cPanel Reseller Hosting

The cPanel reseller hosting operating model works by dividing cPanel hosting server(s) into predefined reseller packages, which are afterwards traded as individual reseller packages. Each and every single cPanel reseller web hosting package is managed by the WebHost Manager (WHM) management GUI. WHM is the place where the reseller creates the shared web hosting accounts marketed under his own brand. Here are the common stages an ordinary cPanel-based web site hosting reseller has to pass through:

1. Pick a billing/invoicing gateway

In order to collect payments from their clients, the resellers must obtain an invoicing software system linked to the cPanel/WHM module. The most famous billing software systems for cPanel and WHM are ModernBill, WHMCS, ClientExec and AWBS.

2. Create a merchant account

A merchant account for credit/debit card payments is needed. Preferably issued by a bank (Bank of America, HSBC, Barclays, etc.) or some kind of a payment processor (PayPal, WorldPay, 2CheckOut, etc.). Without the merchant account, the reseller cannot accept any credit/debit card payments from his website hosting customers. This merchant account must be created inside the selected billing platform by the ardent reseller.

3. Establish a domain reseller account

If you will be offering domain registration and transfer services to your clients, you need to open a domain reseller account with some domain name registrar and to connect it inside the billing software.

4. Create the shared web site hosting accounts

The cPanel reseller web hosting business operating model enables the reseller to sell shared hosting plans only. Using the WebHost Manager device, the wholesale web page hosting resources must be sliced into smaller accounts.

5. Choose the prices for the shared hosting accounts

Now is the time for the reseller to set the prices for the offered shared web hosting packages. While doing this, it's preferable to pay good attention to the fact that inside the billing software platform (which is separate from cPanel and WebHost Manager, in other words a third login location for the reseller so far and 2nd for the customers) the customers will be able to have a peek at their invoices (due or paid) and the earlier payments made, i.e. this is the Billing Manager for the passionate cPanel hosting clients as well. cPanel has around 150 sections inside (the customer needs to pick up swiftly), but does not include any Billing or Invoice Manager. Can you believe that?

6. Set the prices for the domains

The customer interface offered by cPanel also does not support quite important domain procedures, such as registrations, transfers, renewals, parking, DNS registrations, DNS record changes, etc. So, this payment software platform is also providing a place for the keen cPanel website hosting clients where they can carry out some (albeit, not all) of the aforementioned critical domain name management and handling procedures. So, now is the time for the reseller to choose which Top-Level Domains (TLDs) will be marketed and to select their corresponding registration, transfer and renewal prices.

7. Add a customer support platform

Another thing that is lacking in the client interface provided by cPanel is a customer support section (a technical support platform). Based on the invoice software platform the reseller has chosen already, a client support platform is either available or not. If it is not included, the reseller has to provide a client support system and to install it somewhere. Somehow the shared web hosting clients should be informed of its presence.

8. Link the order wizard with the website

At last, now is the time for the reseller hosting site itself. There the shared web site hosting accounts and domains can be bought by the prospective clients. The entire site must perform in perfect accord with the invoice system. This implies, within the web site, the order wizards and the order pages have to be linked properly.

Let's sum up the login places present with the cPanel-based website hosting reseller plans. There are at least two and maximum 4 places to log in to, which can be quite puzzling for the resellers and mainly for the customers.

For the reseller the login locations are:

(1) cPanel (for the reseller site); (2) WebHost Manager; (3) the billing system; (4) the trouble ticket system (this is in the case that the billing gateway does not already incorporate it - some do, others don't).

Login locations for the devoted cPanel web space hosting customers:

(1) cPanel; (2) the invoice software platform; (3) eventually the customer support system.