d. Reseller hosting

In reseller hosting, a web hosting provider offers web server storage to third-party (i.e. reseller) at a discount price, who then resell web server storage to their customers. Typically, resellers are web consultants including web designers, web developers, or system integration company who resell web hosting as a add-on service to complement their other range of services. Commonly, resellers can receive up to 50 percent discount on price of a hosting account from web hosting provider. And resellers are allowed to decide its own pricing structure and even establish its own branding (in other words, reseller setup its web hosting company on Internet and start selling web hosting plans under its brand).

To reseller’s customers, reseller is web host provider. In cases when technical problems such as server down and access problem arise, resellers will have to correspond directly with actual web host provider. Due to communication process taken place between customer to reseller and from reseller to actual web host provider and back and forth, undoubtedly problems will take longer time to resolve. Unless you are running your own personal website or non-profit website and willing to take risks of poor support from reseller, reseller hosting is generally not a good option.

However, web hosting market today is filled with resellers that sell lowest price web hosting plans. So, how do you tell between a genuine web hosting provider from a reseller? You don’t judge by availability of toll-free number alone because some web hosting providers even offer their resellers with their own toll-free number for co-branded technical support. When reseller’s customer calls number for technical support, web host uses reseller’s name so customer thinks that support is coming from reseller directly. Likewise, don’t be fooled by professional designed website alone because it is extremely easy to create a professional looked business website nowadays.

In general, resellers can be distinguished from their hosting price and company information. In most cases, a genuine web hosting provider has solid company information such as iPowerWeb.com where they publish its financial background, offices and data centers. In contrast, resellers usually do not have solid company background (here is just an example out of thousands out there). Moreover, hosting price by resellers is generally below $5 per month. So, why settle for resellers when you can find genuine web hosting providers offering superb quality web hosting at hosting price ranging between $7 - $10.

Therefore, you should not strive to find lowest price web hosting companies without first considering quality of service and support provided. Don’t expect to find any top-level support if you choose to pay only $2 or $3 per months for your web hosting plan. On other hand, by paying just slightly more for your hosting plan, you can now discover a list of low cost yet high quality web hosting plans to host your important website. Look at our high quality and cheap web hosting services review and recommendation here.

4.The support provided both online and offline to ensure you can sleep soundly at night. This is area that is overlooked most often whenever novice webmaster signs up for a webhosting contract. It is absolutely important ( burn this into your head) I repeat absolutely important to ensure that you get a web hosting company that will answer your calls and ensure your website stays up and running even if you call them at 2 am in morning to request for help. I am talking about 24 hours support everyday of week and also relevant safety measures implemented in data center at which your server resides. I highly recommend you find out more about location of data center about power supply facilities, where it is situated and also safety measures that have been put in place such as fire protection and relevant data backup facilities to a remote location as a safety should a physical destruction occur that literally wipes out whole data center ( although I think this is highly unlikely unless George Lucas must have been tingling with wrong button at his huge animation studios and manage to bring Darth Vader back to life).