Using WordPress for Your Reseller Hosting Business

When you first start looking at how to set up an online business, you will inevitably encounter WordPress. The company powers 40% of the web, from blogs to eCommerce stores and SaaS companies. Businesses of all sizes use WordPress to help meet their customers’ needs.

Although numerous alternatives exist, WordPress is still the best option for many hosting resellers. From customization to scalability, WordPress will help you serve your customers for the long run. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about additional applications or anything of the like.

You will still be responsible for some aspects, such as security. However, you’ll also have the right support to continue serving your customers and growing your business. Keep reading to discover the top reasons why you should use WordPress for your reseller hosting business.

Before we start, it’s worth noting that there are two main types of WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com.

We suggest using WordPress.org for multiple reasons. While it seems daunting at first (it isn’t, as we’ll discuss later), WordPress.org will let you and your clients customize their website in countless more ways than the .com version. Moreover, migration is a much more straightforward process.

Although WordPress.org will require more hands-on work, it’s also better for scalability. WordPress.com does have plans that allow for eCommerce and other aspects, but they’re typically not on the same level as Wordpress.org.

Now that you know why we recommend WordPress.org instead of WordPress.com, let’s look at the top reasons why you should use WordPress for your business.

Several other hosting platforms exist, but in many cases, you’ll face more hurdles in your journey to become a successful hosting reseller. One problem that you’ll often encounter is that you have to apply before you can be a hosting reseller.

If you have no prior reseller hosting experience, getting accepted could present a huge challenge. As a result, you may have to wait longer to even get started. You won’t evolve your skills as quickly, and because of this, you could fall behind your competitors.

However, you won’t encounter such problems when you resell hosting via WordPress. While you’ll have to put in the initial legwork to make your business a success, you can sign up for a reseller hosting service. Once you’ve done that, you can begin working toward a positive ROI as a hosting reseller.

When starting a reseller hosting business, it’s important that you think about the potential pitfalls you could encounter. Scalability is one of those; to continue satisfying your customers, you must help them evolve their businesses and meet any new demands they may have.

Unfortunately, many closed-source solutions struggle with scalability. We mentioned, for example, that WordPress.com is limited compared to WordPress.org; this can also be the case with other platforms. If you fail to continue meeting your customers’ needs, they will find a competitor who will.

Since WordPress is very scalable, it makes sense to offer reseller hosting services for these kinds of companies. Just make sure that you understand your clients’ server requirements.

Since WordPress is open-source, it offers a huge level of customization that no other platform can compete with. Users with WordPress websites have full control over every website aspect, such as:

• Design: While many services offer customizable themes, they often aren’t on the same level as WordPress. Moreover, you can often find more WordPress themes than you would with other services.

• SEO: Website owners can integrate several SEO tools, such as Yoast and Google Analytics.

• eCommerce: Many WordPress themes integrate with WooCommerce.

• Security: It’s possible to add even more security to your website beyond the web hosting provider’s base (though it’s still important to choose a secure hosting provider).

You can integrate WordPress plugins for other functionalities, too, such as unique widgets. Due to these capabilities, many site owners opt for WordPress if they’re serious about scaling. Besides serving these people, you should also use WordPress to design your own site.

I’ve had to migrate to WordPress from various other services in the past, including Squarespace, Wix, and Ghost. You will probably have customers who want to do the same at some point, and for this reason, it’s worth knowing the basics of WordPress website migration.

Generally speaking, migrating a WordPress website to a new host is quite simple. You’ll typically need to change elements, such as the DNS server.

While migrating sites to WordPress (and between hosting providers) is straightforward, it’s still worth partnering with someone who will help you do this. Doing so will ensure that you don’t mess anything vital up. The best way to do this is by partnering with a hosting provider that offers free migration.

One of the biggest barriers that stopped me from using WordPress for a long time was how daunting I thought it would be to set up. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the truth was the complete opposite. It’s quite easy to create an eCommerce website in WordPress, along with starting a blog and many other site kinds.

Setting up a WordPress website will certainly take time, but the interface has become much more intuitive in recent years. After choosing a theme, you can then start filling out the website’s copy and installing relevant plugins. Many hosting providers offer WordPress apps in the backend, too, which offers easy access when needed.

Since WordPress websites are easy to set up, your customers can get started in a shorter time period. So, they’ll likely be more satisfied with the service you offer.

One of the biggest reseller hosting mistakes to avoid is not taking customer support seriously. This is important on your side, but it’s also vital to consider when looking at which reseller you’ll partner with. The good news is that when choosing WordPress for your reseller hosting business, you’ll often have access to more – and better – dedicated support.

In some cases, you can access round-the-clock customer support with comprehensive WordPress experience. This will allow you to solve problems more quickly and ensure that your customers aren’t left in the dark.

WordPress is a household name, and unsurprisingly, many hosting providers offer dedicated solutions. It’s often the go-to for new aspiring website owners, and many later turn to WordPress when they’ve outgrown their existing solutions.

WordPress’s widespread popularity also means that you can choose from a bigger pool of talented hires. You’ll find numerous developers, technicians, designers, and more with knowledge of this particular service. So, you can build your own business – and help your customers – with more resources.

The fact that WordPress powers 40% of websites might seem limiting to some, but it’s worth looking at this from a positive standpoint. WordPress is far from reaching its ceiling, with several other sites likely to switch over at some point. Considering that several new websites are created daily, you can start to see the significant potential here.

Common business advice will tell you to niche down, and this can certainly be worthwhile in some cases. However, you may sometimes find more success in being a generalist – and in your early days, you’ll probably juggle multiple kinds of clients. One nice thing about WordPress is that you don’t have to pigeonhole yourself.

All kinds of websites use WordPress, including:

• Blogs

• SaaS companies

• eCommerce stores

• Businesses selling online courses

• News websites

Because of this diversity, you’ll never have a shortage of clients to choose from. It also means that you can experiment with multiple clients to see what you do and do like. And because of this, you’ll build a more sustainable and enjoyable business in the long run.

Depending on the business type, some of your clients will probably want to keep all of their offerings in one place. For example, a blog may also want to launch an eCommerce store and use WooCommerce instead of an alternative. Whether it’s for plugins and extensions or to avoid needless headaches, WordPress offers a viable all-in-one solution.

With customizations, your clients can set up online stores, subscriber-only content, private forums, and many other areas. So, you won’t have to worry about customers leaving because they want an alternative solution.

One of the most overlooked WordPress.org benefits is that it’s free in and of itself to use. Even if you cancel some of your subscriptions, you can still use and customize WordPress in some way, shape, or form. As a result, you have full flexibility to purchase the subscriptions and tools that you actually need.

Even when including startup costs, you can set up WordPress without a huge amount of capital. For example, reseller hosting plans are usually affordable in and of themselves. If you find one with free SSL certificates and backups, along with expert support and free migrations, you’ll get an even higher return on your investment.

It’s still a good idea to factor in your hosting for WordPress costs, along with the other things you might pay for. Keep a budget spreadsheet handy so you know what you’re spending.

WordPress is the go-to content management system for many businesses, and it’s not hard to see why. It has endless customization, better scalability, and several other benefits that make it hard to look past. As a hosting reseller, you can enjoy these and also not need to apply before becoming a reseller.