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You’ve decided to get a reseller web hosting account
to resell web space. What now? Here’s a step-by-step
guide.
1. Choose the platform you want to use.
More open source software programs are available for
Linux than for Windows, which makes Linux less expensive.
While most programs (Perl, PHP, Flash, etc.) run on
both platforms, a few run on only Windows or Linux.
A site that requires ASP or MS Access, for example,
requires a Windows platform.
2. Choose the control panel you want to use.
Control panels for websites range from very basic to
loaded with features. As a reseller, you’ll also
have a control panel for you to set up and control hosting
accounts.
In Choosing Your Hosting Automation Software, we compare
several control panels, all of which offer good features
for web host resellers.
3. Choose your web host.
The web host company that you choose for your reseller
account is a key decision — your business success
depends on the quality of your host. Factors to consider
when choosing a web host for a reseller account:
The platform and control panel
Account features
The company’s reputation — search for online
reviews by clients
The record of server uptime
The level of support — how fast does tech support
respond to support requests, especially time-sensitive
ones?
Flexibility — does the web host have packages
that allow you to upgrade when your needs increase?
Will they customize plans if necessary?
How long the web host has been in business — while
a new web host may be very good, many web hosting businesses
fail within the first year
Price — consider what is included in the price
Get Started with reseller hosting. http://www.websitesource.com
4. Set up your hosting plans and prices
Divide your bandwidth by your disk space to find out
the ratio of bandwidth to disk space that you can offer.
Take into account any ratios that differ if you upgrade
to a larger package, and then base your packages on
that ratio.
For pricing, consider what competitors charge, but
also factor in any additional services you’ll be
offering.
5. Develop a business website
You have three main choices for website development:
Create a website using an existing website template
http://www.websitesource.com/clientarea/reseller_website_templates.shtml
Hire a designer or a design company to design your
site for you http://design.websitesource.com/design/elements_custom-work.php
If you have web design skills, design your site yourself
Include all the information that clients will want
to know about your services and company.
6. Make your site e-commerce ready
To be able to accept payments for hosting accounts,
you’ll to set up:
An SSL certificate
A merchant account
A payment gateway
7. Set up a helpdesk
A helpdesk allows clients to contact you with support
requests and you to track and respond to those requests.
8. Set up billing
With an automated billing system, clients are billed
and payments are registered with little effort on your
part. Most billing software licenses are priced per
month or per year, with some billing software companies
offering prices for lifetime licenses.
Some popular billing and payment processing systems:
Modernbill http://www.modernbill.com/
ClientExec http://www.clientexec.com/
WHM.Autopilot http://www.whmautopilot.com/
Whois.Cart http://www.whoiscart.net/
When you choose a billing software program, check if
it’s compatible with your server platform and if
support is included.
9. Create a welcome email
After you set up hosting accounts for your clients,
you’ll need to send them a welcome email. Include
in this email:
A confirmation of the plan details
The nameserver names
A username and temporary password
A link to the control panel
Links to your knowledge base / FAQ and to your helpdesk
10. Market your website
Submit your site to search engines. Tell your family,
friends, and business acquaintances about your website.
Include a link to it in your signature line in outgoing
emails. But don’t stop there — market your
website http://www.marketingcontrolpanel.com via incoming
links, advertising, newsletters, and special offers.
About the author:
About the author: Chris K. is a Technical Executive
Writer for Website Source, Inc. http://www.websitesource.com.
His established writing skills coupled with experience
in the web hosting industry have provided internet professionals
with marketing, product and service ideas for many years.
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