Hostgator is a well-know hosting company that provides excellent basic web hosting services, and up until now is the one I used for my clients’ web hosting needs. Hostgator sports a generous a generous affiliate payout, and the client signup is easy.
Why I’m Pulling my Affiliate Business from Hostgator
As the owner of a web development and SEO firm for dentists and physicians, I am very careful with which services I recommend to my clients. Without getting into the weeds about the specific issues that my clients had, the larger issue is broken promises from management at Hostgator.
Early in January (or thereabouts) the new affiliate program manager sent out an email to all of the affiliates explaining to us how there was a new affiliate regime at Hostgator, and how he is looking to reach out and work with the affiliates. I even sent him a thank you email about how the personal touch was welcoming.
Then it all hit the fan. I had a client who had a problem that we were able to resolve, but I emailed this affiliate manager that I had an URGENT problem and I never received a reply. I sent a follow-up email and never received a reply.
I spoke two Hostgator reps and explained the situation – I left two messages with them for him and I never received a reply. One representative incredulously asked me, “Since we solved the client’s problem, why do you want to talk to him?”. I explained since he made the offer of “being there” for affiliates when they needed him, then he needs to live up to his promises.
Avoid Hostgator’s Affiliate Program – In MY opinion
While all of the support that I have historically received fro Hostgator’s tech team has been excellent, and while their shared service has been reliable, I simply cannot work with a firm where management is disingenuous.
[box style=”1″]
Note to the Hostgator affiliate program manager:
When you promise your affiliates that you will be there if they have a problem, you need to make good on your promises. When it hit the fan I needed your help – and not only were you unavailable, you didn’t reply to emails and you didn’t have a phone number for me to reach you.
[/box]
As far as I’m concerned, the one of the most important measures of a company isn’t how nice they are when they are selling you a product, but how helpful they are when you are in a jam. And that’s where Hostgator’s top management failed, — and lost my trust and with that, my business.