Nowadays, there are countless web hosts with very different offers so, entering this universe is far from easy. But nothing’s insurmountable if you have a clear idea of what you want to offer and who you’re targeting.
Choose the type of web host you want to be
First of all, you must ask yourself which kind of audience you’re targeting. Depending on that, you might want to choose one of the following web hosting plans:
- Shared hosting: the data of the website is stored in a server that is also used by other websites. This solution is recommended for small websites.
- Virtual private server hosting: multiple users have their websites on the same server but they work in an independent manner which allows the data to be more secure.
- Dedicated server hosting: a website is hosted on a server that is entirely dedicated to it. This option can be preferred by bigger websites.
- Cloud hosting: websites can be stored in multiple servers that can adapt the allocated resources to the traffic.
Apart from that, it could also be helpful for you to try to spot unsatisfied needs and niche markets. Servers that operate with green energy are a good example of that.
Partner with a datacenter or become a reseller
Depending on the size of the websites you’re willing to deal with, you may choose between collaborating with a datacenter provider or resseling a web host’s services.
A data center is basically the place where all the servers that will store data are located. A data center requires a lot of financial resources at its creation and to keep it working properly. So, the best you can do is teaming up with a datacenter provider. Before that, you must make sure that it is reliable and has high-performance hardware like SSD hard disks and RAID-10. It is absolutely essential to make sure that your potential partner is trustworthy and has been around for a long time. Leasing servers from a datacenter provider allows you to have much more control on the way you’re dealing with the data of your customers but on the other hand, it requires a perfect knowledge of some technical aspects as well as a great availability.
The other option which also is much easier to put into practice is reselling the services of a bigger web host. Unlike what you might think, the prices can be competitive using this method since web hosts can sell their services at preferential prices if you’re willing to buy a great amount of allocated resources. This option can work pretty well with shared hosting. The main advantage of this option is that very little technical knowledge is required.
Think about the financial aspects
Creating a business model can be very helpful but it’s not mandatory. In fact, you have to think about the number of people you need to hire and the pricing of your services. This latter aspect is very important since you have to be very competitive when you start a business no matter what field it operates in. You need to get an idea of the prices of your competitors to make sure that your price is reasonable taking into account the services.
To hire other people, take a look at the areas in which you really need help and lack expertise. Having few employees can be more cost-effective but it mustn’t deteriorate the quality of your services.
Promote your web hosting services
We must admit that it can be really difficult for a newcomer to find new clients but a good start is to promote your web shoting services within your circle of acquaintances. It doesn’t cost anything and it can really help your business take off if you do a good job. Once you’ve built a firm base for your market, you can turn to more efficient promotion tools like Google AdWords and Newspaper ads.