The majority of the best web hosting reviews found online aren’t reviewed websites at all; they are affiliate programs. A good example would be a weblog. This website is an affiliate of several well-known Internet marketers, but it doesn’t list the companies that offer the best hosting packages. Why doesn’t almost every online review site, forum, video with the best hosting review sites tend to recommend only a handful of very popular hosting companies?
There are two main reasons for this. First, these review websites need to make money. Most of them will offer you a one-way sign up bonus that includes a free one-way bid to host a web site with their hosting package. That way, you can simply click the link in your email and get the domain name, hosting account and the software needed to start profiting from your new web site; the one that is reviewed on these best hosting review websites!
The second reason is even bigger than the first one. The vast majority of hosting review web sites don’t have any contact information on their staff, and therefore they cannot get in touch with anyone who can tell them which companies they should avoid, and which ones they should seriously consider. You might as well read a marketing book from a salesman instead of reading an unbiased hosting review!
One of the most popular places to find honest hosting reviews is the Internet. Look for independent parties, such as people who work directly for hosting companies (not affiliate marketers) and for other customers. You should only consider reviews from actual customers: people who’ve used a particular hosting company. You can also read forums and blogs about hosting and compare notes. Take a look at the spam hosting companies on the Internet – you may have some friends who are using the best hosting companies there, but you may never find out because they hide their email addresses and they never tell you where they get their hosting.
Once you’ve located several reviews that you like, read the whole thing – don’t just skim through the highlights. You should be able to understand the key points and the entire review. Look for the comments of a specific customer: this is especially important. If you find a single negative comment and you don’t know who it came from, you should probably ignore that particular hosting review. However, if you read a few positive reviews, but the authors weren’t particularly complimentary of the company, take a chance.
The third reason why you should only consider reviews from people you know is that there’s a good chance that they’re just paid salespeople. There’s nothing wrong with paying for advertising – however, you’ll get much more out of your advertising if you actually do some research. You may not always agree with the opinions of those who sell hosting, but when it comes to hosting companies, you’ll want to make sure the hosting companies you get your hosting from our reliable. If you don’t research what companies are the best, you’ll end up getting poor quality, overpriced service.
The fourth reason why you should only consider reviews from people you know is that the information they include can actually be helpful. This isn’t just some marketing article – there’s usually a good bit of useful information in these reviews. For example, take a look at the different kinds of hosting accounts and what features each has. By reading an effective review, you can quickly see which companies offer the features you need and which ones you should avoid.
The fifth reason why you shouldn’t just use a review as your only form of advice when looking for a great web host is that most of them won’t give you good information. Some reviewers might try to sell you on a particular company or product, but they won’t tell you about everything you need to know. To get the best hosting review possible, look for independent parties who have used the services in question. They’ll offer you more objectively than a review from an advertising affiliate will.