A decade ago, many consumers were content to hire someone to assist with tasks they couldn’t easily manage on their own. Whether it was paying an electrician to install light fixtures, a doctor to diagnose disease or a housekeeper to help keep the floors clean, many people found it necessary or just plain practical to pay for help.
Today, however, consumers are flocking to the ‘do-it-yourself’ mentality; diagnosing themselves with the help of Web MD, building their own furniture with the help of YouTube, and installing light fixtures using a tutorial from TikTok. Some are even building their own websites with the help of a great web host, instead of paying a professional webmaster to launch the site.
This shift in the consumer psyche is partially due to the increase in available information and guidance, and partially a result of a difficult economy. Consumers are driven to attempt new feats that they’d never otherwise consider, all in the hope of saving a few bucks.
In the realm of web hosting in particular, the DIY mentality shows no signs of slowing down. There’s no question that as these new webmasters become more capable and aware of the possibilities that come with building their own website, they will also become more dependent on their web hosting companies. And this dependence is – perhaps surprisingly – not a bad thing.
Here are some reasons why
- The more people attempt to build their own websites, the more web hosts will develop their services to meet the growing needs of their customers. There’s no question that as individuals become consumers of the web hosting industry and don’t leave these decisions to professionals, there will be a shift in the desires of web hosting consumers. Top web hosts will continue to show expanded features and services to meet these evolving needs.
- Those building websites for the first time depend on their web hosts to make the endeavor as simple as possible. The continued growth of this trend will prompt web hosts to simplify their web hosting services in new and innovative ways. This will be a significant advantage for consumers at all skill levels.
- Web hosting is evolving from a strictly technical field to one that comprises a lot of design elements, and consumers at all levels depend on their hosts to provide these services. Whether via a drag-and-drop website builder or a wide array of website templates, web hosts have begun to help their clients build not only reliable websites, but beautiful sites – and this is a trend that is certain to extend into the future.
One more thing to consider
It’s also important to consider that while DIY endeavors are becoming more popular, we are also living in an age where people are overstimulated and over-scheduled. They can only make time for things that are truly critical.
Some web hosting providers have already begun to offer mobile platforms through which webmasters can update their sites on-the-go. All of the top web hosts provide automatic site backups to protect their clients’ information, without placing this burden on the webmaster.
Moving forward, webmasters will likely find it even more difficult to balance the burden of building and maintaining their websites while tending to their family, business or other obligations. In turn, they will rely on their web hosts even more to provide support services, reliable uptime and easy access – things which can always be improved.
Though this situation may seem paradoxical, it is certainly one that will have long term benefits for webmasters worldwide.
