Web Hosting for Profit

Author: MattHedges Total views: 11 Word Count: 1109

In order to run a good web hosting company successfully, you should have a good knowledge of computer science apart from plenty of patience. Since the development of the Control Panel, people believe that it is no longer necessary to have technical know-how as the Control Panel makes the task of getting a pre-built server and therefore hosting a site, very simple. Things can get complex. You can get a dedicated server on lease and have a sound knowledge of the Control Panel and you can then start hosting of sites, but you should remember that some restrictions are associated with the Control Panel.

To develop a flourishing long-term web-hosting corporation, keep in mind the following ten tips:

Step 1: Select a platform which you wish to use

You can consider using UNIX over Windows since the former is an open source program and thus cheaper, apart from having a stable environment for web hosting. Though most of the programs can run on both of these, ASP, MS-SQL, .NET, etc. are supported only by Windows. If you aren't sure about which host you want to use, you can select a web host that would offer both the operating systems under a single plan.

Step 2: Select the Control Panel which you wish to use

Control Panels can vary from the simple ones which are very user-friendly with the basic features along with the administrative ones, to the complex ones like the H-Sphere System.

Step 3: Select the reseller hosting provider

To start a web hosting company, this is a very significant decision. You have to remember that your web hosting company will command equal status as your preferred reseller hosting company. Customers do not think that the companies which offer cheap packages are better. A few areas where the company should score are:

* Customer support: Make sure that the company has telephone support for the customers round-the-clock. If that is not possible, they should at least have a good e-mail support system with rapid response for queries. These aspects will give the customers a good idea of how the company will be able to assist them when they need help.

* Control Panel and its policy: Ensure that the Control Panel carries all the characters you can utilize.

* Flexibility and features: You have to ensure that the initial costs that you charge to your customers includes sufficient bandwidth, not just to begin smoothly but also to be enough when their business expands.

* Reputation of the company: A good company always has customer forum where prospective customers can check out the forum and talk to other members about what their experience with the company has been like.

* Knowledge of the business in the area: If the business has been dealing with web hosting work for a long time then it is superior.

Step 4: Get your hosting plans set up and decide on matters of price

Though you might want to offer a host of plans to the customers, don't overload them with too many of them to select from. For starters, offering three to five plans would be sufficient. Also have a close look at the competitors and keep a check on what they are up to. You can also try finding a niche of the customers that is still left unsatisfied. It is fine enough if you oversell your resources if you can make up for it by charging the individuals with services like web stats, domain registrations, IP addresses, etc.

Step 5: Prepare a company website

Ensure that the website is constructed in an uncomplicated way and is easily accessible. Ensure that you meet up with the demands of the clients. Therefore, get to know what the future clients want instead of dwelling on you. Utilize the space to let them know how you can meet their requirements well at a reasonable price. You could want to finish off in minimum words but ensure a limit of at least 500 words. This would yield important outcomes in web searches. You may prepare the site on your own or get a professional to do it.

Step 6: Get the site ready for e-Commerce

You shall have to get an SSl certificate, apart from a payment gateway and a merchant account to be able to accept payments online. These are some e-commerce features which you should equip your site with.

Step 7: Offer the customers good support

Customer support is crucial and has been as far back as web hosting goes. You can choose a platform or a Control Panel which has a built-in helpdesk, such H-Sphere. You can begin with supporting those services that you are selling, but beyond this, everything depends on you. You can have a FAQ's section which will assist the customers to solve some of the common problems. You should also ideally have an e-mail and a telephone support system to answer your customers' queries as soon as they are made.

Step 8: Preparing the expenses of the customers

Get software for calculating with a trade entry, especially one that combines with the Control Panel like H-Sphere. Some of them are:

* H-Sphere: It includes a complete billing system which will give you total control over all resources and allow you to plan prices which you will charge from the customers.

* PayPal: This is a relatively simpler system which is compatible with a majority of the Control Panels.

* Authorize Net: It is an adaptable entry method that is well matched with the foremost credit card sellers, and many of the Control Panels.

Step 9: Design a welcome email

A welcome email is a must for your new clients. In your welcome email, you can include the following things:

* Complete details of the plan the customer has selected

* the registrar and the DNS changes

* a username together with a temporary password

* An exact connection to the Control Panel

* links to the important areas like customer support, FAQ's, etc.

Step 10: Marketing the website

Marketing is important as it will make sure that customers keep visiting your site all the time even though marketing a site is expensive and time-consuming also. Remember that website marketing is not a one-time matter, but an ongoing process. The following aspects should be considered:

* attracting search engine results

* affiliate programs and paid advertising

* Information sheets

The steps mentioned below are just the basic ones, and not exhaustive. Though building of a web hosting site is challenging, it is not impossible if you are committed to it. Though many new companies are coming up each day, the market is not at the saturation point since there is a lack of good companies. You just need to take care of customer needs - word of mouth will do the rest. Remember, customer is the King!

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About the Author

About the author: Matt Hedges is a 12 year veteran of the web hosting industry. Hedges is the head staff writer for WebHostingMadness.com, a web hosting review site.

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