Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Running a Web Hosting Business : Reseller Hosting for Noobs?

[KevCWintec]

I just wanted to get an idea of what it would take for someone to start a Reseller Hosting business from the Ground Up?

Any and all idea's are and would be appreciated, Thanks.

[MKHosting]

By that do you mean start a hosting business from a reseller account.

Either way you should plan first pick a target marked and decide what your going to sell and how.

[KevCWintec]

Yes.. From a reseller account... Target market I would like to host is game servers/gaming market, or high bandwidth applications. This may not be feasable though. I'm really just wondering how one would go about building this from ground up, more of a layout or a step by step.

[Alex]

You're going to need...

A reseller account (clearly).
A billing system/client management system.
A support system (unless it's integrated with billing).
Enough staff to manage the above systems.
Advertising. Lots and lots of advertising.
A front end website.

Those are really just the basics for getting started. In time, you may find you want to add live chat, or a toll free number, or remote backup services... Remember, a hosting company doesn't just spring up overnight. It takes time and effort to build a stable, successful company.


Alex

[Netunt]

Originally Posted by KevCWintec

Yes.. From a reseller account... Target market I would like to host is game servers/gaming market, or high bandwidth applications. This may not be feasable though. I'm really just wondering how one would go about building this from ground up, more of a layout or a step by step.

Game servers = heavey server resources. You wont be allowed to do this in a shared environment if thats what you are thinking.

[KevCWintec]

Yea... I'm going to have to get dedicated servers for the application. But, from there its gonna be uphill.

[MACscr]

Originally Posted by KevCWintec

Yea... I'm going to have to get dedicated servers for the application. But, from there its gonna be uphill.

I would recommend reselling someones gaming servers/slots to start off with.

[Elhost]

you need to worry more about advertising, google is expensive for that kind of business since a lot of ads will show instead of yours for the common keywords for your business and you have to pay more to keep your ad appearing and running.

[Richard Leik]

<snipped quoted removed post>

Subtle advertising.
You should consider reselling VPSes, which is most likely your best option as it is cheaper than dedicated servers. You could find VPS reseller plans for as low as 70$/month, though wouldn't hope for much lower than that.

[MACscr]

Originally Posted by Ricardo-san

Subtle advertising.
You should consider reselling VPSes, which is most likely your best option as it is cheaper than dedicated servers. You could find VPS reseller plans for as low as 70$/month, though wouldn't hope for much lower than that.

VPS's cant be used in some cases for gaming servers, but overall its not a good idea.

[eder39]

i would recommend doing to research and learning about servers and more importantly the hosting industry, rather then jumping into something way over your head.

[slothasor]

reseller accounts are as cheap as $20, so it does not cost much.... NOW if you want a successful web hosting company.. your going to need a good amount to invest (or have a VERY unique idea to make yourself stand out)

[ultrahoster]

Start with reseller hosting!

[yours]

Originally Posted by ultrahoster

Start with reseller hosting!

yes reseller hosting is best to start

[skelley1]

You need a business plan.

If you complete this correctly, you'll have all the answers you need because any deficiencies (such as lack of in-house expertise or budget) will come to the surface during the process.

Then you need a marketing plan.

Not just an idea of what to do, but a full-blown marketing plan, which is about as extensive as a business plan.

Most businesses fail because they didn't do a thorough business plan (or one at all) and figured they'd just wing it and figure it out as they go. Bad mistake.

If you don't know how to do a business plan then you probably aren't ready to start a business.

Even if you do get a business off the ground and make it survive, if you don't do business and marketing plans, and keep them as living documents, you aren't maximizing your profits or growth potential.

Remember; measure twice, cut once.