them to talk with you, and how could I get interviews other places?

Well Jesus, I am a big believer in the idea that you have to be your own number one fan. When I was interviewed by HostSearch.com, I pitched the idea to them. I told them what I had to offer, and they were more than happy to interview me. You can’t just sit by and wonder why nobody talks about you. If you don’t think your getting the attention you deserve, then demand it. Go out and make news instead of waiting for the news to catch up with you.

Final Web Hosting Thoughts

Well that is it for this week’s edition of the Web Hosting Show. If you want to interact with this podcast, it is easy to do.

+ Send me your audio questions or comments!
+ Go post on the Web Hosting Show’s Fan Forums!
+ Send me an E-mail with your thoughts on this week’s show!

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I am Mitch Keeler, and you have been listening to the Web Hosting Show, the number one Web hosting podcast across the nation and the one and only voice of the Web hosting world.

For more Web Hosting Show fun through the week, make sure you check me out on CoolCast Radio!

Related Hosting Posts & Podcasts:

• Web Hosting Mailbag - Episode 151
• Hosting Bliss and PR Help - Episode 98
• Searching the Free File Hosts - Episode 145
• SEO Magic and Hosting Competition - Episode 90
• FAQ With a Hosting Guru - Podcast 84

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