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My reseller wish list - I want it all...
| Posted by kspriggs, 01-24-2007, 06:37 PM |
| Well - I'm sick to death of weeks of looking at web host sites. I need everything. I'll explain what I want and you tell me if it is unreasonable to find a tier 1, shared hosting reseller account that meets my needs.
I'm willing to pay more at start to have ALL and lower prices with growth.
Of course I need the obvious... 'nix or 'nix/windows, dependable, security managed servers that are fast with guaranteed uptime. Backups and recovery, stats and all you would expect with a reputable shared hosting provider.
I will start with about 10 accounts and want to be able to expand at about 100 accounts per month.
I require:
1. Fully automated customer sign-up including domain registration/transfer
2. Fully automated Customer CC and/or paypal payment
3. Fully automated customer account upgrades and addditional service purchases.
4. Fully automated Customer DIY "instant" site builder(s)
5. Fully automated monthly/recurring billing
6. Fast, American and brandable 24/7 End User Support
7. Fast Reseller phone and 24/7 Guaranteed or ticket support
8. Resell Reseller accounts enabled
9. Fully Brandable throughout
10. mydomain.tld nameservers
11. Dedicated IPs available
12. Domain reseller account with purchaser retaining ownership of domain rights
13. A verifiablably legitamate company, BBB, Phone numbers, street address, etc.
I hope to also have:
1. Reseller templates
2. Resell SSL
3. End user sales support
4. Advertised support response times (I like minutes not hours)
5. Affiliate program to track payouts for referrals.
6. Coupon input for customers at sign-up
I figure that if a provider has all of this they will have other features and functions typically listed.
So many come so close but I cannot find anyone that has everything.
ALSO: are there any glaring omissions on my list.
Thanks for your help!
Kspriggs
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| Posted by steven99, 01-24-2007, 06:56 PM |
| From a quick look at your list, it would seem hsphere is in your future. Hsphere provides all the services you listed in one system. You can also expand (if the host supports it) to other servicse as the host adds them on.
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| Posted by Swelly, 01-24-2007, 08:05 PM |
| Let me ask you this. What is your budget for a project like your ideas here?
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| Posted by BrettB, 01-24-2007, 08:42 PM |
| You have quite a few requirements, but with the huge volume of hosts out there, I imagine you will be able to find a host that meets most of your needs, if not all.
The requirements you list about recurring payments and automatic setup -- is this for when you're signing up with the host or what you want the billing software to be able to do when a client signs up for your services that you're reselling? If it's the later, it would really depend on the billing software and payment gateways you choose to use, so you may find more opportunities by finding a host that meets your other requirements and then purchase a billing system separately that has the features you need; unless, of course, I interpreted your requests incorrectly.
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| Posted by Swelly, 01-24-2007, 08:43 PM |
| Also you may find it quite hard to find a reseller that has "sub reselling" enabled. I just saw that and figured I would post to let you know.
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| Posted by KNL-BSW, 01-24-2007, 10:48 PM |
| What it appears he wants is something like ResellerZoom, but with more.
Honestly steven, nothing in his post directed him directly to hsphere as many combinations can do this.
The problem is the host behind it providing what he wants, such as the end user support, etc... since many resellers don't offer this.
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| Posted by CyberHostPro, 01-24-2007, 10:52 PM |
| Hi
"5. Affiliate program to track payouts for referrals."
3rd party products maybe better such as idevaffiliate, that way if you were to ever add additional products, you could manage all referals from one product.
if reference to the features, i believe HELM 4 control panel would be ideal for you, although this does not *yet* have a site builder.
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| Posted by cartika-andrew, 01-25-2007, 01:29 AM |
| Hi Larry - sorry, got to agree with steven here - this requirements list - at least as far as the control panel elements are concerned - pretty much define hsphere
Hi cyberhost - unless I am missing something (which is always possible and likely helm does not support *nix does it?
No other control panel including those requiring various add-ons and modules can accomodate the level of automation this user is looking for - let alone *nix and windows support..
Some of the other requirements (ie end user support) are offered by some hosts, but obviously not all.
The best advise that can be given here is to look for hsphere (and maybe plesk) providers and see which ones can accomodate the remaining requirements
Last edited by cartika-andrew; 01-25-2007 at 01:33 AM.
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| Posted by KNL-BSW, 01-25-2007, 01:38 AM |
| A Plesk Provider that Provides both Windows & Linux with ModernBill or HSPComplete along with SiteBuilder could meet all of those w/ Plesk Expand being a bonus.
I believe HostingController's new version also would do all of this, but don't quote me on that as I don't use it. I'm just going off what I remember reading bout the new features, including the *nix support.
But, Cartika is right in the sense that the list that can provide all of the basic features the client wants with both platforms being supported alike is small.
Unfortunately I think the dead-end street here is the level of End-User support. If you are prepared to pay in excess of $150.00 or more per month you may be able to find what you are looking for, but still questionable.
Questionable to the point that I'm not sure any company actually provides it.
As I understand it not only do you want 24/7 End User support, you want this by phone also and you want it to be American Based.
Combined with this you want them to process your credit card orders (if I understood this correctly).
You are asking a lot.
If you were willing to look at what options were available for Merchant Accounts and outsourced support and utilize these you would stand a better chance of finding a host that meets the rest of your requirements.
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| Posted by cartika-andrew, 01-25-2007, 01:46 AM |
| Hi Larry - Agreed - thats alot of add-ons - but, completely agree with you...
Agreed !
I didnt get this part - but, they may be in fact looking for that...
Im also not sure they are looking for end user support by phone - but, I am probably mis-reading what they posted here - looks like they want 24x7 end user support, but only looking for reseller phone support???? (I probably have this wrong )
Eitherway, this is an extensive and specialized requirements list - no doubt about it - and agree with XSI-Larry - this is an hsphere requirement (or a plesk requirement) - I would start my search there as it will greatly assist you with narrowing down your options...
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| Posted by Tetraboy, 01-25-2007, 03:41 AM |
| When I read the requirements, H-Sphere popped into my mind. Admittedly though, I have little experience with Plesk.
The closest reseller host I've seen to the requirements would be Cartika Hosting. As for my interpretation, they would meet every requirement, excepting #8. There are other H-Sphere resellers ( Fluid Hosting, JodoHost, etc. ), but none of them that I know of offer North American end user support currently.
However, if you are wanting a hassle and management free option, you may be better suited with an affiliate program or reselling another hosts plans under your brand, rather than the standard bulk reseller plan. With flexibility comes complexity.
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| Posted by IHSL, 01-25-2007, 08:48 AM |
| No, it doesn't. No control panel satisfies all those requirements, to be honest. The requirements are very well thought out, but you'll be looking for a specific provider that specialises in reseller hosting; by the sounds of it, the control panel is not the important thing for the topic starter, it's the whole package.
H-Sphere, like a few control panels, can satisfy the provisioning of 1-5 and 10-11. After that, it's all down to the provider and what VAR options they have. The good thing is, for the topic starter, you'll have a very short list to choose from if you want all 1-13 satisfied. Try some google searches by combining your requirements. Example: Reseller hosting + end user support + automated signup. Take your points and mix/match them up and you'll soon have a short list of providers to choose from.
Simon
Last edited by IHSL; 01-25-2007 at 08:53 AM.
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| Posted by rv_irl, 01-25-2007, 09:21 AM |
| There are companies which are able to provide this level of end user support for way under $150.00 per month
But I agree the requirements lean more towards hsphere, but it isn't "impossible" for a cPanel host to offer this.
Personally however, I believe it is important some of the things you do yourself. You do need to maintain more control over your business if you wish to successfully control it in the future. A more hands on approach is better to give a good understanding of the industry..
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| Posted by kspriggs, 01-25-2007, 11:32 AM |
| You guys are awsome. Thanks for your responses.
What if I give up number 6 and suport my own end users... would there be a host that could provide the rest?
kspriggs
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| Posted by cybernet, 02-08-2007, 03:45 AM |
| So kspriggs, have you found any provider who can give or atleast 90% of that?
Let us know if you and how much and if you have compromised on any of your requirements and what did you end up with?
All the best
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| Posted by kspriggs, 02-08-2007, 12:08 PM |
| I have chosen one that I thought had about 90% but it is not intuitive, Clientexec will not download and there are little or no instructions. I was lured by $12.99 SSL and $6.99 Domains.
I think I can build what I want there... but I could do THAT at my current host.
I will disclose my experience later, but I do not want to post any negative reviews prematurely.
You would think there would be some host out there a "single control panel solution" that would actually give you CONTROL over all the features touted on their websites.
I know how to go buy licenses from the providers of control panels, site builders, domain registrars, SSL providers, billing solutions, and merchant account providers.
This will be costly but I'm not just looking for a discount... I'm looking for a "solution."
Later, with more revenue, I WILL, no doubt, put all this in place on a managed server but until then, I would just like to have a site [frustration] where customers can sign up without my assistance, build their own site and manage their account online. I'll do the support, if need be.
By the way, I'm learning that sites that offer end user support are rarely available to answer my sales questions immediately.
I wish this forum would allow Hosts to offer themselves here if they believe they have the solution... then we could have a real discussion about the validity of their claims.
I'll post my findings. Thanks for asking.
Kevin (kspriggs)
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| Posted by Shaw Networks, 02-08-2007, 02:29 PM |
| Would you mind sharing what web host you ended signing up with?
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| Posted by utropicmedia-karl, 02-08-2007, 03:01 PM |
| Weighting decisions of this nature based on cost is asking for unexpected surprises - there is not a single best-of-class provider in any industry that is in the bottom 60% of pricing. Please keep us updated on things.
Thanks!
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| Posted by kspriggs, 02-08-2007, 03:41 PM |
| I agree and I have not mentioned price as a requirement... I'm looking for features.
The 12.99 and 6.99 costs were only a factor AFTER I found the most possible features I wanted.
My assumption was that these SSL and domain costs were based on the VOLUME of business by the host, hence experience and reliablilty.
Kevin
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