If you are looking into web hosting solutions, you may have heard that there are Linux and Windows based web-hosting options out there. So what does that mean and what’s the difference? Well, we’re going to take a quick look.

Windows

Microsoft created the Windows based server platform. They also own it which means you need to pay them (in one way or another) to use it if you are building a server.

Linux

The Linux based server platform is open source and in most cases is free to use when you are building a server. With this said, you will still have to purchase a hosting package to use on a Linux system and in many cases there is little to no difference in the price of Linux or Widows.

Do You Need One Or The Other?

One question many people have is if they run a Windows machine, whether they need to have a Windows server host. That is not necessary. Either type of hosting platform will work just fine.

Why Does it Matter Which One You Choose?

When choosing a server platform, the type of things you should be thinking of is what you will need to use that server for. Are you going to be running a lot of PHP files? POP3? Or are you going to want to use things like FrontPage to publish websites or have Windows Streaming Media. While Linux will work just fine for the first options, once you want to be able to use Windows based applications, the Windows based platform will be an easier and more convenient choice.

What is It?

The simplest definition is that you buy a ‘reseller hosting plan’ or a dedicated server. You then start your own company, selling web hosting to other people.

That sounds simple…isn’t it more complicated?

Reseller web hosting refers to selling any kind of web hosting. However, it usually refers to an individual person or small hosting company that buys a dedicated server or a ‘small reseller web hosting plan’. Then that person or business sets up a hosting company so that they can sell hosting to other people. It doesn’t matter if you are a sole business person with one dedicated server or a very large company with thousands of servers – the principle is the same.

Why should I start reseller web hosting?

If you already have a have a website with traffic, or better still, a web design business, then you also have a ready-made client base who need hosting for the websites that you are building for them. It makes perfect sense to encourage them to buy that hosting from you instead of another company. This allows you to offer a complete package to people, which is very attractive, especially to people who really are not internet savvy. There are also many other potential customers who just don’t’ have the time to hunt for a web builder as well as a host – so make it easy for them! Hosting their site also keeps the communication channels open so that if they wish to build other sites, you are there – ready and willing! It’s also a good idea for anyone who wants to start their own business but doesn’t have much start-up capital.

Other good reasons…

• It brings in a steady income

• There is a huge market because so many people want their own website • If you give it some thought, you can find a niche market that has little competition

• This means that even if you’re a sole trader or a small company, you can compete with bigger companies.

So how could I make money as a Reseller Host?

Here is an example-

Step One:Buy a reseller web hosting package that has 1,000 MB of disk space and 1,000 MB of bandwidth. Let’s say that this package costs you $15.00 each month.

Step Two:
Break this package down into 10 separate accounts, each with 100 MB of disk space and 100MB of bandwidth.

Step Three:
Sell these ten packages to your customers. If you sell each one for a ‘rental’ of $10.00 per month, you would be bringing in $100.00 each month and your outlay would be $15.00 so you would have a monthly profit of $85.00. Not bad, eh?

Even large, well known web hosting companies resell hosting. They bulk buy space or rent servers from companies bigger than themselves and then sell the hosting to you. Even multi million dollar companies can own or rent servers for reselling.

But how can I compete with million dollar companies?

You can’t – on their terms – because they spent a fortune in advertising, focus on a large community and have enough of a cash flow to wait to recoup that outlay. If you’re a one man band or a small company, you need to find a way to make your hosting different from all of the other web hosting companies.

Small is beautiful

The secret is to find a niche market of people who want websites that are specific to their needs. Let’s say you decide that you’ll provide hosting specifically for people researching their family trees. Visit a few genealogy forums and see what’s already available and what these folk offer. Is there anything that people are asking for on the forums, that isn’t already available? Start making a list of these things so that you can supply them.

Posting on related forums is a great way of advertising and is obviously the right place as it’s read by your target market – but do be careful as many forums have rules about spammers and cold sellers.

However, it only takes a few people to start signing up to your hosting and then word will spread.

Support tips

• Make life easy on yourself. Try to go for a niche market where the clients won’t be technical experts. That way, they are unlikely to install lots of complicated scripts onto their site that they may want you to help them with.

• The easiest clients are the ones that upload something and then it just sits there. This obviously includes genealogists (although they will update) but also think about graphics hosting along the lines of photo bucket etc.

• Or, you could choose a type of shopping cart and offer sites that have that feature already installed for your customers. In reseller web hosting, it’s better to be a ‘master of one trade’ than a ‘jack of all’.

• If you are a small concern, your reputation is very valuable and can make or break you, so look after it well. When you are small, it’s easier to offer personalized, strong customer service which will pay dividends. Praise is good advertising!

I can’t think of any niche markets…

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Websites offering ready-made blogging facilities for people in your local area

• Sites geared up for specific games

• Websites for families or family members such as grandparents or teens

• Image hosting such as for eBay or just for picture collections
• If none of the above appeals, think of something that you are very passionate about…duck keeping, collecting autographs, organizing, crafts…

Once you have a shortlist, do an internet search to see what’s already available. If the market is swamped, move on. This is about being different and standing out from the crowd.

Reseller Web hosting if you have a dedicated server

Some people already have their own server – often acquired to play online games with their friends. If this is you, then you are in an ideal position to sell web hosting. Or, you could do it the other way around and sell web hosting and use that income to buy the server.

Either way, it will bring in an income – and you get your own server for your own use too.

Being a reseller web host is a good way to bring in a regular income. Make sure that what you offer is easy to maintain and as unique as possible – but be open to customer suggestions and offer great customer service…and you could be onto a winner.

There are a lot of companies out there offering reseller packages so spend a long time doing your homework for the best deal before you start.

Good luck!

If you are just starting out in the world of affiliate marketing, setting up a website for your business, or just want a website about your favorite hobby or interest, then the one thing you are going to need is a domain name or web address.

The explanation provided below by godaddy.com explains simply all the components that make up a domain name.

What is a domain name? A domain name is a Web address, such as godaddy.com, that is linked to an IP address (which represents a physical point on the Internet). When someone types a domain name into a Web browser, the requested Web page displays. A domain name consists of a top-level and a second-level domain. A top-level domain (TLD) is the part of the domain name located to the right of the dot (godaddy.com). The most common top-level domains are .COM, .NET, and .ORG. Some other popular top-level domains are .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME and .WS. These TLDs have certain guidelines but are, for the most part, available to any registrant, anywhere in the world. The part of the domain name located to the left of the dot — “godaddy,” in this case — is called the second-level domain (SLD) name. The second-level domain name is the “readable” part of the address and refers to the organization or entity behind the Internet address. Second-level domain names must be registered with an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)-accredited registrar.

Copyright © 1999 – 2007 GoDaddy.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

Once you have decided on a domain name you will need to check that it is available and you can search domain names here:

.com .us .net .org .biz .info .ws .com .us .biz .info .net .org .ws .name .tv .cc .de .jp .be .at .uk .nz .cn .tw

When you are starting out you probably won’t have a lot of experience with web design; so you will probably find that the easiest way to put together a great looking website is by using web page templates.

Web page templates are designed for those that want a high quality great looking website without having to do all of the work that goes into creating it. And who wouldn’t love the idea of using such a template to create a great website in very little time? All you have to do is add your own text and pictures.

Professional web page templates minimize the time it takes to create your website, plain and simple. You don’t have to waste your time figuring out what colors work well together, design concepts, and layout, when you use a ready made template, all of that is done for you. Many suggest that creating your website with the help of a template is up to ten times faster than when you create the page on your own. This means that your website can be up and running much faster, which is great because it means that you can begin informing people or selling your product or service in a lot less time.

When you don’t have a lot of experience with web design, templates give your site a more professional look. Templates are easy to use, easy to edit, but are original enough to make the website your own. Professionals design these templates knowing what works in web design, saving you time and energy.

There is no doubt that templates are a lot less expensive than having a web design professional help you out. Getting a professional to design your website can cost you in excess of $5,000 for their services. Web templates are a lot cheaper and you can put them together faster than the time it can take a professional to create your website. There are also many free template sites on the internet, so make sure you do a thorough search before deciding on which template to use.

Even for those that know web design, using templates simply make sense. Time is of the essence when it comes to getting your website built and operating, so anything that can give you a high quality look in less time, for less money is a good thing. Web templates can be used by people with any level of experience with web design, which makes them ideal no matter who you are and what your website is all about.

Choosing the right web hosting company can be a difficult task because there are so many options to choose from.

Just about anywhere you go on the Internet you’ll see advertisements for this web hosting company or that, so which one is the perfect fit for you?

Only you can determine the right for you, so you need to consider what you expect of a web hosting company and go from there. When you determine which company can best meet your needs, it’s likely that you will have found the best company for you.

Only you can determine the right for you, so you need to consider what you expect of a web hosting company and go from there. When you determine which company can best meet your needs, it’s likely that you will have found the best company for you.

The first thing you should do is write a list of all of the things you need from your web hosting company. You’ll find that some web hosting companies are quite basic and don’t offer a lot in the way of bells and whistles, and this may be all you require., especially when you are just starting out.  However, if you require more than the basics, you will be able to eliminate many of the companies right there! So, really think about what you expect from a web hosting company to make your decision much easier.

Now, it’s time to get busy. One of the best things you can do is talk to your friends and family and even your co-workers about which web hosting company they use. You’ll find that this simple question will open you up to all kinds of information. People are generally more than happy to relate all of their experiences with you: the good, the bad, and the ugly! The advice and information provided will give you some assistance in choosing a reliable web hosting company.

Next, you’ll want to check out the services of all the web hosting companies that have been recommended to you, as well as any others that you may have heard of. Check out the features that each offers and create a checklist of your website needs. You’ll soon be able to figure out which websites meet all or most of your needs. You can also determine which hosting companies are right for you based on their customer service. Attempt to email or call them for customer service and see how responsive they are. Customer service is a good indicator of how well you will fit with a particular hosting company.

When you look at the checklists that you have created for each website you may find that you have to choose between one or two, and then you can allow price or gut feel drive your choice. When you do your homework and ask questions it makes the web hosting process and the final decision a lot easier.

One of the most important is picking the right web-hosting plan that will fit all your requirements. You can have the best web hosting service on the Internet, but without the proper plan you might find that things don’t work as they should.

• Picking the right plan is all about knowing exactly what you want and need.
• Do you need email through your website?
• Do you need to be able to create your own design templates?
• How much space do you need?
• Have you even considered bandwidth?
• Do you need a guarantee about server uptime?
• Do you want a hosting plan that will allow you to park websites as well?
• Will you need e-commerce functions?

All of these are questions that you need to ask yourself about your website needs and then selecting the right hosting plan will be relatively easy.

Many people find that they don’t need anything special and they can opt for affordable hosting plans that give them a decent amount of space.

But, if you are starting a website that will have a lot of traffic, will require a lot of downloads and such, and will also need e-commerce abilities, you might find that you need a bit more than the basic plan.

More doesn’t necessarily have to cost all that much more, it just means that you get the access, the control, and the space that you need for your website to run properly.

Choosing the right plan is also about choosing the right company. Again, this comes down to knowing what you want.

For those that need a bit more from their web hosting plan, choosing a web hosting company that offers several hosting plans may be preferable. Several different hosting plans allow you to pick and choose every time you renew your subscription so that you can continue to meet your needs, as they grow and change, with your existing Internet based company.

Defining your needs will help you to easily choose which hosting plan is right for you. Compare and contrast several plans to determine which company will meet your current and future needs.

It’s also important to remember that if you find one plan doesn’t suit you, you can always change or upgrade later.