Earning a Profit with Web Hosting
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.
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 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 differ from the easy ones that are extremely accessible and have essential characteristics together with the organizational ones and also the multifaceted ones for example 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 the platform: Ensure that your Control Panel has several features which you can use.
* Flexibility and features: Make sure that the initial cost that you charge to the customers includes enough bandwidth, not only for them to begin smoothly, but even be sufficient when their business expands.
* Reputation of the company: A good company would have a customer forum, so customers normally check out the forum and interact with fellow members to know what their experience with the company has been.
* Experience of the company in this field: Obviously, the longer the company has been in the field of providing web hosting services, the better it is.
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: 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: Prepare the site 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: Offer the customers' good support
Customer support is very important as far as web hosting services goes. You can opt for a platform or a Control Panel which has a built-in helpdesk, like H-Sphere. You can commence with supporting those services which you are selling, but beyond this, it all depends on you. You can have a Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ's] which will help the customers solve some of their common problems. Also, you must have a strong email support and a quick telephone support for enabling the customers to resolve their queries in very little 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: 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 comparatively simpler system which is compatible with most 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: 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
* An username and a provisional password
* a direct link to the Control Panel
* links to the important areas like FAQ's, customer support, etc.
Step 10: Promoting your website
Though it is a fact that marketing a website is a costly affair and consumes a lot of time as well, it is very important since good marketing will ensure that customers keep visiting your site all the time. Keep in mind that website marketing is not a one-time affair, but an ongoing one. Some aspects which you must consider in this regard include:
* attracting search engine results
* affiliate programs and paid advertising
* newsletters
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!
Tagged with: Credit Card • Operating Systems • Web Site