My name is Emil Sayegh and I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you as the new Hostway president and CEO. When making a choice about where to come to work every day—where to spend my time, talent, and energy—I came to Hostway because of the amazing people that work here, the customers that rely on Hostway for their daily success, and the broad compelling product set, and I’m honored they chose me.
Hostway is one of the most respected brands in hosting today, and we have even more tremendous potential ahead of us.
With great heritage as a truly global brand, we’re poised to make a difference and take advantage of this massive shift that we are seeing in the IT and computing market towards outsourced and hosted IT services. Hostway, with a 500,000-strong global customer footprint, is already a leader in this market, differentiating itself from others through excellence in customer support, breadth and specialization of product offerings, and broad data center resources. This market is primed for a company with great heritage, people, customers, products and branding—a company like Hostway.
Customers: Where it starts and ends
In every role I’ve held (learn more about my history here), I’ve kept customers at the heart of every decision I’ve made. And Hostway will be no different. I’ve been extremely energized meeting all of the Hostway employees who serve our customers, and I am excited to join them in their mission.
What makes me so excited to get up and go to work for Hostway every day? I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it’s not just work, but something that will improve others’ lives. For me, I am obsessed with building organizations that deliver a great experience and high satisfaction to our customers. In hosting, a customer-centric culture is the key to success. I wake up early in the morning and work late at night because I want to help our customers change the world through technology, and the world-class hosting platforms we offer. No strategy, product or idea makes sense unless a customer appreciates it because it helps them in some unique way.
People: The glue in the middle
I am also passionate about the people empowering our customers. I love to watch, help, coach, inspire and cheer on employees as they grow their careers. Joining Hostway was an easy decision, because the strength of Hostway’s talent is immediately apparent. I have known or worked in my past with many Hostway employees, and they are certainly the best of the best. In the last few weeks, I have met most of our North America based employees in Tampa, Vancouver, Chicago, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. I look forward to meeting our employees in Europe as well over the next few weeks. Companies are only as good as the people they’re made up of, and Hostway is a huge winner in this area. My management philosophy is shaped by my experience, and it is fundamentally around empowering people to “do more,” “do it better,” and “do it with purpose.” I am passionate about people taking on more challenges, and as a result growing their careers and enjoying life more. We are always looking for A-players, and you can always see what great opportunities exist at Hostway here.
Looking forward: An exciting journey
With Hostway’s strong history, there is no doubt in my mind that we will have great success with the help of our customers, shareholders and employees over the coming months. Looking toward the future, we’re going to take full advantage of the massive shift in IT toward hosting, cloud and outsourcing by specializing around key customer verticals.
The Hostway team and I are prioritizing the following areas going forward:
Here are two of the hundreds of heartwarming messages I received from customers after we announced that I joined Hostway two weeks ago:
Hello Emil,
Thank you for your introduction. I think you joined a great company.
I have been a Hostway customer almost since the company's inception. I have remained for one simple reason. I rarely, if ever, think about Hostway. And the couple of times there was an issue I was able to call, get someone on the phone and they solved the issue. I think that says it all.
Good luck in your new position.
Regards,
Seth (A satisfied customer)
Emil,
Good luck with your opportunities and challenges at Hostway. Your tech support team is AWESOME! They are competent and very much customer friendly. They are always willing to hold my hand and work thru any issue and answer my questions.
In terms of customer service I only rank American Express and Nordstrom ahead of Hostway. All three of these companies have competent people who follow through professionally and efficiently.
John M.
I also received several emails, messages and phone calls with constructive feedback on some areas and I'm proud to say we have either acted on, or begun to act on, the vast majority of them. Please keep it coming! Customer feedback is the guiding light on how we can improve our service and deliver a world-class experience to our customers.
I am pumped about the journey ahead, and I look forward to connecting with all of you. Feel free to leave a comment here, send an email to esayegh@hostway.com or find me on Twitter at @esayegh or on LinkedIn. I can’t wait to respond to your thoughts and feedback on our direction and plans.
I am always at your service, and please never hesitate to reach out to me or anyone else on the Hostway team.
When Robert Stephen Consulting set out to create an Integrated Workforce Management System (IWMS) Web Application, they needed a web application hosting solution that was as versatile as the application they created. Since IWMS enables customers to track any and all assets critical to their business (i.e., buildings, equipment, personnel), Todd Forsyth, Chief Technology Officer for Robert Stephen Consulting, decided on a hosting solution that would excel under heavy workloads and scale with the business.
By using Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), RSC has been able to offer development and production environments designed around specific client needs, as well as to have the ability to run a separate demo environment to showcase the capabilities of their powerful application. Robert Stephen Consulting also utilizes VPC for their internal application development, KPI tracking, and other business-critical applications.
The applications and options for Hostway’s VPC seem endless to RSC. Mr. Forsyth stated RSC is “looking forward to the idea of using Virtual Private Cloud to branch out into different technology platforms,” allowing them to remain in front of the competition while remaining agile enough to adapt to what’s ahead.
Check out Robert Stephen Consulting's video (Robert Stephen Consulting Uses Virtual Private Cloud), documenting their experience with Hostway's Virtual Private Cloud hosting environment and the case study for more information regarding how they have utilized VPC to power their web application and business.
Up until now, SSL certificates – the key to turning your HTTP website into a secure HTTPS URL – were a small tax one would have to pay to secure their website and customer data. That is, until Let’s Encrypt entered the fray, and began offering free SSL certificates.
Before we address Let’s Encrypt and its impact on the internet, we should briefly explain the importance of having an SSL Certificate, to begin with. As most already realize, the internet is plagued with hackers, and cybercriminals are lurking around every corner. For websites that collect personal information, an SSL Certificate encrypts the personal information being sent to a server, making it unreadable to everything other than the server receiving the information.
In addition to the encryption of personal data, an SSL Certificate also provides authorization that the website is truly the website and server you want to access, not that of a cybercriminal trying to steal customer information. When a website is shown to have a valid SSL Certificate, it shows visitors that they are in a safe online shopping environment.
SSL Certificates Lets Encrypt Magento
Traditional SSL certificate authentication relies on root certificates held by a few companies, meaning any and every HTTPS website ultimately counts on one privately-held company, accountable to investors, not customers. Your SSL certificate acts as the first of many authentication gates, eventually ending with authentication the root-level certificate.
Let’s Encrypt operates on a principal that the encryption at the root-level - the “last stop” in the authorization checklist for secure sites - is distributed among millions of users in pieces, rather than centralized in the hands of one or two entities. Let’s Encrypt not only makes securing your site easy and cost-effective but also takes a step further to ensure the internet is accessible and safe for all who wish to use it.
To that end, Hostway is proud to offer FREE SSL Certificates for all Managed Magento customers in partnership with Let’s Encrypt. It’s never been easier to save money, attract more customers, rank higher in Google search results, and make the internet a more secure place for everyone. Take advantage of Let’s Encrypt and keep your Magento eCommerce online store safe and out of the hands of hackers and cyber criminals.
For more information on SSL Certificates, and how they can benefit your website and search presence, take a peek at an overview of SSL Certifications.
Not all cloud hosting environments are created equal. In fact, there are plenty of factors to consider before choosing an environment to host your web application. Depending on the nature of your web app, your specific solution may need to be optimized for security or adherence to certain compliance requirements. Or, maybe you need a highly scalable environment that will allow for rapid provisioning of resources with fluctuating workloads. The takeaway is that every web app will run best in an environment designed around the unique characteristics of the app.
To that end, Hostway’s Hybrid Cloud – powered by Microsoft Azure, can deliver optimized environments for nearly any web app. Hybrid Cloud combines rapid scalability, control and reliability to bring you unparalleled freedom in designing and maintaining your web app’s environment. Hostway’s Hybrid Cloud allows you to run your web apps where they run best: Virtual Private Cloud or Microsoft Azure Public Cloud all working together in an Azure-consistent environment.
When it comes to any business service, let’s face it- It's all support. How do we handle the need for managed support? Hostway brings in Microsoft Azure experts familiar with a broad array of web applications to provide 24/7/365 managed support services, so you can leave the infrastructure to us, while you focus on running your business and building great apps!
If you are searching for the perfect home to host your website application, let us show you how a Hostway Hybrid Cloud powered by Microsoft Azure can be the customizable environment to run your app. See how businesses like Robert Stephen Consulting, LLC harnessed the power of Hostway’s Virtual Private Cloud to power their web app with astonishing results.
Brand marketing requires a few essential skills for success. In addition to a creative eye and a knowledge of the company's audience, marketers must also effectively navigate social media in their pursuit of brand awareness.
According to a survey from Echo Managed Services, social media has become the preferred channel in many cases, including when customers need to voice a complaint, request information or make a booking. A company's social media presence could represent a first impression for potential clients, making it all the more vital to the brand.
Social media marketing is a different animal from email or commercials, and comes with its own set of best practices. Let's take a look at a few expert tips:
It's critical that a company has an in-depth understanding of its audience, while understanding that the audience changes in different media. Since millennials make up a large segment of the social media audience, it's essential that social media marketing be tailored appropriately.
"Identify who you should reach and what your aims are," Harvard Business Review contributors Laurence Minsky and Keith A. Quesenberry wrote. "[S]tart with social listening and optimizing monitoring capabilities. Find out where current and potential customers are talking and what subjects they are discussing before creating strategies to influence brand perceptions and identify sales leads."
Social listening allows you to leverage the insights gleaned from social networks to help marketers align campaigns with their audience's current preferences and interests.
Codeless contributor Brad Smith noted the importance of prioritizing certain networks over others. Focusing on one or two platforms that best suit the brand's image – as well as clients' needs and preferences – will make efforts more impactful. Don't try to be everything to everyone.
"Each social network you manage will cost you exponentially more time, money and energy. And contrary to popular belief, social media isn't free," Smith wrote. "It takes tremendous resources to do it properly, and has enormous opportunity cost."
This truth isn't meant to scare businesses off. Social media marketing can be hugely valuable and impactful for an organization, but it's helpful to start small and maintain focus.
When first starting out, it can be helpful to take a look at what other brands are doing. After all, mimicking the successful strategies of other businesses could prove beneficial. However, it's important that this doesn't detract from the main focus: your brand.
Smith pointed out that certain companies excel at social media content. At the same time, though, he stressed that following the competition too closely could impact decision-making.
It's critical to strike the right balance. A brand's social media presence should consist of both established and new marketing approaches.
"The best tactical ideas and campaigns haven't happened in your industry yet. So use arbitrage marketing to find out what new, untapped opportunities you can seize and gain an early lead," Smith recommended. "Look at what people are doing in other industries and try to experiment with similar tactics."
"It's important that posts are aligned with the brand's voice."
When crafting the company's first few posts, it's important that these align with the established brand voice. For instance, if the business is more straight-laced and professional, posts should have this tone as well. However, if the company is known for its fun, laid-back personality, this should come through via the social media presence.
Experts have noted that users would rather connect with enterprises that appear less as an institution and more human online. Showcasing the brand voice and personality on social media can help establish trust and loyalty with customers.
Finally, it's essential to keep in mind that while social media may be a first stop for users, the brand's website is the target destination. For this reason, it's critical that the main webpage has the necessary support to handle all customer activity with top performance. When you are posting to a social platform and link back to your website, try linking to different pages (not only the home page). This will give your audience more insight as to who you are.
A great way to add engagement and entice others to click through and visit your website is to; "Be Social". This is social media, not the board room. Comment on others posts, like new pages, respond to comments and answer questions. This is part of the human interaction that makes social media so influential in building your business.
In order to ensure the company's website is at its best, work with an industry-leading hosting provider like Hostway. Hostway has a wide range of solutions and services, and represents a one-stop-shop for hosting. To find out more, contact us today.
Hostway’s eCommerce offerings are evolving. Learn about the potential of our Managed Magento deployments and support.
Join us at Imagine Commerce 2016 from Monday, April 11 to Wednesday, April 13 at the Wynn Las Vegas. We’ll be at Booth 217.
At our post-Imagine event, the Designer & Developer BARCAMP, you can win a one-year membership to the Beer of the Month club.
In the meantime, read over our recent blogs on finding an appropriate Magento eCommerce hosting partner, including one on why The Most Important “-ility” is Accountability.
Hope to see you there!
When it comes to the infrastructure of an eCommerce site, there is no shortage of important considerations, including scalability, availability, reliability, flexibility, security and performance. We hear these messages so much, we’ve come to expect these “-ilities,” taking for granted that our vendor will deliver.
But buyer beware: Don’t ignore these features and the differences between what various vendors offer. Online merchants should make sure their provider specializes in eCommerce and knows what’s required for peaks in traffic, page load performance, and areas of site optimization. Merchants need a provider that is in tune with the specific security concerns of eCommerce and the need for customization.
The ability to deliver isn’t just about fast, reliable and secure hardware – it must also include eCommerce experience and expertise. An understanding of your eCommerce platform, and what is required for keeping it running at peak performance, is essential to ensuring that shoppers don’t leave your site out of frustration while shopping or abandon their cart mid-purchase.
There’s a lot your hosting provider should do for you. Look for a vendor that has service level agreements (SLAs) guaranteeing high availability (uptime). Depending on the type of retail business you have, auto-scaling and load-balancing may be important to accommodate peaks in traffic and periods of higher than normal purchases. You may need advanced levels of security. And, of course, you want a vendor that’s going to monitor your site and suggest adjustments to optimize performance.
But in the end, all of this is meaningless unless your service provider has a culture of accountability. A 99.999% uptime guarantee does little if no one is there to help when you have a problem. That’s why accountability is arguably the most critical of the “-ilities.”
Supporting an eCommerce environment requires ongoing monitoring; timely, informed response to issues, including the ability to triage a problem; a policy of making proactive adjustments or suggestions; and transparency in regards to measuring and reporting on your online store.
The reason you turn to a third-party managed solution provider is because you don’t have, or don’t want to have, the internal resources to manage your eCommerce environment. If you did manage things internally, you would hold the employees tasked with this responsibility fully accountable for everything under their purview. Similarly, you should hold the managed solution provider to the same standard.
If the provider holds itself accountable, they will consider customer service and technical training – along with the necessary tools – a priority. They will also invest in eCommerce business training so their employees truly understand your business requirements and goals.
Find a provider that is willing to take ownership and face difficult problems. Ask about their support policy, procedures, and customer service culture – ensure the company not only feels a sense of duty, but that individual employees do as well. Will support personnel give you their name? How quickly will they respond if there’s a question or problem? You want the support team to take personal responsibility for ensuring your satisfaction.
This culture of accountability isn’t just good for the customer, it’s good for the provider. By taking on more responsibility, they will learn more about managing eCommerce environments, and be able to improve operations for you and other clients. You want a provider that is willing to take ownership of your eCommerce infrastructure and make tough decisions. This is the difference between an average provider and one that goes the extra mile. This is the attitude of success.
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