Best hosting setup?

(in the case of multiple AM sites)

[Kuyler]

Hi there,

Just wondering what hosting setups people with a huge portfolio of AM sites tend to use around here. For example, I see that BlueHost make it possible to host up to 6 domains on one account, with 100 GB transfer per month. But what about you guys with hundreds of different sites? Are there ample hosting options which allow you to host an unlimited number of domains, as long as you keep to within your transfer limit? Or do you just have multiple accounts with the same hosting provider - e.g. 180 sites, so 30 BlueHost accounts?

Thanks a million!

[ganderla]

My host allows 60 domains per account w/ 40000 mgs of transfer.

[growingdigital]

I have a dedicated server. Not only do I get unlimited domains, but I can do things I couldn't do on a shared/virtual box.

I pay around $200/mo for it. Easily worth it if you have a lot of domains!

[marcel]

You could try a reseller account, you don't actually have to resell accounts to have one ;)

Although, I offer cheap hosting to my friends, that usually covers about half the account costs.

[Kuyler]

growingdigital: Maybe in a few years I could justify that expense. Not now! :)

ganderla: I'm just curious: is this deal of yours to be had for under $100 per month? I know of one which involves a third of your quota of domains, but more than six times the monthly bandwidth, for $40 a month.

[Kuyler]

Interesting marcel, another option to consider. Do many people tend to use reseller accounts to host massive AM site portfolios?

[radix]

Don't overlook the Virtual Dedicated Servers / Virtual Private Servers (VDS/VPS) plans offered by several hosting companies.

VDS is the level between reseller plans and dedicated server plans. You usually get root/admin and can host unlimited domains. Various space and bandwidth plans available. Some of them come with managed services if you are not familiar with running a server.

Do a web search on vds or vps.

radix.

[tsinoy]

i have a reseller that cost me $19.95/month unlimited domain 10G space & 100G bandwidth.

[Zygoot]

Currently I have an excellent hosting account here in Belgium.

But for a few new projects I want to get webhosting in the US. Can someone point me to some good hosting services for AM sites (Preferably one with cheap domain registering fees)?

[Velmu]

Zygoot, if you want to change your host for some reason, it's easier if the registrar is different and usually also cheaper.

With shared hosting, my biggest concern has been server overloading. Unlimited domains option doesn't comfort much if I and others can't access my site.

[badone]

What about co-location of your own box in someone elses data centre? A quick search shows me I can host a box in a Sydney data centre for $250AU/mnth. I currently run my own server on a business grade ADSL connection but once my vast empire outgrows the ADSL connection I'll be looking at co-location options.

Of course I can build and administer my own boxes which probably makes it a bit easier and more feasible.

[wormdrive]

I would recommend you get a reseller account around 1G or 2G with some decent traffic allowances.

Typically an AM site is under 10MB - they usually consist of Links or datafeeds - even with some sizable content and a CMS they come in under 10MB.

A 1G site would be able to host 100 of you AM sites if you quota each of them at 10MB. If you need slightly larger than opt for 2G hosting. Anything over for the aspiring AM is really "over-kill."

All this can be had for as little as $10/month.

[Kuyler]

This thread marks the first time I've heard of reseller accounts as such. After doing some external research, I found the alleged pros for using reseller accounts in this "horde of AM sites" scenario to be pretty compelling: low cost, high transfer limits, generally unlimited domain quotas. The cons, on the other hand, seem somewhat vague/wishy-washy. I have very little idea of how likely it is for a reseller account provider to be too constraining. There must be some pretty significant potential pitfalls, or else why wouldn't every affiliate marketer be on a reseller account rather than a "conventional" hosting account? The same goes for webmasters in general I suppose...

[pixelhead]

Step1. Sign Up for powweb dot com affiliate program ($90 commission).
Step2. Use promotion code ‘take5’ ($5 off).

Total costs for you: $93.24 - $90 - $5 = -$1.76

You are in profit of $1.76

[bheybugarin]

Just dont forget that you get what you pay for.

Make sure you search the hosting provider that you have and have a good reviews and testimonials from the existing clients.

[phazex]

I would go with a reseller account (thats what im using), then order dedicated IP addresses for each domain thats hosted the acccount. You will find that reseller will be cost effective in the long run.

[Kuyler]

Am I correct in assuming that reseller accounts involve a largish upfront fee? So, they would only be cost-effective if you were certain you would host a horde of affiliate-oriented domains and/or they would get a lot of traffic?

[marcel]

Am I correct in assuming that reseller accounts involve a largish upfront fee?

Not usually, I found a great deal via WebHostingTalk* for Windows Hosting at $15 a month, no setup fee.

And Linux hosting is usually a lot cheaper. But, as a previous poster stated, sometimes you get what you pay for, check the above forums for user reviews and experiences with different companies.

* Remove if this is not allowed as per TOS

[wormdrive]

Here are some reasons why AM generally use designated hosting accounts vs. reseller accounts. The vast majority of AM do not have extended knowledge in the technical aspects of hosting (not meant to stereotype – just a general observation). Their skills are in promoting a program with some savvy on SEO, and definitely savvy with marketing, motivation, leveraging, and positioning.

AM lack some of the skills necessary to operate a reseller account properly, and it does require more time in management than a “normal” hosting account. You have to remember that AM time is spread thin, especially if they are doing affiliate stuff on the side in addition to their normal 9-5. Getting involved in another aspect or endeavor that requires more commitment of time is something most do not want. So, they simply pay someone else to do it. It is the same as washing your car. You can save a lot of money if you do it yourself – but your cost is in time. If time is important to you, you pay someone else to do it for you.

Propagating DNS’s, setting A records, dealing with nameservers, allocating IP’s, is a bit daunting for some.

Yes, you can save a ton of money if you use a reseller account – especially if you have more than a dozen or so sites. At some point, if your traffic and number of sites causing you to have a hosting cost of more than a couple hundred dollars a month, you are best served to look into a VP server, or a dedicated server. You will save A LOT of money, but to administrate the server will cost you time.

Making the decision of what is more valuable to you is what it fundamentally comes down to – but a reseller account is pretty darn smart.

[bheybugarin]

Hi,

I would recommend a managed dedicated server to save time and resources.

I have an account that is a dedicated server but I never managed it, I let the provider managed it for me.

In regards with multiple domains, I have a reseller account get a cheaper price.