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I’d Like to Say Nice Things About HostGator’s Support, but…

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Jan 7, 2010; Category: Business, Marketing; Tags: HostGator, Support, Webhosting; 4 Comments

Update 2/4/2010: I had reason for some support help from HostGator, so I tried out their chat support. It’s an entirely different experience. Dedicated attention from a single support tech who stays with you until the problem is resolved. The result? The problem was resolved quickly and efficiently.

Update 1/8/2010: when I returned to HG’s contact page this morning (still not resolved and I need to get beyond the ticket system), I noted that the email addresses did carry the instruction to "submit a ticket by emailing us." Like most people, when I want help, I tend not to see the details but go straight to the info that looks like it will get me help, without reading (or even seeing) the supplementary info: when I see an "Email Us" heading, I expect the process to act like email. There is a usability lesson in that for me as a web developer/information architect.

This is not the first time I have complained in my blog about Hostgator’s support ticket system. Last time, a nice person from HG even responded to that post, but nothing in the system has changed since then, so nice responses that seem to offer understanding don’t amount to much.

On HG’s behalf, let me say they are very reliable, and I don’t have more support issues than I’ve experienced with other webhosts. I’m just not happy with their support system and/or processes, and probably all that can be traced to whoever is managing their support function.

What’s the issue? HG seems to have a single support channel: a ticket system. And no way around it when it does not fit the need. Here’s the story:

4:28pm: I submit a ticket on a problem with a hosted site after spending half an hour trying to determine for myself what the problem might be and what I need to do to fix it.

4:35pm: Representative A responds and requests more info.

4:41pm: I respond with requested info.

5:36pm: (note increased time) Representative B responds with partial fix and partial explanation.

5:39pm: I respond with questions to clarify what happened.

5:43pm: After noticing that some problems remain, I respond outlining remaining problems.

7:38pm: (that was one long dinner break) Representative C responds with additional partial fix, but no requested explanation.

7:42pm: I respond with remaining issues that are apparent.

7:59pm: I share repeated error that has been showing up in error logs.

9:28pm: I’m still waiting…

(Note: times are in HG’s time zone, an hour ahead of mine)

Does anyone besides me see a problem here with lack of continuity in HG’s support responses, both in terms of time and personnel? Anyway, I see such a problem, so I decided to go to HG’s website and send an email to the support contact email, with a little "constructive critcism." Copied from my email:

I’m a fan of Hostgator. I currently host a few dozen websites on Hostgator. I spend a fair amount of time telling my clients how reliable and rocksolid Hostgator is.

But that may have to change, because HG does not have its support act together. At this point, I have several support issues behind me, and the record shows this is the usual experience:

1. submit support ticket to the support dept
2. receive first response in approx 10 minutes, from rep A (so far, so good)
3. respond and receive next response in approx 1 hour, from rep B (not so good)
4. respond and receive next response in 1-2 hours, from rep C (not even close to acceptable)
5. there may be 2-3 additional cycles, extending the support process up to 5-6 hours

The upshot is that relatively simple matters can easily take 2-3 hours (more is not unusual) to resolve. Between the lack of continuity (because of extended times and different support reps) and the slow response times, the support, well, it sucks.

(BTW, my one experience with support from your billing dept shows response times always in the 10-15 minute range, with greater continuity with support personnel)

Can you not see the value of going to a different system for a customer for whom the first response does not resolve the issue? I guarantee you are about to lose at least one customer entirely, or at minimum, cease to see any additional growth in this account.

Would you like to guess what happened to this email? It was directed to HG’s ticket system. That’s right: an email complaint about HG’s ticket system opened a ticket. I’m currently awaiting a ticket response on my original ticket, AND this ticket. Can anyone here spell "INFLEXIBLE?" Can everyone here say "It’s time to look for a webhost with a better support system?"

Business in 2010: Still Evolving After All These Years*

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Jan 2, 2010; Category: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing, Zeitgeist; Tags: Blogging for Business, Business, Change, Economy, Entrepreneurs, Future; One Comment

New Year’s resolutions aren’t part of my tradition. They’re too easily forgotten or ignored, and they seem to focus primarily on end results rather than on underlying issues that create the need for improvement.

However, because the end-of-year holidays include more days off than I’m used to in a 2-week period, I usually do end up thinking about how things have gone over the previous year and where I’m going in the next. While I don’t exclusively think about business at such times, I’ll restrict this post to my reflections about Evo’s business (believe me, it’s better for both of us ).

My business has changed fairly dramatically in the past year, and blogging and blogs have played a big role. Evo has been in business since May, 2000—nearly 10 years. In terms of business activity, 2009 was not awful, but not great (until the last couple of months). My long-time business partner left the company in August and, while that has limited Evo’s ability to do some things, it’s also created profitable opportunities for collaboration with other companies.

I originally selected "Evolution" as part of the business name because I knew we’d have to evolve to be effective, as well as to stay in business. Back in 2000, I thought of websites primarily as online brochures. A lot of people still want static, set-it-and-forget-it websites that somehow bring them tons of business. It doesn’t work that way in 2010, and it really never did. I’m excited that websites can play an active role in marketing for a price that is well within the reach of most small businesses and organizations. My focus is now primarily on helping businesses and organizations incorporate blogging and blog-based websites into their marketing mix. In September, I developed and released a highly-customizable WordPress theme, Evo4 CMS, specifically for creating blog-based websites, and it’s greatly increased both my flexibility and efficiency in the implementation phase.

The challenge is that blogging, engaging online with customers, and keeping your website updated requires some time and effort. Definitely not a set-it-and-forget-it scenario. In 2010, I have to do a better job of communicating the benefits that kind of time and effort can bring about. Depending on how well I’m able to do that, next year should be a great year for Evo. And, I will have put some real tools in the hands of people to help them manage their business, which is a good feeling.

So, I’m focusing on two things in 2010:

1. collaboration with other developers, marketers, and consultants
2. helping businesses and organizations acquire the web-based tools and knowledge that allows them to manage their own marketing

I’m looking forward to it. Still evolving (and maybe still a little bit crazy) after all these years.

*apologies to Paul Simon

If My Reader Could Contain Only 10 Feeds

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Dec 25, 2009; Category: Blogging, Business, Communication, Design/Development, Marketing, Search/SEO; Tags: Blogging, Communication, Education, RSS Feeds; No Comments

I have a lot of blogs and news sources in my reader. So many I can’t possibly read them all every day and stil get any work done. But there are relatively few I consider indispensable, and on the face of it, they don’t seem to have a lot in common. Subject-matter-wise, they’re all over the board. There is a common thread, however; or maybe a couple of threads. Each of the following does at least one of two things on a consistent basis:

1. challenges me to think about something in a new way
2. offers usable information that I can incorporate into what I’m doing

Now that I think of it, those [apparently] rare ingredients comprise a recipe for blogging success. I know my own posts can’t boast of either more than occasionally, and perhaps it’s the consistency that’s the real trick with the recipe. Each of these are very successful blogs with lots of readers, so they’re obviously doing something right.

My most valued feeds, in alphabetical order:

Chris Brogan – The guy is practically synonymous with social media in general, and blogging in particular. He preaches the word on social media as a marketing strategy to the faithful, the backsliders, and the non-believers. And he knows what he’s talking about. A must-read for people involved even peripherally with online or social media marketing.

CSS-Tricks – One of the few web dev blogs that consistently presents useful and interesting information. Chris Coyier puts out nuts-and-bolts stuff, like explanations of absolute and relative positioning, centering a navigation bar, etc. But he also offers code snippets, downloads, and a forum. Worth a daily visit.

Duct Tape Marketing – John Jantsch offers practical and pragmatic advice for small businesses. He’s packaged his approach in a book, webinars, and a 14-lesson training program. I have bought and read the book, and recommend it highly for small business owners. His blog posts prod and educate. His website is full of links and resources. If you own a small business, you should be reading this blog.

Fuel Your Creativity – For me, FYC is more about inspiration than anything else—a site that feeds the designer part of my soul.

Hubspot – Hubspot is working to bring measurability to social media marketing. Their blog is a major training resource for business people trying to figure out how to benefit from "attraction" marketing, as opposed to "interruption" marketing. They sell a service that helps measure the effectiveness of online marketing efforts, but they’re not pushy about it. And they offer free webinars and a lot of great how-to-market-online information.

Seth’s Blog – Seth Godin does blogging all wrong. He doesn’t allow comments on his posts, his blog is hosted on Typepad rather than on a webhosting platform he controls, and he apparently spent no more than a couple of minutes customizing his blog’s appearance. But Seth is a marketing guru’s guru and an iconoclast’s iconoclast. He can succeed by doing things differently because he’s Seth Godin. He delights in flipping concepts on their heads. He turns kvetching into a useful exercise in logic. And often, he asks some interesting questions. His posts and observations are usually short, often simple, and almost always thought-provoking (consider that a warning).

ThemeGrade – ThemeGrade fills an important need in the world of WordPress blogs: it reviews and rates WordPress themes on code and SEO compliance based on standardized testing. Before ThemeGrade, it was up to you to figure out if it was a good idea to install and spend time modifying that cool theme you loved the look of. TG ranks themes with gold (currently about 3% of submitted themes), silver (13%), bronze (31%), or no rating (currently 53% of submitted themes). We’re proud to say our Evo4 CMS WordPress theme was rated silver.

WNYC’s Radio Lab – Maybe the most interesting audio on the Internet. Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich have fun exploring interesting ideas and we get to go along for the ride. The audio programs get posted about every other week, so this isn’t a daily listen. The podcasts are 15-60 minutes each, and every one is more than worth the time.

WP Beginner – There are several "How-to" WordPress sites, and a lot of them are good, but WP Beginner is my favorite, because it usually serves up something I need or have wondered about. And though it’s suitable for beginners as its name suggests, there is plenty of advanced information there also, simply and straightforwardly presented.

Zen Habits – I’m a regular reader of Buddhist and zen materials. Being mindful and present, appreciating simplicity: these are things that are difficult to bring into our working lives. But that’s what Leo Babauta’s blog is about, and I appreciate its quiet, gentle, and practical advice about working, living, and balance.

So that’s my list of indispensable feeds. I hope there’s something on it that helps you. If not, well, we don’t have a complaint department, but feel free to tell me what should have been included on the list. And Merry Christmas.

The Surest (and most common) Way for Companies to Shackle Their Social Media Efforts

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Dec 18, 2009; Category: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing; Tags: Business, Communication, social media; No Comments

More and more companies seem to be getting the message: social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) presents great opportunities for making connections with their customers and would-be customers. And yet, many of them get it wrong, mostly because they fail to grasp that social media is not just another variation on broadcast media.

There is a scene in Cool Hand Luke, in which the warden (Strother Martin) says to Paul Newman’s character, Luke: "You ain’t gonna need no third set [of shackles], ’cause you’re gonna get your mind right. And I mean RIGHT." That’s what needs to happen with corporate marketing managers and small business owners before they venture into social media: they need to get their minds right.

Here’s an all-too-common scenario:

1. Marketing executive, experienced in managing marketing campaigns, ad campaigns, and PR campaigns, decides to "get into social media."
2. She has her ad agency create a blog and set up a Facebook fanpage. She gets her PR group to develop some social media-flavored promotional and marketing messages.
3. She assigns some junior staffers to create social media content using the messages: blog posts, Facebook updates, tweets, etc. All of this content has the hollow, promotional, not-fully-human, fingernails-on-chalkboard sound of corporate messages delivered out of context.
4. After several unfruitful months trying to make her messages "go viral," the marketing executive believes there is no ROI for social media. She tried it, and it doesn’t work. And she’s right. Her old-school, promotional, broadcast media approach to social media is guaranteed to fail. Every. Single. Time.

What marketing people and business owners need to understand is that creating an effective social media presence is like joining a conversation. Conversations happen between people who listen and respond to one another; they are not a series of carefully polished and self-interested messages. These kinds of conversations, based on listening and responding, generally lead to relationships, because we all value someone who listens to us.

Think of it this way:

How would you react if you were in a conversation with another person about how to barbecue spare ribs, and someone walked up to butt into the conversation with "I know you’re interested in spare ribs! This week only, I’m offering customers 20% off on all spare ribs, limit 5 lbs. per customer, offer void in combination with all other promotions." If you’re like most of us, you’d ignore that person in the hope that he would go away. If he persisted in pressing his own interests without making an honest attempt to form a relationship with you, eventually you’d probably excuse yourself. If you’re more direct, you might let him know that he’s interrupting a private conversation in which he is not welcome.

On the other hand, what if he walked up and hovered near you and the person you were talking with, listening intently for a few minutes before asking, "Excuse me, but how do you make sure your ribs stay juicy? Mine are often dry."? Most people would welcome him into the conversation, and within a relatively short period of time, would welcome any information of value that he brought to it (assuming he continued to listen and respond appropriately in your conversation).

You gotta get your mind right. And I mean RIGHT. Then start blogging and setting up Facebook fanpages.

Blogging for Non-profit and Educational Organizations

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Dec 6, 2009; Category: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing; Tags: Blogging, CMS, Education, Non-profit; 2 Comments

The other day I was aked, “Is blogging useful for non-profit or educational organizations?” My mom would be pleased to know I stifled my first thought about bears and what they do in the woods, and instead responded with something a bit more professional. Something along the lines of, “Uh, yeah, sure.” Brilliant. Thankfully, I have a blog and I’m not afraid to use it to say what I should have said:

Blogging for business is about reaching and connecting with prospective customers or clients. For non-profits, it’s about reaching and connecting with prospective donors or supporters. For educational organizations, it’s a bit of both. Bottom line, it’s about connecting with people who care about what you do and bringing them into your community, where they can participate and become part of “the solution.”

Non-profit organizations must assemble their communities

But more specifically, how does a blog help a non-profit organization? A blog can help raise the profile of a giving campaign, by posting about the beneficiaries of the organization. Also, if the organization has a blog-based website (e.g., WordPress as a CMS), it’s a fairly simple matter to create a landing page for a particular campaign—to which people come from an email or direct mail solicitation—that’s focused on moving people through the giving process.

Apart from a giving campaign, however, most non-profit organizations are issues based. They came into existence in response to a need their founders saw as going unfilled or inadequately addressed: homelessness, mental health issues, poverty, domestic violence, environmental issues, etc. People (at least some people) care about these issues, and some of them care enough to become part of a community they see as offering at least partial solutions, and in making donations to support the organization offering and implementing those solutions.

Because the motive is not “profit”, which has negative connotations for some folks, blogging has the potential to be far more effective in helping to build communities surrounding non-profits involved with compelling issues than for most businesses.

Communities are the key to solving educational issues

Educational organizations are generally non-profit as well (but not always). If we’re talking about public schools, they face many challenges which directly impact the quality of life in the communities they serve. Most of these challenges, such as high dropout rates, teen pregnancies, violence, etc., are really community issues that are acutely manifested in the schools and require community and parental involvement to address effectively.

It baffles me, frankly, why public school administrators and teachers have not jumped into blogging and other forms of social media in a big way as a means of creating the kinds of connections and community that could help resolve some of the issues. I believe it mostly has to do with inertia and not looking hard enough for solutions to problems with which we have attained a certain comfort level, but that’s another post.

I believe blogging and other community-building opportunities have great potential to start moving public education back on a more productive and effective path.

Do you know of any non-profit/educational blogs?

If you have any examples of educational organizations or non-profits that are using blogs and social media effectively, please share them here.