by Matt Hedges
For successfully being able to run a good reseller web hosting company, you need to have a sound knowledge of the science of computers, besides patience in abundance. After the innovation of the Control Panel, many people may think that a sound technical knowledge is no more the necessity, as the Control Panel makes the job of getting a pre-built server, and thus hosting a site, very easy. But things are a bit complex. Though you can get a dedicated server on lease and after having a good knowledge of Control Panel, you actually can commence hosting of sites, but always keep in mind that certain limitations are associated with the Control Panel.
You should consider the following ten steps to ensure the successful run of your web hosting company in the future:
Step 1: Select a platform which you wish to use
You can think of using UNIX over Windows as the former is an open source program, and therefore cheaper, besides having a stable environment for web hosting. Although most of the programs can run on both of them, ASP, MS-SQL, .NET, etc. are supported by Windows only. If you are not sure about which host you want to use, you can choose a web host that will offer both the operating systems under one plan.
Step 2: Decide on the Control Panel of your choice
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: Choose the reseller-hosting contributor
For starting a web hosting company, this decision assumes a very significant importance. Keep in mind that your web hosting company will command equal status as your preferred reseller hosting company. Customers never assume that companies offering cheap packages are better. Some important areas where the company should score include:
* 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 the platform: Make sure that your Control Panel has many features which you can use.
* 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.
* Status of the corporation: An efficient corporation will have a client forum. Then clients will be able to look into the forum and communicate with other associates and share experiences.
* 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
You may have plans of preparing a number of policies for the clients but don’t pile up policies on them. You can give around 3-5 policies. Take a detailed view of all your opponents and see what they are planning. You will get a small group of clients who are not happy. If you oversell assets it is okay, then you may compensate for it by charge people for advantages like domain registrations, IP addresses, web stats and so on.
Step 5: Get a business website developed
You should ensure that you keep your site as simple as you can and also make sure that it is user0friednly. Customers will look for what they want and you have to satisfy their needs. Thus, there is no point wasting the customers’ time telling them about you. You should utilize the space to tell them how you can satisfy their demands at a reasonable price and offer great service. You may use as few words as possible but make sure that the main page has 500 words at least. This is important for getting results in search engines. You can design the site yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.
Step 6: Get the site ready for e-Commerce
You will need a payment entry, a trade account and a SSL certificate to get payments online. These are some characteristics of online trade you have to get used to.
Step 7: Give your clients a good backup system
Getting the backup of your clients is essential as far as web-hosting plans are concerned. You can get either a policy or a Control Panel with a ready helpdesk, like H-Sphere. For starters you can use these service system that you will be producing, but after that it’s your choice. You can have a column of Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ's] that will solve some preliminary troubles of the clients. Ensure an efficient email system and a fast phone backing to solve the clients’ problems in a short time.
Step 8: Preparing the expenses of the customers
For this purpose, you will require a billing soft ware with a merchant gateway, mainly the one which integrates with your control panel like the H-Sphere. Some examples are:
* H-Sphere: this is a complete expense calculating software that will get you complete power on all assets and helps you prepare expenses you will ask for.
* PayPal: This system is a moderately easier one that is well matched with many 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: Prepare an email for greetings
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
* a direct link to the Control Panel
* links to the important areas like FAQ’s, customer support, 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:
* Availing of all search engine outcomes
* affiliate programs and paid advertising
* Information sheets
These are the basic steps involved in marketing. Building a web hosting site is difficult but not impossible if you commit yourself to it. There is a shortage of good companies, and thus, the market has not reached saturation yet. You have to take good care of customer needs, and then word of mouth will do the rest of the work for you.