Domain & Hosting

[Emmanize]

How many of you offer domains and hosting with your web design? How does this one work? Do you buy the domain and hosting package for them? Or do you buy more hosting space for yourself and add the web sites to it with a domain? I don’t know if it’s something I can do right now but its something I want to look at for the future.

[EC]

I personally don't think it's worth the hassle. I have a reseller hosting account and I've got a handful of clients on there, but I really only make enough to cover the costs for me to host some of my own sites there. Also, you have to consider that if you offer this service -- you have to provide technical support 24/7/365.

Sometimes I register domains and hosting for my client and just bill them for reimbursement. But, that is an administrative hassle and even though I do mark it up, that barely covers my administrativ time, so I don't make money doing it, it's just a courtesy. I always prefer to have them register their own stuff, so it's in their name and independent of me.

If you're doing it as part of your service offerings as a web designer, you might find that it's more trouble than profits. But, if you want to be a "web host" and have a goal to work on a volume model, if you've got a way to provide support for your customers that doesn't dig into your profits too much -- then that's a different story.

I think drazan hosts, maybe she'll be around shortly with the other side of the coin.

[Emmanize]

Oh Right. Didn’t now it was like that. I would rather just build the site and put all my time into that, but so many web designers are offering hosting with a free domain name making me feel that I am not offering much lol. I saw another local web designer and he was very cheap (cheaper then me) and he offered a free domain as well. I don’t know if we can mention prices here but I could not afford to go this low, yet he offers more. It sucks. I am almost woundering how is lives! :eek:

[Piscosour]

You need to let them know what is the best choice according with the site you are designing, not all of the ISP accept e-commerce functionality, PHP, certain databases, etc.

[EC]

Oh Right. Didn’t now it was like that. I would rather just build the site and put all my time into that, but so many web designers are offering hosting with a free domain name making me feel that I am not offering much lol. I saw another local web designer and he was very cheap (cheaper then me) and he offered a free domain as well. I don’t know if we can mention prices here but I could not afford to go this low, yet he offers more. It sucks. I am almost woundering how is lives! :eek:

Well you have to ask yourself what kind of clients you want to work with. If you want to work with cheap people, then yes you'll have to offer cheap pricing and under cut the cheap guy down the street. A domain name is only $5-$15 bucks a year or so. If that tips the scales for a client, RUN. ;)

[xplod_ldg]

Oh Right. Didn’t now it was like that. I would rather just build the site and put all my time into that, but so many web designers are offering hosting with a free domain name making me feel that I am not offering much lol. I saw another local web designer and he was very cheap (cheaper then me) and he offered a free domain as well. I don’t know if we can mention prices here but I could not afford to go this low, yet he offers more. It sucks. I am almost woundering how is lives! :eek:

Probably he makes his money elsewhere, and does web design only as a hobby. Domains are very cheap so you could include a domain in your design bill. Don't worry ... he has his category of clients, you have yours.