We’re sure that some of you have a photography budget so that you can pay someone to take just the pictures you need to make the images on your blog fit exactly the way you want them too. For the rest of us, we often resort to stock photos. But even this has some rules the need to be followed. Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through the process.

If there’s anything we miss, or if you have some great tips for using stock photos, please leave them in the comment section.

1. Remember Your Brand
This is the first rule because often we get excited about a new medium, a tip we learned, or an opportunity to try a new procedure. In doing so, we sometimes stray from our original brand. This is something that you should consider from the beginning. If you’re putting forth a serious face for your company, maybe cats in straw hats aren’t the best photos for your column. On the other hand, if you are a fun and upbeat company be sure that the photos you use represent that. Use fewer corporate executives in suits and more, well, cats in straw hats.

2. Use Photos Properly
You know you shouldn’t just grab a photo from a Google image and plop it into your blog, though a lot of people do just that! You want to use photos that have a Creative Commons License. What that means is that, as a photographer, you want to allow people to use your photos but you don’t want companies to be able to sell them. What the photographer does want is credit.

You can find photos with a creative commons license using many different sources. We use Flickr and choose the advanced search options to look for photos with the creative commons license. Then, we just link the photos back to their source.

3. Common License Photos Don’t Have to Be Common
If you need a photo of a monkey, don’t choose the first one you find. Or even the first 10 you find. Dig a little deeper. Most photo sites rank according to popularity, which means that the first round of photos are the ones others are using. That group could be your competition!

Go a little deeper in, find something with a little more individuality. But you don’t have to stop there. Alter the photos that you do use. You can crop them, or change them to black and white. There’s no limit to what you can do. Just be sure to check the license of the photo to be sure alterations are allowable.

4. Make Sure the Photos Fit the Topic
Just because you CAN use a photo doesn’t mean that you SHOULD use a photo. Not only do you need to make sure your image fits your brand, but it needs to fit your subject as well. A confusing picture will leave your readers scratching their heads.

5. Don’t Use the Same Boring Images
We’ve seen enough families running on the beach, or two executives shaking hands, or a woman holding her baby. These images are as cliche as Star Wars quotes. Be creative and come up with something that will grab the reader’s attention and offer a little entertainment value.

Need some more? Here are a few links that will help you!

Flickr
This is the Advanced Search page of Flickr. You can find just about anything you need.

 Creative Commons Search
This site is free and actually allows you to search for photos and music using multiple sites.

Photo by iwouldstay

Reseller hosting is a great opportunity for anyone interested in making an online income. While getting set up is simple and low-cost, reselling is a long term investment of work, patience and promotion. With proper preparation and thorough research, it can become a lucrative business over time. The following list outlines the steps necessary to becoming a quality reseller web host.

Have a Plan
As with any venture, a plan should be drawn up with a clear idea of goals before starting out, while bearing in mind that profits will take time. Determine what part of the hosting market the business will target. Starting off small is the best approach, allowing the reselling business to grow organically. Thinking too big and wanting too much, too soon is the main reason many new reseller hosts fail.

Pick a Domain Name
The domain name should reflect the name of the business and be registered prior to choosing a host. A dot com is the first choice, with the option of adding the dot net to boost SEO and lock the brand name. Single word domain names work the best, as they are easy to remember and look more professional.

Choose a Host
Many hosting companies offer reseller plans and it can be difficult to choose one. A good host will offer generous bandwidth and disk space for a reasonable monthly fee, and will also provide a control panel that allows for simple administration and branding. A cPanel host is a good choice for novices because it is easy to learn. Some hosts offer a free license for billing software, which can be a huge time and money saver by providing easy sign-up, keeping clients organized and sending invoices automatically.

Set Up the Website
The company website is the portal through which potential clients first meet the business. It should be simple, easy to navigate and clearly show what the reseller has to offer. There are many quality free hosting templates on the Internet that only require a minimum of editing to customize. If in doubt, a small investment in professional web design can go a long way toward making a good impression and can ensure optimization.

Create Packages
Offering a variety of hosting packages will attract the most clients. It is crucial to offer disk space and bandwidth within reasonable limits that will allow for future growth. A good reseller will never promise more than can be delivered and have hidden limits that are a big surprise later on. Packages also need the flexibility to change to reflect customer needs.

Promote the Business
Promotion is vital to any business and the best way to get the word out is through social media. Setting up Twitter and Facebook accounts will make the reseller appear more approachable as well as professional. It is also an excellent avenue for letting people know about coupons and other specials. Twitter can serve as a lightning fast customer service solution with a personal touch.

Encourage Feedback
A new reseller can learn a lot by listening to clients. Encouraging feedback through an email form or social media will help the business grow and change to meet the needs of its target market. All criticism should be taken as constructive and a way to make things better. This approach will also show clients the reseller cares about their needs and will go the extra mile.

Have Patience
Growing a reseller hosting business takes a lot of patience. It is unlikely the company will turn a profit in the first year and it may only break even in the second one. Success in reselling comes over the long term, as it is not a get rich quick scheme. The company may have to shift its approach and goals a few times before finding the perfect niche and customer base.

Web hosting is a highly competitive market and with so many people getting in the reseller business, it can be difficult to stand out and get noticed. Following the tips above should provide a solid foundation for the novice reseller to build a profitable, well-run company.

As always, we’ll keep our content short and to the point.

Any questions? Reply back to newsletter@hostnine.com and a real human being will respond ASAP.

What’s New

Take The HostNine Blog Content Survey!

As you may have noticed, the HostNine Blog has been publishing content five days a week on a variety of topics, from web design and development to security and social media. We’re curious to hear your thoughts on what we’re covering, so we can continue to provide helpful information to you.

We’ve constructed an extremely brief survey for you to fill out here.

Thanks in advance for your participation!

Softaculous Is Here! 

We’re pleased to announce that we’re switching over our auto installer system from Fantastico to Softaculous. For those not in the know, Softaculous is an extremely fast auto installer for cPanel and DirectAdmin. We’re pretty pleased with this change, and we think you will be too.

Some reasons why it’s an awesome product:

• 259 scripts at your disposal
• One step installation
• User ratings/reviews of different scripts
• GZip compression
• Ease of use
• Import scripts directly or from other Auto Installers
• All available Softaculous scripts have demo versions available to try out
• Fast, regular updates

Click here for a great comparison chart that shows how Softaculous measures up to other auto installers.

Click here to learn more about Softaculous.

Keep in mind that all your scripts installed by Fantastico will be maintained from Softaculous from now on, and imported for you during the conversion. However, if you notice installs that are missing, simply follow the following procedure and the missing install should appear:

• Login to cPanel
• Go to Softaculous
• Look at the upper right hand icon dock
• Choose the one that says “Synchronize with other Auto Installers”
• Click that icon
• Check what you want to import
• Click to import

Thanks for reading! See you next month!

-The HostNine Team

Photo by Andrew*

Becoming a reseller host does not require a high level of technical knowledge or a lot of money, but it does come with certain responsibilities. It should not be looked on as a fast way to make money or something that can be set and forgotten about. Reselling is a business that must be built from the ground up. The list below explains several best practices that can ensure success.

Be Realistic

From the start, it is vital to be realistic about goals, packages offered, target market and profit. A reseller business grows slowly and often does not turn a profit in the first year. While it may be tempting to offer customers generous hosting packages in order to get more sign-ups, it is best to stay conservative in order to give the company room to grow. It is also wise to bear in mind that the only constant about web hosting is the fact that it is always changing. A reseller must be flexible and willing to try new business and promotional approaches for maximum results.

Provide Superior Customer Service

It is a common misconception that customer service is a limited event based on a certain problem or situation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Customer service encompasses everything from the layout of the company site to the efficiency of a submission form. A reseller should provide multiple ways for clients to contact the company, such as phone, live chat, ticket system, email and social media. All communication from customers should be answered as fast as possible. Accessibility and a willingness to listen, communicate and solve customer issues in a professional manner is a big part of creating a stellar reputation.

Promote the Business

There are many ways to promote a reseller host and the majority of them require only a small investment of time. A new host can start by asking family, friends and coworkers to sign up for the service and provide honest feedback. If they have a positive experience, they will tell everyone they know and that group will tell others as well. Using social media such as Twitter and Facebook is a great way to introduce the company to the masses and generate some buzz. Twitter works especially well because it can be used as a customer service tool as well as a promotional one. Being approachable and willing to engage goes a long way toward building rapport.

Give Discounts

Everyone loves a deal and hosting clients are no different. Offering specials and discounts as an incentive to sign up is a great way to attract new customers and retain the current ones. Some examples are giving new clients a month free for agreeing to a year of service or giving a percent off when they renew. Once the business is going strong, it may be feasible to offer recurring coupons and specials to everyone. The idea of a discount is to make customers feel important and as if they are receiving royal treatment.

Encourage Feedback

Reseller hosts should ask their clients to provide feedback about the service. Whether positive or negative, feedback will tell the host how well the company is doing and how best to address the aspects that require change. Feedback can be collected by a form on the company site or through social media. A Facebook fan page can be very helpful in this regard, as it will allow clients and company to interact publically and show the reseller in a professional light. Another possibility is to ask clients to write reviews around the web and offer a discount in return. Feedback is what keeps a company honest and it should always be encouraged.

Being a reseller web host requires time, dedication and a willingness to go the extra mile for customers. It is not enough to sign up for a reseller account, slap together some packages and put up a site. Hosting is all about personal service from start to finish. The client is always the most important of the business, and the tips outlined above should be helpful for attracting customers and keeping them over the long term.

Photo by Neeraj Sharma Web Designer

Reseller hosting offers advantages in different ways, especially to web designers who have an established business with many clients. People who want a professional design for a website are often in need of a quality host. By combining both services, web designers can stay in touch with clients while providing an extra revenue stream for themselves. The list below explains the different ways reseller hosting is beneficial to web designers.

Profit
It may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many web designers do not take advantage of a reseller host. Providing hosting services along with a custom design is an excellent way to set up recurring revenue while staying in contact with clients for possible future design work. A designer will also be in the position to charge a higher fee for the hosting service, as the personal relationship with the customer requires more detailed attention than is available from a standard host. A client will be more inclined to trust the designer with hosting since that person knows every aspect of the website involved. It is a winning situation for both parties.

Communication
A designer who hosts clients is better able to stay in communication with them regarding future design work, technical updates or other issues with the sites. Giving customers coupons to pass on to friends, family and coworkers who may be in need of design services and hosting is a great marketing technique that may cut down on advertising costs. Having design clients on the same server makes it easier for the designer to perform upgrades and other work without the hassle of dealing with a third party host they are not familiar with.

Optional Services
In addition to offering design and web hosting to clients, having a reseller account makes it easier for the designer to create other sites that focus on services such as search engine optimization, content writing or installation of scripts. The designer can run the services themselves or outsource it and collect a referral fee. This is yet another way to build a relationship of trust with customers with the potential to attract more by word of mouth, which can greatly reduce marketing costs.

Extra Resources
Running a web design site can be very resource intensive when all is said and done. Design sites host a great many images and often provide client areas for works in progress. There is also a need for a large number of pages when the designer is selling pre-made templates or themes. Contact forms and information pages must also be taken into account. Being a reseller host can remove a lot of the headaches involved with running a large design site by providing adequate bandwidth and resources, as well as options for branching out onto other domains. This can be convenient if the designer has a personal site or blog that is separate from the business.

Sellability
A reseller hosting company with established clientele is a great business asset that can be very profitable when sold. Every customer that is added to the service increases the company’s value. Most small hosting companies bring in a sales price that is equivalent to 12 months of revenue, but this can be more if the clients are paying higher hosting fees. The bottom line is a solid company with an established customer base will always command a good sales price.

Reputation
Web designers take a lot of pride in their work and must be versatile and creative to stay ahead in their market. Offering hosting to clients as part of a design package or a separate service is a simple way to boost reputation and be a go-to person. This can be attractive to both personal and commercial design customers and may even bring lucrative contracts with long-term revenue possibilities. A designer who invests in a reseller account can only improve their business.

Any well-established web designer who wants make more money while providing a valuable service to clients should look into becoming a reseller. The convenience, versatility and potential long-term income boost is well worth the initial small investment and can only bring more success.

One of the most important aspects of a reseller hosting business is the level of customer service it provides. Responding to client needs and expectations is the cornerstone to building an excellent reputation in the market. Outlined below are five ways to provide the very best service to customers.

Be Accessible
Nothing is more frustrating to a client than an inability to reach the host, especially if there is an emergency. A quality reseller will provide a phone number that will be answered at any time of the day or night. Implementing a ticket system, which comes included with some client management softwares, will efficiently prioritize and keep track of customer issues. Another method of contact that has become popular in recent years is live chat. This can be more practical and cost effective than phone service for new resellers on limited budgets. Twitter is an alternative, real-time option that is effective for quick troubleshooting and announcing planned downtime, such as for maintenance.

Be a Good Listener
When a customer has a problem with the reseller service, they want to be heard. They do not want a canned response, or a link to a knowledge base post that may not completely address the issue at hand. Whether communicating by text or voice, the reseller should let the customer talk without interruption, then clarify anything that requires more information. It can be helpful to write out the problem while the client is talking about it and highlight key points. Never argue with the client, as the focus should be on solving the problem, not winning a fight.

Be a Good Communicator
A good host will always treat a customer with respect, regardless of the manner in which the problem is being presented. It is wise to remember many clients do not have the technical expertise that a host does and minor glitches may be intimidating, especially if there is downtime involved. After the client has explained the issue, the host should repeat everything back to ensure all details were covered and the problem is being understood correctly. The client should then be reassured the issue will be handled with utmost priority. This point is very important when using a ticketing system and the discussion is not occurring in real time.

Be Professional
Letting the customer know resolving the issue at hand is very important to you goes a long way toward building a solid reputation in the reseller business. The client should be thanked for their patronage and asked for feedback on how to make the service better. A broader way to find out how the service is doing is put a poll on the company site and make note of the results. Another benefit of great customer service is clients who receive it will write shining reviews and also tell their friends and family how fantastic the hosting service is. Each of those people will share the information with their own network of coworkers and friends. A good reputation always builds upon itself.

Be Open to Change
An often overlooked aspect of customer service is knowing when the current system is not working. Whether that means changing the way clients contact the company, how tickets are handled or who answers the phone is dependent on the type of feedback received. It might be as simple as redesigning the company site or offering new hosting packages, or as complicated as installing a more efficient billing and ticketing system. Whatever the reason, a good host will know when it is time to make a change to better serve its customer base. A company that listens is a company that stays ahead of the game. This is crucial in a highly competitive reseller hosting market.

Providing quality customer service is more than just solving a client’s momentary technical issue. It is an ongoing process that builds trust and goodwill that can lead to more business. The high failure rate of new resellers can often be attributed to a lack of quality communication between the company and the client. Making stellar customer service a number one priority is part of the foundation for success.

Check out this post on inbound marketing from A Small Orange:

Would you rather be bothered by intrusive and annoying online advertisements or self-select helpful information from companies vying for your attention and patronage?

The answer to the above question in obvious, and businesses everywhere are taking note. In the past (let’s be real, from the beginning of advertising), brands and organizations have sought to grab the attention of the consumer through flashy, in-your-face, and over the top advertisements. This is termed as “Outbound Marketing.” Now, the fundamental functions of the internet are changing the way businesses and advertising agencies reach out to their customers.

Unlike print publications (the main form of mass communication before the turn of the century), the internet is not a one way conversation, but a network of voices that review, comment, upload, download, subscribe, tweet, post, update, and the list goes on. This fundamental change in communication structure has revolutionized the way businesses connect with consumers. Enter: Inbound Marketing.

Unlike “Outbound Marketing,” blasting consumers with ad after annoying ad, Inbound Marketing acts as an agent of conversation. This style of marketing recognizes that it is a voice in a dialogue, and thus being rude and annoying has real consequences. The way Inbound Marketing works is creating useful and user-friendly content that informs and edifies the user who has self-selected this content.

Image from blog.hubspot.com

Inbound marketing is an effective way to grow your business and the loyalty and respect of your customers. Sound like something that could work for you? Check out these great resources for creating Inbound Marketing strategies that produce effective results and give you an edge on your competition.

Copyblogger

These two great blogs from HubSpot:
http://blog.hubspot.com/
http://blog.inboundmarketing.com/

Content Marketing Institute

PR 20/20

And while you’re at it, be sure to check out this great article dealing with how online marketing has evolved since the 1990′s.

Have you been using Inbound Marketing for your organization? How have you fared? Let us know in the comments section!

Please read this important systems maintenance announcement. 
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
The HostNine Team 

• Our billing system and customer portal will be down (in maintenance mode) between 9pm PDT and 11pm PDT April 19th (12 midnight Eastern time until 2am Eastern time April 20th.).

• Customers will not be able to make payments during this time.

• New or existing customers will not be able to place new orders during this time.

• Customers will not be able to login to the client area or do anything they would do from within the client portal (edit domain settings, update contact info, change cpanel pw, open support tickets, etc).

• Customers won’t be able to open a ticket via the client area.  For support, you should email help@hostnine.com or billing@hostnine.com and that will create a ticket on our helpdesk.

• The following day, records of payments and automatic payments made may lag a bit.  Management will follow up that morning and any automatic payments that were not attempted that night will be attempted that morning ( those who would get these automatic payments done would not be in danger of suspension for 9 more days, so the lag should not hurt them.).

• If a customer has a due bill, they may want to login and make sure it’s paid by the 18th.  If a client gets suspended before this maintenance time, they won’t be able to pay and get reinstated right away during the maintenance time.

• Anyone that has an invoice generating around this maintenance window should be fine.  (Everyone has a grace period of several days.)

• If anyone is suspended for billing reasons and find they cannot pay, they should email billing@hostnine.com. Please note that billing is only open during normal business hours. Or if someone paid but they are not yet reinstated, they should email billing@hostnine.com.

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See you all on Monday!

If you’ve got experience with content marketing methods, please tell us about them in the comments!