Hi

i am starting to sell hosting, in the past i have just used affliate programs of other hosts but instead of being at the mercy of them i am instead thinking to refer them to my own service.

but my real question is, i was going to price my plans in the region of $10-$20 a month for shared hosting but a quick look around the internet shows me some hosts offering very low prices. Large hosts usually quote cheap prices but their monthly plans are around the same price as my range (or they only offer 3 months + setup fee which i plan not to do) example: namecheap, bluehost

however some smaller companies i have found are offering hosting for VERY low prices at around $1 per month - no setup, no 3 month+ contract...

Is it therefore worth entering the webhosting industry? i do have a source of customers but are people willing to pay anything anymore around my range or will they just go and signup at one of these $1-3 hosts they can easily find on google where they get rubbish customer service (as theres no way with good service one could profit on that unless you have a large number of customers or more expensive services/plans)

thanks

I would try a "pay as you go" web host


like this: https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/

lol $0.25 minus processing fees, this is what im talking about. Customers can go here and get hosting for almost nothing. Is there a market left for a host costing more with quality service & servers

around the internet shows me some hosts offering very low prices.
Overselling is everywhere. This thread was started here thousand times.
The best deal in your case it is resellling with end user support.
About prices it is a very difficult cuestion and it is not main thing for people with are looking for quality web host.

Overselling is everywhere. This thread was started here thousand times.
The best deal in your case it is resellling with end user support.
About prices it is a very difficult cuestion and it is not main thing for people with are looking for quality web host.

Hmmm, ServerPoint, does your company happen to offer reselling with end user support?

Now, for your questions.

There is ABSOLUTELY a market for webhosting! Many of the hosts you see offering plans for $1-2 a month are kiddie hosts. The kids are likely making a couple hundred per month which is great money when you're 15 and have no bills!

Unfortunately you'll be paying taxes, providing support, paying license fees, etc so you cannot compete with the $1-2 a month plans. Your idea of charging $10-20 a month sounds amazing. Honestly... that's like what, a fast food meal or a pack of cigs? $10-20 is peanuts and will be paid with no questions asked if you can offer the service to back it up.

The main key with any business / service over the internet is customer communication. Forget pricing, forget the "goodies" and addons... if you offer a good service that is honest and reliable you will expand and grow as a company. Yes, it's as simple as that.

As for your options when first entering the hosting industry:
- Reseller
- VPS
- Dedicated

You can visit each appropriate forum for those and also do searches here for which option would be your best bet.

Good luck. Don't look at competitors websites! Worry about your own business.

Mekhu, I think that only new ideas can help grow and get sucessful. straightforwardness, ordinary offers and best service is good target, but at the same time not attactive. Unordinary approach in web hosting service providing is a deal for morden web hosting company.
Anyway this is only my opinion.
Good luck.

Mekhu, I think that only new ideas can help grow and get sucessful. straightforwardness, ordinary offers and best service is good target, but at the same time not attactive. Unordinary approach in web hosting service providing is a deal for morden web hosting company.
Anyway this is only my opinion.
Good luck.

We could argue that point back and forth but both of our points are valid depending on target market. For $10-20 a month, I'd assume he's going after small business owners who could careless about Fantastico, etc.

Anyways, lets let the OP reply and then we can assist more!

thanks for your help, i was planning to start with a reseller as with the free services etc like whmcs compared to a low end vps i think its the best option but i would rather provide the support myself.

yes, those that currently signup with me to my affliate are small businesses and also personal websites. I was thinking though would they signup if they didnt have the big name behind the webpage as my name would be almost equal to that of the "kiddle host" in terms of recognition

~serverpoint~ if you know the next big thing thats going to sell millions of hosting accounts care to pm me it? :P I think the same can be said about any market, however it does not need to be revolutionary.

you are right on the customer service side of things though, i have seen some hosts that i personally use and are well publicised here that have made their name purley on customer service where compared to other hosts their technical specifications of their plans would be considered "low" (although the correct word is probably realistic) and the thing is these companies only have a few members of staff yet provide excellent service.

Those who sell web hosting for peanuts usually won't last for too long, simply coz they have no clue abt the business side of this industry, so they think selling hosting for $1 can attract clients, oh well u can but your business will fall pretty fast, and when that happens its all gone.

If you focus on the local market there is definitely a market to charge higher for web hosting. Small businesses want a web host they can talk to, or an office they can drive to if they have some specific questions.
A client who is looking for a 1$-3$ plan would definitely not last long.