I was frustrated. I needed to talk with my web host’s customer support about an issue on my new site.
But I couldn’t find their 24-hour phone number for support.
Two weeks earlier, I signed up for a hosting plan at a new web host, expecting to move my testing sites once I tested everything out.
I checked their website pages, re-read my onboarding email message, Thank you for choosing our hosting plan. You’ll be glad to know we’re only a phone call away if you need support.
Their number was nowhere to be found.
Finally, I did a search online and found their customer support number on a third-party web hosting review site.
Phew!
I called their number, spoke with customer support staff about the issue I was having, and asked,
Where is your 24-hour phone number on your website? I couldn’t find it when I searched for it. Did I miss it?
Their support person replied, No, you didn’t miss it. We don’t have the phone number on our public website. You can only access the number if you’re logged into our customer support site.
What?
When I asked, Is that by design? You don’t include your phone number publicly?
, they replied, Yes.
That’s when I knew their company was not a company I wanted to work with.
One of the reasons I bought their hosting plan was because they advertised 24/7 customer support via phone.
If 24/7 phone support is one of the features you advertise about your service or products, you need to publish the phone number publicly.
Don’t assume your customers have online access to their account.
That’s when I thought a discussion on choosing a web host would be a good idea for our West Metro Detroit WordPress group.
What to Look for in a Web Host
When it comes to choosing web hosting, it can feel like you’re in a candy store, with hundreds of choices to make.
But it doesn’t have to be that difficult, if you identify the requirements for your web host and conduct a comprehensive analysis of the features offered in hosting plans.
I thought I had done that when I chose my new web host.
But I missed confirming their phone number was available, even when I wasn’t online.
These types of “gotchas” can get you, like they did me.
That’s what I’ll be talking about at our West Metro Detroit WordPress meetup on Tuesday, February 19, 2019: what to consider and look out for when you choose a web host.
Here are a few of the main topics I’ll discuss:
- Operating system and application support (Linux, Windows)
- Disk space
- Cost, including renewal costs
- Customer support
- Security (SSL, backups)
- Host management software (cPanel, WHM)
- Email accounts
Meetup Information and Registration
Hope you’ll join us at our meetup on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm; pre-registration is required.
We’ll meet at the Grand Traverse Pie in Plymouth, Michigan (directions and map).
The event is free, but pre-registration is required. (It’s the only way you’ll get follow-up message and notes.)
As always, we’ll have time to network and discuss the latest WordPress news.
See You There!
Bring your laptop or paper and pencil to take notes.
I’m looking forward to the meetup and I hope you’ll join us for sharing, learning, and networking.
See you February 19th!
