It was late on a Friday afternoon (it ALWAYS happens late on a Friday afternoon) and I was about to head out the door with my family to get an early jump on the weekend.
Just as we were about to go, my cell phone rang. On the other end was a client in a panic because their website was down.
Again!
This client had an ongoing issue with their site that we had figured out was due to an issue with their web hosting company. We told them the only way to get rid of the problem for good was to get rid of their web host. But, for some reason, they wouldn’t switch.
So they continued using what is one of our least favorite hosting companies on the planet (Hint: their name rhymes with Toe Caddy). And they continued having issues with their website.
“It’s Not Us, It’s You”
Since their web host’s support motto has always seemed to be “it’s not us, it’s you”, this client always relied on us to fix their issue.
This usually involved us getting on the phone with “Toe Caddy’s” support team trying to nicely explain – yet again – what they had to fix to get the client’s site back up and running.
Firing a Client
This cost the client quite a bit in consulting fees. They easily ended up spending WAY more paying us than they would have if they had just paid a few extra bucks each month for a quality web host that actually, you know, SUPPORTS customers when they call for help.
It got to the point where we fired this client.
They wouldn’t move their site to another host. And it just wasn’t worth it for us to keep banging our heads against the wall to try and fix something that the web host had to fix on their end. So we ended the relationship.
Web Consultant’s Making Out Like Bandits
But many web consultants don’t do that. They’re more than happy to keep charging clients through the nose to fix website issues that come up when clients use a crappy web hosting company.
In fact, they love it when their clients sign up for the cheapest web hosting option. Because the consultants know they’ll make a pretty penny off clients who do.
Short Term Savings vs. Long Term Costs
Based on A LOT of experience, we can confidently say that trying to save money on web hosting will end up costing you more over the long haul.
Better to spend a little more upfront each month going with a quality host that offers superior technology and support than paying a web consultant through the nose to fix issues due to a crappy web host.
Who To Choose For Quality Web Hosting
Our favorite web hosting company is WP Engine (learn more about why in this article). They offer a great product and amazing customer support that costs unethical web consultants a lot of money. But, we can confidently say, you’ll be in amazing hands with them.
Yes, they cost a bit more per month than the cheap, crappy web hosting companies. But, for many, you’ll end up saving a lot more over the long haul. Check out their latest plans and pricing here.
