FatCow Review

In operation since 1998, FatCow is definitely one of the oldest web hosts that's still in the business. It was founded by Jackie Fewell in Albuquerque, New Mexico with the goal of providing shared web hosting services to small- and medium-sized businesses.

From the beginning, Fewell and FatCow touted a commitment to resist outsourcing their customer service operations. Fewell, as the company's CEO, also was dedicated to attracting loyal, satisfied customers by offering superior services and support.

The company did so well that they eventually attracted the notice of Endurance International Group, which frequently is referred to as EIG. In addition to FatCow, EIG is the parent company for other web hosts such as BlueHost and HostGator.

The EIG FatCow connection is well-known. Unfortunately, it seems like many of the web hosts that are held beneath the EIG umbrella stumble when it comes to providing excellent, reliable uptime.

This was confirmed throughout the course of this FatCow review. Over a 16-month period, this web host delivered uptime numbers of 99.82%. Those who are new to the web hosting game might think that a 99% uptime isn't too shabby. Those who have been in the game for a while will recognize that an average of 99.82% uptime just isn't cutting it.

Look at it this way. The industry average for website uptime is 99.94%; compared to FatCow's 99.82%, that is a far more desirable number.

Uptime matters because when your website is down, your customers can't find you. This forces them to seek out your competition, and they may never come back to you. Although that .12% more downtime than the average amount doesn't sound like a big deal, it can come back to haunt you if you're trying to get a business off the ground.

On the other hand, the uptime provided by FatCow isn't the worst in the industry. When paired with their low-cost, transparent pricing, this may be a compromise that you're willing to make.

Next to uptime, speed may be the most critical factor when it comes to choosing a web host. Milliseconds count in this game, and visitors will be looking elsewhere if your website takes anything longer than 890 milliseconds (ms) to load.

The bad news for this FatCow review is that their websites have an average loading time of 1,124 ms. When the industry average is 890 ms, you just can't afford to have a page load time of 1,124 ms.

Why is speed such a crucial metric? It's because the faster your website is, the higher it's likely to rank in any search results. Additionally, a faster website generally yields a higher conversion rate. If you're trying to sell something, then you want the best when it comes to this critical measure.

Of course, your experience with FatCow may vary, especially when your visitors are from North America. You may have one of those websites that's able to load with speed that's an improvement over FatCow's average. However, it may not be a chance you're willing to take.

If you're building a website that is designed for a marketplace in North America, then FatCow may be right for you. That's because all of its servers are located on this continent. This is not a drawback if that's where you're doing business. However, if your focus is in Europe, Africa, the Middle East or elsewhere, then you may need a web host that offers more diverse server locations.

As they claim on their website, each FatCow hosting package comes with "oodles" of bandwidth. In fact, there are no set limits when it comes to bandwidth, and that is good news for webmasters. This means that you can have just as much traffic and data as you like flowing between your website and the rest of the Internet.

Testing of FatCow customer service went well. However, taking a deeper look around the Internet shows that FatCow support tends to be a mixed bag. While some reviewers mentioned a speedy response and helpful results, other customers were left dissatisfied with the experience.

Accordingly, if you believe that you will need to rely heavily on FatCow customer service to get your website running and to maintain it, then you may want to look for a web host that offers more reliable support.

If you are more interested in taking the DIY approach, it's worth mentioning that FatCow support includes an excellent knowledge base. All you have to do is search for a term that interests you or click on one of the categories to take you to in-depth articles that explain what you need to know in pretty clear terms.

If you are looking for more one-on-one service, then dial the FatCow phone number. Customer service reps are waiting to take your call. Interactions during this FatCow review suggest that this web host's employees tend to be knowledgeable and friendly.

Of course, the most frequently used method of interacting with FatCow support is via the live chat capabilities. During the review process, these contacts went better than other web hosts' chat support, with support reps responding quickly and providing helpful tips and information.

However, this isn't the most robust web host customer support that's available today. Novice webmasters who are looking for lots of one-on-one guidance may be wise to look elsewhere.

If you're wondering about the FatCow control panel, FatCow email or whether or not you can get a domain through FatCow, you'll find answers here.

It's worth noting that FatCow doesn't give you a top-of-the-line cPanel interface for maintaining your website. CPanel is one of the most popular and widely used web-based control panels. Many experienced webmasters are familiar with it, and they may even be turned off by a web host that doesn't use it.

The Original FatCow Plan is available at a promotional price of approximately four dollars per month if the new customer signs up for 36 months. After the introductory period, the package renews at the regular rate of $14.95 per month for one year, $13.95 for two years or $12.95 for three years.

Along with a FatCow email log in, each of these packages includes unlimited MySQL databases, 24/7 support via phone and live chat, automated domain renewal, marketing tools, e-commerce capabilities and much more.

The company does offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee, so if you're not completely satisfied with their services, you do have the option to cancel. Those who choose to cancel their package after the expiration of the 30-day period are subject to at least a $35 cancellation fee.

In addition to the Original FatCow shared hosting plan, the company also offers WordPress, VPS and Dedicated Hosting.

The WordPress packages are divided into two tiers: the WP Starter for $3.75 per month and the WP Essential for $6.95 per month. In the Starter package, customers get the FatCow core hosting plan, a customized control panel and pre-installed plugins and themes.

Upgrading to the Essential plan gets customers improved speed, security and customer support.

The VPS, or Virtual Private Server, packages are designed for customers who need more control over their website. These plans have cPanel, one GB of RAM, 40GB of storage and one TB of bandwidth at the Basic level. Packages with enhanced resources are available at extra cost.

When customers require the ultimate in power and versatility, they may sign up for a FatCow dedicated hosting package. Dedicated packages are available at three tiers, each one with improved performance and capacity. As these plans offer independent control, they are the most expensive with even the Startup plan costing about $150 per month at the regular rate.

Despite its slow loading times and slightly below average uptime numbers, FatCow isn't a terrible web host provider. They provide a good amount of bandwidth and a fairly broad list of features.

Unfortunately, they are owned by EIG, which makes their privacy policy questionable and getting real security for your website is going to cost you extra.

This means that FatCow is only recommended for individuals and startup businesses that are on really tight budgets whose target audience are in the Americas. Even then, there are better alternatives out there.