Reseller Control Panels

There is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration when investing in a reseller account.  One of the most important factors of all is the control panel.  Since the control panel interface is where you will spend most of your time, it is essential to find an intuitive program that meets the needs of your reseller business.
What is a Control Panel?
A control panel is a software program that allows you to administer your hosting account.  This type of software acts as the back-end of your account and can only be seen by you.  Nearly every web hosting provider offers some type of control panel though not all programs are created equal.
Some applications are clunky, poorly designed and limit the control you have over the account.  The average software used in the modern day hosting industry will grant you various administrative powers including the ability to create email accounts, add domains, upload files via FTP, backup your website and more.  There is a big difference between the software used for a typical shared hosting account and a reseller account.  However, two of the most popular control panels tend to perform well in both environments – cPanel and Plesk.
cPanel vs Plesk
cPanel and Plesk are respectively the most widely used control panels on the market.  Both are very powerful and offer a GUI (graphical user interface) that can be easily accessed by nearly any web browser.  Both provide you with basic options for configuring your account and advanced configurations as well.  And while the interfaces of both programs are clean and easy to maintain, these two programs are very distinct.
A reseller account that comes with the cPanel package offers the highest level of administrative capabilities in a control panel known as WHM (Web Host Manager).  Unlike the cPanel software on a shared hosting account, WHM is strictly intended for the administrator as it interacts directly with the server.  This program allows you to create individual web hosting accounts, perform backups for the entire system and also make configurations for a number of services hosted on the server.  Your web hosting clients are provided with the cPanel interface which gives them administrative control over their sites.  One of cPanel’s best features is the Fantastico script installer which gives individual users the ability to incorporate of number of free programs such as the WordPress blogging application and the Joomla CMS.  The latest version of Fantastico comes loaded with over 40 programs.
Plesk has established a solid reputation for being stable and secure.  Resellers and end-users both appreciate its simple interface and ability to create professional sites.  Plesk grants control on four different levels: Administrator, Client/Reseller, Domain Owner and Mail User.  Users at each level have control over their own operation  For instance, control at the mail user level will allow clients to access messages, change their password and configure autoresponders all without needing to access the control panel intended for the domain owner.  Plesk comes packed with features and also supports a number of add-ons including Site Builder, a module that offers more than 300 templates, allowing users to create sites without any knowledge of FTP or HTML.

Control Panel Options for Resellers

As a reseller, one of the most important decisions you will have to make is choosing a control panel.  When selecting the right software, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and frustration.  This article will give you an overview on some of the most popular control panels available for reseller hosting.

cPanel

cPanel makes a great choice for reselling because it is incredibly easy to use and loaded with features.  The standard cPanel reseller package comes with two separate applications: WHM and cPanel.  WHM (Web Host Manager) is the control panel used to create user accounts and web hosting packages.  Other features include the ability to modify plans, add and suspend sites, park domains, view bandwidth statistics and perform other administrative tasks.  Clients of the reseller are provided with the end-user version of cPanel to manage their own sites.

A cPanel reseller hosting package also includes an optional application called WHM Autopilot.  This program allows you to configure account creation and suspensions, email notifications and other automated functions.  WHM Autopilot can be seamlessly integrated with numerous payment gateways and includes a built-in helpdesk, invoice module and several administrative tools.

H-Sphere

H-Sphere is a cross-platform control panel that allows resellers to set up hosting plans on both Windows and Linux systems.  It provides the unique ability to manage sites on different servers from a single interface even though the control panel is actually on a separate server.  H-Sphere completely automates the management processing, allowing you to easily make configurations, process credit card payments, handle domain name registrations and send out email notifications.  This control panel also has a built-in helpdesk, a billing module and supports more than 20 payment gateways.

The advanced features and functionality of H-Sphere results in a steeper learning curve than other control panels.  For this reason, beginners may find this software a bit too complex for their needs.  On the other hand, more advanced users appreciate the flexibility and control H-Sphere offers.  Aside from the features mentioned, H-Sphere also comes with the SiteStudio website builder that allows end-users to create websites from a number of pre-designed themes.  This gives domain owners the ability to build professional sites regardless of their experience with FTP or HTML.

Plesk

The Plesk control panel is known as one of the most stable and secure on the market.  Resellers and end-users both admire the software’s clean interface, simple navigation and professional appearance.  Plesk offers control on four different levels: Server administrator, Client/Reseller, Domain owner and Mail user.  Each level gives users control of their particular level along with the level below them.  For instance, the server administrator can view information about the reseller, the reseller can view the details on their clients and so forth.

Plesk’s developer Swsoft, also offers Site Builder through the control panel, a program that provides end-users with an easy way to create their sites.  Site Builder has more than 300 templates in numerous categories, allowing reseller clients to create sites with no programming or FTP knowledge.  When combined with HSPcomplete, another Swsoft creation, Plesk delivers automation that allows you to process credit card payments, send email notifications and much more.

A Look at The Reseller Hosting Market via WHM Hosting

The most popular and widely used software tools are usually celebrated for good reason, mainly because they are able to address the needs of professionals and end-users over a broad range of segments. When you find a certain tool that the user community is buzzing about, it typically means that the software is at least worth a closer look. When it comes to the reseller market, WHM is one software tool you will hear a lot of people talking about. This article will fill you in on why this program has been able to generate and maintain such a positive buzz.

WHM Overview

Web Host Manager or simply, WHM offers the reseller an easier way to manage several hosting accounts and run their business through various automated processes. Often bundled with the popular cPanel control panel package, WHM has become one of the most preferred management tools for not only resellers, but web hosting providers all around the world. If you were a webmaster before diving into the reseller market, you have probably at least head of cPanel, a powerful control panel that deserves all the praise it receives. cPanel is easy to use with a ton of great features that appeal to the novice as well as the experienced webmaster or administrator. The widespread use and notoriety of this dynamic automation software tool makes WHM just as popular by association.

Extensive Automation with WHM AutoPilot

A distinct advantage WHM has over other reseller management tools is its ability to integrate with WHM AutoPilot, another product created by the makers of cPanel. WHM AutoPilot is a complete, out of the box web hosting management system that provides resellers with the ability to automate virtually every administrative task associated with their business. Its most prolific features include a built-in billing management facility, profile system and convenient access to support. WHM AutoPilot is one of the first in the business to enable resellers to create a remote order system in which a single installation can effectively manage multiple domains, allowing each to have its own branding and identity. The aspect of centralized control is one of the biggest perks of using WHM as your reseller hosting software.

You Can’t Go Wrong with WHM

WHM is a tool that is only available to the reseller and server administrator. And just as other control panels have separate versions of their reseller management software, this one is unique to the cPanel program. Choosing a hosting account equipped with this software is a surefire way to make your job as a reseller much easier. It also gives you the means to really market your business on “an easy to use platform” since your customers will be provided with the user-friendly end-user version of cPanel. The management software is one of the most important factors that must be considered when choosing a reseller hosting account. With WHM in your arsenal, you are well on your way to succeeding with your new online business.

Introduction to Reseller Hosting

Web hosting comes in many different flavors, but one of its most unique variations is reseller hosting.  Reseller hosting is the type of hosting plan where you purchase an account and are provided with a certain amount of disk space and bandwidth which can be sold to other people.  It essentially gives you a way to purchase bulk amounts of server capacity and then sell hosting packages to your own customers.  Reseller accounts offer a means for average people to break into the industry and earn money from the hosting business.  As it doesn’t call for you to have much technical knowledge, practically anyone familiar with the internet can succeed with their own reseller business.
An Emerging Hosting Solution
The concept of reseller hosting is growing fast as more startup businesses are discovering the benefits.  This hosting solution is typically used by individuals who simply want to earn money online along with developers, consultants and other professionals who are familiar with web-based technologies.  Requiring a minimal investment, reselling hosting is a cost effective way to generate income from an industry that is already bringing in billions of dollars each year.  By employing sound business practices and ensuring that your customers are taken care of, you can use this platform as your vehicle to success.  You would be surprised at how many small businesses started with a reseller account and went on to become prominent web hosting companies.
What You Get with Reseller Hosting
Most providers give you the freedom to build custom reseller packages, allowing you to deliver hosting plans best suited for prospective clients.  Others offer predefined packages that are ready to be sold directly to customers.  In either case, you are generally provided with enough disk space and bandwidth to not only sell hosting plans, but create a website for yourself as well.  The reseller hosting provider sets you up with a control panel such as H-Sphere or cPanel’s WHM (Web Host Manager).  These programs allow you to manage your reseller account, providing access to various features such as payment systems, statistics and applications.  From the control panel interface you can create hosting plans, setup domains, view resource usage and much more.  In many cases, the reseller provider also supplies your clients with similar control panels so they can manage their own hosting accounts.
Conclusion
Reseller hosting is ideal for small businesses and individuals who want to make money from the flourishing web hosting industry.  Getting started requires a minimal investment and little effort as most companies set you up with packages that are fully loaded with features and ready to be sold.  If you sign up with the right company, you can operate a reseller business so efficiently that customers have no idea they are dealing with a middleman.  This is especially true when you have the ability to offer all the features and services found in conventional web hosting plans.   When considering how the hosting business continues to thrive, it is very likely that reseller accounts will offer tremendous opportunities for some time to come.

A Detailed Look at Reseller Web Hosting

Everyone who wants a website on the internet needs to have a web host. The large number of potential customers has made web hosting a very profitable business. However, launching your own hosting company is normally very difficult. To set up a hosting company from scratch you would need to purchase your own servers and maintain them. A simpler option has evolved in reseller web hosting.
Reseller Hosting
There is a much easier way of offering hosting services to your customers. The easiest way of doing this is to sign up for a reseller hosting account. Reseller accounts can host multiple domains and websites on a single server.
By registering a reseller hosting account it is possible to sell hosting space without owning servers yourself. It is also possible to make money from this method and it’s much easier than setting up your own hosting company.
Reseller Control Panel
Most reseller hosting accounts include an internet based control panel. This makes it very easy to create new accounts and make adjustments to the settings of your hosting account. The most popular control panel used for reseller hosting is WHM as this integrates nicely with cPanel.
The reseller control panel is slightly more complicated than a basic hosting control panel. The business reseller control panel needs to be used to create new users, suspend accounts, back up all the sites on the server and install new updated services.
Finding Reseller Hosting Accounts
If you are interested in a reseller hosting account then you will need to take your time and choose carefully. Your reseller hosting account will be part of your business. This means that you will need to make ensure that it offers everything you need for the lowest price possible.
Important things to look out for include the following:

• Reliability – It’s essential that you can offer a reliable service to your customers. Look out for a service with an uptime guarantee.
• Cost – It is possible to find reseller hosting packages in a variety of different price brackets.  Choose one which offers everything you need.  Avoid the very cheap services on eBay though because these are normally very unreliable.
• Automation – Some of the better hosting accounts allow you to automate the process of signing up new customers.  This is very useful since your customers do not need to wait to use their account. WHMCS can be used with WHM hosting packages; this is worth looking for from your reseller hosting company because a separate license is very expensive.

Reseller hosting accounts can be utilized as a good way of starting a hosting business from scratch. When your business expands it’s then possible to purchase your own hardware and servers so you can continue to offer more services.

Starting Your Own Business Through Reseller Hosting

With the U.S. economy suffering like never before, more consumers are unemployed, thus more people are looking for ways to generate money online.  Fortunately, the internet offers endless opportunities for those looking to bring in a few extra books.  Many have been successful with affiliate marketing while several more have learned to master advertising programs like Google AdSense. One of the easiest and most affordable ways to start an online business is a unique type of hosting known as reseller hosting.
Reseller Hosting Defined
Reseller web hosting is a type of web hosting that allows you to purchase server space, bandwidth and other features from a legitimate hosting provider, and then sell hosting packages to customers of your own.  As a reseller, you get special software for creating hosting plans while your customers get a control panel application to manage their own hosting environment.  Though more expensive than traditional shared hosting, the resources and services you get in return usually result in excellent value for your money.
Benefits of Reseller Hosting
Reseller hosting offers a number of benefits to the ambitious entrepreneur.  The greatest benefit is perhaps cost efficiency that allows you to purchase bandwidth and disk storage in small allotments.  This way, you are not wasting precious resources and most importantly, money.  With such a minimal investment requirement, you can eventually work your way up to a dedicated server or at least yield small profits instead of incurring substantial losses every month.  This factor alone makes reseller hosting a great business to get into.
Another benefit of reseller hosting is having the full support of a professional web host.  As we all know, things do happen and most of it will relate to technical jargon you won’t have a clue about.  The hard drive on a server may fail, an OS kernel might get corrupted, there could be an outage in the data center – anything could happen.   The good news for you is that the web hosting provider is responsible for such issues.  When signing on for a reliable service, you can focus on selling more packages and appeasing your customers instead of worrying about the technical aspects.
Finding a Reliable Partner
A reseller account should be treated like a real business and therefore, you need to be very selective when it comes to choosing a service.   Most providers will only allow you to host a certain amount of domains and may also limit features such as email accounts, databases, scripting languages, or other important services.   Additionally, not every host can be depended on.  Your best bet would be to take advantage of the available resources and learn more about what’s out there.  This simply means asking friends or using your favorite search engine to find a reliable service.
Reseller Expectations
Many have made a successful venture out of reseller hosting but be warned, it will take dedication and hard work on your part.  There are no guarantees so you have to be committed to bringing in customers and providing a level of service that keeps them around.  This is all made easier when choosing the right reseller hosting solution.

Top 10 Web Hosting — Best Website Hosts 2011

Top 10 Web Hosting — Best Website Hosts 2011

Independent reviews of the best web hosting providers. Cheap professional website hosting services under $10 a month; all webhosting plans include at least one free domain name registration and 30 day money back guarantee. Review your web host — let other webmasters know the best and the worst!

Rank	Web Hosting Provider	Features	Bonus Features	Hosting Review
1	Inmotion    Best Business Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $5.95	Free Domain Name, Choice of Data Centers, Top Technical Support	Inmotion Review Host Rating: 98%  Rate Inmotion
2	WebHostingHub   Best Unlimited Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $3.95	Free Domain Name, Host Unlimited Domains, 24/7/365 U.S. Support	WebHostingHub Review Host Rating: 98%  Rate WebHostingHub
3	iPage   Trusted Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $4.50	Host Unlimited Domains, Anytime Moneyback, $400 of FREE Extras	iPage Review Host Rating: 96%  Rate iPage
4	WebHostingPad   Cheap Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $1.99	Free Domain Forever, Host Unlimited Domains, $100 Marketing Bonus	WebHostingPad Review Host Rating: 95%  Rate WebHostingPad
5	HostGator   Reliable Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $3.71	Free Instant Setup, Host Unlimited Domains, 45 Day Refund Period	HostGator Review Host Rating: 95%  Rate HostGator
6	FatCow   Cheap Business Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $4.67	Free Domain Forever, Host Unlimited Domains, $75 Marketing Bonus	FatCow Review Host Rating: 95%  Rate FatCow
7	JustHost    Cheap Professional Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $4.45	Free Domain Forever, Host Unlimited Domains, $100 Marketing Bonus	JustHost Review Host Rating: 94%  Rate JustHost
8	GreenGeeks   300% Green Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $4.95	Free Domain Name, Host Unlimited Domains, FREE Site Builder	GreenGeeks Review Host Rating: 94%  Rate GreenGeeks
9	Bluehost   Cheap Shared Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $6.95	Free Domain Forever, Host Unlimited Domains, $75 Marketing Bonus	Bluehost Review Host Rating: 93%  Rate Bluehost
10	Hostmonster   Cheap Shared Web Hosting	Space: Unlimited Traffic: Unlimited Price: $5.95	Free Domain Forever, Host Unlimited Domains, $75 Marketing Bonus	Hostmonster Review Host Rating: 93%  Rate Hostmonster

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Editor's notice: Web hosting providers ranked by the best price-value ratio. Host reliability, uptime, key features, bonus features, customer support, past and current user feedbacks, user-friendliness and hosting awards have been taken into account as well.

Learn more about Reseller Web Hosting

Introduction to Reseller Hosting
Web hosting comes in many different flavors, but one of its most unique variations is reseller hosting. Reseller hosting is the type of hosting plan where you purchase an account and are provided with a certain amount of disk space and bandwidth which can be sold to other people. It essentially gives you a way to purchase bulk amounts of server capacity and then sell hosting packages to your own customers. Reseller accounts offer a means for average people to break into the industry and earn money from the hosting business. As it doesn't call for you to have much technical knowledge, practically anyone familiar with the internet can succeed with their own reseller business.

Starting Your Own Business Through Reseller Hosting
With the U.S. economy suffering like never before, more consumers are unemployed, thus more people are looking for ways to generate money online. Fortunately, the internet offers endless opportunities for those looking to bring in a few extra books. Many have been successful with affiliate marketing while several more have learned to master advertising programs like Google AdSense. One of the easiest and most affordable ways to start an online business is a unique type of hosting known as reseller hosting.

A Look at The Reseller Hosting Market via WHM Hosting
The most popular and widely used software tools are usually celebrated for good reason, mainly because they are able to address the needs of professionals and end-users over a broad range of segments. When you find a certain tool that the user community is buzzing about, it typically means that the software is at least worth a closer look. When it comes to the reseller market, WHM is one software tool you will hear a lot of people talking about. This article will fill you in on why this program has been able to generate and maintain such a positive buzz.

Options for Your Reseller Software
There is much to consider when choosing a control panel, but one of the most important of all is its user-friendliness. This is especially true for a reseller as your hosting customers will likely range from newcomers to more advanced users. An ideal solution would be finding a control panel that bridges that gap between both types of users. It is understandable that everyone would prefer a control panel which is simple to navigate as it makes it much easier to find the tools and services they need to access. The control panel market is expanding rapidly, but we have listed some of the best options for your reselling hosting endeavors.

Reseller Control Panels
There is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration when investing in a reseller account. One of the most important factors of all is the control panel. Since the control panel interface is where you will spend most of your time, it is essential to find an intuitive program that meets the needs of your reseller business.

Control Panel Options for Resellers
As a reseller, one of the most important decisions you will have to make is choosing a control panel. When selecting the right software, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and frustration. This article will give you an overview on some of the most popular control panels available for reseller hosting.
Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2008/12/04/introduction-to-reseller-hosting/

List Of Free Domain Hosting Providers

HostGator Customer Reviews

Average Customer Rating for HostGator (3.2 Stars):

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Scam "Hostgator will rip you off. There are several things you should know about these scam artist before getting into bed with them. First they are a webhost RESELLER company meaning they are the middle man and you are paying them instead of the source. Second read the Terms of Service very carefully "if" you do not "ask" for your refund you will not get it, even if you are within your 30 day guarantee. "Make sure you ask for your money...as if that is proper ethics". Third NEVER buy a domain name from them, that mistake is non-refundable and you will pay more with them then any othe registar. Do not buy into there crappy free ssl and if you get the one with the business plan they can get it upgraded to a company validated ssl for free. I said they can do it "FREE" yet they try to charge you 150$ for a free service that they receive from their third party provider comodo. All in all this company is shady and will find any and everyway to rip you off. "

Reviewer: Chris Stevens from TX USA. Date: Aug 09, 2011 Refusal to Fix Host Gator Caused Problems "Avoid this company at all cost. I have been using this company for the better part of 5 years. And this year, their history of excellent customer service and support ended. Host Gator, some time this year, decided to change their internal software, and in so doing, also decided to alter the way they credit the funds taken from their customers. They simply don't. For 5 years, I have paid my bill on auto pay on the 28th of the month. This year, my bill still is auto paid, I have changed nothing. But now Host Gator shuts down my account claiming otherwise. This is a problem because my phones, faxes, web sites , and CRM are hosted on their servers. And they then add code to my server making 10+ hours of work on my part at the beginning of each and every month. Their solution... None. They admit it is a problem on their end and that I paid on time. Of course, they still shut me down at the first of each month. Avoid them at all cost! " Reviewer: Anonymous from Ohio. Date: Aug 06, 2011 God-awful experience "Had a basic dedicated server for my WordPress site. Over the course of two months four different HostGator techs broke my site and couldn't repair it. I had to go through this whole circus act of trying to get another tech to pay attention after the first tech caused the problem--and I've gone through that four times!! In their defense, at least after causing my website to shut down they admitted their own techs caused the problem. Anyway, I'm canceling my account today. Please do your research and shop elsewhere for web hosting." Reviewer: www.OrlandoInformer.com from Celebratio, FL. Date: Aug 05, 2011 The Truth about HostGator Exposed! " HostGator offer unlimited yearly plans which is clearly false advertising. The reason for this is that they start throttling your hosting service as soon as the money back Gaurantee period has expired. Why do they do this? HostGator offer up to usd$125 a sale to their affiliates even though their yearly hosting plans start from around $62-$65 a year. This is the reason they are forced to play around with your hosting service so you suffer downtime and are forced to upgrade If you complain about this you risk having your account closed If you are non American you are far more likely to suffer throttling as there is very little you can do to seek compensation." Reviewer: Anonymous from Australia. Date: Jul 23, 2011

Extreme Poor Customer Service And Fake Promotions!!!! "Extremely poor customer service and misleading promotional offers! I just took advantage of their offer on this link. http://www.hostbig.com/affordable_web_hosting. php. I paid using my paypal. I didn't get any confirmation from them about my payment and how to set up my new account. I emailed them and a sales rep contacted me to get my paypal transaction ID. I did that... and few hrs later, another rep emailed me asking for the same info and this time asking for my credit card, ID, and paypal transaction ID again! I am extremely frustrated that they think my transaction was fraud! I had high expectations with this web hosting company thats why I was interested. Now I changed my mind! I am upset with hostgator! "

Reviewer: Jonah from Philippines. Date: Jul 13, 2011

HostGator Reseller Overview

• GB of Storage (Web space) : 20Gb - 200 Gb

• GBs of Data Transfer (Bandwidth) : 500Gb - 1400Gb

• Unlimited Hosted Domains : Yes

• cPanel Accounts : Free

• Fantastico Library : Free

• Private Name Servers based on your Domain : Free

• Client Management and Billing Software : Free

• Enom Domain Name Reseller Account : Free

• Uptime Guarantee : 99,9%

• Money Back Guarantee : 45 Days!

• 24/7 Toll Free Support : Yes

• 24/7/365 Server Monitoring  : Yes

Visit: Host Gator - Best reseller Hosting 2011 

Host Gator Customer review

Best Reseller Web Hosting Provider 2011 - HostGator

The Best Reseller Host award was given to HostGator because with HostGator you can now setup your own web hosting company without the hassle of managing your servers. With HostGator's new reseller hosting plans you get receive everything you need to be your own web host, so you can make money reselling hosting.
HostGator Inc. meets all BBBOnLine Reliability participation and Better Business Bureau membership standards and is authorized to display the BBBOnLine Reliability seal.
Visit

HostGator Reseller Overview

for more information.