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