Web Hosting Poll
Okay,

We are very close to picking a new hosting provider. One is considerably more expensive than the other, but what they are offering us is 100% top notch service. The problem is that if we choose them we will not be able to keep our paid accounts the same price. We will raise them to $20/6mo or $35/year. If we pick the other provider, which is not as well known, and isn't offering us the same level of service we will not have to raise prices at all.

Please fill out this poll on what you all would want. Would you be willing to pay more for a more reliable InsaneJournal. Granted the cheaper option may never go down, but we will defiantly have more room to grow with the more expensive option.

Edit: I do want to note that once we get settled in and the paid accounts are coming in at a decent pace then we will consider lowering the prices back to a reasonable level.

Please spread word of this poll around as I want to get as many answers as possible. Also, when you do spread word of it, please don't encourage anyone to vote any particular way as I really do want honest answers.

Poll #1421 New Hosting Questions
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

What hosting option should I pick

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(Post a new comment)

	roz_morgan 2008-04-18 10:28 pm UTC (link)
	I would rather pay more, although I have a perm account for the good service you provide. We're thinking of upgrading our RPG to a six month account and would have no problem with paying more to keep this site running as well as it should be. As someone has already said we're getting a whole lot more here than we ever got on LJ. Thank you for discussing this with us. (Reply to this)

xenakat13 2008-04-18 10:33 pm UTC (link)

I'm ok with paying the higher price. It's still within my budget, and I'd rather have the reliability and good service of the new host on top of the great customer service you've given us. I see it this way: If I was buying a car, which would be better? paying full price for a brand-new, perfectly running car that won't break down on the highway? Or do I want to buy the cheap clunker that's held together with frayed ropes, aluminum foil, and chewing gum; comes with four bald tires and no spare, and risk having it fall to pieces on the fast lane of the same highway while I have my child in the car? Not that hard of a decision when I look at it that way. (Reply to this)

	marie_therese 2008-04-18 10:46 pm UTC (link)
	I would definitely be willing to pay more for my paid account. The excellent service here at IJ makes it worth it. I think it would be a good idea to choose the more reliable host considering how fast IJ is growing. (Reply to this)

grimmhill 2008-04-18 10:48 pm UTC (link)

First, thank you for thinking to ask your users how they feel about the options. I really appreciate that. Second, I voted for quality over affordablity. Now, all three of the accounts I have (2 personal and one asylum) are permanent, but I will be giving a year'd paid time to at least one friend when the next pay check comes in, and would be willing to do the same every year if it means have even more dependable service. Third, I can't help thinking that suitability for future growth should be a huge factor in the decision. Not only are new folks more likely to want to switch to paid accounts if the site has been fast and dependable, but the old user base is more likely to get frustrated and look for new options if another growth spurt bogs up the site. And if GJ goes completely or LJ tries to pull another fast one, you could get another big influx. If the more expensive hosting service can better accomodate a rapid growth spurt, I strongly support it even at the increased price. (Reply to this)

reborninfire 2008-04-18 10:54 pm UTC (link)

My three main accounts are indeed all permanent, but I have been doing a lot of role playing here and some of those accounts are paid accounts. As someone already said, the new higher prices would be the same price as at LJ -- with better results. To get 100 icons over there on a paid account, you have to pay extra. Here, we start out with 100 icons on a free account and a paid account increases them to 250. A much better deal. Go for the better service, squeaky. I can say that you'll still get a lot of support from your user base and I'm willing to pay the higher price for my RP accounts for the better service that you have always provided. (Reply to this)

	oreadno1 2008-04-18 10:59 pm UTC (link)
	If my account wasn'[t already permanent, I'd happily pay extra for truly good service, including customer service. That's something you can't put a price tag on. (Reply to this)

scorpio 2008-04-18 11:09 pm UTC (link)

Considering your permanent accounts are STILL cheaper than Eljay and your customer service is way better, I'd say it's definitely worth it. Users here are still getting more than they pay for either way. Even free users are getting more with minimal ads. And the fact that you don't have sponsored accounts is a definite PLUS (pun intended hehehe). Who on livejournal can claim to have 250 userpics? No one ;) (Reply to this)

amberleewriter 2008-04-19 12:09 am UTC (link)

I purchased a permanent account so I selected "no opinion." On the other side of the coin, while this change doesn't, technically, impact me with regard to price I would rather have a more reliable service and show my gratitude in donation and/or purchase of other "services" from the journal service. Hosting is not inexpensive and reliable hosting even moreso. This is a business and you need to be able to give people the service they want at a reasonable price. I'm more than happy to do my part to make that occur. (Reply to this)

	blktauna 2008-04-19 12:35 am UTC (link)
	Well I voted for better service. I think all my journals are perm now and my rp journal has more pics and I donated a large chunk of change to squeak & IJ just because they needed it, so I'm well behind the folks here. I'll have to get an npc journal and make it paid just to keep some yearly going for IJ. (Reply to this)

	telesilla 2008-04-19 12:45 am UTC (link)
	It's easy enough for me to say "oh go to the more expensive server" because I've got a permanent account. So I want to say that, if you do it--and it looks like an overwhelming majority thinks you should--I'll make a donation or buy some time for friends as a way of helping out. (Reply to this)

	passing_through 2008-04-19 12:50 am UTC (link)
	I already have a permanent account so from that p.o.v. it doesn't affect me. I do have an asylum that when I get it up and running then I'll pay/year. For me, reliability and excellent customer service are worth the extra money. (Reply to this)

ladybug218 2008-04-19 02:58 am UTC (link)

I voted for the higher prices with the better service. Admittedly, my primary account (this one) and two of my RP journals have been permanent since the days of $30 perm accounts (almost a year ago!). I bought a fourth perm account for my writing journal on Monday to help support the site. After the fiasco on Tues/Wed, I gifted four of my friends with perm accounts because I didn't have any more journals that I wanted to make perm. However, I do have a vast number of RP journals and I will most likely make at least a few of those paid as time goes on and I would be more than happy to pay a little more money and never have to worry again about losing all my content because of a sucky host provider. (Reply to this)

	dragyn 2008-04-19 03:20 am UTC (link)
	Have you considered hostrocket.com? I've hosted my website with them since 2003 and have not had a single regret, which I cannot say about my three previous providers. They offer some great packages, from personal up to large business, and have great amenities like rollover bandwidth. (Reply to this)

silent_seas 2008-04-19 04:05 am UTC (link)

I'm more likely to trust a site that makes an effort to maintain a solid business plan and a satisfied user base over the long term. Better service for a slightly higher price is the way to go, because it benefits both sides. Conversely, less reliable/incomplete service can discourage people from getting additional paid accounts, or renewing their current ones--and lower prices won't be enough to counteract that. (Reply to this)

earendil 2008-04-19 04:28 am UTC (link)

The site is actually running quite nicely now on my (crappy) computer. Both my accounts are perm, but I'd definitely pay $35 a year if they weren't for the superior service. However, I agree with some previous posters to do a thorough check on the provider. Make sure they're really going to give you what you'll be paying for. It shouldn't be a problem, but I always ask friends if they've used someone before I sign up too. (Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - earendil, 2008-04-19 04:40 am UTC

bridgetmkennitt 2008-04-19 05:46 am UTC (link)

Heh, am I the only one who decided to go with just a paid account so I can continue to support the site? ;) I went with amazing service because I want IJ to continue to run as smoothly as it has been since I've moved from LJ. I don't mind paying a little more because I know the money is well spent. If possible, bethbethbeth's idea sounded nice with the tiers that way if people want to support by paid account, they can, but they don't necessarily have to go with the raised price version if they don't have to. (Reply to this)

	elke_tanzer 2008-04-19 06:27 am UTC (link)
	I have one perm and two paid accounts now, and have a historic tendency from LJ to gift paid time to friends who're stuck on free accounts. I vote for kick-ass server service! (Reply to this)

skuf 2008-04-19 06:33 am UTC (link)

I'm considering getting a credit card just so I can buy paid time for friends - but honestly, not for $20 for 6 months, that's too expensive for me! I also would consider that the people who can afford to buy paid time to a large extent already have - and most won't be able/willing to keep paying forever. And that with such high prices, you are much less likely to get newcomers to buy paid time. A few of us may think IJ a superior choice to LJ at this point, but with LJ having more features, it's not going to look like that to newcomers, if prices are the same. (Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - toimhseachan, 2008-04-19 08:49 am UTC

	I'm willing to pay more.... flyvapnet 2008-04-19 07:46 am UTC (link)
	Hopefully, you'll choose the top-notch hosting provider. I'm all for it! =^..^= (Reply to this)

	tygie 2008-04-19 07:53 am UTC (link)
	I was going to get a paid account for one or two of my rp journals here, but I'll wait and buy them after the desicions are made. (Reply to this)

	inamac 2008-04-19 09:46 am UTC (link)
	Unlike most commentators I don't (yet) have a paid or permanent account - I've been waiting to be sure that you're as committed to your customers as you've claimed. I think this poll itself more than proves that you are - and I'd be happy to pay more (given the UK/US exchange rate it's not that much more for me!) for an even more secure and better service. (Reply to this)

	littleblackbow 2008-04-19 11:16 am UTC (link)
	I also think that if you set up a donation box, there are a lot of us who have permanently insane accounts who will donate some money to the cause. I don't mind paying for services at all! :) (Reply to this) (Thread)

(no subject) - squeaky, 2008-04-19 01:52 pm UTC

	sylumgator 2008-04-19 04:26 pm UTC (link)
	Hey, my teddy bear has an el-jay and a website. AS well as a mailing list. I kind of took it over as a fic site, though. My animals haven't all that much to say, since the cattle dog is gone :-( (Reply to this)

	vamphile 2008-04-19 05:24 pm UTC (link)
	I probably shouldn't be voting since i'm permanently insane, but if i weren't or didn't have that option, i'd still pay the higher price for the better more reliable service, so that's my vote. (Reply to this)

	nanny_ashtoreth 2008-04-19 05:39 pm UTC (link)
	I voted for amazing service. I have two permanent accounts here, and two free accounts that I fully intend to make into paid accounts when the funds come available. $35 seemed steep at first glance, but really, it's only the price of 3 6-packs of Guinness. It would do IJ and my waistline good to send that money your way. Win-win all around! (Reply to this)

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