Becoming a reseller of hosting means buying from a supplier a large amount of storage space and bandwidth. He then resells offers to host a website to other companies or individuals. The server and the database will be physically at the supplier. The reseller uses the resources of the parent web hosting company and sells them as its own resources.
Who buys reseller web hosting and why?
Reseller web hosting can interest several profiles. However, it is most often companies that want to offer other services to their customers. This can be for example a website designer who also offers hosting in addition to his services. This generates him a regular additional income for his business and complete service for his customers by retaining them. But reseller web hosting can just as easily be the subject of a project to create a reseller web hosting company.
What are the advantages of reseller web hosting?
Becoming a reseller is one of the most popular options for businesses and it is no coincidence. Reseller web hosting offers many advantages:
- Low investment: the prices offered by suppliers for a reseller are relatively low due to competition.
- Functionality control: depending on the package chosen, the reseller can resell it in its entirety or divide it to resell it to several customers at the desired price.
- Good tools: suppliers provide tools that allow them to better manage resale services.
- Support and security: the reseller benefits for its customers from the support and experience of the supplier in terms of security.
- Transparency: the reseller offers its hosting services in its own name. Customers never suspect that you are using a supplier.
In a more global aspect, reseller web hosting makes it possible to offer a service without bearing structural costs. Indeed, the reseller does not need investments in a server and in support functions. It is a low-cost concept and generates additional income for the company.
What are the main parameters to take into account when choosing a reseller web hosting?
In order to choose a good reseller web hosting several parameters are essential. Even if the offers are quite similar, details allow you to find the supplier that will meet your needs.
First, you need to ensure the quality of technical support. You should verify that it is accessible 24/7 and has reliable and available support. The second aspect to take into account concerns the speed of access to the server. Short response time from the server is a very important asset and is often highlighted among the various offers. The third parameter is to ensure that you have a package that includes free SSL encryption. This is a significant argument for customers. Finally, see if you can migrate existing sites and email accounts to another host for free. Otherwise, it is important to inquire about the price for this kind of service.
How to buy reseller web hosting?
Depending on your needs, you find and select a web host that meets the requested criteria. You buy the reseller web hosting package that meets your expectations and your objectives. You can then create your own branded hosting packages and determine the corresponding prices. All you have to do is sell your packs and benefit from them.
The advantages of offering web hosting to your customers
There are many good reasons to register as a hosting reseller and offer it to your customers. Here are a few that overtake me after several years of offering this service:
- Recurring Revenue: Anyone or business that owns a website must purchase a hosting plan. Someone is going to be paid, so why not take part? As of this writing, one year of the most basic hosting (including specials) on DMTWeb hosting costs $40. This price increases after the first year.
- Convenience (For You): Reseller hosting allows you to have immediate access to your customers’ cPanel accounts without tracking individual usernames and passwords. Do you need to check which version of PHP your client is running? Do you need to create an FTP account? You have the main control panel (Web Host Manager, or WHM) which allows you this possibility.
- Convenience (For Customers): This may be a little more controversial, but for the customers I target for my hosting solution, being able to send me an email with a problem they encounter is much more practical. then calling a support technician.
- Repeating Business: Just like any business – keeping in touch with previous customers is a great way to make sure you’re the one they call when they’re ready to grow their business.
- For example, let’s say you built a site two years ago for a mom & pop online store and are ready to create a new site with an e-commerce store. Would he be more likely to contact you if he has had semi-regular contact with you in the past two years as a web host, or if you were a distant memory?
The disadvantages of offering web hosting to your customers
- You will be the first level of technical support: Try to strategically target low maintenance customers, you will receive emails and phone calls for support requests ranging from changing passwords to broken websites. The good news is, at least in my experience, the vast majority of the problems you will encounter are easy to solve. However, regardless of your level of experience, you will sometimes need to call the hosting provider to resolve a problem.
- You will be on call: If you have the option to turn off your phone, shut down your laptop and leave the world behind for days at a time, this is a priority for you – being a hosting reseller will be difficult. While this is not common, you receive requests for emergency assistance at any time of the day or night. I have learned to prioritize the problems that are really urgent from those who can wait until morning.
- I only had one step in three years: offer reseller hosting in which I had to be completely out of reach for more than a day. To avoid problems, I let my clients know that I cannot be reached and that I have someone I trust to take care of emergencies during my absence. Not only did no emergency arise, but no problem was raised.
You are at the mercy of your host: Choosing the right hosting provider is vital. If you choose wrong, it can make you look bad and make you get more support requests from your customers. Worse, if you decide to make a change, migrating to a new hosting company as a reseller is a difficult process and can cost you money.
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