Looking for a new host? Then you have probably faced the dreaded Gator already. Hostgator is recommended in all dark corners of the Internet. Sure, there are some brave contenders, such as Bluehost and Midphase, but the überhost of hosts eats them alive.
How did this Tyrannosaurus Host came to rule the Internet? The company isn’t really that old. It was founded in 2002 by Brent Oxley, who actually started the whole thing from his dorm room at Florida Atlantic University. That guy must have done something right, that’s for sure. I’ll get into that now.Why do so many recommend Hostgator? Excellent hosting plans? Unbeatable prices? Captivating female staff? Complementary microwave? I think not, although I might be wrong about that. Anyhow, the reason everyone recommends them is probably because they have a high converting affiliate program. I do the same. I promote things with affiliate programs. I also suspect that that this affilaite program is one of the reasons for Hostgator’s massive success. Also, promoting Hostgator hosting is like promoting Amazon products. The brand itself sells because it’s trusted and seen everywhere.
Now for some shocking info…
I don’t have a Hostgator account! I used to have one, though. It’s a decent host, but it will not raise the dead. There are many hosts that can provide the same features at a better price, and others that provide better customer support. One company I use, SLhost, usually reply within minutes to any support tickets I throw their way, and fix everything I ask of them before my coffee gets gold. I use other hosts as well, one of them being SeoHost, that I use to expand my network of websites. This SEO hosting service provide you with separate c-class IPs and unique name servers for half the price that Hostgator’s own SEO hosting service (And I have never had a single problem with them to this day). they take a bit longer to respond, and are not so nice as the SLhost guys, but they are worth it nontheless.
But.,, Bigger is Better!
That’s the mentality that magically draws us towards the megamalls and franchised stores. Somehow, we believe that where everyone goes, we should go too. Because if everyone goes there, the reason must be that it rocks!
Not necessarily. In these financial challenged times, I believe that it’s just as well to host with small companies that has a proven track record. After all, if a company like Hostgator would go bust, I can only imagine of the chaos that would lead to. On the other hand, if a lesser host went out of business, I have a feeling that it would be a far less traumatic affair for everyone involved.
Think about it this way. When a small hosting company bites the dust, there are always a bigger player who takes over the customers. But what happens when the biggest of them all fall?