Web hosting is a very important part of the development of personal aspirations, but in general, web hosting supports a range of websites promoting businesses across the globe. Some choose to use rented dedicated servers, where as some will purchase their own; but what type of web hosting support should be used?
First off, let’s identify what web hosting support is and why it is essential…
Web hosting support was originally introduced for clients that had no previous experience with web hosting. It allows Clients to highlight problems and gives them access to a service that quickly rectifies any errors related to the server. As the internet has grown and evolved, so has the quality and range of web hosting support available. Clients are able to access information such as how to use an FTP client, or are able to ask simple questions about bills or charges relating to their account.
There are two basic options when it comes to web hosting support; in house support and outsourced support.
Let’s start with in house support. This is basically what people and businesses did before the internet, with their staff; they hire them to work on a daily basis in their offices. Thanks to the evolution of things such as the internet itself, outsourced support is now available. This can offer some businesses a more appealing and cost effective solution and therefore, in house support is slowly decreasing.
Outsourced support seems like it offers the best all of angles in the web hosting support industry. It seems virtual staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, yet the overheads for the service are extremely low. Of course, the technical issues are usually resolved via phone or email and require someone listening on the other end, which can slow things down considerably.
Whilst outsourced support may be extremely appealing initially, larger organizations will always find that the quality of in house support is far superior to that of the outsourced support. In house web hosting support offers companies and organizations the chance to have experts on hand, day in, day out. A smaller company may not notice their web hosting service go offline for five minutes, where as for a larger company, this could create a catastrophe and a huge decrease in profitability.
Larger companies tend to need to get things done faster and more efficiently and usually have the budget to back it, hence why in house support is generally targeted for companies that are extremely large. If your company can not handle having a workforce dedicated to web hosting support, then it is likely that the outsourced web hosting support option is probably the better option.
Of course, with everything in the world, it all comes down to money. Whilst the quality of service provided by in house web hosting support teams is likely to be far more superior to that of an outsourced team, cost is a huge factor. In general companies will implement a team of web hosting support personnel if they are running in excess of 100 servers.
If a company has less than 100 servers, it is simply not cost effective to use an in house support team. The smaller companies are forced to used outsourced support teams, which in their own right, offer extremely good value for money.
The most common form of contact when using a outsourced support team is usually via email helpdesk or telephone. Whilst in house support teams are likely to respond a lot quicker in a more efficient manner, there is definitely nothing wrong with this method of contact.
There are some quite obvious benefits to be had by using a outsourced web hosting support team. The selling point for most teams is the fact that they can offer their customers a support service 24 hours a day. The company can continue with their daily duties and even end a day knowing that their support team will take care of all issues; day and night.
A lot of outsourced services charge their rates based on the companies requirements. By specifying the exact services needed, the rates for an outsourced web hosting support team soon become minuscule in comparison with in house support.
Whilst outsourcing your web hosting has some obvious benefits, there are some disadvantages to think about as well. It’s most likely that you have spent masses of time and effort building your business to the state it is now. I’m assured that it’s not just time and effort that have been installed in your business as we all know that businesses cost money to run. By allowing another company to run your web hosting support you is effectively putting your customer relationships at risk. If the companies you hire do not for fill the duties you require correctly, they could soon start losing you your regular customers!
What’s your take on this?
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