Freelancing Tycoon

#1 (permalink)

Hey, I am looking at setting up as a freelance web designer and am considering the option of providing some of my smaller scale customers with hosting. The two main reasons for this are:

1. It's better to offer a complete package, rather than telling them they have to fork out twice and that basically I can't finish the job off
2. I see it as a nice steady form of income every month

I was just wondering if anyone else here does the same (or not) and if there are any tips you would offer? One area that I am keen to get a handle on is drawing up some form of contract to cover me in case of third-party down-time, or things like that. Does anyone here do that?

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#2 (permalink)

I have two monthly options that I offer my clients, straight web hosting which I basically make no money off of and a second option which includes hosting + maintenance at a discounted rate.

#3 (permalink)

I have a master reseller account that's affordable. My host handles all the support..end user support...all I have to do is set-up my hosting packages and do all the billing. I can upgrade, kick-out or what ever with my clients.
The clients don't even have to know me unless I want them to.

Most of our web design clients, and we have many of them, also use our hosting services because most of them don't have a clue about web hosting.

I don't offer a packaged deal other than the hosting and site maintenance together for a site design client. I actually make livings off the web design and site maintenance, The reseller account does ok.

Working the web design and hosting together makes life much simpler not having to keep up with other hosting companies on one side of the fence and our clients on the other side of the fence.

I would suggest getting a small reseller account with a host that has end user support for your hosting clients. Part of our site maintenance is monitoring our clients sites and contacting support if and when they have a problem since their sites sit on our computers. My host offers end user support, cpanel and WHM and paying annually I don't have to pay a license fee for either.

I also offer free hosting for one year to our clients for web sites costing more than $500.00. In my site maintenance packages can also include a client's hosting services. Once a site is built and paid for then it's over with for you unless you offer hosting and site maintenance to your clients.