I am just starting out with my new hosting site (webhostforasp.net) and I am struggling to get new clients. I am pretty sure my design is VERY appealing and my prices are very competitive. I have sent several promotional emails at several websites as well as banner impressions. I have been posting at a number of forums and I have now just discovered this one!

I would love to hear any advice experienced individuals have on how to get started. Thanks in advance!

I delete "promotional e-mails". And by "promotional e-mails" I mean SPAM.

Hello,

Are you located in The Planet? Promotional e-mails and SPAM are two different things. How old are you and what city, state, and country are you in? If you know of some college of local businesses that could use Windows hosting go talk to them. Do not send "promotional e-mails" and banner impressions. It is a waist of your time and money. Many of us know that around here already. Many more are less likely to tell you.

Target local businesses, design firms, and developers. Your bound to get leads from some of them or even sell the service to them.

You may want to try Google Adwords if you have the money. It takes a while to get established in this business. Posting on forums like you are doing is a good start. Look for cheap advertising for your banners on other forum web sites.

The more time your web site is live the better you will do. People look at how long you have been in business.

It is going to be harder nowdays as web hosting is getting sold for peanuts.

Start local!!

lol.. sometimes people dont even care about hosting in your local area

Also make sure you don't spam the forums just to show up your signature. Make valuable contribution to the forum with some good posts and threads.

I am an ASP.NET developer and at first your site looked appealing but taking a closer look at it, I noticed your web site copy looks awfully familiar to that of my current .NET host, Discountasp.

For example, I was looking at your "About Us" page (http://www.webhostforasp.net/aboutus.aspx) and you use the same wording as that of Discountasp (http://www.discountasp.net/aboutus.aspx). For example, your site states:

"We have expertise in ASP.NET and we can prove it. We custom built our own ASP.NET Control Panel using Latest .NET 2 Technology, driven "instant activation" hosting automation system that technologically leapfrogs the competition."

Discountasp states:

"We have expertise in ASP.NET and we can prove it. We custom built our own ASP.NET driven "instant activation" hosting automation system that technologically leapfrogs the competition."

At the following URL (http://www.webhostforasp.net/aboutus.aspx), Webhostforasp.net states:

"Our staff has over 10+ combined years of experience in the website hosting industry. Our team consists of industry veterans that have owned and operated successful and profitable hosting companies, Microsoft Certified Professionals that have worked for some of the Top 5 hosting companies in the world, and others who have worked at webhosting startup companies. We make sure that our staff are technically saavy and understand the web hosting industry."

Discountasp states (http://www.discountasp.net/aboutus.aspx):

Our staff has over 85+ combined years of experience in the website hosting industry. Our team consists of industry veterans that have owned and operated successful and profitable hosting companies, Microsoft Certified Professionals that have worked for some of the Top 5 hosting companies in the world, and others who have worked at webhosting startup companies. We make sure that our staff are technically saavy and understand the web hosting industry.

You said that you just started your hosting company and I believe you because I did a whois look up on your domain name and see that you just registered your domain name this year:

Domain Name: WEBHOSTFORASP.NET
Whois Server: whois.PublicDomainRegistry.com
Referral URL: http://www.PublicDomainRegistry.com
Name Server: NS2.WEBHOSTFORASP.NET
Name Server: NS1.WEBHOSTFORASP.NET
Status: ACTIVE
EPP Status: ok
Updated Date: 11-Jul-2006
Creation Date: 19-Feb-2006
Expiration Date: 19-Feb-2007

I have been hosting sites with Discountasp since 2003, so explain why your copy looks awfully similar to theirs? I am going analyze your site and see if I can find other similar copy. I'll be back to post my findings.

Well, I would offer a bonus to the first 10 customers or so just to get them signed on and then maybe use some testimonials from them posted up on the index page. That way others can see you already have some satisfied customers and they won't feel like they are going to be the first to try an untested host.

And if you copied, then that is uncool.

Start advertising in the forums that allow advertising. That's how I started out. Then, it all comes together...usually by word of mouth if you have a good service. A lot of forums also offer to post your banner/advertisement for a small fee...you can try that...

There is a goldmine in your local area. (unless your local population is 1 or 2)
Very few businesses have websites, there is always that mom and dad that have a brand new baby they want to show off to the rest of the family that lives out of town, churches, clubs, schools, etc.

Alot of these types of customers would be happy to host with another local company. Most hometown businesses like to keep it in the community and would rather host locally than with some big company out of the area.

Just provide good support and customer service and you will have a customer for life.

Just my opinion.

Especially if you live in a decent size city, you still have PLENTY of opportunities, just have to look where there is little competition and push there. They exist you just have to look for it.

It's kind of like a light bulb, when its turned on all the bugs can't stop being around it. Find that light bulb, it exists

Word of mouth is probably the best. Posting on some forums helps in some cases. However, I honestly did not find your prices competitive. The design is great, but you should give them a lot more bandwidth than you do; unless the server you lease limits you on the bandwidth.

Competitive is more than price. Quality bandwidth and quality overall service is worth far more than price alone.

A lot of very good ideas so far, about the only other thing I can think of to add is patience and persistence. It can be tough to get started, don't give up.