A few weeks ago, a show I help produce had an internal discussion on which podcast host to use. It began as a discussion on how to address some issues we were having with a player we purchased to play the episodes on the show's website. People were complaining about some of the features, so there was a need to have such a discussion.

Someone in the email thread thought it would be a good idea to bring up the idea of leaving the show's podcast host, Libsyn. I guess they had some sort of external dialogue with a sales rep from another company, and this rep was persuasive enough to plant the idea that making a change might be a good idea.

Of course, asking a sales rep from a podcast host if they should switch to their company is like asking a tire salesman if you need new tires. Even if the tires you have are perfectly sound, there's always some reason to upgrade, be it the weather, the tread, what have you.

Being the resident expert on podcasts with this firm, I strongly advised to not switch from Libsyn. Libsyn is kind of like the vintage Dodge muscle car of the podcasting world. It's not the flashiest thing in the world, but it's solid, reliable and has great customer service.

Now, I have no affiliation with Libsyn. In fact, when clients ask for my opinion on podcast hosting, I tell them to go with a different company, for a number of really good reasons.

But for this particular show that has been around for years and years, they'll be better off with what has worked for years and years. One thing is for sure, Libsyn was not the problem with this issue we were having. Leaving them for a different company would have been futile, all the bells and whistles of the new startup notwithstanding.

There's a lot to be said for loyalty in business. A lot of businesses start up and they seem to think that flashy features, a "stunning" layout, highfalutin' this and that somehow equates to longevity.

It doesn't.

What does equal longevity is showing up for work each day in your clunky old workhorse car, doing the work and just treating people right.

Reason I share this story is the crux of the dilemma my client had was how to optimize a website for mobile use. People were accustomed to downloading the episode from the website so they could listen to it throughout the day.

Now those listeners are pure gold. They don't listen from Apple or Spotify, they do on the website. Any podcast host will tell you that almost no one listens to a podcast from the show's website.

The game is to have people listen for free on Apple, then give them a carrot leading to your website where you can get their email address. Having them subscribe on Apple is good, but it's not the end game; it's only so they'll keep listening to your show in hopes that they'll one day visit your website.

All that to say is that websites are great, but they're ultimately not where people consume content. The vast majority of it is consumed via an app like Apple, Spotify, etc. It's why I'm so heavily invested in my own mobile app. We don't even have paid websites for the shows our business hosts because ultimately the direction we're going is to direct people to our app.

If you want to know more about the company I've partnered with for my mobile app, I encourage you to check them out. https://click.mlsend.com/link/c/YT0xNjUzMzU3NDY3ODE3NDgyMTAyJmM9dDVoOSZlPTExMjQ3ODE1JmI9NTYxODU1ODUzJmQ9czV6M3A4aw==.xhHFGt7Vdfhz_Hdh4zwKjJjeILs6ANY4iseBsejx37s (learnistic.com.)

If something like this may be of use to your business, we can help you get started. But it's not cheap, I'm going to warn you.