Become a web host in four easy steps

If you are web designer or developer and you currently do not offer web hosting as part of your services, you are missing out on a great source of revenue. Becoming a reseller is easier than you think and you can be up and running in four steps.

Jonathan Brealey is one of the founders of Heart Internet (www.heartinternet.co.uk) supporting consumers, SMEs and web designers with domain names, hosting and reseller services.

STEP ONE: RESEARCH YOUR WEB HOST
With dozens of web hosting reseller companies to choose from it is well worth putting time aside to research which host provides the product, features, pricing and support that you need. You should look into whether the host has any limitations on the amount of web space, traffic, emails and databases you can resell, do they offer both Linux and Windows accounts and which programs do they provide for you to offer your clients (eg one-click install WordPress)? Always check whether the hosting is being offered as completely white label (also known as private label). This will allow you to tailor every component to your own requirements/ brand so that your client need never know their website is hosted with anyone else. When it comes to deciding to use a host in the UK or the USA your decision should be based around technical considerations, eg network latency and the added search engine ranking benefit of hosting your site in the UK, and service, eg whether you get access to free support during UK business hours.

STEP TWO: CREATE A PRODUCT SET
Once you have set up your own account the next step is to start creating products to offer your clients. A popular approach among web hosts is to offer tiered packages covering customer’s various specification and budgetary requirements. To get an idea on how to structure your packages and what to charge take a look at existing web host’s competitor comparison charts, they have practically done your market research for you. With this data you can choose to match or even beat their specs. If you create multiple products make sure the very top one is still value for money so people feel it is worth spending a little bit extra to get the benefits.

STEP THREE: INTEGRATE HOSTING INTO YOUR EXISTING SERVICES
Being able to buy everything from one place is always an attractive proposition to clients who don’t want to have to shop around. If your core product is providing web services for small sites such as banners, logos, HTML emails and so on you can easily integrate hosting. Always keep an eye out for opportunities that may arise from any offhand comments a client may make about needing work in a particular area. Up-selling and cross-selling are not about the hard sell or getting someone to buy something they don’t really need or want. When done properly the process should almost feel like a service in its own right. One of the best examples online of up-selling and cross-selling is Amazon. Put an item in your basket and you are presented with “Customers who bought this also bought…” with the majority of the suggestions being more expensive items. If you go back to the home page it will have changed to show you items based on your browsing history along with items they feel are associated with that item, eg putting a men’s skater brand watch in a basket would prompt the site to show jewellery, skater trainers and related accessories.

STEP FOUR: COMMUNICATE THE SERVICE TO YOUR CLIENTS
If you already have a client base, the first step is to tell them about the range of services you can do for them. Phone or email your clients with details about your hosting service and why they should sign up. Getting your foot under the table is always the hardest part. To reduce the client’s perceived risk offer them something for free such as a scaled down version of your service so you can demonstrate your value. A lot of the application developers for the iPhone and iPod touch offer a ‘Lite’ version of the application to get people hooked and wanting more (which they then have to pay for). If a customer doesn’t bite straight away or you want to run a promotional campaign, offer the bundled services at a discounted rate cheaper than if they were bought separately. To create a sense of urgency and prompt a quick response, run it for a limited time only.