Month of May Sales Offering: Discounted Upgrades!
We want to help your businesses succeed. Your success is in our best interest. Frequently, success can be predicated upon whether or not you have the right tools for the job – and the right tools can be costly. The right server can be costly.
The costs related to purchasing the server most appropriate for your needs can especially add up when considering upgrades. For example, at standard pricing and configuration, a dual Intel Xeon 5620 would cost you $325.00. Equipped with upgrades of 14GB RAM, two 1TB RE3 HDDs, and RAID 1 would increase the cost by $205.00 to a grand total of $530.00. While we feel that this is reasonably priced in comparison to other dedicated server providers, we want to go the extra mile in order to give you the competitive edge. For instance, this same server with upgrades discounted at 50% would only cost $427.50 – a savings of $102.50.
For the remainder of May, we are offering discounted upgrades of 50% on all new orders*. Why stop there? Do you have existing servers that you have discovered need more memory or other upgrades? We want to help you with this as well. For the remainder of May, we are also offering upgrades of 40% for existing servers.
We care for our clients. We want you to grow and have the right tools at the right price. We feel that this offering accomplishes this objective and hope you do too!
May Offering:
- 50% off upgrades for new orders. Coupon code: SNMAY10
- 40% off upgrades for existing servers. Please see your account specialist for assistance.
*Other than existing Reseller Discounts, this offering cannot be combined with any other sale.
** Windows 2008 Enterprise R2 and Windows 2008 Data Center R2 are not included with this offering.
LimeAid Survey Results & Assessment
Recently, Limestone Networks surveyed their clients in order to gauge the performance of their LimeAid service. The results were commendable.
LimeAid was first launched in February of 2011 as a new managed service offering in partnership with GlowTouch Technologies. Although Limestone Networks began as an unmanaged dedicated server provider, they have always endeavored to provide clients with superior service. It’s this disposition that formed the underpinnings of LimeAid. When integrating a new offering into an existing service, it can take time to hammer out the details. Limestone Networks’ believes that LimeAid has effectively negotiated the early challenges of product integration and is firing on all cylinders. The survey results concur with this assessment.
The results are as follows:
1. 4 out of every 5 survey participants believed that:
a. LimeAid resolved their issues.
b. LimeAid responded in a timely manner.
c. Technicians were technically competent.
d. LimeAid technicians communicated clearly.
2. Most participants believed that LimeAid technicians were friendly.
3. Over half the participants would recommend LimeAid to others.
4. Of the participants that had used another managed service provider in the past, 76% believed that LimeAid was at least as good in comparison. Many of these actually rated LimeAid as superior.
5. 89% of survey participants regarded the LimeAid service as a good value.
In addition to favorable survey results, Limestone Networks also received a number of solid recommendations:
“Just thanks to all operators and sys admins! LimeAid is very helpful for my business.” Brazil.
“LimeAid saved me from nightmares.” Mexico.
“LimeAid service is the best solution for me who do not understand the ins and outs of a server. Thanks to LimeAid team.” Indonesia.
Kris Anderson, Director of Support at Limestone Networks, had the following to say regarding the survey, “I’m pleased with the feedback we’ve received from our clients. We are always seeking new and innovative ways to provide exceptional support. The partnership that we have with GlowTouch, to provide a seamless and successful avenue for clients to get managed support, allows us to stay true to our motto: Simple, Solid, Superior.”
GlowTouch Director of Support Services, Paul Kuamoo, was equally pleased. He remarked, “The results from the LimeAid customer service survey are incredibly satisfying, and a direct testament to GlowTouch’s dedicated support specialists. In Limestone Networks, we have a partner who shares our commitment to genuine customer service. Adapting alongside the needs of LimeAid customers, we’ll continue searching for creative ways to ensure unsurpassed customer satisfaction.”
Having been proven in the adversarial fires common to managed support services, Limestone Networks has concluded that LimeAid is golden, and according to the survey responses, they believe that their clients would agree.
For more information on Limestone Networks, visit the website at LimestoneNetworks.com or contact an Account Specialist at sales(at)limestonenetworks(dot)com.
Network Status Page
Limestone Networks is proud to announce a new Network Status page that will allow you to get up-to-date information regarding any rare outages or planned maintenance within our data center.
The page is located at http://status.limestonenetworks.com, or http://status.lstn.net for short. It is hosted outside of our network so that it will remain available in event of a partial or full network outage. The page is maintained by our Network Engineers
In addition, you can subscribe to our new LimestoneStatus Twitter account to receive micro updates.
Limestone Networks is sharing the source code to this site with current clients, and the Internet at large, through GitHub so that you too may benefit from giving your clients increased visibility. You may access the GitHub project here: https://github.com/limestonenetworks/statuspage/
This addition was spurred by requests from our clients. Limestone Networks takes client feedback very seriously and is always interested in hearing feedback– good or bad. If you are a current client who helped influence this feature– thank you!
Quad Core Mega Commercial
Limestone Networks is now offering select quad core servers at significantly discounted prices. To properly convey the enormity of the sale, Limestone Networks employees got together in fun and created a truly epic commercial – some might even call it “MEGA.” The tools used to produce the video were a Motorola Photon, Microsoft Movie Maker, Audacity, and a blue Seton trolley. We hope you enjoy the result and would love the feedback. Crank it up!
Limestone Networks Offers Resellers Sizable Credit to AdRoll Services
Limestone Networks, the Dallas-based, on-demand dedicated server provider, has partnered with AdRoll, popular retargeting services provider, in efforts to supply their resellers with ample amounts of credit to get their retargeting campaigns rolling.
Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) February 28, 2012
Limestone Networks, the Dallas-based, on-demand dedicated server provider, is happy to report that they have formed a partnership with AdRoll, a widely-used online advertising platform head-quartered in San Francisco, CA. AdRoll is touted as the top retargeting platform and features a self-service interface, conversion tracking, and transparent reporting. Regarding the partnership, Adam Berke, President of AdRoll commented, “AdRoll is truly thrilled to be partnering with such an ambitious and innovative company. We also look forward to assisting their resellers with improving the results of their advertising campaigns.”
Retargeting campaigns are effective tools in converting prospects, and AdRoll’s product is top notch. According to Kyle Haynes, Director of Sales & Marketing for Limestone Networks, ”AdRoll has proven to be one of LSN’s most successful advertising avenues. We have seen a significant increase in brand recognition and site traffic when using their retargeting platform. As part of the Fusion Reseller Program, we allow our clients to leverage our existing partnerships in order to stimulate their own growth. We are pleased to have partnered with AdRoll and excited to offer our resellers a startup account credit so that they may test the retargeting services without any upfront costs.”
Limestone Networks is expecting great feedback regarding this partnership, and will be sharing more exciting partnership news in the near future.
For more information on Limestone Networks, visit the website at LimestoneNetworks.com or contact an Account Specialist at sales(at)limestonenetworks(dot)com.
Find Partners, not Clients
Money is a by-product of great Customer Service and Quality Products. By enabling our clients to grow, it is inevitable that they will need more services, as well as be in a strong business position to purchase those services.
The statement above defines how we think here at Limestone Networks. At Parallels Summit 2012 our team attended a keynote speech by Guy Kawasaki who is famous for his New York Times Best Selling book “Enchantment – The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions.” Ironically the speech covered many of the values we already follow in our business practices.
Money is a by-product.
Our CEO measures our growth by Server Count, not the amount of revenue. This allows our Sales team to focus on your business needs and curb the urge to “nickle and dime” you. We offer a lot of options on our order form for additional products and services, however these services are only offered as a benefit for you and not as a ploy for us to make more money. Actually, most of the software licensing and additional services we offer are at-cost. Commonly, new software vendors look at us oddly when we tell them that we are not looking to make profit off of their software, but rather to offer their software for the lowest price directly to our clients. After we politely explain that we are in the business of helping our clients and resellers grow their businesses, and we see licensing their software at a low cost as an investment in our resellers, they not only understand but embrace the new partnership.
Spend time building relationships, not shoving your sales pitch down their throat.
Our goal is to help you succeed. This should be the goal of every company. Sure we have an extremely secure data center backed by well thought out redundancy for both the network and the power, however every dedicated server provider will attempt to feed you that pitch. Unless you fully do your research, you may even take them at their word. There is more to business though than simply providing a quality product, and we understand that. When speaking with a potential client we listen and think, “How can I help them succeed?” We avoid thinking, “What service can I get them to buy?” I know this is unconventional, but if we don’t think our service is going to make your business stronger and foster growth, then we will be straight forward about it. We are in the business of helping shared web hosts, vps hosts, cloud hosts, game hosts and individuals grow. Through honesty, integrity, great customer service, and a quality network and data center, we will earn the money needed for us to survive and even thrive as a by-product of your success.
Ask not what you can sell your clients, but rather what your clients need to be more successful.
As a company, we seek out new software and hardware offerings. Not to line our pockets with cash, but rather to address the needs of our clients. From my experience in dealing with other companies, the mentality for new features generally is, “What can we make and sell to our clients to increase our revenue?” Although that has done well for some companies, we like to think differently. Since we view our clients as partners, our goal is to help our partners grow. Strive to learn what your clients need to effectively run their company. Find new and exciting things that can be used to make their company more successful. After you have determined these things, work out partnerships with the software or service vendors so that you may fulfill the need for your clients. Take the Limestone approach and don’t mark them up, doing your part to help grow the reseller’s company, or mark it up and make a profit off the partnership. However you do it, do it for the right reason.
Find Partners, not Clients
In conclusion, I leave you with one simple message: “Find Partners, not Clients”. Build a relationship. Lose the mentality that after the sale you’ve “made your money,” and that they are no longer “your problem”. You may think, “it’ll be too hard for them to move their data and change their IPs, they won’t want to leave,” and you may be correct, but that doesn’t make it right. Strive for better business and a better hosting experience for all. Take the Limestone approach.
Social Marketing
It is not only important to market your products and services, but also your company’s values and mission (branding). Consequently, there are a number of venues to address your marketing requirements. Marketing on social networks has become way more product/service marketing than branding. It is starting to make people dislike social networks, and furthermore, your company.
Then what should “social marketing” look like?
1) Show you care
Solicit clients for feedback regarding your company and services. The more they share about their experiences, the more others will be inclined to trust your company. If there is negative feedback, address it publicly. Show that you take complaints seriously and will make any situation right. Provide a quick place to answer pre-sales or short support questions. Communication is the most important aspect of any relationship.
2) Empower your clients
Provide your clients with inspiration, food for thought, or unique business strategies you have heard about or used in the past. How is this marketing? Well, first of all you are helping your client grow, and as they grow they will need more services. Second, you should trust that they will attribute their financial gain to your company. The second point leads to better retention due to a quality relationship.
3) Sell, but don’t be spammy
Twitter isn’t a car lot or an infomercial. Avoid: “BUY NOW!” “DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.” “BEST PRICE EVER.” “HOT ITEMS.” Basically, if you need to use these words (or broken-caps-lock) to get your value point across, save it for a banner where you can make it semi-professional. Instead, show your value logically. For example, instead of, “Today only, the amazing Dual Xeon 5405 on sale for ONLY $215! Get it now!” add more value tailored towards your audience such as, “Shared web hosts profit as much as $1k per month from the Dual Xeon 5405. Add to your business today for $215/month.” Besides the wording of your posts, this suggestion is the last in this article for a reason. Don’t do these type of posts often. Social marketing outlets are meant for brand marketing, not product marketing, even though a little product marketing won’t hurt.
Limestone Networks: The Place for Startups
We love startups. We get it. We understand and know what you have been through to get here. Not many years ago, we were a startup as well. We want to make it as easy as possible to get your business server up and running. We are large enough to have the resources of an enterprise-class provider, yet small enough to adapt to the needs of our clients. We want to be your go-to source. We want you to grow and we will give you all the tools necessary to grow a successful business at a price that only a startup can truly appreciate.
Do you have concerns regarding your marketing efforts and how to drive interest in your product? Our partnership with AdRoll can provide you with a helpful jump-start that’s certain to attract interested parties. Do you wish to modify your product or service in accordance with your customer’s needs? The people at UserVoice, another outstanding partner of ours, are experts at engaging and organizing customer feedback. How about graphics design? Startups are often short of in-house graphic designers, and it can be a challenge finding a quality solution at the right price. Fortunately, however, we also have an answer for this through our partnership with DesignPax, a New York City based outfit whose creative team is top-notch.
Yes, it’s true, we love start-ups. The road may have been hard thus far, but it can get easier. The answer is following a path that has been well traveled. Follow the path that others have successfully traversed. Here’s a hint: It’s simple, solid, superior, and paved in limestone.
May your journey be fruitful. We’ll be expecting you.
What makes Limestone Networks different?
Since our inception, we have kept the words “Simple, Solid and Superior” in mind as we grew into an industry leader in dedicated hosting. You may be asking though, “What do these words really mean and how do they apply to what they do at Limestone Networks?” As the Director of Support, let me explain to you how I have used these words to shape the support experience – an experience which I have endeavored to make optimal for our clients.
Simple
There are two main ways we use the word simple in our dealings with clients within support. The first of which is hardware replacements. If you request a replacement of a piece of hardware, or even the whole chassis, we will perform the work with no questions asked. Getting hardware replaced should always be this simple.
The second way this word is implemented is when you are opening a support ticket. When designing the form used to open a support ticket we focused on making as little fields required as possible. With the addition of the new Security Center in our control panel you are even now able to open tickets regarding network attacks without having to type a single character. Additionally, ticket creation and management was also one of the first things we built into our API. It should always be simple for you to contact us!
Solid
This is a word that I pay extremely close attention to. When thinking about the hosting industry the worst word to hear is downtime. As the Director of Support, I also oversee our Build Team that handles all of the hardware within our servers. This is where I focus my efforts for the word solid.
We provide in-depth hardware diagnostics. When I wrote the policies and procedures for our hardware diagnostics I wanted to model it after a full-service oil change. When you suspect there is a hardware problem, we immediately replace all cables and memory (RAM) modules within your server. We then place these items in a “test later” bin. Why do we do this? The simple answer is that we want your server back online as quickly as possible! In addition to quick replacements, we check everything from CPU temperature to cable management for proper airflow. We do all of this with a smile and with the utmost priority so that we can get you back online quickly.
Another policy we have in place to provide you with a solid experience is our “re-test policy.” Any time we remove hardware from a client’s server, either due to a downgrade/upgrade or a cancellation, all of the hardware is tested before it gets recirculated. We understand that we are not always notified of hardware issues resulting in cancellation, so we take extra efforts to test our hardware so that another client doesn’t experience issues.
Superior
I believe that superior is a very service-oriented word. Thus, I focus that towards the front-end individuals that you deal with when opening a Support ticket. We insure a superior hosting experience by being prompt and constantly taking satisfaction metrics. This is really where I feel we are different, because I often feel that my complaints are either ignored or neglected with various companies. Have you ever explained your frustrations to your cell/cable/internet/(maybe a previous hosting) provider and felt that nothing would come of your concerns? Not at Limestone! We have escalation procedures in place to make sure your concerns get addressed.
Here are some ways we measure satisfaction, provide expedient service and address needs:
- Automatic Diagnostics – When you open a ticket with us, we have built automated tools that immediately run diagnostics so that our techs can focus on the higher-level investigation. We do this because your uptime is our top priority.
- 10 Minute Responses – Your time is important and we respect that. We have team members constantly monitoring tickets so that you receive prompt answers to your issues.
- Response Rating – After each response from a Limestone employee you are able to rate the response between one and five stars. If you give the response a rating of three or lower it is immediately flagged for management’s review. Your satisfaction is extremely important to us.
- Closed Ticket Survey – At the end of your ticket you are prompted for feedback. When you fill out this survey your response goes to our Quality Assurance team where appropriate action will be taken in every instance. Actions that take place will be anything from kudos to more training.
- We actively use UserVoice – This system allows us to truly measure what is important to you both individually and as a community. This is really important because it allows us to devote our resources to exactly what you are wanting.
In conclusion, over the last few days I’ve really summed up our motto “Simple, Solid and Superior” to one simple message. That message is, “we care.” Everything that we do, every procedure we put in place, is for the purpose of providing you with the best hosting experience possible. We will continue to do this – no matter how big your company is. One server or one-hundred servers, you deserve a Simple, Solid and Superior dedicated hosting provider that cares.
New Year’s Holiday Sales Hours
Limestone Networks Sales and Billing department will be closing at noon on Friday, Dec. 30 in celebration of the New Year’s holiday. The Sales and Billing Department will remain closed through Monday, January 2, 2012. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday.
The Support Team is 24/7 as always, and happy New Year from Limestone Networks!