A web host is a type of Internet service provider. Instead of providing access to the Internet, a web host provides server storage space for websites online. Every website online is hosted on a server at a data facility. It is far too expensive for most people to own and maintain their own server, so most people opt to lease space on a server that is professionally maintained by another company. These businesses are known as web hosting companies, and they make up a multi-billion dollar industry that is relatively easy for most people to cash in on. If you are looking for a long-term business opportunity that has the ability to generate phenomenal profits, learn how to run your own web hosting service.
1. Acquire your servers. The number of servers really depends on how many websites will be hosted on your servers, as well as how much storage space and bandwidth are allocated to each of those customers. For most small hosts, a single server with a 3.2 GHz Pentium processor is sufficient. If something with more computing power is needed, then using a dual processor, such as dual Opterons or dual Xeons, will expand the speed of your server. If your space begins to fill, you can always add additional servers to your rack as they are needed.
2. Rent rack space in a data center. You can technically use any data center in the world as a home for your servers, but many people prefer to use a center that is close to where they live. Rack space is rented so that you will have a place to keep your server, in an area where it has easy access to an internet connection. Websites, such as Data Center Atlas help locate data centers within your area. Your local telephone company will often have a data center in your vicinity with rack space that can be leased.
3. Provision bandwidth for your server. The bandwidth that you purchase is what connects your server to the Internet and allows people to visit the websites that are hosted on your server. This bandwidth will be divided among your customers, according to how much bandwidth you include in a monthly hosting package. The general idea is that you want to purchase bandwidth at a wholesale price, from either the local telephone company or from a company like Level 3, then sell that same bandwidth at a retail rate to your customers.
4. Choose between Unix and Windows for the operating system on your server. Unix is the overwhelming leader of the market because it is fast, easy to manage and it is free. Unix is also popular since most websites use PHP for the source code. However, if one of your clients likes to build their website with Active Server Pages (ASP), then using Windows is the only option. Most larger web hosts build the bulk of their business around Unix web hosting, but have a Windows server available for those who are willing to pay extra for it.
5. Choose a control panel system to operate on your web server. The control panel is what allows your clients to manage the web site that is hosted on your server. It also includes a web host manager application that allows you to monitor and manage the individual hosting accounts that your clients pay for. There are a number of options available for the control panel function of your web hosting business. The two most common are cPanel and Plesk. Links to each of these can be found in the Resources section.
6. Arrange for a complete data backup at regular intervals. You can never predict when disaster will strike, and you can't rely on your customers to keep an up to date backup of their websites. Many of them will not have an adequate backup and will blame you if their data is lost. This makes it very important to routinely backup everything on the entire server, or server cluster. The most effective way is to use the services of a company, such as BQ Backup, who will make a backup copy of your files and store it at a remote facility. That way you can recover your data even if your entire data center is hit by a natural disaster.
7. Build a website to accompany your web hosting business. Having a website is an essential part of the business. It allows potential customers to review the different options you offer for hosting plans, and also allows them to sign up and create an account in real time. A good website will also offer some form of live customer support as a gateway for potential customers and new customers to get answers to their sales questions. A web hosting business can not expect to get customers without a website, so spend some time looking at competitors' sites to get an idea of what aspects you would like to incorporate into your own design.
8. Integrate a billing system into your website. You will need to obtain an account with a credit card billing company, such as Authorize to handle your credit card orders. Integrating this service into your website will allow give your customers the ability to pay for their service online and to instantly have access to the account they created. You may also want to offer third party payment gateways as an additional option, such as accepting PayPal payments for those who already have an account at Pay Pal.
9. Form an advertising strategy for your web hosting business. You can have the greatest deal in the history of web hosting, but if people don't know about your company they will never sign up. Getting the word out about your company is a critical component in the success of your business. Try sponsoring text ads in search engines
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