Thanks to the low cost of domain names and hosting fees it is possible to own several websites without breaking the bank. There are several ways to manage multiple domains so it is important to know what your options are and the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
The first thing you’ll have to decide when managing more than one domain is whether you will use the same host or not. Most hosting companies offer packages that allow webmasters to set up multiple domains on one account or set up individual sites under separate accounts.
If you already have a website and are satisfied with your hosting provider, you might want to stay with the same host. This will give you the assurance of dealing with a company you already know and trust. You many even get a discount for opening multiple accounts on the same host.
If you decide to host all your sites with the same company, there are three basic ways to go. Each site could have its own account; you could sign up for a re-seller account; or you could get a dedicated server account.
If you get a reseller account, you are basically acting as an agent of the hosting company. You will be allocated a specific amount of bandwidth and disk space to use any way you want to. Some hosting companies will put a limit on the number of websites that can be hosted on a reseller account, but if you have room left on after your own sites are set up, you can sell accounts to other people and make some extra money.
One major advantage of using a reseller account is the fact that the hosting company handles any technical issues that come up. Some hosting companies provide gateways for billing your hosting customers.
On the other hand, with a dedicated server you will have complete control of the entire server. You will be able to set up as many websites as you want and allocate bandwidth and disk space however you’d like to. The downside of an account like this is that you will be responsible for your own server maintenance.
This will take a significant amount of technical know how. If you don’t have this type of knowledge and don’t want to learn about it, stay away from dedicated servers. Another option is to go with a managed dedicated server, but the downside to this option is the high cost involved.
Do you want to know more about hosting? If you need more information to make your choice and start your website, visit my blog and read more webhosting tips and articles.