If you’ve ever researched into the hosting of websites, you must be aware of web hosting. Let’s tell you something you’ll be pleased to know – a certain type of hosting also allows you to earn money.
Introducing: Reseller Hosting.
Reseller hosting allows you to purchase a web hosting package, rebrand it and then resell it for higher prices. Essentially, reseller web hosting can be thought of as renting an apartment block and then letting out the apartments to individual clients for a profit. Reseller hosting allows you to purchase hard drive space and bandwidth from a hosting provider and rent it out to your customers.
Can you earn profits from reseller hosting?
Yes, you can! But before we get more in-depth into the hows, it should be noted that reseller hosting is different from an Affiliate program where the hosting company pays you a commission for each new customer that you’ve referred.
With reseller hosting, you can use your brand name and resell it to your clients. You can either sell hosting packages at the price charged by your hosting provider or set your own pricing plans. The more you sell, the more you’ll profit.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is to choose the best and most reasonable reseller hosting plans for yourself. At HostGator, we offer four plans for reseller hosting, and each of them come with different offerings for you and your clients. You’ll get the services at wholesale which you can then sell to your customers for a profit.
The reseller packages differ from host to host, however, here are some services that are provided by most web hosts:
- Disk space and unlimited bandwidth
- White label branding
- Unlimited domain hosting
- cPanel/WHM control panels
- Customized account and website management for clients
- 24×7 tech support, offered by the hosting provider
- Additional hosting features like mail and security tools
The initial purchasing of these plans doesn’t dent your bank account. For an average of around 1,500/- per month, you can purchase enough space to earn profits by reselling.
Once you’ve chosen a plan and set up your brand, you’ll be able to sell to customers across the globe and make profits accordingly.
How to Promote Web Hosting Business
In order to excel and sell your hosting, you absolutely need to network – and that too, strongly. Reselling hosting has become a well-known way to earn money, and there are a number of webmasters trying to keep up with the trend. For this reason alone, you should always look to network wherever possible.
Try looking for websites, groups or forums that do not have too many players fighting in the same space. If you are having difficulty finding such forums, we recommend you have a look at this. Areas like these are populated with thousands of interested clients who’ll be more than happy to jump on the bandwagon – provided, of course, that you offer them a great deal.
Many website owners advertise through blogs and buy link ads. This will incite a feeling of curiosity in the readers and they’ll be interested to find out what you’re offering. If this doesn’t work out for you, you can reach out to the local newspapers or newsletters that go out to professional companies. You can use them as a source of marketing yourself and reaching out to the people who might need you.
At this point, it is essential to point out the importance of having an up-to-date website/blog – whatever you’re going ahead with. People are more likely to actively engage in your offering if they see that your website isn’t stagnant in itself. One way to capture more leads from your website would be by incorporating a signup form or subscription popup. This way, you’ll just be one step away from reaching your prospects. Combining this with email marketing can do wonders!
Further, you can also seek the help of social media marketing to advertise your brand and get people to know you. One of the most underrated areas in social media is Linkedin. If leveraged properly, LinkedIn can help you form connections that will not only help you as a hosting reseller but also back you in your journey.
The idea is to keep in mind that there’s a whole swarm of webmasters looking to benefit by reselling hosting. This can only be done by promoting your brand, finding something unique to offer, and reaching out to people or groups of people you think haven’t been targeted yet.
The initial struggle
A word of caution if you’re just getting started with this – things might seem a bit frustrating and rusty for an initial couple of months. It might even take you a year to get your business established and create a name for yourself. But, that is the norm for every new business. You get to reap the actual benefits only after a couple of years. All you need to do is strategize and plan correctly, and get working towards marketing yourself and getting known in the market. Having done that correctly, there’s no stopping you from making a living working as a hosting reseller. The tip is to be patient and smart throughout.
Biggest Challenges in the Process
The biggest challenge in the process is generating orders from your clients on a consistent basis. For this, you can make use of the techniques we discussed when we talked about how to market yourself. You can also make use of pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, social media marketing, and email marketing.
There are always a number of channels to help you get the best out of your reselling business. All you need to do is find the right channel, the one that works for you, and stay at it! Reseller hosting can aid you in making some serious money. All it requires is a good deal of time, persistence, patience, and efforts.
Conclusion
After reading the article, you now have a better understanding of reseller hosting, and how it works.
Now is the time to get your hands dirty. Drop by and explore the reseller hosting plans provided by HostGator and pick the one that meets your requirements.
Have any more doubts regarding reseller hosting? Drop a comment and we’ll get back to you!
