Webhosting Niche

Timelord_ · Jan 22, 2017

What do you guys think about the idea of getting starting up a forum around the topic of webhosting. I know it would be competing against some of the big guys, so it would be an uphill battle from the start.

Wondering how others have 'cracked' cracked into a niche?

Hauyser · Jan 22, 2017

I wouldn't try with that niche, personally.

Optic · Jan 22, 2017

Your biggest competition would be Web Hosting Talk (WHT) - considering their age and many reps of various hosting companies post on there it would be a very uphill battle..

marcgo15 · Jan 22, 2017

You will have quite a battle getting large providers to advertise because WHT is very well known. Now on the other hand you will find smaller providers will advertise on every web hosting forum they can find since. I'd say it's worth a shot, you never know you might get a nice following of members.

King G · Jan 26, 2017

I love it there is a lot of potential but maybe narrow your niche more like webhosting for mybb vbulletin ect or even about what hosting is best for certain niches.

Joeychgo · Jan 26, 2017

Uphill battle is an understatement. Ive seen several other sites start up and just flop. There just isn't room in the market.

billgtr · Jan 26, 2017

Uphill battle for sure, but what forum isn't? If that's what you want to do and you're passionate about it, I'd say go for it. Just try to come up with a different angle/vibe than what's already there.

LeadCrow · Jan 26, 2017

Unless you secure a steady flow of participants, it's dead already, and not because WHT colonized that niche.

Here's a proposal: find small webhosts, and get them to make/consider your site their official support forum, with a private section for professionals (you wouldnt want your customers freely accessing ressources about how to setup hosts themselves and best monetize customers,or a hostile concurrence outsmarting you).

cheat_master30 · Jan 26, 2017

It'd be a tough battle, since Web Hosting Talk tends to basically own one end of the market and Low End Talk does really well at the other end of the market. And said sites have quite a few hosting companies specifically offering their services there.

However, I think there could be a niche if (and this is really important):

You are super harsh on spam and fluff posts.

This is because both sites have pretty big problems with spammers posting meaningless one liners to get their signatures noticed, and the content to fluff ratio is ridiculous as a result. It's a problem with a lot of tech or webmaster forums really.

If you can nail that (and attract a smarter, more sophisticated audience), I suspect there could be a niche there.

But it'd be a real uphill battle either way.

Timelord_ · Jan 27, 2017

Optic said:
Your biggest competition would be Web Hosting Talk (WHT) - considering their age and many reps of various hosting companies post on there it would be a very uphill battle..

I am not interested in having it become WHT, which seems to be more about generating sales, as opposed to having technicaldiscussions.

But, like everyone in this thread has already said - it is going to be an uphill battle. Anyone else interesting in getting onboard?

marcgo15 said:
You will have quite a battle getting large providers to advertise because WHT is very well known. Now on the other hand you will find smaller providers will advertise on every web hosting forum they can find since. I'd say it's worth a shot, you never know you might get a nice following of members.

Not interested in it becoming a haven for advertisers. None of the forums I have operated in the past have had any ads

LeadCrow said:
Unless you secure a steady flow of participants, it's dead already, and not because WHT colonized that niche.

Here's a proposal: find small webhosts, and get them to make/consider your site their official support forum, with a private section for professionals (you wouldnt want your customers freely accessing ressources about how to setup hosts themselves and best monetize customers,or a hostile concurrence outsmarting you).

Thats a very interesting idea. Thanks for the input!

cheat_master30 said:
It'd be a tough battle, since Web Hosting Talk tends to basically own one end of the market and Low End Talk does really well at the other end of the market. And said sites have quite a few hosting companies specifically offering their services there.

However, I think there could be a niche if (and this is really important):

You are super harsh on spam and fluff posts.

This is because both sites have pretty big problems with spammers posting meaningless one liners to get their signatures noticed, and the content to fluff ratio is ridiculous as a result. It's a problem with a lot of tech or webmaster forums really.

If you can nail that (and attract a smarter, more sophisticated audience), I suspect there could be a niche there.

But it'd be a real uphill battle either way.

I couldnt agree more in the "spam" in WHT. It is hard to get any real content there anymore.

eva2000 · Jan 28, 2017

Timelord_ said:
What do you guys think about the idea of getting starting up a forum around the topic of webhosting. I know it would be competing against some of the big guys, so it would be an uphill battle from the start.

Wondering how others have 'cracked' cracked into a niche?

Ask yourself why you want to start the forum and it's intended goals ? If it's to compete with the known forums like WHT and LET then probably not worth starting at all. But if it's something unique to what you want to achieve and/or contribute to the web hosting arena, then it's possible - just will take time and effort

I've thought about a web hosting forum in the past and I'd probably be able to make it work with my contributions, insights and experience and contacts. But would be hard work which I rather put into Centmin Mod LEMP stack's forums which has it's own web hosting section that I can grow anyway as all Centmin Mod LEMP stack users need to find suitable and best bang for the buck web hosts/servers https://community.centminmod.com/categories/web-hosting-system-administration.24/

Already had web hosts show some interest in sponsor/advertising too

I think for start up forums, the hard work would initially be on the forum owner. So would only work if you yourself can contribute substantially to the topic of choice you want the forum to focus on

Timelord_ · Jan 28, 2017

eva2000 said:
Ask yourself why you want to start the forum and it's intended goals ? If it's to compete with the known forums like WHT and LET then probably not worth starting at all. But if it's something unique to what you want to achieve and/or contribute to the web hosting arena, then it's possible - just will take time and effort

I've thought about a web hosting forum in the past and I'd probably be able to make it work with my contributions, insights and experience and contacts. But would be hard work which I rather put into Centmin Mod LEMP stack's forums which has it's own web hosting section that I can grow anyway as all Centmin Mod LEMP stack users need to find suitable and best bang for the buck web hosts/servers https://community.centminmod.com/categories/web-hosting-system-administration.24/ Already had web hosts show some interest in sponsor/advertising too

I think for start up forums, the hard work would initially be on the forum owner. So would only work if you yourself can contribute substantially to the topic of choice you want the forum to focus on

Thanks man! Advice such as a this from a respected member of the community is appreciated.

stijl · Feb 16, 2017

I've been working in the hosting arena since 1996 and have to echo what some other posters have stated, tough to make this worn niche exciting again. Many little guy hosting companies are now struggling to survive so the "start up" forum user energy has really dried up. Domain name related forums are going through the same drought sadly.

bradleyj · Apr 2, 2022

I am starting a Web Hosting company also and so far it definantly has been uber competitive being a smaller company. Marketing and promoting have made a turn also in stradeies

Webhosting Niche

Timelord_

Enthusiast

Hauyser

illiterate.

Optic

Enthusiast

marcgo15

Adherent

King G

Enthusiast

Joeychgo

TAZ Administrator

billgtr

Aspirant

LeadCrow

Apocalypse Admin

cheat_master30

Fanatic

Timelord_

Enthusiast

eva2000

Habitué

Timelord_

Enthusiast

stijl

Aspirant

bradleyj

Enthusiast