Web Hosting Startup

**danielr06** · 12-14-2005 08:53 PM

I am seeking advice for a web hosting corporation I seek to start begininng of 06. I am planning on purchasing my own server. Is this a good idea? Also, any advertising suggestions? How can I reach my customers? Any advice is welcome.

Daniel
daniel@triplecrownweb.com

**joshw** · 12-14-2005 10:41 PM

Just so you know, it is usually frowned upon to post the same thread in more than one forum..........

**danielr06** · 12-15-2005 12:12 AM

I was unaware. THis is my first forum. I appologize... just trying to get the most informatio

**MetalGod** · 12-17-2005 01:55 PM

Why don't you try leasing a server from a hosting provider first and see if you are successful enough to warrant purchasing your very own server.

**NeeJam** · 12-21-2005 11:05 PM

metalgod has a good idea, but leasing will cost you more in tghe long run so you will have to weigh up both options.

**Cartman** · 12-22-2005 04:33 PM

The web hosting field is so competative and cutthroat, I really can't figure out how ANYONE makes any money anymore, when everyone's hosting for less than $10/mo. I ran a web design/hosting company about 8 years ago, but alot has changed since then.

**iFuseLiam** · 01-02-2006 07:32 PM

I personally would recommend you don't enter this industry. It is almost completely dry. My company has experience in this area - and as the member before me stated, plans are $10 and lower, and it is simply not a profitable industry anymore.

If you have experience with working for a web hosting firm, or with web servers in general, then you should look to provide Server Management or Automation technologies.

Just a thought. Hope I helped!

Liam.

**iGROWyourBiz** · 01-06-2006 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by danielr06

I am seeking advice for a web hosting corporation I seek to start begininng of 06. I am planning on purchasing my own server. Is this a good idea? Also, any advertising suggestions? How can I reach my customers? Any advice is welcome.

Daniel
daniel@triplecrownweb.com

The key to web hosting is finding a niche -do not try to be a "generic" host.

Find a theme, christians, skaters, auto dealers, musicians. Find a group you know a lot about and can service their needs.

Talk to that group, the ones with websites. Find out what they like most about their current hosts, and what they like least.

Visit www.TheWhir.com That is THE industry trade mag. You can get a FREE subscription to their monthly magazine (I get it)

Go to www.WebHostingTalk.com That is also THE industry forum.

You will find lots of useful information from PEOPLE in the biz there. And more importantly you can get specific answers to your questions

You may wish to find someone with server space who will give you some as you get started at a low rate, or as needed.

There are ton of places that can set you up as a RESELLER (like www.hostgator.com) which was started by college kids in their dorm as a reseller and are now one of the largest hosting companies (they still resell)

When I started a web development company - i had a reseller hosting plan. I got space as i needed it. In the small phases its cost effective. Once I had 20 or so sites though, I saw how my own server (especially for development purposes) was advantageous to my company.

The problem was switching all those ONE offs to a server. Keep that in mind as you grow. Your budget will dictate whether you START with a server or grow into it.

I still have servers that allow me to set up websites instantly, do streaming for radio stations (www.HotCityRadio.com is my own hobby), and provide space for clients. I even lease servers now to businesses that need them.

Ultimately, as you do more business on the web a server never hurts. But can be expensive.

I recommmend making an outline start with a budget - put that at the top -dont say you dont have one -thats a cop out, put whatever it is, even if its $100 for the whole year.

List of all your possible expenses
List how you will make money and guess (conservatively) when it will start to come in. (can you get 1 client per month paying $20/month)

Learn as much as you can about running a business. Amazon, barnes and nobles and the library are great resources.

This will give you a good starting point. Hope this helps.

**aspire2b** · 03-09-2006 02:46 AM

What about becoming an ASP?
As far as I have researched, it is not so saturated. The main reason being a lot of companies who offered ASP solutions could not fully support their client base and thus lost the trust of clients.

If you could set-up a solution that is rock-solid I think you could be on to something. Especially with the ever-growing population of small businesses, it would be an ideal situation for them to be able to lease external applications. Ofcourse the cost needs to be right

I've found a good write-up on ASP to fully explain in Laymen's terms what it is/does. http://guide.darwinmag.com/technology/outsourcing/asp/