Starting a webhost company

[Andre]

I have been trying to figure out what
to look for when it comes to this..

I see that there are several companies
that offers good ways to start up as a
reseller for other webhosting companies
but i really don't know what to look for.

What is the Most important things when
choosing a reseller?

[Lene]

How many have you found that will let you be a reseller without
investing any of your own money? (So you don't have to buy a package and then resell it)..
And also they give all customer support..

Personally I haven't found any yet that I think can compare to the one I sent you on ICQ
a while ago.. though, I didn't look too much into it.

Ideally you should be able to take all customers with you and move to another hosting
company at any time.
Also I think it would be a good idea to try the hosting company yourself first. Contact
their customer support many times with different questions and see how they respond.
I think good customer support is what will make novice webmasters stay.

[Andre]

I have looked into a few the last couple of weeks,
and the most interresting one I have found so far
is this: http://www.ntouch.ca/hosting.html

I have heard only good about them, and one guy
I talked to had one of the dedicated plans from
them - he had yet to experience downtime.

I don't think they provide free support, so maybe
a joint venture with someone else is a solution.

Still ...Really great offer to a Very acceptable price.

But there are So Many offering reseller packages.

[Lene]

If you are concidering the dedicated server, I would never order from someone that says "unlimited bandwith", because that means there's something they aren't telling you.
Also if you are going to provide the support yourself it will require a larger investment.
I would go for something simple first, then if it works out good for you do those investigations to find
out if you can increase your profit by having your own dedicated server.

[Andre]

yes, I see that they have the first month free
and that is a good way to get started I guess.

But this thread was not about starting a webhost
tomorrow :) more about trying to create a little
debate on this topic - it so many people starting
hosting companies these days. I think it is a
very interresting topic.

[Lene]

Also have a look at this board: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/
I'm sure you'll find a lot of info there.. And come back to tell us..lol

[Adam]

Theres a company called Ceonx.net, who offer the option to start a hosting company and they handle support and give you the space you need to sell on. Its quite a good option, if your interested give them an email at: support@ceonx.net

There great people, iv used them for a while :) Its a cheaper way to start off, and then you can just move to your own Dedicated Server (which they also offer) I think at the moment there currently rebuilding there site. But have a talk to them, they can sort you out.


Adam

[sclarke814]

[QUOTE=Lene]If you are concidering the dedicated server, I would never order from someone that says "unlimited bandwith", because that means there's something they aren't telling you.QUOTE]

Pretty good advice to follow. http://www.unlimband.org - This is an invaluable resource to have...they certainly explain the whole unlimited bandwidth bs in a way that makes sense, and they have also kindly compiled a list of all the wonderful hosts that think they can cheat their customers.... :) There is a difference between unlimited and unmetered so do your homework...

www.webhostingtalk.com - Also, once again, a very good resource. At times I have found it to be a place filled with a lot of childish members, but look past those few and you will find a community filled with an incredible amount of knowledgable and helpful people. Definately a resource to check out if you are serious about getting into the industry....

Now my opinion on the industry...go big or go home...as a "reseller" on another companies dedicated server you are not really offering something that the other thousands of hosts are offering...so if you're content with a few hundred bucks at the end of the month that is one thing....

Looking to make a few thousand a month and actually make a career out of it...? Don't let anyone tell you the market is way too saturated and it's not possible, because it certainly is... Do your research and be the company you were once considering buying from...I did it a couple years back and was very happy...unfortunately because I was young at the time and new to the industry I took on way more than I myself could handle, so with all that prosperity came bad times and ultimately the end. Plan things out the right way...market yourself to a specific niche...offer kick ass customer support (know your customers personally...get to know them...be their friend...as you grow it gets harder, but it's vital...)....

www.sitepointforums.com - Another resource...has lots of articles that can be very helpful.

Be a solutions provider...don't just offer one thing...be a one stop solution to establishing an identity on the net...then take that and start out locally...that way everything needed to get a site up will come through your company - Domain Registration - Hosting - Design - Maintence - SSL Certs - Corp Filing - Etc, etc...

Automation is very important...it conserves time...a good CRM will make your company very organized and will increase productivity...my company is working on a product like this for the design industry...for the hosting industry there are many great programs out there...

www.modernbill.com
www.perlbill.com
www.whmautopilot.com
www.neomanager.com
www.edgepanel.com
www.phpcoin.com
www.phpmanager.com

I'm sure there are a lot more...but there you go... I have personally used modernbill, perlbill, and phpmanager...personally I like modernbill the most and perlbill comes in a close 2nd...

I'm a bit tired so I apologize if this thread seems like I was just rambling on... :) Should be some useful info in here somewhere...

Have a good nite...
Steven Clarke.

p.s. - on a side note - little plug...looking to get into the industry...know a lot about it but dont have the capital to buy all thats needed to start? contact me...i have funds and everything and i'm looking for a partner...

[spider2005]

Nowadays web clients are getting more intelligent in choosing their respective web hosts. To be able to penetrate the hosting market, you must have the necessarry requirements to compete with the "big" guys. I personally see that the one man team mentality is not appropriate in the web hosting business. To survive the "hostile" hosting world you need more than the technial skills to survive.

[sclarke814]

Yes, I agree competing with the "big" guys can help. You can also be successful if you can market your "one-man" / mom & pop type shop in a way not typically offered. It is not as "hostile" as one would imagine. Yes, there are a ton of web hosts out there...but look how many sites there are on the net...they all need a hone...

And as clients are getting more intelligent, so is your average pc user...who in turn end up becoming webmasters, etc. There is room in this industry, just stand out in a special way...

[Lene]

Some very good advice in this thread.
I agree that modernbill seems to be the best.

[sclarke814]

Some very good advice in this thread.
I agree that modernbill seems to be the best.

Modernbill is a very useful tool, but it can also be a burden. For your average reseller it can be a bit confusing. There are MANY features that can confuse a person looking for a simple solution.

So it all comes down to what type of business you're running and personal preference...Like simple and straight forward? (PerlBill - WHMAutoPilot) - Want every feature in the world? ( MB )

;)

[Lene]

I am sending you a PM sclarke814 :)

[followme]

Try this, it provides private branding reseller account. Over 26,000 resellers have chosen to use them and to host their customers' websites with them. Reseller Panel (http://www.duoservers.com/?r=protonship)

[spider2005]

You can get good inputs here http://www.webhostingtalk.in .

[kmpisces]

There are several factors for anyone who is interested in being a web host to consider.

-Do you have the knowledge and skills or could you hire a staff to own your own hosting equipment? (A lot of hosts I have talked to do not start out this way. They start as a reseller and then later make the move on their own).

-Do you want to buy a reseller package and then find your own customers? or would you like to be more of an affiliate where you can offer hosting services from a particular company?

There are some reseller packages that are transparent. The hosting provider will take care of any technical problems. However, your clients will not see their name associated with anything. Your clients will not know that you do not own the hosting equipment.