Posted on December 3rd, 2010With so many people getting involved in the web hosting industry there are new resellers being born every day. Unfortunately, this saturates the market with unfair prices and practices that are often difficult to spot for the untrained eye. If you’re shopping around for the best price on a hosting plan, and the most reliable service, then you probably do not want to deal with a middleman, which is why it is important to know how to tell the difference between a hosting provider and a hosting reseller.
The following information can help you steer clear of companies that are trying to profit from the hosting resources of larger providers, and find the companies that can give you the best price possible.
Do They Have a Data Center?
If the company is an original hosting provider then they should have access to their own data center. In most cases the hosting provider will advertise this on their site, and many even have an entire page devoted to their data centers. If the hosting company does not mention a data center on their site then chances are they do not own one, and they cannot provide the most reliable service available. Data centers are state-of-the-art facilities that cost many millions of dollars, so only the best and most reputable hosting provider will be able to afford one.
Do They Have Many Reviews?
Web hosting reviews are extremely common on the internet, and many sites are solely devoted to this purpose. There are also a lot of online forums in which people discuss the best and worst deals in the industry. If you’ve conducted extensive research and cannot find a lot of reviews about the prospective hosting provider then they may be an independent reseller. If there are a lot of negative reviews about the company then this all the more reason not to deal with them. All of the top ten hosting providers have a plethora of reviews online for worthy customers that are happy with their service.
Are Their Plans Structured Similarly to the Competition’s?
If your hosting provider has plans that are oddly structured, in sizes and configurations that are being offered by other hosting providers, then they may be a reseller. Many times resellers use this trick to differentiate themselves from conventional hosting providers, in order to gather novice customers that may have a hard time comparing differently sized plans. While not all hosting companies have the same size hosting plans, most of them offer similar services in order to give the customer a clear picture of what they have to offer in comparison to other providers, If your provider offers ‘custom’ or ‘personalized’ solutions based on your needs, or if they are bundling the hosting service with other web-based services then there is a good chance they are a reseller and not an original hosting company.
Why Avoid Resellers?
It is important to realize that resellers are capable of providing quality service, and in some cases resellers will offer you better deals than hosting companies if they are comfortable taking a minuscule profits. However, in many cases resellers cannot provide the reliability, affordability, and performance that an actual hosting provider does.