Good way to gain reputation...

[Placer14]

I found starting hosts usually have inital problems of getting their foot in the door and getting known and getting a (hopefully) good rep among their peers.

So I had an idea...this probably wouldn't fly so well at "some other" forums where FREE HOSTING is found on every other thread. But What abuot offering a select base of users from various communities a 2-3 month trial using your service and really kicking the tires.

Obviously this opens up a lot for fraud and people looking to cause trouble, but I think if the screening is done well and maybe a refundable deposit or a photocopy of the drivers license and CC (just thinking) the newer hosts can get a lot of attention and possibly get on their feet a little easier.

I'm thinking of trying this out. Can anyone play devil's advocate here? Or even tell me waht a good idea I have?

Maybe even take it a step further by having a review site availible for hosts (yes, it's already been done), but the review site actually uses its own traffic to run the testing server. For example, have a a review site that will randomly load info from various servers (that will all be synced) within frames and if the site loads slow (or not at all) the visitor can give realtime feedback on the server using the top frame which will be hosted on a reliable host that will collect all the data. (Hrmmmm *gears working*)

[interactive]

Just keep your current customers extremly happy. Cause happy customers have a tendency to recommend, post, whatever. I wouldn't do the "copy of CC" as you mentioned. Simply because would you give a company that you were getting something free from your CC? Even if it was to prevent fraud or whatnot, I'd be worried you would charge my card. Just my thoughts. Good luck!

[hostpath.com]

Never underestimate the power of a well-crafted press release.

[Reality Hosting]

where can you get your press release published tho?

[1000rpm]

Most of the web hosting directories accept press releases. Also so will forums like this one.

[hostpath.com]

Reality Hosting:

There are a number of outlets on the Web that distribute press releases for free. Additionally, you can fax them or mail them out physically.

Press releases are so overlooked. I've sent out literally HUNDREDS of them for various projects, while I'll bet the majority of business owners in this forum haven't even sent a single one.

You can send them to the major wire services as well. If they get picked up by a major publication, they can turn into an avalanche of response.

[Living Media]

Send your press releases to small papers, larger ones, local papers, whatever and wherever will accept press releases. Your local chamber of commerce may publish something that will accept your press release, and / or may know where to send them.

Heck, there's WebHostDir.com's section for press releases. Take advantage of it.

[Placer14]

Wow....maybe I should consider this option before going the route of "Free service for recognition."

Of course, I have no experience with writing press releases. Another site that I frequent that is more centered around Search Engine Optimization (SEO)-type promotion. They seem to think that PR in print is dead.

I dunno....you guys might want to take a quick search over the site for "press release"

*Edit... forgot the link. www.webmasterworld.com (It's pure gold AND a learning experience)

[Living Media]

PR in print is -=so=- not dead. There are still more people offline than online; and more people who get online who read the paper than people who only read online news.

PR in print may be dead for them, but it shouldn't be for everyone. I think they're cutting off their nose to spite their faces. Granted, it's less efficient; and you would probably word print-media press releases slightly differently - but only slightly - than you would an online press release (online release, keyword-heavy; offline release, more geared toward the target audience, so perhaps more explanatory and less loaded with Old High Geekese, which I speak fluently). But print, dead? Pfaugh.

If print media does die out - which I don't think it will - it's going to take at least another 20 years (generational span).

Regarding SEO - yes, webmasters should learn about it, learn as many of the techniques as they can themselves, incorporate them. Some of them actually dovetail nicely with usability tenets. But you shouldn't just use online advertising / promotion, or only print-media advertising / promotion, or only audio-media (radio) advertising / promotion. All should be used, to one degree or the other. Knowing the best mixture to use, knowing how to use them efficiently and effectively, is the real trick.

[beley]

Looking for recognition is one thing... a reputation is completely different. You can't buy a reputation. Provide a good quality service to your clients and always conduct business in an honest and ethical manner. You'll get the reputation.

[hostpath.com]

Many successful businesses have cultivated a large following without spending a dime in advertising dollars. However, to get your press release machine running, you need to do something noteworthy if possible.

For instance, you may find a local charitable organization that needs a web presence. You could create a site for them (how about based on an inexpensive Template Monster template) and host it for them for free.

I had one web company I consulted do exactly that, for the local Humane Society. They wrote a little script to allow the HS to upload images of pets for adoption, so that they could change them out by themselves. I wrote a terrific press release for them, included thankful quotes from the Humane Society, and the company made quite a number of site sales based on the response they got to the press release.

Consider something like that.

[hostpath.com]

Originally posted by Placer14: Another site that I frequent that is more centered around Search Engine Optimization (SEO)-type promotion. They seem to think that PR in print is dead.

That's because they, for the most part, don't know what they're talking about or don't know how to do any other form of marketing or don't appreciate the value of non-search engine marketing.

I used to frequent WebmasterWorld, but for the most part they're so focused on SEO they overlook other (and potentially more valuable) forms of marketing. For instance, here are the forum topics under "Marketing":

Search Engine Promotion
Link Development
Deprecated - Search Engine Submission
Search Engine Spider Identification
Cloaking
SEM Research Topics
Keyword Discussion

Ummmm, have they never heard of any other form of marketing?

[Living Media]

Originally posted by hostpath.com:

That's because they, for the most part, don't know what they're talking about or don't know how to do any other form of marketing or don't appreciate the value of non-search engine marketing.

I used to frequent WebmasterWorld, but for the most part they're so focused on SEO they overlook other (and potentially more valuable) forms of marketing. For instance, here are the forum topics under "Marketing":

Search Engine Promotion
Link Development
Deprecated - Search Engine Submission
Search Engine Spider Identification
Cloaking
SEM Research Topics
Keyword Discussion

Ummmm, have they never heard of any other form of marketing?

I think it's the human tendency to jump on anything new as either "different, bad, kill it" or "fantastic, amazing, it is the solution to all our problems". I get this amusing mental picture of a bunch of club-wielding primates standing around a monolith inscribed with the words "SEO" I think that there are also still people out there who hope that they can do things at their computer, interact with other human beings minimally or only electronically, and yet still make a goodly amount of money. A very tempting picture, for us introverts; but it isn't incredibly realistic.

Like I said in my post above, people have to use a combination of all marketing methods. How much of which method they use depends on what specific goals they want to reach, their capability to create these different types of marketing (knowledge to do it themselves or money to pay someone else to do it), and the ease / cost of running these various campaigns.

For the overall focus of the forum, webmasters, the Marketing forum at WMW seems to be okay; but perhaps they'd want to change the category title to "Online Marketing" just to clear up confusion.

[hostpath.com]

Tips on writing a press release:

http://www.zerocost.com/articles/pr02.html