Given that every website needs a host, starting your own web hosting business seems like a no-brainer. After all, even with the abundance of competition out there, there's still plenty of room to grow.
Furthermore, if your company already deals with web design or IT infrastructure, adding a hosting service can bring in new clients and revenue, resulting in sustainable growth for your business.
How to Build a Successful Web Hosting Business
Pick a Niche and Hosting Type
No web hosting company can do it all. Indeed, companies that focus on a specific target audience or niche are more successful than generalized organizations.
Based on the niche you want to target, there are a few different types of web hosting you can provide:
- VPS or virtual private server hosting. This hosting type involves multiple accounts sharing server space physically but having resources sequestered away for individual users.
- Shared hosting, which requires users to share resources
- Dedicated hosting gives one user dedicated server space and resources. It's also typically the most expensive.
By picking your niche and server type, you can tailor the rest of your business toward your target audience. For example, shared hosting is best for small-time bloggers or smaller companies. Dedicated hosting is better for larger companies or online stores. Finally, VPS hosting splits the difference and can be great for a wide range of business sizes.
If you don't want to maintain your own servers, you should purchase reseller hosting from another company. First, however, be sure to choose reliable reseller hosting. Reliable reseller hosting providers will ensure fast speeds and high uptime for your users. It is also quite affordable. For instance, Verpex has great deals on reseller web hosting. This, in turn, will improve your business's reputation as it expands.
Research Competing Companies
You shouldn't copy competing companies exactly. But you should do your research and figure out what your competitors are doing so you can do it better. For example, take a look at the websites for competing hosting companies in your niche. You can then see which aspects of their website are most attractive or unattractive. Then, use that information when building your own site.
Similarly, you can take a look at the pricing plans your competitors have posted. Undercutting your competitors by advertising your hosting services for a lower price is a classic tactic. However, be sure not to price your hosting packages too low, or you won't make a profit.
Have an Attractive Website
The look of your website is essentially the first impression for your hosting company. Therefore, the better your website looks, the more likely someone will be to purchase your packages. To that end, spend plenty of time building an attractive website from start to finish.
For starters, your website should be easy to navigate. But it should also have all of the pages that someone would expect when visiting your site. These include contact pages, product pages, about us pages, etc.
You'll also want to make sure your site is visually appealing and optimized for mobile users.
All in all, use a solid website builder to ensure your website is as top-tier as possible before your business launches.
Consider Your Pricing Plan Carefully
Your pricing plan will determine how successful you are at convincing prospective customers to purchase your hosting. However, price your hosting plans too low, and you will eventually run out of money and may have to close. Therefore, you should come up with a plan that considers your expenses and a competitive price point.
Create a Customer Service Plan
Customer support is a necessity. You must have a plan for helping and supporting your clients. If you can't keep your customers satisfied, they may choose to host their sites elsewhere. Therefore, creating a customer service plan must be a top priority.
Your plan should include 24/7 support through several communication channels. This will allow clients to reach you anytime they need help, using the method they're most comfortable with. Additionally, you should make sure that the personnel are highly knowledgeable about your niche and hosting type whether you hire in-house or outsource this service.
