Web Hosting
Web hosting is a necessity for all websites and, as a result, is in high demand. This indicates that there are profits to be made by getting into the web hosting industry.
The easiest way for a layperson to get into web hosting is through reseller hosting.
Reseller hosting involves purchasing hosting services and resources from a large web hosting provider and then divvying up and reselling those services and resources to customers. Depending on the amount of resources you want to own, you can get a limited or unlimited reseller hosting plan.
As a reseller host, you’ll be able to offer your clients all the necessary features and functions to host their website. These include:
- Disk space
- Databases
- Control panel
- FTP accounts
- Bandwidth
- Email lists/accounts
- Add-on domains
- Parked domains
However, most reseller packages do not come with technical support. This means that the reseller is responsible for providing support to their customers. This is one of the downsides of being a reseller.
How to Become a Reseller
- Look into web hosting providers and decide which one offers the best reseller hosting plans for your needs. As an example, check out the reseller hosting packages offered by GreenGeeks: https://www.greengeeks.com/reseller-hosting.
- When considering the package, you will purchase, think about how many customers you can reasonably sign on immediately.
- Decide on what size and type of plans you’re going to offer.
- Determine what price you will sell your plans at. Remember, the goal is to make a profit, so consider how much you’re paying a web host when deciding how much you’ll charge customers.
- Figure out how you’ll offer your clients technical support. For instance, you might outsource support to a technical support company.
- Market your business. We recommend creating a website and getting active on social media and optimizing your site for search engines.
Advantages of Being a Reseller Web Host
- Simple to Operate
To run a reseller hosting business, you don’t need a computer science degree because all the technical complexities of web hosting are taken care of by the parent company.
- Cost
Reseller hosting packages are generally fairly inexpensive.
- Room for Expansion
Reseller hosting is also a good option for websites that get a lot of traffic. This is because reseller hosting gives you a more significant number of features and space. As a result, you can run various parts of your site from different URLs and different servers without purchasing additional hosting plans.
- Better Features
Compared to the basic hosting plans that most web hosts offer, reseller hosting has a greater number of features. For instance, the control panel tends to be more powerful so you can run your site more effectively. Additionally, many companies offer unlimited SSL certificates.
Disadvantages of Being a Reseller Host
- You Will Need Some Website Expertise
You’ll need to know a bit about websites to manage the features and control panels.
- You Will Need to Dedicate Time to Customer Service
You’ll have to make yourself available to answer questions from customers. Not taking the time to do so may ruin your business.
- You Will be Dependent on the Parent Hosting Company
The quality of the parent hosting company you choose will determine your business’s success. This means that if they experience a lot of technical issues or if their server regularly goes down, your customers, and thus your business, will be negatively affected.
Summing Up
Reseller hosting can be a lucrative business if you want to get into web hosting. However, it does require some work and your success depends on the parent web host you choose. Therefore, you need to carefully research web hosting service providers to ensure they offer the best site performance. You also need to make sure you’re comfortable with operating advanced website controls.
