Web Design and Graphics

The market is good for new Web hosting companies. According to Forrester Research, there is now “positive — if modest —growth for Web hosting and managed IT services, at both the enterprise and SMB levels.” This is an especially good business to be in if you are a web designer or IT consultant. It fits naturally with the business model of such small consulting firms. Why refer out or miss out on selling a service that most small businesses need? Hosting is an excellent source of monthly recurring revenue.

The webhosting industry is one of the few profitable sectors of the Internet. As such, large corporations such Yahoo are offering Web hosting services. You, too, can join this highly profitable business and reap the financial awards — but only if you do it right. To build a successful Web hosting company,

I offer the following two time-tested and proven rules: Focus on offering high-quality services in a tiered pricing schedule.

In addition, it is essential an automated infrastructure to create self-sufficient customers. For marketing, it is crucial to maximize intelligent marketing opportunities. Automation will create a self-sufficient client-base and reduce your expenses down the road. In order to provide the best-possible service, you’ll want a minimum of the following processes automated: order forms (for new customer account set up or existing customer updates), billing system, administration system, end-user control panel, and technical support interface.

The complex web of servers consists of computer systems installed with Web server software and connected to the Internet. These servers can be found in any facility with Internet connectivity. The process of maintaining and operating one the owner of the Web site, or it can be outsourced to a Web presence provider (WPP).

WPPs are typically companies with one or more data-center facilities that are connected to the Internet. Web hosting provided by WPPs can vary widely with respect to service quality and cost. Some providers consist simply of a room in the basement of a house and a tier-1 (T1) line connected to the local ISP. However, are corporations with state of the art hosting centers consisting of redundant fiber paths for high-speed Internet connections, redundant electrical power sources, a dry pipe–fire suppression system, and an experienced operations group, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Webhosting can be provided on a shared computer environment or on a dedicated computer system. When a Web site consists only of standard HTML code and receives a small number of visitors, shared hosting service is the best solution. When a Web site consists of complex common gateway interface (CGI) scripts and proprietary programs and receives a large number of visitors, dedicated hosting service is the best solution.