How to Start a Hosting and Domain Name Registration Business

If you have been wondering how to start a hosting and domain name registration business, you have come to the right place.

There are dozens of ways to make money on the World Wide Web (www). Thanks to the internet, today you can make money online from the comfort of your home simply by providing services, vlogging,  selling or promoting products, just to name a few. I can confidently say, “the internet is one of the best things to have ever happen to humankind”.

Providing Web Hosting and Domain Name Registration services are one of those lucrative online businesses. Although web hosting and domain names are similar terms that are used interchangeably, it is important to know that they are two different services.

 

How to start a hosting and domain name registration business

 

A domain name is simply the address of your website i.e. (www.yoursite.com, http://yoursite.com, http://www.yoursite.com). It can be purchased from a domain name registrar such as Siteground or ResellerClub.

On the other hand, Web hosting provides you with a powerful server that secures the content of your website and enables it to stay connected to the internet for the duration of your subscription to the hosting company.

 

Important steps to take

 

These 4 easy steps will help you to set up your own hosting and domain name registration business and set you on your way to earning a good income for yourself.

 

Choosing an Appropriate Hosting Plan

 

At the moment the best web hosting companies are Siteground and HostGator, they offer affordable hosting plans from as low as $6 to $99 a month depending on the range of features available in the plan. However, when selecting a reseller hosting plan, there are a number of things you need to look out for.

You should ensure your provider supports 100% white-labeling (or private label). This will provide your company with the privacy it needs as most customers hate to buy from resellers.

You should also test the company’s technical support assistance to make sure they respond to emails and chats on time.

 

Avoid buying the cheapest plan. Quality is not always cheap, neither is an expensive plan automatically excellent. A quality reseller account will enhance the dependability of your customers on your services and ensure the growth of your business.

 

Branding the Hosting Account

 

After you buy a reseller account that authorizes you to become a reseller, you will need to brand it. This is relatively simple. All you have to do is navigate to your reseller panel and begin to personalize the account. Also, insert appropriate images, logos and domain names ( most companies require you to register a domain name before purchasing a reseller account).

Having completed your purchase, proceed to change the name server to a private one. Doing this will make you appear more professional and allow you to switch between hosting providers in case you have to change your hosting provider. Another important thing to note here is, some hosting providers might require you to have a secondary IP address ( especially if it’s a country code top-level domain).

 

Install an SSL Certificate

 

This is an important final step as an SSL will store and guarantee the safety of your customer’s private data. It will prevent against hacks by encrypting server-client communication. Your customers have to feel safe providing their personal data on your site. Aside from earning the trust of prospective customers, you also earn the trust of Search Engines i.e. Google

You could simply install this on several platforms but it is advisable to order a wildcard certificate since they provide backup for your website in the event of errors.

 

Web Host Manager Complete Solution (WHMCS)

 

If you want to resell domains and web hosting plans on your website, you have to purchase a WHMCS license from https://www.whmcs.com and integrate it with your reseller account/website. In this way, prospective clients can purchase a domain and web hosting plan directly from your website. Furthermore, in the WHMCS you will have to configure the various domains and web hosting plans and their prices — that are for sale.

 

Start Selling

 

Once you have everything set up in your reseller control panel or Web Host Manager (WHM), Website, WHMCS, Payment Gateway  (don’t forget to link your bank account in the WHMCS to receive payments).  The next step is to market your website online, manage client accounts, monitor their website activities and providing client support whenever necessary.

 

Conclusion

 

On a final note, the simple answer to ” how to start a hosting and domain name registration business”  is a domain name, a reseller account (WHM), a WHMCS license key and a bank account. You should also consider adding a trust seal to your website footer to convince your customers your company is verified and trustworthy.