am i trying to become a reseller

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Posted by qa_guy, 04-21-2004, 02:26 AM
This is compleetly a newbie question. My experiance is more in trouble shooting sites and developing them. I have decided to become a web developer. Some of the clients I have been talking to expressed an intrest in having me host their site as a sub domain. I really dont expect to have more then 20 accounts hosted this year but I expect it to grow much faster after that. I really dont plan on going past 200 subdomains as I am really selling my webpages and maintenance on those pages. This is just an interesting vallue add to me. I have picked out a few untaken domains that will work well for this but I need to find a host. So when I talk to potential hosts am I trying to become a reseller? Can anybody provide me with some pointers on what I need to ask/ look for (tell me what I am looking for ). my sites are efficient and use little space, for example a 25 page site that I built for a recent client has. 4.01 meg in html files 9 meg in database. I cant really tell how large the db will get that depends too much on what the client decides to add as time goes on. Thanks for any help you can provide me.
Posted by mgphoto, 04-21-2004, 02:36 AM
Yes, you are a reseller. You want to look for a host that offers unlimited or a high enough number of domains in their plans to allow you to grow as your business grows. You might also want to look for a host that has some additional add on features that help you buld your sites or offer additional services to your clients. Since you are new to reselling you should alos lok for a host that offers real 24/7 support to help you get up and running quickly.
Posted by qa_guy, 04-21-2004, 02:39 AM
startlogic.com has a virtual server plan for 14.95. which looks good to me. has anybody had any experiance with them. Also is a virtual server a good starting place or would I be better off getting a smaller account to start with then upgrade as I get bigger.
Posted by JonL, 04-21-2004, 03:51 AM
A virtual private server would require that you have experience with Unix/Linux. If you are only looking to maintain the sites you create, you should look into you a managed VPS if you wish to go that route though that may be more than you are looking spend.
Posted by WhereToLook, 04-21-2004, 05:04 AM
I would definitely suggest starting as a reseller. You really don't have to worry about the maintenance of a server, just creating accounts and making your customers happy. As a webhost you will definitely have to give it a bit of dedication, especially if you are going to have 200+ accounts. DO REASEARCH ON THE PROVIDERS! I also agree that you would want a provider that has definite 24/7 support. Send them an email, and a support ticket (if you can). Check out their online support (if any) and see if they are around when you are. Starting off, you will have plenty of questions and you WILL need someone there to help answer those questions. Unless you are pressed for time, I would also suggest taking your time, looking around, and making an informed, well thought out decision. Putting other people's websites and businesses in YOUR hands is a great responsibility. Don't choose the cheapest provider ONLY becuase it is cheap... or the one with the coolest website. Companies like Dathorn are GREAT providers. They are inexpensive AND have outstanding support. They are definitely becoming a service that is much more friendly to new webhosts. There are others out there too. Find the ones that fits you then test them. Then make your decision. Just my .02 Good Luck!
Posted by Glanhosts, 04-21-2004, 05:26 AM
A few key things to look at when deciding which host to choose is : what type of support host provides forex: phone, livechat, forum, email and how fast are when they respond to emails and forums and whats the wating time on the phones : do they have trial period to check there hosting plan forex: 14days or 30days money back policy.. : Private Name Servers is something you might want to look at if you think your clients might be interested to check the domain servers on which the domain name is hosted. : Space/Bandwith everybody knows more the better : generally you can easily find hosts that allow you host unlimited domains/unlimited subdomains with unlimited MySql db and other general options... : check out this forum and search engines to see about any major series of complaints.... with big companies you may find one or two unhappy customers but still look for a series of unhappy customers and seriously avoid companies like that : checkout the uptime of the servers and hardware specifications. : run a whois.sc/domainname search and see how many domains are pointed to single shared ipaddress. : how long the host has been in business and do not try to go extremely cheap about a host to the point where everything seems way to good like every single features is unlimited I wrote all i thought about when i was starting off and think about..soo hope this might give a starting point...GOOD LUCK
Posted by retep, 04-21-2004, 07:26 PM
Virtual private servers give you more control over things. e.g. if you needed a certain MySQL or PHP version you could do that. Or if you needed a particular apache config option enabled you would be able to. The flip side is you need more knowledge to take advantage of all this control. If you're going to setup this new business, then perhaps that's a good thing (getting that extra knowledge). Also, if you get a good control panel then the VPS is no more difficult to administer than a regular shared account. You just have more 'upside' in what you can do with it.
Posted by tensixteen64, 04-21-2004, 08:04 PM
I would definitely recommend starting as a reseller until you have a handle on everything. You will learn more and more as you develop your business. If you are hosting sub domains, that's not really being a reseller. It would be in your best interest to get a reseller account though as you will consistently pay more and more each month as you add people on the sub-domains. Some hosts frown on clients using their servers as a reseller (getting funds for hosting a sub-domain can be considered reselling) and not telling them! I agree with WhereToLook. Dealing with your own site is one thing, adding on people that you may or may not know on your plan and providing them with support, etc. isn't something you just dive into! Take your time, research and really think if it's something you want to do.
Posted by intek, 04-21-2004, 08:39 PM
Yup, Check them out, Check some reviews if they have any, How long they have been around. Ask for some stats. ( any good hosting company will be sure to give you the info you need). Look for 30 day money back guarantee`s. Good luck.
Posted by ldcdc, 04-21-2004, 08:41 PM
Indeed, be very careful about this. You could create subdomains using a regular shared account, but in the TOS you might not be allowed to resell the hosting services if you're on a shared hosting account.
Posted by webmultitude, 04-21-2004, 11:12 PM
It sounds like you need a reseller.
Posted by RossMAN, 04-21-2004, 11:28 PM
I would also recommend starting with a resellers account. You can always upgrade later on when you need more resources and have more $ Search the forums for reviews on BlueWho.com they have an active and helpful community, their costs are also reasonable.
Posted by rcrrich, 04-22-2004, 12:28 AM
For get a reseller be your own reseller and take charge of your hosting. Most good reseller providers will give you plenty for what you need and setting it up many will help you to the point of you just adding the sites or letting your customer but you know and I know most will want you to do it all.
Posted by xerosis219, 04-22-2004, 12:52 AM
If the webhosting buisness your wanting to rent your space off, doesnt have anything like "Re-seller packages available", just email them and ask for unlimited domains. it works if they own thier own dedicated server.
Posted by qa_guy, 04-22-2004, 03:11 AM
Thank you all for the advice, Ill be sure to get a reseller account then. I started researching dathorn.com Ill tackle bluewho.com next. I am not too woried about getting a self managed vserver as I am fairly experianced in *nix but I certainly would rather have someone else deal with those headaches so I could focus on my web designs.
Posted by WHRKit, 04-22-2004, 08:01 AM
Yes, a server would probably be too much in the beginning. You can still get one later on. Dathorn seems to have a good reputation. Good Luck.
Posted by markjut, 04-22-2004, 08:03 AM
You could use a shared account but I would recommend a reseller account.

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