A business that needs to keep going strong from year to fiscal year has to make sure that it attracts as many clients and customers as it can, and then figure out a way to keep a hold of them for eternity or for the lifetime of the business – whichever comes first.

That’s a wise strategy because customer satisfaction is the only thing that keeps clients returning for more, and it is the lack of it that makes them turn their backs and walk out the door, never to be heard from again.

You, as a client of your web hosting provider, have expectations that need to be met just as your hosting provider has the responsibility of delivering on every service they have promised you. You have the upper hand in this relationship – as long as you abide by their regulations, that is – and they should know it.

It therefore makes it imperative that your hosting provider apply all efforts to try and make you a happy and satisfied client; and how do they do that? Well, let’s just say they aren’t giving it their all if they don’t, at the very least, try to…

… Create an Emotional Bond

You’re a human first and a client second. Your hosting provider should be able to pull at your heartstrings rather than convince you that they are the best for you by hammering it into your head with a plethora of ad campaigns.

A Corporate Executive Board (CEB) study that was published by the Harvard Business Review found that 64% of 7,000 consumers surveyed across the US, UK and Australia said they had one common reason for their loyalty to brands: shared values.

Aaron Lotton of CEB, said, “We saw that emotional attachments to brands certainly do exist, but that connection typically starts with a ‘shared value’ that consumers believe they hold in common with the brand.”

This means, if your hosting provider isn’t trying to win your heart – they simply aren’t trying hard enough.

… Try to Bribe you with Freebies

Yes, everyone knows that bribery is a crime. But any business that is worth its salt will make sure it will buy your loyalty with free goodies – even if it means joining the electronic “underworld” to get into your favor.

Yet bear in mind it isn’t the actual value of the free gift that makes for happy customers as much as it is the thought of it. The gifts create a feeling of reciprocity and, thus loyalty, which ensure future business dealings.

If you’re not getting any free gifts or offers from your hosting provider, it may be because they have become too lethargic or are taking you for granted.

… Takes the Time to Serve You

You might think that a hosting provider that responds to your inquiries within minutes and has resolved any issues within the hour, shakes your hand and shows you on your merry way is a company that really cares about you.

Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t.

You see, when it comes to choosing between better service and fast service, it is the former that always wins in the long run. A customer that has been quickly seen off might come back with the same problem (or any other subsequent faults that are cause by its not being resolved thoroughly) and, you can rest assured, they won’t really be cheerful people the second time around.

But if your hosting provider takes the time to thoroughly understand your problem, enquires about the source of it and explains how they are going to handle it, etc., you can feel that there is some genuine appreciation of your issue and that there is care behind its resolution, which ultimately results in your feeling that you are in capable and caring hands – the perfect building blocks in sturdy customer loyalties.

… Train its Frontline Staff

The frontline staff is your web hosting provider’s face to the world. With a new company it is normal to have nervous and, to some extent, bumbling tech guys trying to help you out. But when it comes to more experienced and established companies (which is likely to be like the one you have entrusted your own business’ website’s care to) you should get help from people who know what they are doing.

At the very least, you should have someone who knows that they do not know the answers to all your questions and are willing to admit it. Professionalism is reflected in the way they accommodate you from start to finish, and that can only be attained by proper training.

If your hosting provider doesn’t make sure its support staff is well trained, you can safely assume that they really haven’t taken you and your problems to heart. Simply offering you the latest technologies and not putting the right experts behind it all isn’t something that a company that takes its clients’ happiness seriously would do.

So, basically, you are the customer and that means you have every right of being satisfied with the services you are being provided.

Otherwise, you earn the right to seek happiness elsewhere.