Hosting Affiliates | The CaymanHost Web Hosting Directory

Posts Tagged ‘hosting affiliates’

Honest Hosting Reviews – Do They Exist?

Written by caymanhost on December 13, 2008 – 1:26 am

Honest hosting reviews: is there any such thing? There are plenty of people who will have you believe that there is not and some will go as far as discrediting virtually any hosting review website. As a site that obviously falls under that banner I thought I should address the issue here on these pages.

Before I go any further, check out this video. For some this will be an eye opener whilst for others it is probably old news. However, before refuting any claims or arguing the case for web hosting review sites I think it highlights some very important facts.

Interesting huh? But hang on you’re saying to yourself, why would a web hosting directory site want to highlight such alleged rottenness in the hosting review game? Well, I think it is important for people to understand the pitfalls, misdirection and even dishonesty that is sometimes associated with review sites of all kinds. Review is often synonymous with “selling” on the internet and the way some sites go about this, unfortunately reflects badly on some of the decent operators out there.

The video illustrates quite clearly that some sites sell rankings to hosting companies, at at quite a considerable premium. The examples given are quite staggering to a small website owner like myself. $2000 per month for a top spot is a pretty lucrative slice of real estate and proves just how much money and competition exists in the hosting sector. Make no mistake, it is very big business. Is it wrong for the review sites to operate in this way? Some would say emphatically “YES”, others would agree that it is certainly misleading and some would perhaps shrug and say, “that’s business”.

Personally I think that if you profess to be a review site, you should endeavor to provide impartial comments and critiques from people who have had first hand experience as a customer.

The other aspect the video focuses on is affiliate links, and this is where I often find myself taking issue with the anti advertising brigade. If you read my disclosure policy, it is made perfectly clear where I stand on this point. My website is commercial in nature and I see no reason to be ashamed of trying to earn a living. This site is designed to earn affiliate commissions, and it is done openly and honestly but it is also designed to give people a forum for discussing and rating the companies we feature. Comments, both negative and positive are given an airing on this site and it is my hope that these will help others when they are trying to make a purchase decision. Hopefully the service provided will encourage them to buy through one of my links, but that is entirely their choice.

Interestingly, reviews are very thin on the ground to date. We are not one of the big boys with huge budgets to spend on advertising and design, but I do hope that the site provides a platform for people to have their say. I have only ever declined one comment regarding a hosting company as it had obviously been written by a very angry customer and publishing it could have been damaging to all concerned. It is only on occasions such as that when I consider editing or removing feedback.

The producer of the video alleges cases where any positive reviews of competing companies (i.e. those competing with their paying advertisers) were being deleted. This sort of practice is really a thorn in the side of sites that try to offer genuine customer feedback and is sad that it goes on, but I have no doubt that it does, just as I have no doubt that some reviews are posted by representatives of hosting companies as a form of shady marketing.

I suppose I have made this post in defence of my own humble site. I do not have the clout to pull in huge advertising checks from anyone and am like many small time affiliates attempting to make money by providing a useful service and platform for webmasters, bloggers and hosting customers. To this end, there is no table of top hosting companies. I do not believe any hosting company can be in “the top ten” or twenty or whatever, because every person buying hosting has uniquely individual needs.

There are no fake reviews or comments posted here and I am often surprised by the large number of reviews some sites manage to pull in. I’m sure that in some cases the ability to leave a review on a high ranking site is abused by those with an interest in tooting their own horn but then again maybe I’m just a tad too cynical! I myself have only written one review from first hand experience of my own hosting company who, I am pleased to say, have always performed admirably and never given me cause to shop elsewhere.

My recommendation for anyone shopping for hosting is to do your homework. We have links to many of the top forums as well, so you can ask your questions about particular companies and other people’s experiences. Be warned though -- like all forums they can be populated by trolls, snake oil salesmen and cheerleaders and you shouldn’t assume that all advice received in forums is either impartial or sometimes even very accurate.

If you have found this post useful, please leave us your own thoughts and comments, and if you have something to say about any of the companies promoted on our pages, we’d love to hear from you.

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Kiosk.ws Offer Unlimited Hosting Plan

Written by caymanhost on July 25, 2008 – 10:24 am

Kiosk.ws recently announced the upgrade of their Titanium shared hosting plan which will now include “unlimited” everything. Realistically this means that they have removed all restrictions on things like storage space, bandwidth and the like.

For full details of the revised plans visit Kiosk.ws Hosting

Kiosk.ws has long been the choice of marketers as a reliable and feature packed hosting company.

Kiosk offer three levels of shared hosting and tailor made dedicated server plans for those needing something special as opposed to the cheapest deal they can find.

As a Kiosk customer I have never had cause for complaint and their service has been faultless and their hosting reliable with very impressive uptime. They have been criticized for their prices in recent times and this has doubtless put off many people seeking “cheap” hosting, but for those wanting real value for money, Kiosk remain a strong contender for anyone doing business online. The excellent affiliate program is an added bonus for Kiosk customers, paying recurring monthly commissions.

With the latest announcements regarding the Titanium Hosting package, Kiosk have ramped up the value for money of their services by a considerable margin. For a very limited time, new customers are also being offered a special “super reseller” package if they are prepared to commit to Titanium hosting for a full 12 months – this includes the design and set up of your own professional Wordpress blog by the Kiosk design team. You will need to be quick to secure a place for this special offer however as it has proved hugely popular.

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