Can I host multiple web sites on one hosting package? And how does it work?

Oh yes! With the intense competition in the web hosting industry, many companies have started to offer unlimited or multiple web site hosting plans. I like to divide these into two types - hosting plans in which you want to put only your sites and those where you can set up sites for clients. The main difference being that in the former you get only one control panel to administer and manage web sites, while in the latter, each web site comes with its own control panel.

Hosting several of your web sites on a single plan

On multiple web site hosting plans you get a single control panel with which you can administer your hosted web sites. With such a control panel, you would be able to create email accounts, install software, create databases, check bandwidth and diskspace usage etc. for all your web sites. The control panel also lets you add and remove web sites from the server.

Below is a snapshot of the unlimited web site hosting package control panel from Hostgator. I have been using this company for over a year and am very satisfied. You can read more about it in a separate article - Hostgator web site hosting company.

Hosting web sites for different clients

If you plan to host web sites for other people, I would suggest that you go in for a reseller hosting package. This would be slightly more expensive because you get a control panel for each web site. But this is what would be required by your clients.

Each client would need a different control panel (with a different username and password) to manage their web site. Also, if you provide clients their own control panel, you do not need to be bothered about requests for creating email accounts, databases, software installation etc. You can always direct your clients to the administration tool and ask them to do it on their own. Further, through the control panel of a reseller hosting package you would be able to monitor each web site - the diskspace, bandwidth etc. used up by the different web sites.

Reseller hosting packages might also allow you to create your own web hosting packages through which you can offer different amounts of diskspace or bandwidth.

Finally, reseller hosting packages are a good business proposition. They can yield in a fair amount of money if you take good care of your customers. Remember, a satisfied hosting client would not like to shift web hosting and would give you recurring income for years to come.

Multiple web sites on one hosting plan - a primary domain name

When you are purchasing a plan for hosting multiple web sites (web sites of your own or of other clients - reseller hosting package), you would be asked to provide a primary domain name. This domain name holds your account at the hosting company. If you plan to put your own web sites the control panel would be placed on your primary domain name. For reseller hosting packages, the primary domain name holds the master admin or master control panel.