The capital required to start your own dedicated server hosting company is excessive to say the least. You need to source a stock of reliable hardware, locate a suitable data centre to deploy your services from, and offer up support and supplementary services in line with the enterprise-class providers that you compete with. Naturally, this isn’t impossible, and there are many dedicated server providers out there who started from humble beginnings (Netwise Hosting included); however not everyone has access to the kinds of financial and technical backing to make it a reality. And starting your own private data centre – well that’s a different kettle of fish altogether.

Yet you can get into the industry with relative ease provided you are willing to put in the hard work and can confidently build a brand upon which people can know and trust. Reselling the services of top hosting providers around the globe under your own brand is a fantastic way to learn the industry and begin making serious money to boot. This sort of 100% outsourcing business model is utilised in many industries, and many of the top hosted service resellers are now very large and powerful brands.

There are two primary methods of service resale, and it is important to understand your own objectives before committing to one or the other.

Affiliate Programs

Affiliate programs are the simplest form of dedicated server reselling. How the programs work can vary between hosting providers, however most follow a similar system to that employed here at Netwise Hosting. Affiliates are provided with a unique link to the providers website, which the affiliate uses to point potential customers to the services on offer. The system then tracks the potential customers activity on the site over a long period of time; if the customer goes on to make a purchase, the affiliate takes a commission on the sale for his/her successfull referal. How the affiliate in question uses their link is up to them. It can be used as a link for banner adverts which they can distribute online, or given to friends as a form of service recommendation.

Here at Netwise Hosting, affiliates are paid 15% commission on the refered sale of server packages. Our most successful affiliates earn many hundreds of pounds a month, and can operate their program around other jobs and commitments. If you are looking for some extra cash each month, and have good sales ability (particularly online referal sales), then an affiliates program is the perfect resale option for you. Its free and easy to use, meaning you need very little in the way of technical knowhow, as end customers deal directly with the host after the sale.

Reseller Programs

Reseller programs are for those operating professional reselling businesses. Services are sold under the resellers own brand. They then purchase the dedicated servers and related services from the hosting provider at a discounted rate, and take margins on top. One major difference here is that the reseller deals with the customer from start to finish, providing support and related service information themselves. The end customer does not know of the hosting provider at the top level, just the reseller they are dealing with. The discounted rates from the original service provider often rely on official agreements in place that require a certain number of orders per month from the reseller.

Reseller programs are professional relationships and as such are drawn up for individual cases. If you are interested in reselling for a service provider in this way, you will need to contact the host and discuss your own unique terms etc. Proposals are then drafted, and when both parties are happy the relationship can begin. Netwise Hosting have a fantastic network of resellers who sell our products under their own brand and buy from us at impressive discounted rates. Contact us today if you would like to become an official reseller.

 

For a summary of Netwise Hosting’s affiliate and reseller programs, visit the Reseller information page here. We would love to work with you in the future!

It should also be noted that reselling is not limited to dedicated servers. Colocation services can be sold in much the same way, however the process is far more complex and the building-up of experience in the dedicated server market is recommended before making the leap to colocation.

 

Colocation is perhaps the highest rung of all hosted environments in terms of both importance and financial outlay. Finding the right colocator is a must, as the solid provision of such services can be pivotal to a companys success. So what should you be looking for in a colocation service provider? This short article will summarise some of the key factors our clients consider most important in their service, so that those new to ‘colo’ can benefit from the experience presented here.

Know Your Host

Reputation says a lot about a business in any field. Look at who your shortlist of potential colocators already provide services for, and whether they have any recommendations. This does not mean the biggest hosting companys are the best. Trying to enter a data centre alongside businesses like Google and Facebook may be the wrong move, unless you are of a similar standing. Smaller, more bespoke providers are often better suited to clients not looking to take out private suites housing many thousands of servers. If a company on your shortlist provides colocation services for leading businesses like your own, and have a company mantra/image you can relate to, they are often the best choice.

Technology

The technologies in use at each facility will vary – something to keep in mind. Look for IPv6 support for future proofing your connectivity, competitive provisioning of top-level core services/utilities, and green initiatives in line with current Government policies. Keeping your outsourced IT services green is a positive step towards reducing your own businesses overall carbon footprint. Reliable, brand name hardware is also something to bear in mind when considering longevity and consistent performance.

Buy from People, not Businesses

Meet with your shortlist and get to know the people at the helm of each companys operations. Its always best to buy from people, and not to rest all hopes on buying from a brand you think you know. A personable, well-meaning team who show a real interest in you will take good care of your account for years to come. Building solid, long-lasting business relationships is good practice with all suppliers, and that includes your data centre provider!

Location Location Location

Location location location sits at the heart of every property consideration – and a data centre ostensibly follows the same set of rules. Where you are located will not only affect the level of core services feeding your deployment, but will also say a lot about your business should its location be made known. If you are in the UK, or even Europe, London is the place to be housing your data. This does throw up a number of issues in itself – namely cost and accessibility – however smaller, more ’boutique’ providers are now offering services in the London area; Netwise Hosting included! You are always better off arranging a London locality over a countryside data centre miles from the nearest major trading hub.

 

Naturally, deciding upon a colocation provider is a sizable decision with many hundreds of unique factors to consider; but hopefully those described above offer a good starting point from which to develop your own points of interest. If you need help in understanding colocation in more detail, or to see how Netwise Hosting successfully fulfil all of the above requirements do contact us for more information.

Business today is certainly a cut-throat environment. Getting noticed is essential for success, particularly as a small new start-up. Thankfully, the internet has made getting your organisations name out to a mass audience a lot easier; becoming especially apparent when compared with the processes involved in advertising and business networking 20 years ago. Yet the impressive scope and accessibility of the internet is also one of its major downfalls. Getting noticed in the vast pool of information on the web can prove just as challenging as the age old methods of getting your brand out into the open.

Whilse these top tips do incorporate basic elements of SEO (to help your searchablity), they fundamentally focus on business impact – and getting noticed online. If you are specifically looking for SEO guides, have a look around on Google – there is some great advice out there. However, the fundamentals below are just as important, so get these in place first.

 

1) Websites are Key

Your website is your virtual shop front. As such, it is essential for drawing in interest. Highly successful enterprises on the highstreet will have a constant flow of visitors, primarily because of their enticing frontage. The same applies online; keeping your visitors engaged is key. Have a website you are proud of, one that not only conveys the relevant information, but one that does so in an interesting and well developed manner.

But remember, this doesnt mean you should endulge in a flashy overcomplicated beast of a website with all the gimicks you can cram in. Less is more, and it is the simple designs that are most effective. Faster websites are rewarded by search engines, so dont over do it. Have a look at the websites you use every day, and pay close attention to what it is you like about them, and how they enrich your experience. Dedicated server hosting will allow your website to run far quicker than it would on a shared web server hosting platform – something to bare in mind.

Even the smallest of businesses have no real excuse to have no private website today. Just being on directories and business listings is not really enough in most cases, and with the cost of webhosting now so low, a website can be an affordable yet effective addition to your business.

2) It’s all about Image

Focus on your content. How the information on your site is read and interpreted will shape a customers perception of what your business is all about. Pay close attention to your image, and how you want visitors to interpret every aspect of your organisation. Intelligent use of language and maintaining a solid, professional online space can make smaller businesses appear larger – and more experienced. Naturally, the aim is not to deceive. It would be irresponsible and immoral to lie about your business. Yet having a well thought out, well executed image online can promote feelings of security, familiarity, and experience in your site visitors.

3) Don’t Spam!

Its all about quality, not quantity. There is no need to lay every last piece of information out, page after page, bogging users down with mountains of text. Keep it brief and concise. The same applies for social media output – people dont want you clogging up their social feed with useless information. Put out quality information, and you will be rewarded with quality responses in return.

Many people only see ‘spam’ as an unsolicited email sent to thousands of readers, directly asking for their custom. The fact is that spam encompasses so much more – any pointless, unrelated output can be classed as spam, and thats something to avoid.

4) Grow Online

As your business grows, your web presence should reflect the changes underway, building upon your increased experience. Linked closely with image (discussed in point 2), maintaining a website in keeping with your changing business is vital. A successful retailer on the highstreet experiencing rapid growth would not simply maintain their current outlet and ‘make do’. They would open new outlets, explore new avenues of business, and rebrand in accordance with their size. This is no different online, with web presence scaling vital to your overall exposure on the internet.

Ensure you have room to grow online. Shared web server hosting platforms can be limited, and do not favor websites with growing demand for traffic. Dedicated server hosting solutions give you the room to breath – able to handle far more traffic, contain far more storage space, and can scale with your business. Remember, moving web content is a real hassle, so start of on a basic dedicated server and build upon its specification from there.

5) Be Bold

Make waves. Getting noticed anywhere, not just online, is all about being big, bright and bold. Do things differently (but do them well of course), and people will sit up and look at what you are doing. This doesnt just mean sliding a plethora of unusual colours into your website – that can be offensive to the eyes, and tantamount to wearing garish clothes to a party just to get some attention. Be clever with the way you do business online, and people will take note. Don’t simply slot into existing preconceptions of what a business in your sector should be doing.

 

Good luck, and remember, SEO is wonderful – but to get truly noticed online, you need the fundamentals in place first. Be creative.