cPanel-based Reseller Web Site Hosting

The cPanel reseller hosting operating model works by chopping cPanel-based web hosting server(s) into predefined reseller plans, which are afterwards promoted as individual reseller accounts. Every single cPanel reseller web space hosting plan is managed by the WebHost Manager (WHM) administration device. WHM is the location where the reseller sets up the shared web hosting accounts marketed under his own trademark. Here are the typical procedures an ordinary cPanel web page hosting reseller has to go through:

1. Choose a billing/invoicing software platform

So as to accept payments from their customers, the resellers must acquire a billing software platform connected with the cPanel/WHM software. The most famous invoicing platforms for cPanel and WHM are ModernBill, WHMCS, ClientExec and AWBS.

2. Create a merchant account

A merchant account for credit/debit card transactions is required. Preferably issued by a bank (Bank of America, HSBC, Barclays, etc.) or some type of an invoice gateway (PayPal, WorldPay, 2CheckOut, etc.). Without the merchant account, the reseller cannot gather any credit/debit card payments from his site hosting customers. This merchant account needs to be created inside the selected billing platform by the keen reseller.

3. Open a domain name reseller account

If you will be offering domain registration and transfer solutions to your clients, you need to open a domain reseller account with a certain domain registrar and to link it inside the invoicing processor.

4. Set up the shared webspace hosting accounts

The cPanel-based reseller web space hosting business model permits the reseller to resell shared hosting accounts only. Availing of the WebHost Manager device, the wholesale webspace hosting supplies must be cut into smaller accounts.

5. Choose the price tags for the shared web page hosting plans

Now is the time for the reseller to choose the prices for the offered shared hosting accounts. While doing this, it's advisable to pay good heed to the circumstance that inside the invoicing platform (which is independent from cPanel and WHM, in other words a 3rd login location for the reseller so far and 2nd for the customers) the customers will be able to scrutinize their invoices (due or paid) and the earlier payments made, i.e. this is the Billing Manager for the ecstatic cPanel hosting customers too. cPanel has almost one hundred and fifty sections inside (the customer must learn promptly), but does not have any Billing or Invoice Manager. Can you believe that?

6. Select the prices for the domain names

The user interface offered by cPanel also does not support quite vital domain name procedures, such as registrations, transfers, renewals, parking, DNS registrations, DNS record changes, etc. So, this invoice system is also providing a location for the excited cPanel web space hosting clients where they can execute some (still, not all) of the abovementioned decisive domain administration and handling activities. So, now is the time for the reseller to decide which Top-Level Domains (TLDs) will be offered and to set their respective registration, transfer and renewal price tags.

7. Add a technical support system

Another thing that lacks in the user interface provided by cPanel is a technical support section (a client support system). Based on the payment platform the reseller has selected already, a trouble ticket platform is either available or not. If it is not included, the reseller has to provide a technical support system and to install it somewhere. Somehow the shared web site hosting clients should be aware of its existence.

8. Connect the order wizard with the site

Finally, now is the time for the reseller hosting website itself. There the shared web site hosting packages and domains can be purchased by the prospective clients. The entire site must work in perfect accord with the invoicing software. This implies, within the website, the order wizards and the order pages need to be linked correctly.

Let's summarize the login locations available with the cPanel web site hosting reseller solutions. There are minimum two and maximum 4 locations to log in to, which can be very baffling for the resellers and chiefly for the clients.

For the reseller the login places are:

(1) cPanel (for the reseller web site); (2) WebHost Manager; (3) the invoice processor; (4) the support system (this is in the case that the invoicing system does not already include it - some do, others don't).

Login locations for the exalted cPanel hosting clients:

(1) cPanel; (2) the billing processor; (3) ultimately the client support ticket platform.