Reseller hosting companies provide hosting services on a relatively large scale to individual clients. Each client receives a portion of the overall server capacity at a low rate that fits their hosting needs.
- Purchasing services from a reseller may make sense for clients who are:
- Companies with several domain names
- Domains receiving traffic too high for starter web hosts
- Entrepreneurs
- Medium-sized companies who cannot afford their own server
- Medium-sized companies who don’t want to buy their own server
- Start-up or small companies
Other types of clients may also find reseller services helpful depending upon their specific hosting needs.
- Some possible reasons to choose a reseller over buying or renting a server include:
- No need to hire an extra employee to deal with only server issues
- No server maintenance
- No server management
- Resellers have experience with running a server
Clients can easily end their business partnership with a reseller at an appropriate time. Moving on to owning a server can be a significant business step. Using a reseller’s services allows clients to delay the decision until they have the money and time to do so.
When it comes to selecting a reseller, clients should look at what each reseller offers in terms of:
- Customer support
- Price
- Uptime
Customer support can be critical for companies that may rely on off-peak hours or who do business with customers in other time zones. If there’s a problem, reseller clients need to understand who will respond to them and how quickly a response will be provided. Look for a company that provides around the clock customer support, even on holidays and weekends.
Clients may also need a reseller’s customer service to provide specialized help. For example, clients might need the reseller to install a customized module on the server so that they are able to use a script. A client might have designed a script to provide added website functionality for their customers. Although most resellers will provide this kind of extra service for clients, not all will.
The price for a reseller’s plan is commonly set by the amount of bandwidth and space allotted. Some resellers may charge fees for exceeding the limits. Others will simply bump a client up to the next level of pricing if they exceed their limits. Most limits are reset on a periodic time basis such as a month.
Uptime refers to a reseller’s reliability. Basically, if uptime is to 100% the better. Clients should look for a reseller who guarantees their uptime. Any downtime prevents potential customers from reaching a reseller client’s website. This can lead to frustrated customers or a lack of sales for businesses.
Some clients may look for a reseller who advertises their services as unbranded reseller or private label. This refers to how a server is labeled. A server under an unbranded reseller plan will not have the reseller’s company name or logo anywhere. The client can then claim that they own the server, allowing them to appear to be a larger company with the resources to own a server independently.
As with any other business contract, clients should carefully consider their options. Ask for referrals from other business professionals or read their opinions. Take note of any complaints or problems that seem to be mentioned repeatedly by different sources.
If the reseller offers a short-term contract, it may be best to take it. A short-term contract allows the client to see how the reseller handles business without committing to a long contract. Resellers may also offer plans operating on a monthly or yearly basis.
Ask for the business contract in writing. Read it over and make sure all guarantees are included in the contract language. If there are any questions, be sure to have them answered before signing the contract.
For web hosting services without the hassle of buying or renting a server, reseller hosting companies fulfill a valuable niche on the Internet. Clients receive more competitive rates for hosting services, while the reseller can concentrate on maintaining the server or servers. This allows both the clients and the reseller to focus on their side of the relationship. Instead of unnecessarily purchasing an entire server, consider the services of reseller hosting companies.