Bayside Networks National Provider of Trusted and Experienced IT Services

Today I was contacted by a “hosting reseller� that was interested in moving a client’s email and website to a hosting service provider that he sells. The “hosting biz� was clearly a sideline business for the reseller as he seemed to have very limited technical background.

I sat back and listened to the reseller’s plan for our client, then I asked a few pointed questions, mainly so I could understand how the reseller planned to avoid disrupting our client’s email and website during their transfer to the new hosting provider.

The first thing that alarmed me was the reseller’s plan to make the transfer to the new provider on something other than a Friday afternoon. He didn’t see any problem making the change during the middle of the week. If you are very careful and really understand what makes email flow on the internet, yes you can make changes mid-week.

From practical experience though, its almost never a good idea to make substantive email configuration changes for a business in the middle of the week if it can be avoided.

This reseller’s lack of knowledge is just a small part of a larger problem in the mass marketed hosting business.

The hosting provider is a large company that focuses on selling its services at a very very low cost to thousands of customers. At the prices the hosting company charges, careful client specific service simply can’t be part of their business model.

Mass market hosting companies often work with “resellers.� The thinking
is that the resellers bring in the customers, earn a commission, and provide the “service� that the hosting companies need to make use of their inexpensive products. Sometimes this business model works pretty well but often it does not.

Part of the problem is that anyone, I mean anyone, can be a hosting reseller. Do you have a heartbeat? You can be a reseller too. Try this search – hosting reseller – see what I mean?

Try to assess the knowledge level of anyone that recommends a technology, such as hosting service for your business. If they don’t specialize in technology based products or services, there is a good chance that they are in over the head and may be simply trying to earn a quick buck.

Another point is to make sure you understand where your service will actually come from. If you are working with a reseller, be sure to research the quality of the hosting company that the reseller is recommending. Try typing the name of the hosting provider, i.e. “abc123 hosting problems� – see what comes up.

The overall message here is buyer beware. It’s a hassle to change hosting companies over and over – so its important to make a choice that you are likely to be comfortable with for at least a year.

Also, be careful to avoid any encumbering contracts or prepayment for more than 1 quarter (3 months) of service. If you aren’t happy with a hosting service it can be very frustrating trying to get your money back if the service has been prepaid.

There are aspects of buying any technology that are no different than navigating through any other purchase. Trust your common sense and business experience. As a customer, you have control and the ability to be very careful about your technology purchases.

I often counsel our technology consulting clients to trust their common sense more than their ability to assess any technology service or product. Check a few references, ask for written documentation, ask for an explanation of how or if your business is likely to be disrupted if there are any problems with the new product?

If the explanations don’t sound right to you and raises “common sense questions to you� – chances are good that you should move on and consider a different product.

I found today’s call with the reseller a little bit amusing. The reseller was trying to sell a complex service with little understanding of how to implement it or how his customer could be negatively affected by any mistakes. He reminded me of a car salesman, maybe working “his first day on the lot.�

The reseller today was just playing a role in a crazy overall low pricing at any cost landscape. The old adage – if something is too good to be true it probably isn’t.

Sure, you can pay $10 a month to host thousands of email accounts, but who will administer it, and what will the overall service quality be? Will anyone that can actually help you even answer the phone if you call for assistance?What will the real cost of poor quality or service be?

I am certain the reseller didn’t find my pointed questions and very limited patience amusing at all- I suppose that’s why most technical people like myself aren’t great sales people!!