Your competition falters. It happens. But are you prepared?
Last week, HostGator servers crashed around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 16th, 2014. They were down for over 14 hours and things got crazy on Twitter (see #hostgator, #hostgatorproblems, #hostgatorowesus). HostGator’s euphemistic, social media responses got old early on and customers were restless, and I mean RESTLESS (see thread towards the bottom of this page – http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/hostgator.com.html). Ultimately, their lack of transparency cost them…customers.
Meanwhile, no-name hosting companies were on the prowl, following aforementioned hashtags and connecting with potential customers. I heard from a few of them, some even calling my office this week. When I looked at their websites and social media profiles, I found a common similarity. The hosting companies looking to get my business were unprepared. Their websites looked bargain-basement and their social media profiles with less than 100 followers, looked too new to trust.
Here are some tips on how to be prepared when your competition fails:
- Website – Your website is and always will be a work in progress, but make it a priority from this day forward. If you want to be serious about your business and want to grow, get your website ready. Now.
- Twitter – It takes time to build a following on Twitter, don’t wait until you need it. Work it a bit each day.
- Facebook – Facebook is a great way to stay in contact with your current clients and build connections with potential clients.
Make sure your website and social media profiles maintain a cohesive look including your logo, colors and voice and stay consistent in updating each of them.
If you begin working on the above 3 items today, you will be prepared the next time your competition fails tomorrow.