Where would I begin?

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Posted by EJSwanny, 05-27-2005, 01:11 PM
I have been seriously considering starting up a webhosting reseller biz, or domain reseller biz. I have no business background, but have a decent amount of internet marketing knowledge. I know I can and have googled for information, but I'd like to get some advice from some of you folks that are actually doing it. What would be some of my first considerations?
Posted by Bofu2U, 05-27-2005, 01:14 PM
First thing you would need is a business plan. You can't go into this war without a battle plan, or you will be eliminated very quick. What will make you unique? What will make people remember you and your company and what sets you apart from the others, and why. That's your primary focus. Now, after that you most likely should start with a Reseller through a reputable company. Don't go for the cheapest you can find, always go for the best quality you can afford (for me it was 1 GB space / 20 GB transfer for $20 through RSHosting.com (I'm still with them now, going on 1 year)) -- at first I thought "GOD THATS EXPENSIVE", and I was right. However, the uptime, customer service, everything in general was perfect. Hey, when it's up and running flawless, you eliminate a LOT of tickets. Keep that in mind Hope this helps.
Posted by EJSwanny, 05-27-2005, 02:20 PM
I would absolutely demand a good product. I couldn't in sell crap and feel good about myself...
Posted by Bofu2U, 05-27-2005, 02:23 PM
Good to know, you already have a headstart ... ahead of the people that just are in it for the quick buck. Good luck!
Posted by The Napster, 05-27-2005, 03:10 PM
Yeah its true "Everybody has to start somewhere" if you have no knowlege of web-hosting id just research more read around WHT more googleing and then when you think your ready step in and youll be alot better for it, However yeah if you want to just jump in thats also another way to learn, It needs throught if youve got it all planned youll be okay. Good luck
Posted by davshirley, 05-27-2005, 04:28 PM
First write a sound business plan and do all the research that implies. When you are ready to find a host, take your time and avoid hosts whose domains have only been registered for less than a year. There are MANY "hobby hosts" out there. You don't want to have you site go offline just because the host got tired of playing webhost. In short, look up their domain registration at a tool like whois.sc and you can see how long their domain has been registered. The longer, the better in terms of overall stability.
Posted by EJSwanny, 05-27-2005, 05:44 PM
Thanks for the replies everyone. I have alot of reading to do... I need to turn the brightness down a tad on my screen, I'm about to go blind from all this reading I have been doing.
Posted by Bofu2U, 05-27-2005, 05:47 PM
Welcome to our world. Test one, passed
Posted by swflnetworks, 05-27-2005, 07:07 PM
Now that's a kinda stupid thing to say. Just because the host's domain name hasn't been registered a WHOLE year, doesn't mean that the one host who's been up for 3 years isn't gonna just drop off the face of the earth itself. You can't type-cast a host. If you want REAL advice with what to do when looking for a reseller to start your host with, then: Look on the host's forums, see how they interact with their customers. If they don't have a forum, submit a ticket or Email the hosting sales or support line. Ask them different things like where their servers are located, etc.. Some won't answer those kind of questions for confidential reasons.. But don't feel discouraged if they don't. Just take your time and think thruroughly when emailing or writing to them. Check their response time, the details of their response, and what they can offer you. When purchasing a reseller, don't go for the cheap bargin, expect to spend about $15 a month for a quality reseller.
Posted by davshirley, 05-27-2005, 07:20 PM
Oh I agree that one year is probably too short. I was trying to be equitable to new hosts that are out there. Three years is probably a better guideline. I was trying to give them a good place to start from. If you eliminate the recently registered domain names, you eliminate most of the hobby hosts that are out there. It is true that just because a company was good once does not mean that they will continue to be good in the future. If they have several years of good service under their belts then the odds are in favor that they know what it really takes to run a hosting business well. Don't rely on the absence of bad comments in their own forums as an indicator. Unscrupulous hosts routinely remove such posts. It would probably be better to look for bad comments and see how they are handled. Your advice about checking out their support system is good one though. I fully agree with that.
Posted by Bofu2U, 05-27-2005, 07:25 PM
One technique that I use with the whole "under 1 year of business" issue is simple, yet very effective. If they state that they have been in business for over a year, but their domain shows under a year, ask why. Ask if they changed names, and more importantly, why they changed names. If they've just been in business for under a year, it doesn't mean they can't do a great job. Test the support time above all else, and then the quality of their servers. Ask for 3rd party uptime statistics and any testimonials or reviews that they have from customers. Hope this helps.
Posted by EJSwanny, 05-27-2005, 07:44 PM
I didn't take that as gospel, I was pretty sure of what davshirley meant. Good responses all around though. Thanks!
Posted by joshuayip, 05-27-2005, 07:48 PM
I have been doing research since August last year. And I am still learning. Thanks for WHT, I dont have to spend 3 years earning a web hosting degree before I can begin LOL Joshua