Hey,
I had started a web host a while ago, but didn't get alot of traffic nor customers,
I would like to start again from scratch.

I was in-experienced last time and suppose i still am now,
what do i need to do to get traffic and customers and what do
I need to bare in mind?

google ads might bring in traffic and potential customers to your site. also, have a look and do some search in this forum - should be plenty of topics relevant to your questions. and, this website might be a help too - http://www.resellerguide.com/

good luck

Marty

You may also want to look into putting up some ads in some forums and things like that, also advertising your company on forums. I know tons of companys do it, I never tried it but it looks good to help get your name out.

Hey,
I had started a web host a while ago, but didn't get alot of traffic nor customers,
I would like to start again from scratch.

I was in-experienced last time and suppose i still am now,
what do i need to do to get traffic and customers and what do
I need to bare in mind?

I just posted this in another thread, so I may sound like a broken record. Nonetheless, I'll ask it anyway: What is your reason for getting (back) into the Web hosting industry?

well the reason i stopped was because of exams, and now i find i have alot more spare time on my hands (when not at work) so i thought i'd just start again as a hobbie, not to earn any major bucks, but just to get through long hours :p.
i got a few friends from all over the world who are helping with live support too so its available as much as possible.

Your problem is obvious. What happens when your vacations are over, and those of your friends?

Your clients will still be there, paying you. They will still expect the same type of support year-round, with no concern if you're in school or not. Not to mention keeping things running smoothly, such as billing, hardware, support, software, etc..

Remember, even if the billing is monthly, it's still a binding contract for both parties.

Well when i started it the first time, I had very few customers, probley about 5
and they were not using their space actively anyway, and i wasnt getting anymore customers.
I finnished my exams now and want to start out fresh but still cant seem to get people to my site, I feel that I supply a pretty good service as good as anywhere else and I've tried many advertising methods and posted on what seems like 1000's of hosting directories, but still, i dont understand it!

'As good as anyone else' is not good enough. Also, if you start a hosting service just as a hobby, you are setting yourself up for failure. A Web host is not like a train set - it is a real business endeavor. If you insist on running it as a hobby, do not charge for the service.

Well, the whole service is automated, I have set times for people to be on support too. and I am serious about this, but when i say hobbie, I mean I'm not doing it to make money.

That still a bad idea, you need to make it profitable.

If your web hosting company is not profitable it is not stable. If your not making any money from it why should you continue it down the road when life throws something else at you? Web Hosting companies need to be profitable or they are unsustainable.

Again, if you're not running it as a real business endeavor (real businesses make money), there's just no long-term motivation, and you will lose interest. Trust me. :)

hmmm I see,
well, maybe i shoulld either go into this full time, or start free hosting like you suggested.
what would you suggest?

To be honest, I can't suggest much of anything. You first need to define your goals: why are you getting into the Web hosting business? You have to find a need, and meet that need; whether that need is in free hosting or paid hosting is up to you to figure out.

ok, thanks for the advice, I'll keep thinking about it for a while :P

With such a saturated market, you will need to differentiate yourself from the rest of the competition.

This starts with an amazing design that projects professionalism and sleekness. Don't cut corners here or you won't succeed. Also, think about the details about your web hosting plans and whether or not you can turn a profit (do all the calculations). I strongly recommend that you do not oversell and that you focus on actually providing really fast servers and amazing support that creates hype/word of mouth advertising.

You also may want to think of unique promotions such as reducing all plans to $1.00 a month for the first month, or offering free hosting to a blogger with large influence in the internet world (this is what mediatemple does!).

With such a saturated market,


That's debatable. I wouldn't call it saturated..

@aspahost, I think just getting a job would earn you more money..

But since you are so determined to do web hosting... If money is not an issue, then start as a free host, and provide incentives to upgrade to paid... However, you will need to screen your customers more rigorously when doing free hosting..