Interviewed on 10 Sep 08
Dr. Robert W. Martin, Ph.D., Owner
Cyberia Communications provides internet related services and tools, including discount domain name registration, shared website hosting, virtual and managed private server hosting, ecommerce hosting featuring the MIVA 5.x shopping cart system, GeoTrust web security certificates, professional website design and development, Accrisoft Freedom website development, Microsoft Expression website development, website management, website copyrighting, professional search engine optimization and submission (SEO), promotional email tools, fax-to-email services, pay-per-click program setup and management, online press release preparation and distribution, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 email services, Windows Sharepoint Services, customer relationship management (SugarCRM), ebilling and invoicing, emembership management, McAfee desktop security protection, and Iron Mountain PC data backup. All of our website hosting plans include a free domain name, free basic SEO, and a 30 day money back guarantee. For a limited time, get a free copy of Microsoft Expression Web (a $299 value) with purchase of any Virtual or Managed Web Server for Windows. And for every Microsoft Exchange Server seat that you purchase, you can get a free download of Microsoft Outlook 2007 (a $109 value).
What unique selling points do you offer?
We have a simple philosophy. Your website IS our concern. Whether you have a simple business card site, a large informational or web portal site, or a web-based storefront, keeping your site online and fully operational is our primary concern. For us, what we do is not an academic exercise, a weekend hobby, a money making scheme, or an opportunity to show off how much we know. It is what we have committed to do for you.
We also know that when you contact us for support, you want genuine and straightforward answers to your questions—no guesses or speculation, no phone tag, no excuses, and definitely no technobabble. Our commitment to our customers is to provide clear, understandable, and sincere answers—and if you don’t understand the first time, that’s our fault, not yours. And we promise to never try to intentionally confuse you! That’s why every customer is assigned to a dedicated account manager who will work with that customer on all account related issues, including tech support, billing, etc, for as long as they are our customer. That person will be easily accessible via toll free number, voicemail, direct email, and even IM, and all of our support is provided in house. The bottom line is that we take customer support (both technical and non-technical) very seriously.
We are also a one-stop-shop, so to speak. We offer a range of services and tools that is not typical of other “hosting” companies. This also allows us the flexibility to create bundles of services and tools that enhance value to the customer and that are not available from other hosting companies.
Describe the services you offer?
I am not sure I understand in what sense you mean…so I will give you the somewhat “tongue-in-cheek” definition that we often give to our less web-savvy customers.
“Think of us as the landlords for your website. We own some very fast and reliable computers with lots of space on them. Our business is to rent out some of that space to other people like you who need some place to store the files and other stuff that make up their website. Of course, you are going to want to have other people know where your website lives so they can visit it from time to time. So think of your web address as equivalent to a street address. We just provide the high-class apartment where your website lives and make sure that the right name is on the door so your website can be easily found by travelers on the info superhighway… and in return you pay us monthly rent….”
Describe your target market?
Our primary target market is small businesses, and we specialize in helping small businesses build their initial online presence. However, we have customers with all different kinds of websites.
How is your company planning for the future?
Probably the best way to answer that question is that in five years, we will still be here doing exactly what we are doing now. Unlike some discount hosting companies you may come across, we aren’t going anywhere; and we certainly have no plans to disappear in the middle of the night and leave our customers in the lurch as many such hosting companies have done in the past.
What benefits can you offer your customers?
Our view is that there is a lot more to website hosting than just low prices. While our prices may not be as low as some you may see, we very much believe in the old adage “you get what you pay for…”. Many of these “discount” hosting companies can only afford to charge such low prices because (a) they have a limited number of servers which they overload with websites to the detriment of server stability and website load times, (2) they use substandard technology that is unreliable and prone to failure, (3) they cut corners on customer service and provide support only by way of seldom responded to emails, an unreliably monitored ticket system, or by deliberately hiding their customer support phone number deep in their website (if they even provide one) and relying on voice mail as a poor substitute for talking with their customers directly.
In contrast, as noted before, our emphasis is on giving customers the most for their money—the best technology, the most reliable equipment and network infrastructure, and genuine customer “support”. If a web developer really wants to build a reputation with their customers as dependable and professional, and therefore worthy of repeat business and/or referrals to other potential customers, they need to think about minimizing potential negative experiences and maximizing potential positive experiences with the hosting company they choose for their customers.
How do you support your customers?
Dedicated account manager for each customer; access via toll free number (prominently displayed on our website) or IM during normal business hours; 24/7 support via email and trouble ticket system; support pages and tutorials on our website to cover setup and other common issues. Account managers have access to and are familiar with all aspects of a customer’s account, answer both technical and non-technical questions, are kept fully informed regarding server status and other service related issues, and are able to communicate clearly, straightforwardly, and in a consistently “professional” manner.
