RatePoint Debuts at Host Depot
Coral Springs, Florida - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - October 1, 2007 - Host Depot, a hosting solutions company focused on the SMB sector, has entered into a partnership with interactive consumer feedback platform and quality assurance certification firm, RatePoint.
Founded by the former executives of GeoTrust, RatePoint’s Consumer Approval Program has been engaged to provide Host Depot customers with access to the service offering, through the hosting account control panel. RatePoint is designed to allow businesses to manage their online reputation by easily capturing and publishing consumer reviews and feedback directly from web sites. RatePoint verifies actual consumer ratings for authenticity, and businesses then have an opportunity to respond to feedback.
Mark Erskine, President and CEO, Host Depot offered, ”Until now, small to mid-sized online businesses had no fully-interactive, hosted customer communication tool to help them compete with the resources of bigger companies. The RatePoint Consumer Approval Program levels that playing field by letting us provide the merchants we host with an affordable, easy to implement customer feedback program that allows them to boost sales and strengthen customer relationships.”
Recent industry studies clearly point to the benefits of incorporating user-generated reviews and ratings on business web sites:
- 71% of online shoppers read reviews, making it the most widely read consumer-generated content(Forrester)
- 77% of online shoppers use reviews and ratings when purchasing (Jupiter Research, August 2006)
- Reviews drive 21% higher purchase satisfaction and 18% higher loyalty (Foresee Results Study, January 2007)
RatePoint memberships include:
- The RatePoint badge, a dynamic Web site seal that businesses can use to collect and publish reviews, and a recognized and trusted symbol of a quality business.
- Access to the RatePoint business dashboard, an online interface that allows businesses to easily manage and respond to feedback and reviews. The business dashboard also provides a host of other feedback management and marketing tools for businesses.
- A customized listing in the RatePoint online business directory that is searchable by millions of consumers. Directory listings can provide better search engine optimization (SEO) and increased traffic.
Host Depot joins the RatePoint reseller community of more than 100 companies. The RatePoint Partner Program gives web hosting companies, ISPs and other technology providers a way to not only grow their business and revenue, but to also add value to their customers.
Last year, Host Depot adjusted its offerings and brand, in order to improve solutions, such as Search Engine Optimization, Bandwidth Bank, and Google Checkout, with a new SEO promotional plan and pricing. Host Depot has also created Bandwidth Bank, which allows all shared web hosting customers to rollover unused bandwidth from month to month.
Founded in 2006, RatePoint, Inc. offers a quality-assurance certification and customer feedback platform for growing businesses. Leveraging the latest in Web 2.0 trends, web content authentication and consumer ratings systems, RatePoint, Inc. is revolutionizing the way businesses and consumers define, identify and monitor quality. RatePoint, Inc. was founded by the founders of GeoTrust and is venture backed by Prism VentureWorks and .406 Ventures.
Host Depot, Inc. was founded in September of 1997 as a technology company with a focus on hosting and the development of integrated e-commerce solutions tailored for small, medium, and large businesses. Since their inception, they have grown to provide a breadth of new services including Internet access products, web site development, promotional services, and high-end e-commerce hosting solutions. Host Depot’s servers offer high-performance networks, with experienced professionals.
For more information about RatePoint, Inc., please visit: www.ratepoint.com.
To learn more, Host Depot, please visit: www.hostdepot.com.
