Reseller Hosting Newbie: Lots of questions

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Posted by joxocafeco, 03-23-2014, 02:56 PM
Hi WHT! First post here. Ok, so I have been into web design and development for quite some time, and all this while I was hosting my clients' sites with StableHost and/or Site5, and have had a wonderful experience with them. Now, my friend and I are planning on starting a small-ish hosting business. Basically, we are just wanting to have a "Face" for the hosting side of our design/dev agency, because telling them that we will host their site with SH or S5 does not go very nice with few clients. So we think it'd be good if we had a proper reseller hosting business, wherein we appear as a "sister concern" of our web design agency. Now, obviously, I intend to go with either StableHost or Site5 for this, simply because i have had good experience with both, and I do not see a reason to change. However, CrocWeb is also on the radar, because they are ultra cheap and offer SSD and DDoS protection. Anyway, I have some beginner-level queries: 1. For my hosting business, will I really need a SSL certif and/or a dedicated IP? If so, where to get one? 2. What about payment methods? Our clients pay us via PayPal. But for the hosting, should we consider credit cards too? If so, do we need 2Checkout or some stuff like that? 3. WHMCS is needed too, I think? Where to get one, then? 4. Are there any other considerations or requirements? We can code and design our site. Assuming we get the reseller hosting account from Site5 or StableHost, what else do we need to appear as a proper, full-fledged web host? I am talking with reference to payment mechanism and other relevant stuff.
Posted by VMakerHOST, 03-23-2014, 03:41 PM
Warm Welcome in WHT Yes this is good idea to provide hosting service to your designing clients 1/You can get get dedicated IP from your main hosting provider and you can get SSL from namecheap 2.If you plan to offer CC service then yes, however you also look stripe 3.You can get WHMCS directly with them 4.Make sure you available for support because if you fail to provide support to your hosting client it will directly affect to your designing business
Posted by HostNurse, 03-23-2014, 03:43 PM
You will need a dedicated IP so you can install SSL which you can get from the provider you choose. * I recommend you choose PayPal as your payment gateway, since it is widely used. * Some reseller packages include free WHMCS, not all companies provide it in their reseller packages though, you can also pucrahse it directly from WHMCS.com * I suggest you study the market well and make a good business plan, the web hosting business is not easy and it requires a lot of patience, handwork and investment.
Posted by helix247, 03-23-2014, 03:58 PM
Hello and Welcome. Most of the questions have been answered well above. I will add a couple of things. WHMCS can be obtained directly from WHMCS.com. Although it is included with some host, it is built into the prices. Compare different scenarios like term commitment, features, price for host that include it and ones where you will but it seperately. Also, many people are using other billing solutions like clientexec and blesta. You have to see if any of those are a good fit for you. As far as CC 2checkout handles paypal+cc for the same rates in the US as you would get with two different setups. If you are outside of US consider Paypal + one other CC processor. You will want to look out for fraud/chargebacks unless you only will host clients that you design for and can vouch for their identity. Lastly workout your support strategy before you open your doors, that will make your life soo much easier.
Posted by DWS2006, 03-23-2014, 03:58 PM
1). I would definitely recommend installing an SSL certificate, even if it's a cheapy. The IP isn't necessarily required on cPanel (if you can live without visitors running IE on XP or older versions of Android/iOS), but I'd still get one if you can (not all providers will give you an IP for SSL). 2). If your current clients don't mind PayPal, why not stick with that to start with. 3). Site5 mentions a free billing system, though they are not specific about what software is included with each package. There's always WHMcs.com 4). This depends on your niche and business plan. If most of your initial customers already have trust in you the basics should be good enough to start with. edit: Sorry about posting what's already been posted, didn't refresh the page before posting.
Posted by Victorious, 03-23-2014, 04:03 PM
Welcome to WHT I would Strongly Recommend You do not use PayPal as your Payment method, i would advice 2checkout. It accepts Payments(Credit cards) from all countries. PayPal "DOES NOT"!!! Think about clients from countries where there is no PayPal. As for WHMCS, there is always whmcs.com to purchase your WHMCS
Posted by joxocafeco, 03-23-2014, 04:18 PM
Hi all. Thanks for the reply. 1. NameCheap seems to be offering so many SSLs. RapidSSL, PositiveSSL, Comodo, Thawte, and so on. Which is best for a simple hosting business? :O 2. I also talked to Site5 support. They told me they offer ClientExec free of cost, and WHMCS at a reduced price. But if I have ClientExec, I wouldn't need WHMCS, right? 3. I will retain PayPal, but I also want to offer an alternative medium of payment, because yes, PayPal is moody about the countries it accepts. 2CO or Stripe? Which would be easiest to setup without headaches?
Posted by Victorious, 03-23-2014, 04:34 PM
2co is easier to setup
Posted by GreatValueHost, 03-23-2014, 04:38 PM
1. Dedicated IP and SSL is up to you but it's best to get them. You can get/order a dedicated IP from your host and SSL from SSL providers. Such as https://www.globessl.com/Globe-Standard-SSL.html 2. Payment method is up to you to pick. But I would see if which payment method is used most by your clients. Having other payment method on the side is a good choice. 3. You can get a WHMCS license directly from whmcs.com. Else try seeing if your current host offer it which could be a little cheaper than directly from WHMCS. 4. Good and fast support would be something a client will look for.
Posted by joxocafeco, 03-23-2014, 04:42 PM
Hi, Thanks. Like I asked, two more questions: 1. If Site5 is offering me ClientExec for free, will I still need WHMCS? 2. Which SSL to go for? NameCheap has so many of them.
Posted by AcclaimedHost Alan, 03-23-2014, 04:52 PM
1) No. ClientExec will take care of your needs then 2) Some providers have free SSL certificates. I would just recommend a cheap Comodo PositiveSSL certificate, since it will get the job done. You can always upgrade later, and there isn't a huge difference between the certificates
Posted by DWS2006, 03-23-2014, 04:55 PM
joxocafeco, you just need to decide if CE would fill your needs or if you'd rather pay the difference for WHMcs. http://gogetssl.com is another option for SSL certificates, not that there's much difference in the SSL certs they offer.
Posted by joxocafeco, 03-23-2014, 05:03 PM
Hey, Alright, so I will just go with ClientExec, and check out their demo or something, to be sure than WHMCS isn't needed. If it is, will sign up via Site5 then. I'm also leaning towards a combo of Paypal and 2CO as the payment mechanism. Will opting for COMODO PositiveSSL be the right choice? It verifies a single-domain and prices $9 per year. Or should I go for organization-level or extended-level verification too? I am leaning towards Namecheap for SSL because I have most of my domains there, so it's kinda *known* name for me, and their support is pretty good too, at least for domains.
Posted by DWS2006, 03-23-2014, 05:10 PM
The SSL choice is up to you. Many hosts (even the larger ones) use a domain validated certificate, though there's certainly nothing wrong with business/extended validation certificates.
Posted by helix247, 03-23-2014, 05:23 PM
If you go with 2co and you are located in US, you wont need a seperate paypal. 2co already includes this as a payment option for the same rate. If you are outside of the US then you might want to consider paypal + something else. Non US 2co rate is 5.5% vs typical 2.7-2.9.
Posted by joxocafeco, 03-23-2014, 05:32 PM
Oh I see. I am from India. I think a 2CO alternative might be better then? Stripe? What would you suggest?
Posted by helix247, 03-23-2014, 05:38 PM
Stripe might not be available for you due to location, someone else may have to chime in. Once you lock in the billing software you will use, then you want to see what payment gateways are already supported.
Posted by GreatValueHost, 03-23-2014, 05:40 PM
1. ClientExec should do the job. It's just an alternative to WHMCS. 2. It's up to you but as a start up I would check: https://www.namecheap.com/security/s...alidation.aspx
Posted by KamalBhai, 03-24-2014, 03:10 AM
WHMCS is mostly helpful if you host different websites of your clients through different hosting providers. You can manage billing for all your clients in WHMCS easily. But ClientExec should also do the job.
Posted by Vinayak_Sharma, 03-26-2014, 12:58 AM
Since you are from India, have a look at ccavenue or ebs.in. Paypal/2co etc do not support our debit cards and bank transfer, whereas using local providers you can offer payments through CC/DC/Bank. WHMCS has modules for ccavenue and ebs.in. For SSL, check startssl, they are free.
Posted by KamalBhai, 03-26-2014, 06:24 AM
I second Vinayak' suggestion for CCAvenue. Also have a look at "Payu" (payu.in).
Posted by arcadence, 03-26-2014, 11:49 PM
Let me see if it's not too late for me to add my comments here. Being a web designer/developer (as you are) I was doing the affiliate thing and having my clients sign up for hosting via different hosts. After awhile, I realized that (1) I was doing all their setup in cPanel for them and (2) I could make residual money by providing hosting for them. These aren't people looking for $2.99 hosting a month. These are people who don't even know what hosting is. They don't know how to register a domain. They don't know how to set name servers. I figured I could charge a little extra and at the very least, cover my own prices (for the sites that I run). So over a year ago I was where you're at now. I got the dedicated IP, I got the SSL, I set up WHMCS and everything was good to go. But you know what? I don't use any of it. None of my clients pay via my website. I don't get new hosting clients via my website (because I charge $10 monthly minimum and am not looking to be in the hosting business). They don't use the ticket support via my website. They either call me or send me an email directly. So, what I do now is make a reoccurring payment button in Paypal and send them the link. They pay me and I set up their account manually. All my clients actually pay for the year in advance the first year and the cost is added to the fees for web design and development. The second year is when I send them the Paypal button. Because I'm not looking to be in the hosting business and I offer hosting primarily to my web clients, this works for me. So basically, what I'm suggesting is perhaps just go at it small and see what you need instead of investing time, energy, and money setting everything up. I wish I hadn't. This may not apply to you, as perhaps you want to go heavy into hosting. If that's the case, then disregard and I'll answer your questions below: 1. For my hosting business, will I really need a SSL certif and/or a dedicated IP? If so, where to get one? Dedicated IP from your reseller provider. For SSL, you should check with your reseller provider first. One, they may offer it (sometimes for free, depending on your provider) or they may suggest getting it from them to help with the installation. 2. What about payment methods? Our clients pay us via PayPal. But for the hosting, should we consider credit cards too? If so, do we need 2Checkout or some stuff like that? I dislike Paypal as much as others, but you need to provide what your clients use. If they use Paypal, then stick with it. Adding other options for payment could be beneficial. 3. WHMCS is needed too, I think? Where to get one, then? Check with your reseller provider first. Many offer this for free. 4. Are there any other considerations or requirements? We can code and design our site. Assuming we get the reseller hosting account from Site5 or StableHost, what else do we need to appear as a proper, full-fledged web host? I am talking with reference to payment mechanism and other relevant stuff. See my comments above.