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Best Way to Start a Website Hosting Service?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the don't-reinvent-the-wheel dept.

Kwirl writes "Lets say that I wanted to start a small business endeavor, namely reselling my server space and offering pre-built websites. What resources would I need to start something like this on my own? What hosting service would best suit those needs? What would be the best way to manage a subdomain-level service that provided a basic forum, registration, a web site and some controlled administrative access for my friends so they couldn't easily terrorize each other? I'm curious to know if I could start something like this on my own, and without much more than just my own server space, time, and creativity. I'm not looking to make a living out of this, its mostly just a way for me to more efficiently manage having several friends each wanting me to built or run a web site for them, and perhaps make some small residual income if a market exists. The Slashdot community represents such a broad swath of experience and expertise that I'd like to know how you would approach a project of this nature."

3 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Plesk by paitre · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Run far, far away from Plesk.

    It might simplify SOME things, but it sure as hell makes other things more difficult.

  2. Here's what I do by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I run a gridserver account at Media Temple, $20/mo or $200/yr. Set up websites with 1-click apps like Drupal, Joomla, Wordpress or any other easy to use free PHP CMS. Wordpress is easy to modify and has a very large range of plugins and templates to work from. You can set up webmail access on MT servers as well as FTP and SSH and permissions for additional user access to your main server account if need be. Many other Hosting Companies have similar systems available or more. I have over 10 webpages on my server account and am barely scratching the resources so far.

    If I make one webpage for a few hundred dollars, it pays my hosting for the year. Until I use 1/2 my resources, I have no need to upgrade so far.

  3. Most of these responses are from losers and fools by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am not going to tell you any details about how I've done it or with whom, etc.

    I will say I am 75 years old, never took a course in any computer program, use Frontpage (oh the humanity! - but it does the job) most of the time, Photoshop, a good text editor (I like Alleycode) plus some Joomla, WordPress and a very good little shopping cart. I seek out and intently use various forums. I have one modest sized dedicated managed server based at a resource that gives great tech support, and another shared server account (likewise). I charge $240 per year prepaid (refund of unused portion anytime) and reasonable prices for site building.

    I have clients in 7 countries. I'm not getting rich but it sure beats Social Security. I have a very satisfying retention rate; some clients are with me now for more than ten years.

    How do I do this in the face of all the negatives, real and imagined above?

    I give very serious personal service. My home phone is on my business cards.

    I regularly study and monitor every client's web sites (some have as many as five sites) very carefully and am proactive in alerting them to issues that affect performance and value. I watch their traffic and the email flow and take action when I see a problem.

    I deal only with the owner of the business or the top executive of the organization (I have a number of NGOs, some of them famous).

    I avoid making presentations to potential clients whom I recognize early on as people who know the price of everything but the value of nothing. You can tell who they are because they only want to know the price, not discuss what their needs are or how my services will fulfill them. Let the discounters have them.

    Based on years of experience, I never accept creative people of any kind as clients. That means, no writers, painters, performers, photographers, etc. - they are unteachable and surprisingly close-minded. Give me an inquiring, curious and engaqed business person any day.

    When I screw up, I make sincere amends that build trust and loyalty. For example, when I failed to prevent an unintended domain expiration, I worked hard at recovery, got back the name for my client and gave him a free year of registration and hosting. He's been with me now for 6 years.

    I never speak with anyone without giving them a business card. During a visit to any store or business or any casual encounter, I hand out a card. I give a free year of hosting to any existing client who sends me a new client.

    In other words, bottom line, I work at getting customers and I work even harder at keeping them.