When working with client’s that have no web host, are designers/developers responsible for hosting or finding a host for said client?
What are the pros and cons of having a client find their own host (or recommending one) vs say a reseller program where you would handle the hosting?
I appreciate any input you can share.
Thanks!
While you aren’t technically responsible for securing hosting, it is a good thing for you to do so the client doesn’t have to worry about it and it gives you some control over server setup, etc. Get a reseller account so you can host multiple domains. I’ve got about ten sites on a reseller account.
Having the client find their own hosting sounds scary. I’m a linux guy, so I don’t want the client running out and getting crappy hosting. If you don’t need anything fancy server-wise, having the client do it may be an option. But soon you will probably need mysql, php, etc. on the server. The client’s server choice may not have what you need.
thanks for the reply! i do have another question for your regarding hosting on a reseller account. do you find that adds a lot more work on your part? i mean continued maintenance on 10 sites? also do you charge for the maintenance?
You should charge separately for hosting and web site maintenance.
thanks for the advise!
If you do not need reseller hosting you can refer your customers to other hosts and earn affiliate commission
Agreed, and don’t forget about domains (if your doing hosting), managing those can give you a quick additional turnaround and complete the package you offer to them (in terms of managing their entire web presence). I personally wouldn’t have a problem managing their site, however I would certainly price it based on the domains + hosting + your fee (no updates included in the price - that goes to hourly rates, otherwise you’ll spend your life on 3 or 4 clients) 
What are the pros and cons of having a client find their own host (or recommending one) vs say a reseller program where you would handle the hosting?
Many web designers come to love the steady income that the hosting side business provides.
i mean continued maintenance on 10 sites?
You can either bundle the hosting with the website maintenance or not. In any case, the customer cannot expect to pay the price of a regular hosting account (which these days is quite cheap) and get website maintenance included.
There are reseller accounts out there that come with end use support (for the hosting side of things of course).
I ONLY host my client’s sites and I do it for very specific reasons. I know the software on my server is up to date, I know what software is installed and I don’t have to try and deal with other companies horrid tech support. Plain and simple when I want something done I want it done NOW … not when tech support gets around to it. 
if you also provide hosting you will not only have another revenue stream, but will also build your relationship with your client.
I was doing web design long before I started this hosting company. I always secured the hosting for our web design clients. I still do lol. However I was spending too much time researching hosts and reading TOS. Each web design client had specific needs. Some were adult others were not, some wanted LAMP others windows, some needed more features then a previously used host allowed. Once I realized I could eliminate this research and create residual income by offering hosting via a Reseller account I did and never looked back.
Not every web design client will generate residual income from website maintenance. Some are simply static. However every website needs a web host. Within a year I was ready for my first dedicated server. I could tell you how many we have now but that would be self promotion lol.
Affiliate residuals are another option but I think Reseller accounts cultivate more loyalty, keep you in your customers mind and offer greater income potential in the long run. Especially if you are willing to work at it. How many web design clients have come to you saying they don’t remember who designed their site? That’s less likely to happen if they’re paying you a monthly hosting fee. Nowadays you can even find reseller plans that provide support and billing for your clients. All you have to do is set up the account really and the client pays you.
It helps if you offer hosting to your clients along with web design and development as clients get everything at the same place. They don’t have to bother looking around for hosting and you get a chance to earn extra income too. A reseller hosting account would do the job for you.
Just to throw a Spanner in the works - I’ve stopped hosting all together!
Reason being - unreasonable customers! And shared hosting
This may happen and in all honesty with 6 years of reseller XP under my belt it’s been the most tiresome experience.
Point No1.
Shared hosting: when you sign up for a reseller package you are at the beck and call of everyone else on that server. e.g. if someone on the server gets blacklisted for spam or other problems sometimes (not always) you will be effected: emails not delivered (earache)
Point No2. You are the middleman: You still have to contact the hosting company to solve problems that in all fairness are your hosts (reseller company) problems. The small amount of hosting costs you charge soon becomes insignificant over the course of a year. I charge (charged) £85 pa which is no way near the back n forth problems that can and do happen.
Point No3.
Not all reseller packages are the same- I actually have been quite lucky - but it’s still a pain to get a call “I’ve no email” (maybe their outlook express account db is corrupt - Not my problem but ill sort it for you (chargeable)
Point4. THERE IS NO MONEY IN HOSTING ON A RESELLER LEVEL: This is not by any means an exhaustive list. But they are to be bared in mind. If you charge £85 per year for hosting a site you should not be acting as a go between. £85 soon equates to 2 hours work which, in my experience, dependant on the company, is negligible!
Point5: I would not let the above points dissuade you as initially a reseller package puts you in control (great for learning as you can create, delete, install packages, test etc) without having to host a separate site with domain
Just a few point to ponder (I will justify my responses forthwith)
If you do not want to bother with reseller hosting or VPS go ahead with affiliate program. I’m certain that is something what will be able to satify you best and help earn some money as well
well many of he clients don’t know n=much about hosting and they literally buy some scrappy service . instead if we you take care of the problem:
You still have to contact the hosting company to solve problems that in all fairness are your hosts (reseller company) problems.
There shouldn’t be that many problems that are out of your hands and only the host has the ability to address. If there are, then the host you chose was probably of questionable quality, or you were terribly unlucky.
Agreed, most hosting doesn’t require too heavy management, most hosting goes issue free and you would spend time simply making small changes through the control panel as required. It’s not exactly something that should ever become a full time job, it’s the hosts job to keep the servers running perfectly.
I’ve got 150 of my clients on my VPS…it’s a good revenue stream.
But don’t skimp on getting a quality provider or your life will be a nightmare if sites start going down.
Combining web designing, web hosting and domain registration is always a good idea as customers are getting each and all at one place.
It is convient also for web developers as they do not need to search host and domain name registration services.
It is adviced to maintain 3 saparate websites for all three jobs and another exclusive website to maintain clients’ support and accounts.
Good luck.
spread your hosting to a few companies. If one suddenly decides PHP 4 is no longer going to be supported and all your clients have PHP4 based shopping carts you will have to fix all your customers sites.
I have even had a hosting company wipe out all php.ini files on the root directory which caused issues in a large number of client sites.
Hosting has its rewards and headaches. It ties you to the business and clients even when you may no longer be accepting new clients or not supporting the clients you used to.