How to Start?

[digit]

I have been thinking about starting a web hosting reselling website. ANy suggestions on how to get started? Which company are the best to go with at a reasonable price?

 

[ldcdc]

ANy suggestions on how to get started?

Think of a market, fulfill its specific needs, and most importantly, find ways to cost efficiently put your message in front of the those people. The rest should be a lot easier to do.

Which company are the best to go with at a reasonable price?

There is no best company. I suggest you make yourself a list of 15-20 providers that seem find to you on paper, and then do your research on each of them, preferably on the web hosting forums out there.

An added benefit to all this research work will be that you'll learn the troubles and decisions that resellers usually face.

 

[brianf]

Research helps narrow down the field, but make sure you try out whichever host you choose for at least a month before reselling that service. Many hosts offer a 30 day money back guarantee. Others may allow you to trial their service without cost. If you're not familiar with hosting do some research on the mechanics as well.
http://apache.org
http://php.net
http://exim.org

 

[SoaCahToa]

Obviously, the first thing to do is research. Find out how much it will cost you for a server of your liking. Find out how much per month it will cost to keep everything running. Then figure out a decent price to sell for and see if you will make a profit. After you figure out how to make a profit it is time to start marketing, and selling. The last part is the hardest, and you definately need to research how to market before you just jump in, otherwise you might lose your money.

 

[tarsick]

Reliable web hosting company must be your right choice. It's the token of your future success.
**************.com seems good enough for that.
Their reselling plans are feature rich and they provide in-house support.

 

[Artashes]

Reliable web hosting company must be your right choice. It's the token of your future success.
**************.com seems good enough for that.
Their reselling plans are feature rich and they provide in-house support.

tarsick, is your recommendation based on a direct experience with the company?
I always considered it to be a big deal to recommend a company without personal experience. Web hosting is a tricky marketplace.

 

[tarsick]

tarsick, is your recommendation based on a direct experience with the company?
I always considered it to be a big deal to recommend a company without personal experience. Web hosting is a tricky marketplace.

Surely, I recommend this web hosting company as I have a personal experience with it.

 

[Artashes]

Surely, I recommend this web hosting company as I have a personal experience with it.

tarsick, I do not doubt your experience, but do you mind providing the URL of the site that you host with them for verification purposes?

 

[TEE06]

i think he forgot to put it

 

[csmcsm]

maybe you can find some useful informations to start webhosting business and/or buying reseller packages:
http://searchyourwebhost.com/start-your-own-hosting-business

 

[G_om]

Are there any guidance there?

 

[Crucial-Ijan]

There are a couple of things you need to address.

1. Why are you entering the hosting business?
2. Do you have the expertise and time to look after your clients? Remember these people could be running business's that rely on you!
3. Work out who you want to target (market wise) then do your research not only on the market but also who your competition is.
4. From your research build your business plan
5. Research hosting companies that offer reseller hosting and spend time talking with them, feeling them out, getting to know them. You want to be sure they can support you when you have clients down your neck
6. Develop plans/packages that can sustain your business.
7. Find a good billing system! WHMCS, Modernbill are two that are out there. THIS IS IMPORTANT!
8. Once you're out there hit the forums, spend a little on advertising and always look at ways to get your name out there.
9. Take care of your clients! These guys and girls are the reason you are in business and word of mouth advertising is ALWAYS the best form

 

[oc-scott]

Create a master plan and think about the target you would be concentrating, before entering the business.

 

[Lesli]

Finding a provider:
Think about what you need, how much time and money you're willing to spend, and then you'll have an idea where to start looking. Do you want to resell Linux hosting? Windows? Or both? Are you fine with an active forum and a good knowledgebase, or do you really want to use phone support and IM chat? The best reseller host for you depends on how you prefer to work, and what you prefer to offer your clients.

Getting Started:
Lots of people advise market research: find a niche that no one else has exploited, and go for it.
I come at things from a slightly different angle: think about what you really love to do most. Do you like fiddling with the servers? Writing? Teaching people how to build websites? Tweaking software? Figure out what you love, and find some way to channel that passion to the benefit of your business - and that may help you find your niche. At any rate, it will help you know what areas to concentrate upon and to tout as advantages over other hosting companies.

Another thing to realize is that web hosting is a recurring service business. If you're not planning on doing this in five years, you might want to rethink your decision. When people host with you, there's an implied expectation that you'll be around for the long haul - that you're not going to close shop after two years, or sell your customer base after three.

Crucial-Ijan makes some very good points.

 

[ldcdc]

If you're not planning on doing this in five years, you might want to rethink your decision.

You an always sell, and there are hosts you can trust to take decent care of your customers. Most businesses don't last long. There's no shame in things not getting to the level of self sustenance. A disappearing act, leaving the customers high and dry, is shameful though.