Why are the little guys overlooked?

[FirePowerHost]

Being an owner of a new hosting company is tough. Everyone always puts you down right away because you just started and assume you have no experience. I want to start a discussion about why the "little guys" are overlooked. The big hosts started many moons ago, and they were small too. Why are people not spreading around the market and giving new hosts a chance to prove themselves?

[sundancerz]

I think it because some companies see it as part of their lively hood...something thats hard to gamble with on an unknown.

If your brand new and think your service is top notch...give people a taste for free and let them decide.
But your right..it's tough.

[ldcdc]

The really small provider is often here today, and gone tomorrow. With the distances involved, there's no risk that his customers will come knocking on his door.

A while back, even the "old hosts" were maybe 2-3 years old. Exceptions were 7-8 years. Now you have companies that have been players in the field for 15 years.

Then there's branding, which comes with size. As the Internet exploded in size, so have hosts. Some of the bigger ones advertise in very public places, so they become part of people's lives. Hosting is no longer a web only niche. People get that "I know this company from somewhere" feeling, which gives them a sense of familiarity, and, at some level, it becomes mixed with a feeling of trust.

[ipexpert]

It is common with any industry where you have real big players already serving in the industry and a newbie get into the industry to explore the market. You need to come with a big bang with a unique branding. Freebies may work however, you need to have huge initial investments in those cases.