A reseller hosting business is an excellent way to ease the financial pressure that comes from running a website and keeping it up to date and optimised. Like affiliate marketing or paid ads, becoming a hosting company for other users or members is one of the most valuable, and even profitable solutions.
However, it is not as simple as merely offering hosting space to the highest bidder. You still need to treat reseller hosting like a business if you want it to be a success. This means you will require several vital resources that you can rely on to offer the support you need in your reseller hosting business.
If reseller hosting is something that appeals to you, or you want to find out more about how it can benefit you, keep reading. We will cover everything you need to know, including what reseller hosting is and how you can make your business a success.
What is reseller hosting?
Anyone who has worked as a web developer knows how expensive it can become after a few months. There is so much upkeep that demands your attention, including additional plug-ins, programmes, and updates that will keep your website working as it should.
Often, a singular income is not enough to maintain a website, at least not comfortably. Therefore, reseller hosting is a fantastic choice if you are looking for an additional income stream. But what is reseller hosting?
In the simplest terms, reseller hosting is where users will ‘rent’ server space from their current hosting provider and then sell it to their own customers. Your reseller hosting business will pay a monthly fee to the hosting provider, and you will then offer this hosting space to other customers for a fee, also.
After setting up your reseller hosting business, you can seamlessly include your existing income. If you have a robust client base, you can also add reseller hosting as part of the maintenance package. However, this is usually only relevant if you already work on their websites.
Why can it be so valuable?
It is easy enough to see why reseller hosting can be so valuable. You can rent the server space for a fixed monthly fee, and then offer it to your clients at a rate that gives you a profit. The more clients you offer this space to, the more profitable it will be. This will provide a more substantial income source, which will have a direct benefit on your web hosting and web design duties. With more money to invest in these services, you can use more advanced plug-ins and programmes to ensure your primary website or websites runs at optimal performance.
Reseller hosting can also be beneficial for your clients. It will make their lives easier and helps you offer them increased value for server space with little effort required for you and them. If these clients already have a lot on their plate but still want to improve the website speed by using a different server, reseller hosting is arguably the best solution for both parties.
How to make your reseller hosting business a success
Reseller hosting is an appealing venture for anyone who wants to increase their monthly income. However, if you want to become a successful reseller, there are several factors you must remember.
Reliable hosting
Your hosting business must use a reliable hosting server if you want to stand out in the reseller hosting sphere and find the success you need. As someone who already has experience with web development and web design, you are acutely aware of how vital a reliable host is. The same goes for any server space you sell to your clients.
Picking the right hosting service can dramatically impact how your business operates. It will also give you a clear idea of which tools you can use to make your reseller business a success.
You will need to start by selecting a reseller hosting plan. It is not as straightforward as this, though. To become a successful reseller, you must consider which features are most relevant to your business.
Some of the most popular features include WHM control panel, simple one-click installations and billing solutions. Of course, these features are just the tip of the iceberg, and you will likely know other features that you should look out for when choosing a reliable hosting plan.
If you want to get the most from your hosting provider, it’s vital to choose a company that offers bundled plans. This can significantly impact your potential for success, as they can be used across a range of different websites while also allowing you to serve as many clients as you need without the risk of the bandwidth becoming clogged up. If this does happen, you risk driving customers away.
You will find providers for most operating systems, including Linux and Windows. These providers will typically offer plans that range from Bronze to Platinum. Each level will offer an increasingly generous amount of storage (usually 30GB and above), fast transfer speeds, free SSL and SSD, as well as WHM Control Panels and even money-back guarantees. If you are looking for a reliable package that offers excellent value and performance you can view our reseller hosting packages here.
Strong customer support
The success of any business is built upon strong customer support. For successful reseller hosting, the same applies. As an experienced web designer or web developer, you are more knowledgeable about the intricacies of hosting, so you must make sure to provide exceptional customer support for your clients.
If they encounter a problem, you are the one they will contact to solve it. As you are not the only reseller hosting business around, your customer service must go above and beyond others. Not only will this make you stand out in the industry and therefore draw more clients to you, but it will also give your clients faith and trust in your service.
This means you must keep up with any queries and questions from your clients, no matter how large or small they are. Keeping up with every question that comes your way can be difficult if you are working alone, though, and there’s a significant chance that you will receive many queries at once. You will need to consider how you can fix these problems quickly but correctly so that you do not lose any business or frustrate your clients.
Despite this, some of the best reseller hosting plans will come with 24/7 support included in even the most basic plan. This can take some of the pressure off you while still delivering fantastic support for your customers. While customers may still come to you before anything else, you can at least direct them to the appropriate channels that can hopefully help them solve any problems. If you want to take this a step further, consider sending a follow-up email after their problems have been resolved so you can get an idea of how simple the process was, and if there is anything you should look out for next time.
You shouldn’t always rely on the third-party support for customer queries, though. Your clients will often want to work with you directly, rather than being passed onto someone else. In this case, you should endeavour to tackle as much troubleshooting tasks as you can. This will help to create a rapport between you and your client and will increase customer satisfaction.
It may also be worth setting up social media channels for clients to direct any queries, while an email management tool could also be beneficial. This ensures you never miss a query and do not leave your clients waiting around for an answer.
Solid marketing strategy
A solid marketing strategy is another factor that will determine whether you can become a successful reseller. Without a strong marketing approach, you will not be able to spread the word about your business, nor will potential clients have the chance to engage with you.
The most straightforward and direct way to market your reseller hosting business is to promote it through your current website. This is useful as you already have an audience who may require a reseller service. Immediately, they will know what you are offering, and they can get in touch to find out more.
You shouldn’t rest solely on your existing customer base, though. Social media marketing can also attract customers, whereas updating old content, such as blog posts of infographics, with a Call to Action will also inform potential clients who arrive on your website. You should make sure to use eye-catching graphics and powerful language that will convince people to request your new service.
Referrals
As reliable as your customer base will be, you should always do all you can to find more customers. You can’t always depend on your marketing efforts, especially as many people may not even know reseller hosting exists. This is why referrals can be so useful.
It is always useful to ask existing customers to recommend to people they know. But this is not enough. You must incentivise them to give these referrals by offering programs that will benefit your existing clients.
These benefits could include discounts or increased storage space for a month. The more people they refer, the better their benefits. Not only will this increase your revenue and broaden your client base, but it will also take some of the pressure off your marketing efforts. Rather than work tirelessly to push your business, you can let your clients market your company for you.
Look at your competitors
You will not be the only reseller hosting business around. This is not something that should put you off launching your new venture, though. You can look at your competitors to get an idea of which services they offer and how they market their business.
Knowing your competitors will help you develop a suitable pricing model and give you clear insight into which services you should offer. You shouldn’t copy their approach entirely, as this will not make you stand out. Instead, think about what they are doing and how they can improve it.
Summary
A reseller hosting business has the potential to be a profitable business venture if you already have experience with hosting and web development. With so much competition, you must make sure your business is one that stands out if you want it to be a success. This will involve a lot of hard work and research.
To sum up, five primary factors will determine the success of your hosting business. These are:
- A reliable hosting provider providing package deals and a range of features.
- Exceptional customer support that always puts the client first to help them solve any issues.
- A solid marketing strategy that promotes your business to anyone who needs it (and even those that don’t know they need it yet).
- Customer referrals to spread the word about your reseller hosting business and increase revenue
- Studying competitors to understand what they are doing and how you can make improvements to offer a better, more dependable service.
If you remember these five key points, you are assured success in your reseller hosting business.
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