Is there a better way?

[PlexiHosting]

After seeing that many of the reseller accounts sold are really not reselling hosting but mainly for hosting multiple sites for themselves, friends, family, as an addon to design/coding service, I had a thought:

Is there a better way to capture this market than the standard reseller hosting account?

Can we provide better services, add-ons, anything, to make this set of clientele really "boom"?

It just seems to me that a fork might be a good thing here, where we have a featureset to offer that is more friendly to this market and a featureset that is more friendly to someone really starting a typical hosting company.

Are designers and coders and webmasters really as interested in free billing software? Free transparent support for their clients? Or should there be emphasis on features that will really grab them?

Maybe I'm just crazy but I see two markets being shoehorned into one product offering.

 

[talkwebhosts.co]

Sounds like you should tailor your hosting plan to friends and family if that is the case. It would make more sense for people that could care less about selling hosting but are more concerned about it for the people around them. Almost like a family shared plan!

 

[xion]

I really dont see any software or products out there that would make a large difference for the non-reselling resellers. Auto-install programs help a little bit because they allow newbies to easy install forums and scripts for their sites. Other than that, I really couldn't see what else you would need to offer a non-reseller that you already don't offer to an actual reseller.

 

[PlexiHosting]

Maybe it is not anything extra to be offered but what should be left off that they have no need for?

 

[xion]

Well I just don't offer it if they don't need it. I give my resellers free clientexec licenses, but I make them email for it if they need it.

 

[floatingpoint]

That's a great point, plexihosting!!

I have several clients who have said "What do I do if I want multiple domains?" - so far, I've just said "Go with a reseller" but these folks don't have the technical knowledge for it and the idea scares them.

I don't know why it didn't click with me: Offer plans with multiple domains that we set up and support with pricing somewhere between Shared and Reseller.

Simple

 

[AlexF]

rvskin provides standard cPanel accounts to create sub accounts, which makes it a perfect fit for what you guys are looking for; although we don't use this feature, we require the customer to get a reseller account.

 

[Matrixx]

Direct Admin allows multiple domains under one user.

Thats why we offer it

Rob

 

[floatingpoint]

Direct Admin allows multiple domains under one user.

Thats why we offer it

Rob

WOW - I've never even heard of DirectAdmin! I just looked over their demo, and that is SWEET!! When they say "Easiest to use control panel" they aren't kidding. Plus, I love the look of it www.directadmin.com

Now - if they had fantastico - I would SO switch! Too many of my customers use Fantastico all the time

 

[Matrixx]

The fantastico equivalent is www.installatron.com

Actually IMHO it's better.

Rob

 

[Matrixx]

WOW - I've never even heard of DirectAdmin! I just looked over their demo, and that is SWEET!! When they say "Easiest to use control panel" they aren't kidding. Plus, I love the look of it www.directadmin.com

Now - if they had fantastico - I would SO switch! Too many of my customers use Fantastico all the time

Actually the DA site is a bit out of date - the screen dumps they have are of an older skin.

Here are links to the new skin

http://www.matrixxhosting.com/direct-admin-control-panel-demos.shtml

Rob

 

[PlexiHosting]

wow the new skin is very very nice!

Also, they have created http://www.site-helper.com/ which is a great place to point your customers so you don't have to create your own faq/tutorials/etc. That is a great bonus. Hmmm... I've got cPanel. Plesk. Maybe I'll be looking for a nice DirectAdmin server

 

[Denny]

That's a great point, plexihosting!!

I have several clients who have said "What do I do if I want multiple domains?" - so far, I've just said "Go with a reseller" but these folks don't have the technical knowledge for it and the idea scares them.

I don't know why it didn't click with me: Offer plans with multiple domains that we set up and support with pricing somewhere between Shared and Reseller.

Simple

I never thought to give these people a price break. I just consider myself the reseller when someone wants more than one domain name. Even though I am the the host, I keep them contained in a psuedo reseller.

I always thought of a reseller as someone who is selling hosting under a bigger host while they grow.

What you are describing is a great section of a potential market. I have thought of a few others in the past years, but never really made a package / plan idea of them. I use Ensim and have myself as a reseller that I push these accounts to. This way I have some organization too. I need to think about your suggestion to set up a pricing somewhere between shared and reseller.

 

[eleven]

The fantastico equivalent is www.installatron.com

Actually IMHO it's better.

Rob

matrixx, I didn't even know there was a fantastico alternative, thats great. I might give it a quick test when I find some free time.

 

[crash]

sorry whats a fantistico or whatever you guys are talking about sorry if im asking in the obvious

 

[kiz9999]

i don't think that there is a big enough market for what you are trying to achieve.