Web hosting reseller plans allow you to become a web host yourself and sell web hosting packages to your customers. Choose this type of plan if you offer web design and graphic arts services. It provides a complete web page design and hosting package to your customers. If your business offers technical assistance in other computer-related areas, consider adding web hosting to your product line.

Select a web hosting reseller program using the same criteria to find a hosting service for your own business website. Not every web hosting company offers web hosting reseller accounts. Look for reputable web hosting resellers who have been in business for several years. Ask if they have redundant data centers, the number of lines and whether they have an on-site generator to guard against power outages. Assess their technical support by submitting a question to check their response time.

Understand the various types of web hosting reseller plans you are likely to find:

1. Shared web hosting assigns website space on the same server and is the least expensive, offers the lowest amount of control and security.

2. Virtual dedicated server hosting is a good low-cost option for resell web hosting services and provides the control of having your own server at a lower cost.

3. Managed dedicated hosting gives complete control over a server, which is located at the web host’s location and managed by the web host’s staff; it’s the most secure and expensive virtual dedicated server plans.

4. Colocated servers are unmanaged dedicated servers located at the web host's location; managed by your own staff and you’re responsible for upgrades and changes to the server.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose low-cost web site hosting reseller

Web hosting resellers that offer shared hosting or virtual dedicated servers are a low-cost option for web hosting resale. Compare the prices and options that are offered in order to choose the right one for your business.

I recommend: Find a variety of web hosting reseller programs at iPower, Host Gator or EasyCGI. MochaHost has similar features, and also offers design and SEO services for extra charge.

Choose a web hosting reseller program that offers dedicated servers

Dedicated servers give you access to the CPU power and memory of the whole server. Your data is more secure and you don't have to share system resources with other unknown websites. You also typically have a variety of server hardware choices which offer different levels of system power and price.

I recommend: Web site hosting reseller companies that offer dedicated servers include Lunarpages, SuperbHosting, and RackSpace.

Assess the reliability of a website hosting reseller

There are online tools you can use to determine the percentage of uptime and the response time of various web hosting companies. You can use similar services to monitor your website's uptime and assure your customers of the reliability of the plans you are reselling.

I recommend: Finding specifics at UptimeBestHostRatings. View free uptime ratings by host company at Web Hosting Ratings, which also offers many other free monitoring services. Get a free measure of response time from various locations at host-tracker, which also offers a paid membership providing site monitoring tools and the ability to put a speed test and uptime monitor buttons on your site.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose a web hosting reseller plan from a company that offers excellent technical support and you will be able to sell web hosting services even if you have little or no technical knowledge.