Top 10 Ways for Hosting Companies to Reach (And Keep) New Customers

Hosting companies are always in need of reaching new customers – new to them and new to WordPress. What are the best ways?

If you’re asking us, and you are, we think you need to do all or most of the top ten list. Because you have two issues: customer acquisition and customer retention. 

As people are drawn to WordPress (over 60% of all CMS websites use WordPress), then they’re looking to update their site. Maybe they bought a business with an existing website, or maybe they just finally want to leave WixSpace. 

Once business owners start updating their site – because of SEO, performance issues, etc – they start to look at how they can optimize their site. More often than not, looking for a good managed host is the key.

Customer Acquisition for WordPress Hosts 

You know as well as we do that not all hosts are created equal. But customers don’t necessarily do. All you have to do is visit the r/hosting subreddit and you’ll find people looking for the lowest monthly price possible.

“I’d like to pay no more than $5/month with no price gimmicks [for 5 static sites].” Reddit User

Not only do customers need to find you, but they also need to understand why their website is a valuable asset that deserves more than a cat blog. (Not that cat blogs are bad. But you get what we’re saying.)

The cost for gaining that new customer can be calculated by total marketing costs divided by the number of new customers, according to UserPilot. In that same article they say the average CAC for a SaaS company (WordPress hosting is a SaaS) is $702.

Customer Retention for WordPress Hosts

Once you have a customer, you kind of want to keep them. This seems obvious until you have a staff meeting and realize all of your efforts are to support gaining customers instead of appreciating the ones you have (think of the ads and offers for cell phone carriers). 

If you’ve read one article about the costs of customer retention, you’ve read them all. Generically there is a 5x – 7x cost thrown around. Like the country song, “it’s cheaper to keep her.” 

Sales (acquisition) often shows growth while retention (marketing, customer service) is seen as boring or (wrongly) more expensive. Not only should you care about keeping customers, it’s more profitable. In an article, storeconnect reports “increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits from 25-95%.” Now the CFO is paying attention.

No matter which you personally favor, a thriving WordPress host needs strategies for both customer acquisition and customer retention. To make your upcoming staff meeting shorter, we’re compiled a list of the top ten ways you can reach (and keep) new customers.

TL;DR: Top 10 Ways WordPress Hosts Can Reach (And Keep) New Customers

1. Newsletter Sponsorships
2. Podcast Sponsorships
3. YouTube Channel Sponsorship
4. Guest Spots on Podcasts
5. WordCamp Sponsorships
6. Guest Articles 
7. Customer Surveys
8. Social Media Outreach
9. Attend Other Events 
10. Webinars/Office Hours

Tactic 1 – Newsletter Sponsorships

As an omnichannel company, we’re big on newsletter sponsorships in the WordPress space. A hosting company like yours can take advantage of an audience that you didn’t have to build, just by writing a check (or paying a Stripe invoice, but you get the point). 

“At Pressable, we’re big believers in supporting the people and publications that keep the WordPress community informed, inspired, and connected. Independent media like The WP Minute plays a huge role in shaping the conversations that matter most. Sponsoring this kind of work is a no-brainer—we’re proud to invest in the voices that help the ecosystem grow stronger, smarter, and more inclusive.” — Ariele Krantzow Head of Marketing, Pressable

With privacy-conscious users blocking cookies and EU laws, you have an opportunity to reach current and potential customers where they are most comfortable: in their email inbox. As an added bonus, readers tend to trust the advertisers of a newsletter if they also like the author (which is why they’re subscribed). 

“For every $1 marketers spend on email marketing, they receive $36 in return.” Litmus.com

Tactic 2 – Podcast Sponsorships

Well, you know us here at The WP Minute. We love podcasts and podcast sponsorships! Not every podcast wants to be bought out by Spotify, either. And the folks in the WordPress space enjoy knowing the up-to-date news on themes, security, and community events in WordPress. 

There are many podcasts but few open to sponsorship (or not company-initiated) in the WordPress space at the moment. So use your ad spend wisely. 

“Kinsta supports strong, independent WordPress media like The WP Minute because the WordPress ecosystem is massive, diverse, and constantly evolving. With over 40% of the web running on WordPress, it’s critical to have trustworthy coverage that represents all corners of the community: core contributors, plugin and theme developers, agencies, freelancers, and more. As an independent hosting company committed to open-source values and doing what’s right for users, we rely on this kind of journalism to stay connected, informed, and in service to the broader WordPress project.” – Roger Williams, Kinsta

Tactic 3 – YouTube Channel Sponsorship

People love YouTube! In 2024, the average daily minutes watched on YouTube was 48 minutes (sounds like a podcast episode!). Even better most watchers are adults (74%)!

Your potential customers (people who build a business) are always searching for ways to market themselves, too. Whether you decide to bid on YouTube ad spots (programmatic advertising) or have more targeted and controlled ad spend like sponsoring a YouTube Channel, getting your name out there on YouTube is vital.

“Sponsorships allow brands to use YouTube channels to reach specific consumers who are likely to be more receptive to their message, often because they already like the influencer’s content or agree with their opinions on various topics.” ThoughtLeaders.io

Tactic 4 – Guest Spots on Podcasts

We’re a huge believer in becoming a guest on other podcasts. As you know, Matt Medeiros has been a guest on many podcasts himself. This gives your company a down-to-earth and friendly feel that is compatible with the vibes of the WordPress Community. 

When the CEO of your hosting company appears on a podcast, like Ben Gabler did on Entrepreneur’s Enigma or WPProductTalk, it helps WordPress freelancers and agencies trust you. Why? Because we do business with people we know, like, and trust.  

If you’re considering this method, we have tips on being the best podcast guest to help you get over the hurdle and make that guest spot really count.

Tactic 5 – WordCamp Sponsorship

Along with the Global Sponsorship of WordCamps that are affordable for WordPress Hosts, you can opt to sponsor individual and local WordCamps as well. This is especially effective for regional WordCamps that are in your host’s country or city. Check out WordCamp Central’s schedule to get in touch with local or regional organizers. 

“Oftentimes, affordable micro sponsorships are available that allow you to get involved with a WordCamp event as a sponsor — without breaking the bank.” GoDaddy

Does it work? Sure. I know I became a SiteGround customer in 2013 because of WordCamp Orange County and their socks. They were friendly folks. Back then, I was brand new and only “blogged” on WordPress.com.  

Tactic 6 – Guest Articles (and Interviews)

This tactic can go either way – you can become a guest or invite guests to write for your hosting blog. As a writer myself, I’ve been a guest on many including the former MediaTemple (now GoDaddy), Torque Magazine (WP Engine) and Pressable. 

Co-founder of Pantheon, Zach Rosen wrote a guest post for Semrush in 2022. Mark Galvada of Kinsta wrote for Smashing Magazine in 2014. Even marketing, ops, and support people can write guest posts – if your company allows for that. Any employee who is public facing (would work a booth, speak, or greet customers) is a good candidate for guest articles or interviews like Devin Sears of Bluehost did for WebHostingCat in 2024.

Tactic 7 – Customer Surveys

Surveys and research is a great way to get attention from business people in the WordPress Space. WP Engine is famous for their State of Enterprise WordPress 2023 report. This kind of data is a valuable backlink (Hello, SEO) as well as an establishment of authority. They’ve also released a new study about the cost of your company website.

Engaging in surveys lets you keep up with your current customers and understand where their pain points are, where their business is going, and how you can best serve them. Pollfish has the ultimate guide for market research surveys to help you get started. 

You have the customer data so it’s just creating the survey, analyzing it, writing the white paper (to attract new customers), and then jumping on a podcast to talk about it. 

Tactic 8 – Social Media Outreach

Being active on X and LinkedIn is vital for WordPress Hosting companies. Be in the conversation. Be part of the conversation. Monitor the conversation. Understand the things customers are frustrated with just by reading their posts. 

Being involved in subreddits like r/hosting or r/webhosting is a no-brainer as well. Being that these platforms – as well as Instagram now – are indexed by Google means you’re also helping your off-page SEO. That’s a huge win all in the name of customer experience and delight.

Then, when potential new customers click on your links, the retargeted ads they’ll see on YouTube while they’re decompressing at night will have more relevance. Otherwise, they’re just another ad they press “skip” on.

Tactic 9 – Attend Other Events  

Being present at other industry events is one of the best (but costly) tactics in acquiring new customers and retaining current ones. Why? People love face to face meetings, selfies, after parties, and swag. If your team is able to speak, even better.

So, beyond participating in official WordPress events, being part of NTEN, PressConf, Cloudfest, SomeConf, Affiliate Summit, Social Media Marketing World, CEC in Vegas, etc, helps you connect with specific demographics and gain insights from them. If the person is attending one of these conferences, they’re in need of a high-performing website. So, why shouldn’t they be your customer?

Tactic 10 – Webinars/Office Hours

Who doesn’t love a webinar? Or even a livestream on a relevant topic? Green Geeks always invites great guests for their free webinars, for example. We all know the iThemes Training webinars put on by Nathan Ingram (he’s now at hosting.com and those live stream training sessions are archived at the SolidWP Academy).

If you do it right, webinars on topics people are interested in – buzzing on social, frequently asked questions (presales/presupport) – is a great way to a) build loyalty; b) get their email address; c) repurpose content, and more! (You’re doing email marketing, right?

Just Like You, We’re In the Business of the WordPress Business

We’d love to have your WordPress Hosting Company as a sponsor. Every week we publish WordPress content to inform, educate, and even entertain the busy WordPress Professional. Your hosting for WordPress platform needs to be elevated and we have the perfectly curated audience for you. 

Sponsor today! Get more visible with the right people in WordPress Business. 

You may enjoy this interview with BigScoots founder, Scott Stapley – a The WP Minute Sponsor.