| Many small business owners have reached the | | | | email help ticketing, live chat options, and more. |
| conclusion that good customer service is a scarce | | | | To be found when potential customers are |
| commodity. And this is often what many smaller | | | | researching provider options for services you offer |
| sized companies bank on as their greatest asset: | | | | Have you ever tried to access a site only to receive |
| providing the personal attention to the customer | | | | an error message indicating that the site was |
| experience that may be lacking with larger | | | | experiencing problems? If you were browsing or |
| companies. Sometimes, getting great customer | | | | researching, you most likely did not retry the site |
| service is often more desirable than a lower price | | | | because you found what you needed elsewhere. This |
| point, depending on the type of service provided. | | | | is what your potential customers will do if they are |
| If you are the owner of a small business and have | | | | looking for your service and your site is unavailable. |
| made the critical decision to create a website and | | | | Tip: Your website should be hosted by a company |
| establish a presence online, you will need to choose | | | | that offers optimal uptime. This means that they |
| web hosting services. Since you know how important | | | | should promise at least 99% uptime capabilities. Your |
| customer service is, how can you properly set your | | | | site loses value and credibility when its availability is |
| expectations and choose the right web site hosting | | | | inconsistent and unreliable. |
| provider? | | | | To have a portal for gaining new customers and |
| Why Are You Getting Online? | | | | reaching a wider clientele |
| Consider why you have determined that getting | | | | Your website should be easy to create and maintain, |
| online is important: | | | | given your time restrictions and skill level. A wide |
| To stay in front of customers and offer information | | | | variety of options and resources these days will help. |
| and other features around the clock | | | | Free website builder tools are also available if you do |
| To be found when potential customers are | | | | a little research. |
| researching provider options for services you offer | | | | Tip: Choose a web hosting services provider that |
| To have a portal for gaining new customers and | | | | offers a free website builder tool. This can help with |
| reaching a wider clientele | | | | handling any technical issues as tools and expert help |
| To offer tools and resources for a better customer | | | | will come from the same resource. |
| experience | | | | To offer tools and resources for a better customer |
| Your hosting provider should be your partner in | | | | experience |
| reaching your objectives. Choosing the cheapest or | | | | Every website offers varying degrees of customer |
| most expensive is not always the best way to | | | | interaction. Some sites are simply another place to |
| determine if the hosting platform is right. The one | | | | get local contact information and driving directions, |
| you choose must extend to you a superior customer | | | | while others have scheduling capabilities, customer |
| experience and support your online initiatives. | | | | calculators and interactive tools, and additional |
| Breaking It Down | | | | resources. Wherever you envision your site to be on |
| To stay in front of customers and make your | | | | this spectrum, a host that provides these tools, |
| offerings available around the clock | | | | available as you grow your online presence, can help |
| Your website is available even when you are not (a | | | | you facilitate a better customer experience to |
| primary reason many small businesses get online). | | | | enhance your business. |
| Your customers can find contact and location | | | | Tip: Always consider the tools that are available with |
| information at night and get in touch first thing in the | | | | your hosting provider and be clear about the level of |
| morning. They can browse products and services to | | | | bandwidth you should purchase to accommodate |
| get a better idea of what they want. Maybe you | | | | these tools, now or in the future. |
| even offer online scheduling. Because your website | | | | Conclusion |
| will be available to your customers 24/7, you need | | | | Your website should be an extension of your current |
| reliable, around the clock technical assistance, in case | | | | business. It should also serve as a valuable addition |
| you need to access and make changes to your site | | | | that helps you provide a superior experience for new |
| after hours. | | | | and potential customers. Your web hosting services |
| Tip: Make sure the hosting provider you choose | | | | provider should be the machine that helps you make |
| offers 24/7 real person help, as well as other options | | | | this happen. |
| to get the technical assistance you need such as | | | | |