Web hosting reviews, are they reliable?
This may seem like a strange post coming from a web hosting reviews website, but the truth is many review sites aren’t telling you the whole truth. There are many web hosting review sites out there that write fake reviews so they can make money. How can you tell if the reviews you are reading are fake? Here are some hints.
Web hosting reviews that have no data
Many review sites don’t include any data whatsoever. This is because they haven’t even tested the server that they are reviewing. The review isn’t written on facts at all, but purely to try and get you to sign up for the host so that the reviewer makes money. If you see no data like uptime statistics, support hold times, etc. then chances are the review is fake.
Web hosting reviews that only include EIG
EIG, or endurance international group, is a company that owns over 50 different hosting brands. Many of these brands are posing as their own companies. Review websites only include these brands when EIG pays them a lot of money to be the only company reviewed. This ensures that you sign up with an EIG brand so that your money goes to the same company no matter what.
Web hosting reviews that only cover features
Many review sites only write about the features that a company offers. This isn’t a reflection of the services you will get. Anybody can read a features page on a website and write about them. This isn’t a review of the service, but merely repeating what the company offers.
“Anonymous” user reviews
There are plenty of websites that incorporate user reviews. Generally, user reviews are a great thing. They can tell you from a customer standpoint what to expect. However, when anonymous reviews are allowed that means anybody can write anything about the company without any checks involved. This means that the hosting company itself can write hundreds of positive reviews for itself to make them look better.
While these don’t always mean a review website is fake, chances are if you catch one of these things on a web hosting review site you are reading then the reviews aren’t real. Understand that no one web hosting company is right for every website, and any review site telling you otherwise is lying.