Host Interview - interviews with successful web hosts

Your name
Michele Neylon.

What is the URL of your hosting site?
http://www.blacknight.ie

What country / area are you located in?
Ireland - Our offices are in Ireland, however we have equipment in Ireland, The Netherlands, UK, USA and Germany.

How long have you been in the web hosting business?
About five years.

What type of hosting do you provide?
Everything from shared hosting for small business through dedicated servers to colocation.

Have you ever changed the name of your web-hosting company?
No.

What has been the most important factor in your success as a host?
High quality service and innovation.

How do you market and promote your web hosting business?
Through a combination of online and offline media and channels. We are actively involved in the industry at various different levels, so our company profile is growing slowly but surely.

How would you describe the perfect web-hosting client?
One who pays their bills punctually :)

What advice would you give webmasters to help select the perfect host?
Be honest with yourself. Decide what it is you absolutely need and what you would like to have. If service and reliability are the key issues then you need to ensure that the provider has a good track record and isn’t some “fly by night” operation. Make sure that they provide tangible contact details. Be realistic in your demands. If the online aspect of your business is worth thousands to you per year, then you really shouldn’t host it on a budget hosting account.

What advice would you give someone entering the web hosting business?
Be honest with your potential clients. Have a look around at what other companies are doing. Do the figures. If they don’t seem attractive they probably aren’t.

How do you see the future of website hosting?
As the industry matures so will the clientele, so hopefully we’ll see a
greater level of professionalism throughout the industry as a whole.