In the realm of web development and design, hosting plays a critical role in determining the success and functionality of websites. For developers and designers in Kenya, the choice of a hosting company can significantly impact their work. However, a common pitfall many professionals fall into is hosting multiple websites with a single hosting provider. While it may seem convenient and cost-effective, hosting more than five websites on one account with the same hosting company can lead to several issues, particularly concerning customer support.
Increased Support Needs
When a developer or designer hosts multiple websites on one account, the complexity of managing these sites increases. Each website is unique, with its own set of requirements, updates, and potential issues. Consequently, the more websites you host, the more likely you are to encounter technical problems that require support from the hosting company.
For instance, if you host five websites, you might need to contact support for issues ranging from server downtime, security breaches, software updates, to domain configurations. As these issues multiply, so does the need for support tickets. This leads to a higher volume of requests from a single account, which can strain the resources of the hosting company's support team.
Customer Support Perception
Customer support teams are designed to assist clients with their problems efficiently. However, when the same account repeatedly generates support tickets, support personnel may perceive it as problematic or even "stubborn." This perception can arise from the psychological phenomenon known as availability heuristic, where people judge the frequency and likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind. If support staff frequently deal with numerous issues from one account, they might erroneously conclude that the client is troublesome, rather than recognizing the legitimate need for support across multiple websites.
Moreover, support teams operate under the assumption that multiple tickets from one account typically pertain to a single entity or website. This misunderstanding can lead to frustration and reduced quality of support, as the support team might deprioritize what they perceive as repetitive or unnecessary requests. This is further compounded by cognitive overload, where the support staff, overwhelmed by the volume of requests, may struggle to address each issue effectively.
The Consequences of Overwhelmed Support
When customer support is overwhelmed by numerous requests from a single account, the quality of service inevitably declines. This can manifest in several ways:
- Delayed Responses: Increased wait times for support tickets to be addressed.
- Incomplete Resolutions: Issues might be resolved superficially without addressing the root cause.
- Negative Attitude: Support staff might develop a negative attitude towards the account holder, leading to less empathetic and helpful interactions.
These consequences can severely impact the performance and reliability of your hosted websites, leading to client dissatisfaction and potential loss of business.
Mitigating the Issue: Separate Accounts for Separate Websites
To avoid these problems, it is advisable to host no more than five websites with a single hosting provider under one account. For developers and designers who love a particular hosting company, the solution lies in creating separate accounts for different websites or clients. This approach offers several benefits:
- Focused Support: Each account will generate fewer tickets, allowing support teams to address issues more effectively and efficiently.
- Clearer Communication: Support teams can better understand and manage the needs of individual websites, leading to more precise and helpful responses.
- Reduced Perception of Stubbornness: By distributing support requests across multiple accounts, the likelihood of being flagged as a problematic customer decreases.
- Enhanced Security: Separate accounts can offer an additional layer of security, as a breach in one account won’t necessarily compromise others.
Psychological Benefits
Creating separate accounts also has psychological benefits. It helps in managing expectations and reduces cognitive load on both the developer and the support staff. For the developer, it means less stress knowing that each website’s issues are handled individually, preventing the overwhelming feeling of having multiple problems stacked in one account. For the support staff, it ensures a more manageable workload, leading to better job satisfaction and performance.
Conclusion
While it might seem easier to manage all your websites under one hosting account, the potential drawbacks far outweigh the perceived convenience. By limiting the number of websites hosted on a single account to no more than five, and opting for multiple accounts for additional websites, developers and designers in Kenya can ensure better support, improved website performance, and a more positive relationship with their hosting provider. This strategic approach will ultimately lead to more successful projects and satisfied clients.
