New customers and hosting ? How to handle ?

Hello there,

I'm going to make some websites for customers to make some extra money since i'm going to study again.

The only thing I have a question about is how to handle their hosting ? I mean, I don't have a server where they can put their website on, so i'll have to order some hosting for every customer I have.

Now what if they seriously have no idea how a computer works? How will they be able to get some hosting? Should I order it for them (on their name, since I don't want it on my name) and let them sign the contract or something?

So.. if you have a customer, how do you handle the hosting (and domain) for them?

Thanks!

Greetings.

 

IMO, you need to get a reseller account - it'll be cheaper than if you would order a shared one to each and everyone separately.

 

SwedBo is correct; the best way to accomplish this is to have a reseller account for yourself and then create seperate accounts (that appear to be customers) from your account. That way they're each seperate, and there isn't someone else between you that you would have to deal with if a clients website goes down, you have a direct contact. Depending on the kind of resources you need, and your knowledge of servers, a VPS might also be another way to go as it gives a bit more flexibility with some settings -- but you also assume some technical responsibility.

It should be relatively cheap (especially if you have enough clients) that a contract shouldn't be necessary (optional, however). Signing things I find to always be a hang-up.

 

And you will be earning money every hosting package you open. I will recommend hostgator or godaddy.

 

I get the impression that you want to make your money by designing the web sites, not from providing hosting for them. If that's the case, then a reseller account is the last thing you want.

If you have a reseller account YOU will need to support your customers, and you will need to help them when things go wrong, and that means you need to be available all the time (at best) and at several points during the day at least. There is a hosting company behind it all keeping the servers working, but you are responsible for your own customers when they want changes to their site, new files uploaded (assuming customer who have no idea), when a email doesn't get sent properly, when their site appears not to be working properly etc etc.

If you want to design the sites, then no longer want to be involved in any medium-to-long term relationship with them, the best thing to do is find 3-4 hosts who provide the resources they need for the sites you design, and let them decide. Tell them to sign up for the plan and to pay for it, but let it be their decision. Help them out by setting the sites up on the hosting plans if you want/can, but make it clear your involvement stops at that point.

If you think you can handle operating a reseller account, and have the time, go for it, but I don't think that's what you want to do.

 

I have found godaddy isn't very good for newbies, i highly recommend profithost.net or hostgator

 

I'm not sure it would be that easy. It seems like if the TS is referring (or recommending) a site for hosting which the customer opts to go for, the provider (TS) would still be the point-of-contact, even though they have nothing to do with the hosting company. Thus, all complaints about downtime would be fielded to them (topic starter) as they set everything up because they client didn't have the technical skill. It isn't very easy to be "hands off" in that regard. As far as I can tell, a reseller account really doesn't have that much responsibility (versus having a dedicated), and everything should run from the get-go with not much management required. Having someone else in between the host and the client (person buying the site design, etc) just makes it more of a pain to solve problems, when it seems likely that the TS is going to end up having to deal with it anyway. Why not eliminate the middle man -- even if the goal isn't to make a profit off hosting.

 

I appreciate what you are saying, but my impression from the OP was that he wanted to create their web sites and didn't want to be around long-term for these customers. Some clients require very little help while others need their hands held every time they want to do something. If the OP doesn't want to be in the situation where he has to be around to provide constant support (or the potential for constant support) then he shouldn't be operating a reseller account where he, by the very nature of the reseller activity, is responsible for supporting his customers, dealing with problems (whether from the client or the host) and making sure he bills them every year, month, or whatever.

That's why I suggested he find 3-4 hosts who can provide the resources needed for the sites he creates, then lets the client decide who they want to host with. The important thing here is that the client decides who they want to host with, it's the clients account with the host, and it has nothing to do with the OP. That way there isn't the potential for complaints because the OP has no relationship EXCEPT creating the original site and maybe uploading the site in the first instance. After that initial activity he has no moral or legal responsibility to help these people out as they are no longer customers who are paying for his services. If they do come to him he may help out from the goodness of his own heart or he may want to charge them, but he would also be entitled to say that once the site was built there is no longer any relationship and he isn't responsible for helping out.

Maybe the OP wants to have a more long-term relationship, maybe he just wants to design sites and not be bothered with anything else. The OP says he want to make money then go back to studying. It doesn't sound to me like he wants to get involved with providing support or any relationship that ties him into helping customers out once the site is built.

 

Hi Miquexia
I agree with RonBrown on this- if you use a reseller account then YOU will be responsible for all kinds of support - some of which you may not be happy about.
Depending on the type of sites you are building and the resources they need you may want to just point them at free hosts. The other way to go is as an affiliate of the hosting company. Have the customers do their own signing up and provide the details to you so you can go in and do set up etc. then just hand it over to them- provided you have payment- as a fully functioning site.

 

I agree with RonBrown, if you only want to build the site and do the initial upload, have your customer create the hosting account, perform your site work and upload under their name, then cut the strings.

 

Yeah indeed, but the only thing i'm worrying about is how will I get them to order some hosting if they don't even know how to surf to Google?

 

You can help them to do the purchase.
In return,you will get to earn some commission for that.

 

Just suggest them to buy hosting service form a hosting company and ask them to follow a link with your affiliate ID or ask them to add your name as the referrer and you will get $50 commision form each sale. This also will solve another problem you will not need to support your customers because professional support service of a hosting company will do best they can.

As for a hosting company check into HostforWeb.com they pay $50 for a referred customer and they provide with top notch hosting services.