Best Cheap Web Hosting

When it comes to making money online, there is no dearth of opportunities. One simply needs to choose the field suiting their skills and get started with it. Out of all the options, web hosting, recently has gained immense popularity. The reason is simple, web hosting forms the core of all kinds of e-business opportunities today. Every website needs a hosting space to secure the required files for proper functioning and a robust web server to function.

The web hosting market is evolving day by day and is churning up new opportunities for those willing to start their own hosting business. So, even if you are not a tech wizard and have a dream of setting up your own web hosting business, this step by step guide will help you navigate through the process. It will also explain the ins and outs of the business and will help you avoid pitfalls that can hamper your success in the future.

Knowing the Market and Which One Should You Choose

Web hosting has always been a wide-ranging and competitive industry. Most of industry players compete on customer service, and price as the niche markets in the industry are few and widespread.

Keeping the above statement in mind, the thumb rule here is to have a business that offers something distinctively unique to customers, clubbed with great marketing, so your business is easily recognisable by potential clients. The perfect way is to capture a niche market. Doing this, you are positioning your service as being directly associated with a niche and can present yourself as an expert in that field. Capturing a niche will help you focus on your customer service and the needs of the chosen niche(s).

Benefits of Choosing a Niche Market:

Option of cutting costs in services not related to the chosen niche

Better focus on marketing efforts

A greater chance of success as the competition will be relatively less

2 Crucial Steps to Get Started

Research After You Have Identified the Market: Once the intended niche is identified, some additional research is required. Know the top competitors of the niche selected and do a thorough research about their services and associated costs.

Decide the Core: Deciding the core of your business is the next step. There are three types of web hosting businesses – Reseller Hosting, Data Center co-location and At-home Server. As a newbie in the web hosting business, starting out with reseller hosting is recommended. Low-cost operation and simplicity are the two main benefits of starting out with Reseller Hosting.

What is Reseller Hosting?

Reseller Hosting is the type of web hosting provided by various hosting firms wherein the account owner of Reseller Hosting services can rent out portions of allotted bandwidth and disk space to other end users to host their websites.

It is an economical way for budding online entrepreneurs to start a web hosting company. In addition, one doesn't need to have thorough technical knowledge to maintain the servers as the entire management of server resources is managed by the data center operator.

How to Set up Reseller Hosting Business

Choose a reseller service that efficiently meets the norms and needs of your niche.

Purchase a Reseller Hosting Plan. You can purchase a plan as large or small as you like, however, keep in mind that once you acquire customers in the initial phase, you can always expand in the future.

Building your website around the API of the reseller company is recommended.

Next, integrate either your own billing system or use the one provided by the reseller company.

Determine the services and pricing you should offer.

Promote your hosting business through social media and Google ads.

Expand when needed.

The Software

UNIX or Windows – Functioning as the backbone of a server, there are two main operating system choices – Windows and Linux. Windows offers familiarity, ease of use and has a high start-up cost associated with software licensing. Linux OS, on the other hand, is free and offers open source software that you need for hosting.

Hosting Control Panel – The two popular hosting control panels include Plesk for Windows and cPanel for Linux. Both are subscription based and can be either paid monthly or annually.

Billing Software – An easy-to-use billing system is crucial for you as a beginner in the hosting business. Opt for an automated billing system like WHMCS that comes packed with support ticketing features, account management and domain management that are crucial for the success of any hosting business. In addition, WHMCS supports both Linux and Windows operating systems.

Customer Support

Customer support is one of the most important aspects to keep in mind when planning to start a hosting business. With an exceptional customer service, it will become easier for your business to gain popularity and hundreds of satisfied customers. Remember, customer support begins the moment someone visits your website. Offer support in the form of live chat or free call at the click of a button. In addition, make sure the website is user-friendly, has a secure and streamlined checkout process.

Once you convert a lead and gain a customer, sending out an email with all the details (payment, setup information, registration details, etc.) is recommended. In the first few months of service, customers may call several times, so make sure the support staff is prepared to solve any queries they may have. Customer satisfaction is paramount in any business, so make sure you have a strong customer support for your clients.

Conclusion

As stated earlier, starting a hosting business requires a great level of dedication and time commitment. So, if you are motivated enough and have the right approach, you can easily build a hosting business, that in future can be a constant source of income. All the best!

Source: I Am Not A Tech Wizard. Can I Start A Hosting Business?