I’ve been helping a new client this afternoon who is trying to sort out where exactly his website is hosted, and how to access it to make updates. He called the folks who supposedly host his website, and they’re pulling him through a long bureaucratic process of back-and-forth faxes in order to prove his identity so they can finally grant him access to his site. He just wanted to make a few web updates, and that simple desire set off this whole process. It’s sucking away his afternoon and he’s thinking about giving up on the whole idea.

Sadly, this is a situation we run into quite often. So many business owners created their website years ago and now they’ve lost track of the web hosting details. Some of them have no idea who their hosting provider is or who is paying for it.

Almost always, this mess happens when they sign up for a rock-bottom hosting deal with a big-name hosting provider, such as (ahem) GoDaddy, Network Solutions or Yahoo. Those supposed savings, often only a few dollars per month, resurface later as the hidden costs of dealing with a monolithic hosting provider. How many hours, sometimes days, are wasted in negotiating with a big company while trying to re-gain access to your site?

Net Elevation is a sensible alternative to the nightmare of rock-bottom hosting. We use the same reliable, secure technology as the big guys, but we’re committed to maintaining a first-name relationship with all of our customers. When one of our customers has a question about their site, they call us and we help them. No rabbit holes, no lost productivity, no bureaucracy and no overseas phone operators. Doesn’t it make sense to host your site with the same people that build and maintain it for you?