how can i get lots of customers?

[thepeopleshost]

Hi I own http://www.thepeopleshost.com i have a couple customers but i want to expand and dont know where to advertise. I have great support and prices can anyone help me out?

[Chicken]

Here's an older thread, but it asks basically the same question...

http://www.hosthideout.com/showthread.php?t=5803

[electric]

Hi I own http://www.thepeopleshost.com i have a couple customers but i want to expand and dont know where to advertise. I have great support and prices can anyone help me out?

What is unique about your company? If it is only "great support and prices", then you are going to have a very difficult time to compete, because this is the same thing that makes almost EVERY other web host "unique".

You must determine what is special about your company that will attract the market you wish to have. Do you offer special cub scout packages? Or websites for car dealers? Or web hosting packages specially designed for pregnant teenagers?

If you can find something UNIQUE to sell to your customers, then they will find much more VALUE in your service and you will be much more likely to attract more customers.

If you are "just another hosting company who offers great support and prices", then you are being compared to the 10,000 other hosts who offer exactly the same thing. Why would anyone pick you?

[kris1351]

Since you are new starting up you will need something to get a customer base. Over 90% of our new customers are from referrals and affiliates. I actually discontinued all of our advertising in January to evaluated what worked best in 2004. It was very dismal looking at all of the results from the thousands we spent in advertising last year. Find something that sets you apart from the rest of us and RUN with it. That is the only way you are going to bring in lots of customers other than giving away your services.

[Jherig]

TPH,

I'd like to give you some constructive criticism, so please don't take it the wrong way. I've just joined this Forum, so I'm not a guru on Hosting, I'm just giving you this from the layman's point of view. I'm not completely techignorant, so I also have the advantage of understanding the product/services your providing.

That said, I'd like to let you know that I just popped onto your website and you're right, you do have some awesome prices. However, I was unimpressed with your website. It looks like someone put it together with FrontPage in their home office. Again, I'm not trying to jab insults, I'm simply giving you my honest, gut opinion. Specifically, the logo was uninspiring, and the total layout of the website was very home school. I'm wondering how many people are looking at those prices, and then looking at the website and saying, "Well.. with those prices, they obviously can't even afford to create a decent website.. how are they really going to take care of my needs, and what shape is their equipment in?"

Obviously, not everyone is thinking that, but just checking out your website from your post, the first thing that went through my head is "Wow.. great prices." The second thing was, "Wow.. How can they afford to take care of my needs?"

Ok.. that all said, and hopefully I didn't bruise your ego too much, because that wasn't the intention. I'm a manager at heart and I hate when people criticize and don't provide solutions. There is a website, chock-full of Graphic Artists and Web Designers at www.sitepoint.com. Very cool site for all things Web Deisgn. However, if you look in the headings down the left side of the screen, near the bottom, you'll find SitePoint Marketplace. If you check out that link, look for the Contests Forum. I can tell you, you can get an awesome logo, AND Web Page Layout for about $200. Check out the Info posting to get the idea of the forum, and then take a little while and peruse some of the other contests. You'll see that there is some excellent work for dirt cheap prices.

I am not affiliated with SitePoint, nor do I personally know anyone that is. I am simply a business man that is looking for various online marketing info and tips and I stumbled across the website. I'd highly recommend it to anyone out there looking for Web Design info, or Logo Development.

I hope I've helped you and you didn't totally write me off by the end of the 2nd paragraph.

Best of Luck!

[thepeopleshost]

Well i have started working on a new web site. www.thepeopleshost.com/new1.html

[ANVANA]

I had a quick look at your new pages and the only thing I can find that makes you stand out is your prices. If you're going to compete in this market, you're going to have to offer something better than "low cost plans" and "great customer service". Every web hosting provider offers this same thing.

The text on your pages is much to general. Give me specifics. For example, your about us page says that you have become "a large hosting firm". How large? 20 customers? - 250? - 10,000? The word "large" tells me nothing.

Focus your site on a specific market. What customers are you trying to attract? Small business owners? Beginners? Individuals? With 25,000 other hosting companies out there, you'll need to convince me why I should choose YOU?

Joe
ANVANA, LLC
www.anvana.com

[MBagent]

So the first thing you need is to make your site looking better, think about the texts and textures, maybe make it more modern. Concerning advertisment, when the site is ready for general advertisment begin with forums and banners/links exchanges. Good Luck!

[etechdesigns]

: I have checked your site, your site need good content, and should concept driven, you should use OOP technique in your shopping cart. The customers should feel that they are touching your product when they visit your site and click on the product.

Secondly for marketing you should focus to your niche market well, the e-mail marketing and viral marketing is a way to go with but you should make the email letter interesting by adding some good topics, newsfield and clips, so that people should not consider it a spam.

You can also adopt other method of marketing such as PPC/ Affiliate marketing and try to exchange links with relevant sites.

[adil]

Well, I would suggest you to focus those businesses who still dont have any online business. I am sure there are many out there.
Btw, i am disclosing one of my business secrets ;)

[Ps3ct]

your local market it the best bet