Full Review by Red Herring
Scoring:
Well, this is quite fascinating. A hosting website, "Simplix", is what lies on my critical entree for today. My curiosity finds itself looming as to what its taste might be. I have never before given a full in-depth critical analysis of a web host, no, not once in my reviewing "career." However, I certainly do know the art web hosting, make no mistake. While I have not run any of my own web hosts, I have staffed several in my time, and hope that such perspective will be able to assist Simplix in bringing out its shine.
As much as it pains me, however, I will not be able to give Simplix the review it deserves. The Forum Promotion review service simply is not built to properly handle a request such as this one. We've no budget to test the actual service itself and run on a 72 hour deadline. With that, I may be able to gauge the aesthetics and functionality of a hosting website; even scrutinize as to just how fair the service / price ratio might be. But unfortunately, it does not give me the leeway nor the budget to make use of the actual service itself. I have no way to ascertain as to whether the most important aspect of a host, its actual hosting service, is up to quality standards.
Nonetheless, I will do my utmost best to critique in whatever other way I may. So, without further ado, let us get started.
First Impressions & Appearance – (13 out of 20)
"The eyes do not go wanting."
Well, you've certainly hit the ground running, Simplix. I will say right off the tip of the bat that my eyes are far from displeased with my newest setting. I find myself curious, wondering as to whether or not this design is custom as I've not seen it before in a WHMCS host. Custom or not, however, consider my eyes quite intrigued by the display. Where should I even start?
I suppose my standard operating procedure of beginning with the header and working my way down is as good as any a way to kick off this section, so off we go. First and foremost, I
simply have to express my utmost praise for the "Simplix" logo design. If ever there were a more fitting logo for Simplix, this would have to be it. There is nothing for me to criticize about it. Nothing. Its design consists of
simple, slightly stylized text with smaller underlying "web solutions" subtext, with two shades of orange and black for its coloring. The "S" in "Simplix" makes use of two arrows, one up and one down with the up arrow shaded in black, placing emphasis on it. This is truly an admirable logo; simple in design, but very effective in execution, and it matches the orange and white header to boot. The rest of the header design is also fairly simple, but quite pleasant, with the primary white content area sandwiched in between two orange bars; one purely for aesthetics value, the other being the host's navigation bar. And what a glorious navigation bar it is, making use of a beautiful hover effect through rich CSS and jQuery elements.
Moving along further down, we have on display a standard highlights box, summarizing perks that Simplix offers. Its design consists of a light blueish green background with subtle arrows pointing towards the "Get Hosting" button, bold text of a variety of pleasant colors and a...canoe? Well, that's somewhat on the stranger side of things. Why a canoe, if I might ask? Truth be told, it's
not the most simple device to operate and feels incredibly out of place on a hosting website. Ah well. Beyond that lies several simple (but effective) white CSS boxes host to a variety of information and materials; including domain availability searching, general information relating to Simplix's hosting, customer quotes, an "about us" box, and a box featuring the most recent article from the Simplix blog. Below all of this lies a simple secondary navigation bar and a simple, but once again, pleasant little footer with all of the expected branding and policy links.
The aesthetic of other pages throughout Simplix more or less follows the formula of the points listed above: a simple but pleasant environment that most visiting users should be fairly content with. A notable mention in this regard would be Simplix's
hosting plans page, which features pleasant CSS pricing tables and some very shiny icons within the information listed below. If I had to offer one complaint towards the design, however, it would be that there are a few clutter elements; some of which can be found on the above-mentioned hosting plans page. The spacing might not be ideal as the icons and text information below the pricing tables feel fairly jumbled. And lastly, there are a few unattractive elements to be found. For instance, the grey CSS box containing the latest blog post on the front page is somewhat unappealing.
Other than that, however, it's quite a pleasant design. I wouldn't say it lives up to a design like, say...
Hostisto, for example. I would not say it's an astounding or otherwise spectacular design. But it's a savory little treat nonetheless and one I find only very few flaws within. Excellent work.
Site Layout – (14 out of 20)
Righto. Layout! Well, this might end up being a rather short section, as this isn't a forum with complex structure and there isn't a whole lot to say into this matter, as there aren't a whole lot of pages to critique. But so be it! Simplix uses WHMCS for its hosting software, and as long as it adheres to its traditional layout, I couldn't possibly see how I'd have any issue with layout or navigation.
And I don't. Plain and simple. Everything important that one might require access to at this host is easily accessible, with the core features all being one click away within the header's navigation menu: "Home", for access to a hub of various features and information that Simplix offers. "Hosting", its primary purpose where one can view Simplix's hosting plans and order them. "Websites", which is a feature I assume has not been implemented yet. "Domains", where one Simplix's customers may order five different TLD's. And lastly, "About Us", a nice little informational page regarding the history and background of Simplix. That about covers most of what the average potential customer will want access to, really. The pages themselves are all quite simple to navigate and I have nothing to criticize about them. They're executed quite well.
There is one important element that's more on the obscure side of things, however, and while it's certainly not a glaring negative
(in fact, it could barely even be called "negative"), I still feel the need to point it out. I am referring to the technical support, definitely something that many customers will want easy access to. There is no link to it in the navigation menu, and that's fine. But having the Support link within the bottom out-of-the-way navigation bar might make things slightly impeding to potential customers. Now, there is a little "Help" button at the top within the header, but that might not be obvious enough. "Help" is a rather ambiguous term.
Again, it's really not much of an issue. It's doubtful that many, if anyone, will actually be "impeded" for very long by this little aspect, but it still might serve to subvert a few that are looking for something a little more...shall we say...pronounced. Other than that, there's really not much to say. Navigation and layout is quite fine, and I've really not much to criticize here. So pat yourself on the back, Simplix, and let's move on, shall we?
Functionality – (15 out of 20)
Moving on indeed, to a section that's likely to be just as short and lacking if not even shorter and even more lacking than the last. "Functionality." Why so short, one might ask? Well. Because, once again, there really isn't much to actually say here, not for a WHMCS host that follows the traditional WHMCS formatting. WHMCS functionality is quite user-friendly and bears no reason for it to have any major changes made to it
(if it's even possible for Simplix to do so), so there's certainly no need for an overhaul tradition.
So let's go over these traditional features, shall we? Simplix comes equipped with hosting packages, obviously, as it is a website host. We'll tackle the packages themselves in "Content", but in the mechanics of functionality, there's certainly no issue here. It's quite easy to select between one of three packages that Simplix offers and doing so takes you through an easy checkout system that anyone familiar with online shopping should have no issues with.
Next to its standard array of hosting features, Simplix also comes with domain availability search and registration, with five TLD's available for purchase: .com, .net, .org, .info and .us. Certainly not a bad TLD selection, all with reasonable pricing. In addition to a domain register, Simplix also comes with another expected staple for a webhost: A technical support suite complete with an e-mail list, live chat, and notably, a knowledge base with basic but helpful FAQ content contained within. Lastly, Simplix also has a company blog within its arsenal, however, it's one that seldom receives much in the way of updates. I believe that about wraps up what Simplix offers in terms of functionality.
Wait, actually there appears to be a
job page, so anyone who...oh...
Did I say "job page"? I meant to say "error page", and what a gorgeous error page it is! "Grew chicken legs and ran away" indeed, ta ha ha ha. Well, this is a custom error page, in any case, so we can chalk one up for functionality! Although a job page may have been a more pleasant scene.
Well, in short, Simplix has all the core functionality required of a host. It makes little attempt to deviate from the WHMCS traditional setups, but it really doesn't need to. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", right? (Nearly) everything is as it should be.
Content – (?? out of 20)
Ah. And now we finally reach my primary obstruction in the review process, in a review catering to a hosting website. Unfortunate as it may be, it is simply not feasible for me to properly appraise this section. As I mentioned far back in the review's introduction, we Forum Promotion reviewers have neither the time, the budget, nor the resources to review the actual quality of service provided by a host. I still have a few things that I would like to cover and mention, but I would not feel right grading this section when I am unaware to the quality of the true content that Simplix offers: hosting. Therefore, I will not be applying a score to this section.
That being said, I still do very much have some subjects to address, including the actual hosting packages themselves. Before we get to that, however, there are two other aspects I would like to focus on: the "Websites" page and the Simplix Blog. For starters, what
is the "Websites" page going to be for, exactly? From what I can surmise from what the page tells me,
At Simplix.net, we care about your business. We see ourselves as your business partner to make your web presence a success. We work side by side with you to make your dreams come true. After all, your success is our success. Here, we provide nothing short of dedicated services; starting from meeting you in person. You can count on us to build and manage your website from ground up.
It seems to be
(or is going to be) some form of affiliation or partnership program in which the Simplix staff greatly assist in building up the website and business of any participating clients. Wow, that is quite an ambitious goal, if it is indeed true. I will place the possibly enormous issue of impracticality aside for the moment and ask this question: Will it be making its debut anytime soon? If not, then its presence as a main page seems a bit wasteful, with no disrespect intended. While it may not be causing any active harm, it does make Simplix feel somewhat unmaintained, decreasing its professional quality.
Instead, might I suggest removing it for now and instead use it as a possible topic in the other aspect that really deserves a bit more attention: the Simplix Blog? Currently, the blog is another part of Simplix that seems rather dusty and unmaintained, but make for quite a wonderful resource for customers. It may not be completely dead at the moment, but blog updates are quite infrequent and seem to operate on a tri-monthly basis. I believe that this should be alleviated. There's certainly no need for
daily updates
(although that would be wonderful, it's definitely far too much work), but perhaps a weekly or bi-weekly update? If nothing else, it would at least allow customers to know that the staff are very much alive and kicking. And it doesn't always necessarily have to be articles related to Simplix alone; that's the beauty of it. Guides and general tips and tricks would be a very welcome addition to a host's blog, and they're content I seldom see implemented.
Now then, let's move along to the main event so that we can wrap this section up in a neat little bow. I may not be properly equipped as a Forum Promotion reviewer to properly ascertain the quality of the hosting service itself, but I can analyze and critique what they promise to offer. So let's get started and take a look at Simplix's hosting packages; of which there are three available. A picture is worth a 1000 words, or at least, several paragraphs of my boring screenshot, so allow me to save everyone the trouble and present this screenshot.
Three packages indeed. "The Gurus", "The Suits", and "Multi-Site." For what is essentially a very small
(and most likely, a reseller) host, these services offered are certainly far from bad. When it all comes down to it, even 5 GB of storage is fairly large and it's highly unlikely anything but either a larger website or a download hosting website will require more than that. It's more than enough to host a forum with a reasonably-sized community, for example. And the other packages are rather gorgeous offers as well, with the potential of SSD storage in "The Suits" and a Multi-Site package, both with reasonable pricing.
So the problem here isn't in the packages themselves, the problem comes from a more business-oriented perspective. What problem? They're completely and utterly lacking in
consistency. The cheapest available package, "The Gurus", is priced at a very inexpensive $3.50, which then proceeds takes a ginormous leap of
$8 to the middle-tier package, "The Suits", priced at $11.50. Suits decides to take it down a notch and jumps up a mere $4.50 in price to the $16 Multi-Site package. From a marketing standpoint, the consistency here is incredibly odd. For one, there's a
massive gap in between low-tier and middle-tier. If there's a customer that simply wants to host a little website, they'll always take "The Gurus." The price gap is simply too great for the consumer to contemplate whether s/he wants the extra perks offered from the middle-tier, so Simplix might end up losing out there, especially considering the perks offered by "The Suits" are more or less double of what's offered by "The Gurus", but it more than triples in price.
Conversely, on the opposite end, there's a clear difference in perks offered by "The Suits" and "Multi-Site", but the price gap is entirely insignificant. Now sure, a good business tactic is to gradually decrease the price curve as you go higher up the package ladder to make the appear as a much better deal, but it's incredibly odd in this case, since there was an eight dollar gap in between the first two packages. Now there's suddenly such an insignificant gap that even those that don't intend to have multiple websites might simply order the highest-tier package to reap the rewards of the numerous benefits over "The Suits."
A host is a business model, so it's not as simple as just going around and changing packages and policies, but over the course of future months, I would highly recommend that Simplix restructure its most peculiar business model for services. They're both inconsistent and impractical from a marketing standpoint and I feel they should seek to be corrected.
In the end, however, the hosting packages certainly are attractive, with all of them being quite reasonable for their price. And if it works for both Simplix and its customers, then it works. Again, it is not currently feasible for me to ascertain the quality of service provided. But from an outside perspective, they're certainly tantalizing.
Spelling/Grammar & Professionalism – (?? out of 20)
Excellent. And we now arrive at the final section of this review, and sadly, one I again cannot fully analyze and therefore will not score. Due to my status as a guest and not a customer, I am unable to test the waters of support response time and support quality in general. Grading for "professionalism" would be rather empty without being able to do that, so unfortunately this will be another section I cannot fully explore.
In regards to general spelling and grammar, I searched throughout the entirety of Simplix and did not come across a single spelling error or grammatical anomaly. If there are any, they would have been well hidden to escape my notice, so I applaud the level of English standard. And beyond that, there really isn't much to critique here at Simplix for this section. I checked up on policies for possible legal concerns, but all of them covered most of what was important to cover.
Quite a depressingly short section to end a review on, but without being able to interact with the staff personally, I'm afraid I really cannot explore too much within it. And everything else appears to be in quite tip-top shape. So let's go ahead and conclude this review.
Total Score - (32 + ?? out of 100)
Final Remarks:
While I may not have been able to actually discover for myself the quality of Simplix's hosting services, the website has at least given me every opportunity to have a taste of it. I was greeted with pleasant aesthetics on my arrival with resources being available at every turn, with nearly everything important being in plain sight and a mere click away. This might very well be one of the more user-friendly hosts I've encountered, although that's not to say it cannot be improved. A little more emphasis should be placed upon the support and knowledgebase sections, I believe, because next to the hosting service itself, they are the
most important resource a customer has access to. There are also some sadly unmaintained elements to be found throughout Simplix; such as the inexistent job page, the barely-updated blog and the mysterious "Websites" page which currently serves no purpose. All of these serve to create a feeling of an atmosphere in disrepair and does somewhat hamper the professional appearance of Simplix.
Furthermore, in regards to actual hosting, what Simplix offers in packages may be quite delectable for potential customers, they're completely inconsistent and odd from a business and marketing perspective. But don't get me wrong, they are
quite enticing. Were I not paranoid in regards to hosting, these packages may even end up tempting me into purchasing one of them. So good on you, Simplix. Continue to improve and advertise, and I'm certain you'll do just fine. My best regards to you. Whatever path you walk, whatever road you travel, I wish you the very best of luck.
Strengths:
- - Pleasant Aesthetics
- Has Many Essential Hosting Resources
- Offers Very Tantalizing Hosting Packages
Weaknesses:
- - Hosting Plans Are Inconsistent and Impractical
- Lack of Blog Updates
- Some Unmaintained Elements Degrade Overall Impressions
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