TMDHosting Founder Peter Darazhanski: The Human Factor In Web Hosting vs AI Automations

AI and automations are the next big thing in web hosting… Or maybe not? 🤔

We will try to answer this questions with our guest for today’s interview by Website Planet, Georgi Ivanov, manager of TMDHosting, one of the early pioneers in web and cloud hosting, providing top-notch hosting solutions for over 15 years.

TL:DR Georgi is sure that the human touch is and will still be the key differentiator for the success of TMDhosting as a web hosting provider regardless of all the recent trends in server technology, AI automations and cybersecurity.

To support his claim, he explained more in detail how the humans at TMDHosting make their hi-tech stand out, and why even all the AI in the world is not going to change that.

What problems are you solving for your customers and audience?

Our service is tailored to appeal to a variety of user groups – from new users to seasoned professionals. Every one of those groups is looking for different things in a hosting company, and we feel we understand their needs.

A lot of times new users are intimidated by the webhosting field, they have an offline business, they are accomplished professionals, but are very new to bringing it online, and this is where we come in – We solve those issues by having people available for assistance 24/7.

As for the seasoned professionals, the goal there is to ensure they have the environment and access to perform their work unimpeded, and enjoy excellent performance.

What makes people eventually choose you over your competitors?

Nowadays having an excellent tech stack and cutting edge performance is just the start, it puts you on the playing field. 99.9% uptime, reliable servers, solid-state drives or NVME, that is crucial, and incredibly important, but is also expected – people are more than ever just spoiled for choice when it comes to hosting companies with great hardware.

What really sets us apart is the human factor. We pride ourselves with the level of technical expertise and human touch we include in everything we do, and that is what separates us from most competitors.

Most companies have gone towards the AI / Low human interaction route and we believe that this has an effect of hurting the customer base in the long term – people ultimately do not want to be redirected to a knowledge base article or have a bot answer their questions. Given a choice, people would always want a live person to take careful consideration of their questions rather than an automated system.

A knowledgeable and resourceful live human interaction, available 24/7 will always trump all alternatives, we keep receiving this feedback over and over again, from the majority of our customers! So, to answer the question in short:

People choose us over our competitors because we offer state of the art Performance and Uptime, coupled with premium technical support and customer service, available live and 24/7.

That is what makes the difference.

Since you started, what helped you grow and retain your audience?

Growing and retaining an audience involves a combination of factors, for us those are mainly:

• Quality of Service and Scalability: Providing reliable, high-performance hosting services is crucial for retaining customers. Ensuring uptime, fast loading times, and responsive and capable customer support are essential aspects of delivering a quality service. Offering scalable hosting solutions that can accommodate the growing needs of customers is also essential for retaining them over the long term. Providing options for easy upgrades/downgrades or flexible resource allocation ensures customers can scale their hosting as their business grows.
• Customer Support: Offering exceptional customer support makes the most significant difference in customer satisfaction and retention. Promptly addressing customer inquiries, resolving issues efficiently, and providing knowledgeable assistance has worked for us to build our business and create an atmosphere of trust and loyalty with our customers.
• Feedback and Improvement: Actively seeking feedback from customers and using it to improve our services and address pain points demonstrates our commitment to customer satisfaction. Implementing customer suggestions and continually striving to improve has helped us retain customers and foster loyalty that is hard to explain other than by personal experience. I personally routinely happen upon customers that have been onboard for 7-10+ years, which is considered quite long by hosting standards, given that we have changed our entire hosting offer lineup several times during that time.

By focusing on these factors, we have managed to effectively grow our audience and retain customers over the long term, fostering a loyal customer base and sustainable business growth.

What’s in the roadmap for your future?

Well, after more than 15 years on the market, today we have a steady customer base happy with our service, multiple datacenter locations, and an extremely well optimized service.

We prepare for the future by optimizing and improving every single aspect of our business. We are constantly receiving and evaluating new features, products and ways to improve our service.

We have just launched a new version of our website, and currently we are in the latest stages of overhauling our entire Client Area, where our customers manage their hosting accounts – New products are being tested, as well as numerous new services to make sure we meet the needs of an ever evolving market. That would include new datacenter locations to cover an even larger area, new partnerships with different php software creators, and a lot more.

So, in the short term, our goals would be to enhance the customer experience with completing the overhaul of the Client Portal and Marketplace, long term we are planning to expand market reach even more with more locations, cutting edge products and strategic partnerships.

What do you see in the future of your industry?

Cloud Dominance, combined with Containerization and Virtual Servers

Cloud hosting services are expected to further dominate the market. This trend will likely continue as businesses seek flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, more and more customers require more advanced solutions, allowing developers more freedom in configuration and resources, as well as much more efficiency in deploying applications.

Considering also that the majority of hosting users are business owners and not server administrators, the management aspect of those advanced applications and servers is more important than ever.

Security Enhancements and Edge Computing

As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, hosting providers will need to invest heavily in enhancing security measures. This may include implementing advanced encryption protocols, employing AI-driven threat detection systems, and adopting advanced security models.

Additionally, with the need for low-latency applications, edge computing is expected to gain traction as well, so hosting companies should expand their datacenter locations and work closely with CDN providers to get an edge over the competition, so to speak.

AI and Automation

Artificial intelligence and automation will play a significant role in streamlining hosting operations. Providers may leverage AI-driven tools for workload optimization, resource allocation, and predictive maintenance to improve efficiency and reduce costs. What is very important, however, is to avoid relying on AI to completely take the place of real human interaction, and play to its strengths in improving the efficiency of automated systems.

Overall, in my opinion the hosting industry is poised for continued growth and innovation, driven by advancements in technology, evolving customer demands, and emerging market trends.