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We Talk with Mitch Keeler of the Web Hosting Show
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Hello, Mitch, the Web Hosting Show is a creative new
way to deliver web hosting information. What gave you
the inspiration for it?
Well five months ago, when this whole thing started, I
had just finished my first book about the Web hosting
world, Lockergnome's Guide to Web Hosting. The whole "podcasting" idea was just then getting noticed, so I figured it would be a fun thing to play around with the idea of doing a show of my own as a project to do after finishing the book.
Both Brandon Watts and Matt Hartley (fellow
contributors at Lockergnome.com) were able to give me
a lot of early help and feedback on the show. Past
those early days though, we have been rolling right
along each and every week.
How has the show been received so far? Are most
listeners hosting customers or hosting companies?
We get listners from all walks of life.
The reaction so far has been better than I could have
ever expected it to be. Each and every week I am
amazed by the number of downloads each new episode of
the Web Hosting Show is getting. Last month the show
peaked out at 500 download for one show in the span of
seven days. Pretty much all my advertising happens
from word of mouth or folks who just want to help
spread the word about the show. It has really been a
grass root effort from the fans to help the listener
base grow each and every week.
I have also met so many people by doing the show.
Everybody from the guys who were in charge of
HostingCon 2005 to the guy who wants to know the
difference between disk space and bandwidth. The Web
Hosting Show is a podcast that everybody can enjoy.
What topics you are currently working on for future
shows?
Right now I am pretty much working by a week by week
basis, so I'm not sure if I really have much "inside information". I am however working on getting a few more audio interviews lined up for the show with some more big movers inside the Web hosting world.
With the Web Hosting Show, what is the one thing that
keeps you up at night?
Well there is always a balance of keeping the
listening audience that I have and getting new folks
to listen to the show. When I first started, I had a
lot more room to change things around and do new
things. Now that the show is a little more
established, if I take a weekly segment out or move
too much, I'll get a hand full of E-mails from folks
wanting it to go back to the way it was. I am always
left thinking, what else can I do to bring more people
in to listen to the show.
On the other hand, what is the one thing that makes
you jump out of bed in the morning?
I love hearing feedback and E-mail from folks that the
show has touched. I get thank you E-mails every week
from everywhere. From people we have mentioned on the
show to people just listening for the first time.
I got an E-mail from a guy who found us on iTunes some
time ago. He said he was studying himself about the
best ways to get into the Web hosting business, and
wanted to know where to get past editions of my
podcast. I am a people pleaser and I love to hear
that we are able to help more and more folks each and
every week.
Where would you vision the show going and what are the
growth markets that you are working on?
One thing that I would really like to achieve with the
show is to get more Web hosts to share the show with
their clients. Now I know that might be a little
hard, because I mention other Web hosting companies,
and most Web hosts like to live in a bubble. However,
if you are running your business to where you are
doing everything you can to help and provide for your customers, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
I am here to help both the Web hosts out there and the
Web hosting clients. Everybody out there Online today
has dealt with Web hosting in one way or another. I
am here to act as the translator between the two
parties.
The thing that separates the Web Hosting Show from
anything else out there today is that I want you to
learn, but I want you to be entertained as well. Web
hosting has a bad reputation for being dull and boring
to the outside world. I'm here to add a little flavor
and color to that dull world, while still delivering
all the information and help I can.
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