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How to become a Web Hosting reseller?

Picture of William Bacchus
William Bacchus

Published: March 14, 2024

Last updated: April 12, 2024

Table of Contents

How to become a web hosting reseller

So, you’ve worked out that if you want to start making a passive income by selling online, you first need to sell something that every business and arguably every individual needs – Web Hosting! That’s right, you can’t have a website without Web Hosting. This guide will talk you through how you can become a successful web hosting reseller.

What is Web Hosting?

Whilst you may have a rough grasp on what web hosting is, having a concrete understanding is crucial if you’re going to start selling them to customers. Web hosting is a service that allows individuals and organizations to make their websites accessible via the internet. Essentially, web hosting companies provide the technology and infrastructure necessary for websites to be viewed online. This involves storing website files, such as HTML, CSS, images, and videos, on powerful computers known as servers. When someone types a website’s domain name into their web browser, the browser sends a request to the hosting server, which then retrieves the website files and displays them on the user’s screen. Without web hosting, websites would not be accessible to the public, as there would be no way to store and deliver the necessary files.

Do I have to buy web hosting if it want to resell it?

Let’s clear up a common rumour: No, you don’t need to buy web hosting yourself to become a web hosting reseller. Some companies may require you to maintain a balance in your account, such as depositing $200, and once your customers collectively purchase web hosting worth that amount, you’ll need to replenish your account. We find this approach problematic because if your account runs low, perhaps while you’re asleep or unavailable, customers won’t be able to make purchases, potentially harming your reputation as a registrar.

At The Elite Web Co., we offer a different approach. With us, you don’t face purchase limits or the risk of account disruptions. Plus, optional and free 24-hour expert support is available to your customers, and they gain immediate access to a wide range of web hosting products.

What size web hosting reseller business are you?

An example of a large resellers dashboard

If you run a small web development business, the Elite Basic Reseller plan is tailor-made for you. With this plan, you can enjoy up to 20% off retail rates, enabling you to generate a lucrative side income while staying competitive with other web hosting businesses. Priced at just $59.99 per year, this plan includes the following bundled features:

  • Standard buy rates, up to 20% off retail
  • White-label eCommerce storefront
  • Credit card processing
  • 24/7 phone support to you and your customers
  • Email support for you incase of any issues
  • Product promotions
  • Sales and commission reports
  • Options to customize colors and images of your prebuilt storefront
  • Free WordPress Plugin to create a custom website with ease
  • SSL certificate

If you aspire to expand significantly, catering to an unlimited number of customers while enjoying a higher profit margin, the Pro Reseller Plan is the ideal choice. With the Pro Reseller package, you receive all the features of the Basic plan, plus a generous 40% discount off retail prices, ensuring you remain highly competitive in the industry. Additionally, this plan grants you access to resell hosting utilizing top-tier hosting data centers, security measures, and marketing products, allowing you to match our standards if desired. Take a look at the differences between both reseller plans here:

Basic reseller

$59.99 / year

Best for up to 25 customers.

  • Standard buy rates, up to 20% off retail
  • White-label eCommerce storefront
  • Credit card processing
  • 24/7 support
  • Product promotions
  • Sales and commission reports
  • Options to customize colors and images
  • SSL certificate
  • Free WordPress Plugin

Pro reseller

$159.99 / year

Best for unlimited customers.

You can see the reseller dashboard above, which displays your commissions, snapshot reports and much more.

Setting up your web hosting reselling business

The Elite Hosting dashboard

Now that you’ve selected a reseller plan, it’s time to establish your web hosting reselling business. Your first step is to acquire your own domain name and link it to your chosen reseller plan, allowing web hosting purchases for your customers. If you’re uncertain about naming your business, our blog offers valuable insights on how to pick a winning domain name for your business. Once you’ve settled on a domain name, enter it below to verify its availability. Ensure you adhere to all the steps outlined in our Pro or Basic domain reseller guide to properly configure your website.

Find Cheap Domains

Transfer & Save On Renewals

Find a Domain

Transfer & Save On Renewals

Every reseller plan (offered by Elite) comes bundled with supplementary products to kickstart your web hosting reselling venture. This includes a complimentary website builder, which is officially the fastest web builder available. Moreover, you’ll receive free email marketing software to facilitate the construction of an email database and to effectively reach out to potential clientele. When you factor in the comprehensive package, you’ll realize that the premium products included effectively reimburse your annual fee. Thus, becoming a reseller doesn’t entail any additional costs beyond those incurred in building a website and commencing its marketing efforts.

An example of a well-marketed domain reseller
An example of a well-marketed web hosting reseller bought through The Elite Web Co.

Tips to making your web hosting reselling business successful

Now that your web hosting reselling business is live online, you’ve got a range of online products and web hosting packages ready to sell. But the crucial question remains: How do you spread the word to the masses? The solution lies in effective marketing strategies.

If you already have a customer base as a web developer, then urge and assist your existing clientele to create their own accounts on your new domain reseller website and transfer their domain names along with their hosted websites (optional) to their new accounts. This way they can be in control of their business/domain name(s) while you help them.

If you’re already established as a web developer with a customer base, encourage and support your existing clients to create accounts on your new web hosting reseller website. Guide them through the process of transferring their hosted website, along with their domain names if they choose, to their new accounts. This empowers them to maintain control over their business/hosting while you provide assistance along the way.

Below is a step by step guide to marketing your new web hosting reselling business:

Social Media Marketing

Establishing social media accounts for your business is essential in today’s digital landscape. We highly recommend creating accounts on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google Maps to broaden your online presence. Consistent posting is key, utilizing the vast collection of free images provided with your complimentary Web Builder to craft engaging content. By doing so, you’ll effectively engage your audience and attract new traffic to your website. Additionally, encouraging reviews from satisfied customers can significantly enhance your credibility. Feel free to explore one of our own social media accounts as an example of how we assist customers and drive traffic.

Email Marketing

An essential method of connecting with your customers and email database is through the use of email marketing software. While various platforms exist, each offering different features and costs, they ultimately serve the same purpose in varying ways. To gain insight into how they operate, we’ve provided a comparison between Elite email marketing and Mailchimp email marketing in our blog. Fortunately, with all Elite Reseller Plans, you receive Elite email marketing as part of the package, saving you money and facilitating your journey toward a successful domain reselling business. We’ve extensively covered several strategies for building your email marketing database in our blog, offering you valuable insights and guidance.

Promo codes

The way to entice most customers in, in such a competitive market like domain name reselling is with a special offer or deal – Once you’ve set your rates in your user dashboard it’s very easy to set up promotional discount codes. You can then distribute them by giving them to social media influencers, post them on social media channels and email them directly to customers using your (included) email marketing software. We have a full step by step guide on how to add promo codes to your reseller account in our help centre.

In a highly competitive market like web hosting reselling, enticing customers often requires special offers or deals. Once you’ve established your rates in your user dashboard, setting up promotional discount codes is straightforward. These codes can be distributed by collaborating with social media influencers, sharing them across various social media channels, and directly emailing them to customers using the included email marketing software. For detailed instructions on adding promo codes to your reseller account, refer to our comprehensive step-by-step guide available in our help center.

Paid search engine adverts

Search engine advertising can be helpful, but it is a competitive bidding war among Domain registrars and resellers alike. Some of the bigger companies spend millions of dollars per month on advertising on Google in particular. Google gives the best analogy of “What is paid search?”:

While search engine advertising can be advantageous, it often leads to a competitive bidding environment among web hosting resellers. Larger companies frequently invest millions of dollars each month in advertising on platforms like Google. Google itself offers a great explanation of paid search, describing it as follows:

If you are looking to take your business to the next level, then Google Ads search campaigns could be very useful to you. Search ads allow you to display your website listing at the top of the search results, and drive more traffic to your website. Read on to learn more about paid search, and how you can run Search ads using Google Ads.

You can begin your google advertising journey here – ensure that you have found your keywords using google search console prior.

Print advertising

Despite common misconceptions, print advertising still holds significance in the digital age. Don’t confine your marketing efforts solely to social media and search engines; the essence of effective marketing lies in saturating your brand presence across various channels. Easily create business cards through platforms like Vistaprint. For optimal results, consider partnering with local businesses, as fostering local connections can lead to reciprocal support. Additionally, distributing flyers and advertising in local magazines can bolster your visibility. However, it’s essential to monitor how much print advertising you do, as domain name businesses rely on customer volume to generate profit.

SEO to sell domain names

I’ve saved the best for last because, in our experience, it’s the most impactful for driving sales conversions. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) may pose challenges, but its potential rewards are immense. To kickstart your SEO journey, delve into our blog post offering invaluable advice on enhancing SEO for your WordPress site. Opting for the web builder included in the reseller plans seamlessly integrates with our SEO tool, which not only offers suggestions but also executes edits on your behalf. SEO tools are indispensable for businesses of all sizes, as they encompass various elements such as speed, content, creativity, and keywords. The realm of SEO is vast and ever-evolving, demanding continuous attention and refinement.

Why choose a reseller plan from The Elite Web Co.?

Upon purchasing an Elite reseller plan, you’ll receive a complimentary, white-labeled, prebuilt website. This website is automatically configured, granting you unrestricted access to every hosting product you could want to sell without any purchase limits, account top-ups, or intricate API configurations. Additionally, we furnish you with a free drag-and-drop web builder for added convenience. Should you prefer a fully customized approach, we also offer a free, user-friendly WordPress Plugin. Our buy/wholesale rates are unparalleled in their affordability, coupled with a suite of complimentary marketing tools to support your business endeavors. Collectively, these offerings surpass the value of the reseller annual fee, establishing us as the most cost-effective solution in today’s market.

sell hosting from anywhere to anyone
Sell hosting from anywhere to anyone with the Elite reseller

Final summary on web hosting reselling

When selecting a web hosting reselling package, it’s important to choose wisely among the available companies. The optimal time to embark on your web hosting reselling venture is now! Web Hosting reselling typically unfolds gradually, as it necessitates the cultivation of trust with your clientele. However, once you’ve established a robust customer base, reselling with Elite, in particular, promises the reward of passive income, a process we guide you through here. This is facilitated by our white-labeled reseller plans at The Elite Web Co., where we manage your support needs at no additional expense. With our comprehensive support system, you can relax knowing that we handle everything for you. We offer immediate access to 56 international telephone numbers, enabling you to provide assistance across nearly every country, 24/7. Our award-winning call centers are strategically located in Arizona, Portugal, the Philippines, and other regions, ensuring prompt and efficient support for your customers.

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Picture of William Bacchus
William Bacchus
Will joined the Elite team in 2021. He has a background in content writing as well as a keen interest in media journalism. His interests include taijutsu and a immense passion for film and television. He aims to inform as many people as he possibly can about the vast and often confusing nature of web design!

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