The most common control panel for hosting is undoubtedly cPanel. cPanel lets you manage domains, publish websites, create email accounts, and organize web files. It’s also incredibly useful for reseller hosting.
Reseller hosting is when you purchase hosting services wholesale, then divide them up into packages for individual clients. You will need to use cPanel to administer your clients’ web hosting accounts. You will also need to furnish your clients with their own cPanel so they can manage their websites. Additionally, your clients will need access to a WebHost Manager (WHM). A WHM lets you create resource-specific cPanel accounts and lets you manage your customers. For instance, with a WHM, you can add, monitor, suspend, and delete client accounts. WHMs are usually included with your hosting plan.
Features of cPanel
cPanel is a completely web-based control panel that lets your clients manage their sites with an intuitive interface. It comes with a number of features, including:
- File Management: cPanel enables you and your clients to manage your website’s files easily. For instance, you can create backups, edit files, and manage FTP accounts.
- Email Support: Using cPanel, you can filter spam, change your webmail’s timezone, manage email disk usage, and more.
- Database Management: You can use cPanel to manage your site’s databases, including MySQL and PostgreSQL.
- Domain Management: cPanel allows you to manage your site’s domain, including configuring subdomains and redirects.
- Security: Install SSL certificates, enable two-factor authentication, and allow directory privacy using your cPanel.
Using cPanel when Reselling Hosting
Create a Hosting Package
Using your WHM, you can create the best cPanel reseller hosting packages that cater to the needs of your specific users. Regardless of whether your clients are beginners or web experts, your WHM lets you create packages for each customer type. This means allocating resources like disk space usage, data transfer usage, FTP accounts, and the number of databases. You can also set the number of email accounts for each user and the number of subdomains, parked domains, and addon domains. Furthermore, you can assign dedicated IPs, allow shell access, and set a custom theme.
Brand Your cPanel
Since cPanel is where clients will mainly interact with your reselling service, you must brand it. This means changing the logo, colors, and icons. You can do this by selecting the customization option from your cPanel’s sidebar menu.
Set a Price and Billing System
As a reseller, you must come up with prices for your services. You must also come up with a system to remind clients when their payments are due. This can be accomplished through your cPanel using the WHMCS software. WHMCS stands for Web Host Manager’s Complete Solution, and it enables you to manage client invoicing. You can also reward clients for referrals. Additionally, it features a default helpdesk.
Offer Customer Support
According to the Harvard Business Review, 33% of clients will consider changing companies if they can’t get proper assistance when they need it. While you will have to set up a customer support system, you can automate certain support tasks through the WHM. For instance, it can process payments, create cPanel accounts, and send customers their new account details using an automated email. Furthermore, you can use it to generate a self-help knowledge base and assistance tools like email support tickets.
Final Thoughts
cPanel is integral to reseller hosting. You will need it to both manage your client’s accounts and so that your clients can manage their websites. While there are other ways to do these things, cPanel offers an intuitive interface, so managing your clients’ hosting needs is easy.
