3 Things to Understand About Reseller Hosting
It’s a great way to supplement your business’s existing income. It’s a good option for offering a value-added service to your clients. And it’s an excellent choice for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are looking to get their website off the ground while also establishing themselves as a web host.
We’re referring, of course, to reseller hosting. A hosting provider leases out server space to other users, who can then “resell” those resources to their own clients. Generally, this takes the form of shared hosting packages; you aren’t likely to see any large or mid-sized businesses maintaining their online presence via a reseller.
Still, it can be a pretty decent source of revenue, provided you understand a few things going in.
Don’t Go All-In Right Away
Most organizations that offer reseller hosting offer several different packages or “tiers.” Unless you already have a large, readily-established client base, it’s better to start small and upgrade later. While you don’t necessarily want to buy the cheapest plan, you also don’t want to dive immediately into the deep end either.
It’s also important to take into account what kind of service you want to provide your clients, as well. Different packages may also have different add-ons or features. Questions you should ask in that regard include:
- Do I need 24/7 technical support with my plan, or will I provide that myself?
- What control panels do I want to make available to my clients?
- What web applications will this plan support?
- How will my clients typically use my services?
Nail Down Your Image Beforehand
Before you start selling hosting services, it’s important to determine how you want your clients to perceive you. It goes without saying that you want to present an air of professionalism. As such, you’ll want to invest in your own business before you start bandying about reseller hosting services.
That includes having an established website, owning your own domain name, and populating both a blog and social media feed with content. Customers aren’t likely to trust a host if they know nothing about them. The larger your footprint, the likelier you’ll be to attract clients.
Other steps you can take to look more professional include using private name servers, installing SSL/HTTPS, and adding trust seals to your site.
Don’t Forget About Your Billing System
It’s certainly possible to use a platform like Paypal to manage your billing. We’ve seen plenty of resellers do exactly that. At the same time, a corporate billing system is arguably the best way to go.
Not only does it make you look considerably more professional, it’ll allow you to provide better service and collect payments far more easily (and as a result, far more consistently). At this point, we should mention that we offer WHMCS to our resellers free of charge, so that’s a bit of food for thought.
Closing Thoughts
Reseller hosting can be a great source of revenue if you know what you’re doing. It can make your business a much more attractive choice for clients, as well. And at the end of the day, it’s easy to get started, especially if you work with us.
