Cannot find, for any fee (so far)...

[NobleJoseph]

... a detailed, accurate and up-to-date comparison, say as a monthly published report or chart, of various features of web hosts, let alone regarding the key areas that matter to me: 65% tech support, 25% ease of use, 5% liberal terms of use (content) - and in that order.

I find it weird that such a fundamental (to me anyway) service or website or Youtube, or even magazine article, does not exist. Well, I can't find it! There are billions of fake 'reviews' (affiliate links) there are thousands of compare X to Y videos (affiliate links again) and articles. But they all focus on speed, uptime and very simple to measure variables. I would be happy to pay $150 for a 30-day subscription to an organization/consultancy firm that offers this finding service. I want to buy customised information. Instead all I can find is advertising.

What I envision is first an interview: What is your tech ability? What factors among the following dozen are non-negotiable and which are top priority? What is your budget? Which country are most of your customers in? How much time do you have to learn the software until you start trying to making money? Then you get a list of 3-5 web-hosts. Then your refine (for an additional fee).

I don't consult a physician who sells pharmaceuticals. Likewise I don't consult an advisor for web-hosting who sells them. Perhaps such a service is available only at the executive level, for upper management of multinational corporations because only they can afford the precision?

 

[Artashes]

If I understand your question correctly, if you look at both technology (software, hardware) and customer expectations, we find that most things in the hosting world are limited in their application.

From a tech perspective, any hosting company is limited to same hardware options, X number of software products (unless they invest in their own) and networks.

From a customer perspective, you want the best service there is at a competitive price.

So at the very end of the day, the only differentiator is the service you are able to provide your customer. The better the service, the higher the retention and the higher the satisfaction.

How would an expensive report stating that this month 60% of customers value tech support the most (vs 72% last month), followed by 40% of customers (vs 30% last month) stating price sensitivity as second most important factor would influence you in doing things differently on your end? Does it mean that you will lower your prices at a cost of reducing support operations? Or will you still strive to offer excellent tech support at the best price you can?

 

[NobleJoseph]

What would influence me (at any price) is the neutrality of the researcher, a broad range of companies reviewed and specific measurements. I have viewed Youtube videos wherein the assessor calls computer companies with a problem that he knows the answer to in order to see if the tech support person can solve the problem. But better than that would be 500 persons doing so and collating the results. Yes, that would be worth $100 to me.

Thus far I am impressed by Nexxus (uh, Liquidweb?) which spent three hours answering with no difficulty many precise questions. A2 was much less competent and the tone of the staff was as if I was bothering them. Siteground was OK. It's a huge project and I am not willing to invest the time.

 

[Artashes]

I have viewed Youtube videos wherein the assessor calls computer companies with a problem that he knows the answer to in order to see if the tech support person can solve the problem. But better than that would be 500 persons doing so and collating the results. Yes, that would be worth $100 to me.

500 people calling the same list of companies with same questions (which it itself place enormous strain on their operation, instead of spending that time helping clients) or 500 people calling all different companies one time and writing their opinion?

Besides, my general thought is that while this type of survey mostly benefits the consumer, I don't see customers spending money as the cost of hosting is not as prohibiting as it was 20 years ago.

Thus far I am impressed by Nexxus (uh, Liquidweb?) which spent three hours answering with no difficulty many precise questions. A2 was much less competent and the tone of the staff was as if I was bothering them. Siteground was OK. It's a huge project and I am not willing to invest the time.

See, that's where it becomes subjective. How does one fairly measure something like this?

 

[CyborgHost]

While there are various hosting review sites, as you've mentioned, many of them are driven by affiliate commissions, and they often focus on technical performance metrics like speed and uptime rather than the specific criteria that matter most to you, such as technical support, ease of use, and terms of use.

I believe that the most critical factors are high-quality hardware, redundant network, and exceptional technical support. When the hardware and network are of top-notch quality, instances of downtime become rare or even avoidable. Having excellent technical support at your disposal is crucial for receiving efficient managed services when necessary. It may be beneficial to explore a few options to identify the one that best aligns with your needs.