Modern business leaders are always looking for ways to expand their company's service portfolios. Having a greater reach can translate into an increased customer base, revenues and brand recognition.
With more than a few expansion options at your fingertips, should you build out an existing area of business, or break into a new market?
The hosting marketplace has become a frequent destination for these businesses, and it's not hard to see why. Companies, institutions and individual users across the globe are seeking hosting support – the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) market in particular. IaaS, which includes managed hosting, is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of around 29 percent, reaching an expected market value of $56.05 billion by 2020, according to numbers from MarketsandMarkets. That's a considerable potential for profit for the service providers supporting those needs.
But what does it take to become a hosting reseller, and what's in it for business owners? Let's a take a look at a few reasons to consider adding hosting services to your company's portfolio:
1) White-labeled, expert services build your brand
When your organization becomes a hosting reseller, you can rest easy knowing you won't be passing your relationships with your customers to another company. Hosting resellers benefit from white labeled services, meaning clients work directly with your firm to obtain the solutions they need. The quality of the service your customers receive still depends on you, however – simply on how well you've picked your partner. Your service provider remains in the background, providing support to ensure your business is poised for success.
Becoming a hosting reseller enables you to provide your customer with the services they're currently seeking elsewhere.
2) Support throughout the partnership
Even though your company is providing the services, you're never alone. Your service provider will be there to support you throughout the partnership, with onboarding, sales and product training, and a dedicated account manager at your disposal. Should you or your team ever have any concerns, questions or simply need assistance, your service provider's team is there to help out.
"Partnership perks ensure that your brand is supported and tied to an already established, successful name in the industry."
3) The perks of partnership
As a partner of an expert service provider, you'll also benefit from collaboration, including joint marketing and access to special assets and resources. A true partnership goes beyond simply passing services from one company to the next.
You also have a team of experts supporting your brand and special perks that set your business apart in the marketplace. Just think of it this way: White-labeling helps your company take ownership over the new reseller services, but partnership perks ensure that your brand is supported and tied to an already established, successful name in the industry.
4) Expand your portfolio while reducing infrastructure costs
Your company also has the opportunity to enjoy an expanded service portfolio while lowering infrastructure costs. While you are offering white-labeled hosting services for your clients, you need not worry about having the infrastructure necessary to support these. Your service provider takes care of all the equipment, maintenance and upkeep. As your company's offerings and revenue grow, your IT team focuses only on your own business's mission-critical needs.
What's next? How to become a reseller
These only scratch the surface of the benefits that can be reaped by hosting resellers. Now that you're considering adding hosting service to your portfolio, it's time to examine next steps.
- Familiarize yourself with the services: First and foremost, if you're unfamiliar with hosting services and the types of offerings available, it's important to educate yourself. You should fully understand what your company will be offering before taking that leap.
- Examine your options: Next, it's time to take a look at what options are available to you. There are a range of hosting reselling services your company can offer, so consider which services that will fit with your current portfolio as well as your budget. Consider not only the bottom line but also your customers' needs. What value-added services can you provide that your clients will want to acquire?
- Select the right partner: As your business is kicking off a new, meaningful journey into reseller hosting, it's important to select a partner with which you can build a quality, long-term relationship. This partner should be able to provide you all the benefits and resources mentioned above, including access to white-labeled services, robust support and other perks.
- Pricing and marketing: Once the right partner is selected, you can look forward to an exciting new chapter for your company. The partner can assist you in establishing customer prices, as well as creating marketing documents and other materials. Once the word is out about your hosting services, it's time to sit back and enjoy the work and effort you've put in to bring your business to this point.
Becoming a reseller has great potential, particularly in today's market – and especially with the right partner. Hostway, an industry-leading provider of hosting services, can offer all this and more through our Reseller Partner Program. To find out more, contact us today.