The question of whether Should I Host My Clients Website or not arises often enough in this industry. It seems more convenient for the clients and they usually ask for hosting when working with a developer. If you have so far been one of those developers who simply refer them to a hosting service, you might be thinking about adding hosting to your package. It should be fairly easy as you already work with them and adding just one more thing to the list of tasks isn’t much. Plus, it gives you a steady payment each month.
However, you might not be sure of whether this is a good thing for your business or not – after all, there are so many different opinions out there that you should look at before you add hosting to your services.
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of it and determine whether you should host your clients or not.
Should I Host My Clients Website: Positives
The client could have his own hosting and that’s perfectly fine but if it is a completely new website that you are building, you might have some thoughts on offering them a hosting service. If you feel like this is the right step for you, then you should invest in a really good server and host your sites there.
But why would you do that?
- You’ll like to work on your own server
Working on your own server will feel comfortable for you as a developer – you’ll learn how to manage the databases quickly, you’ll have access to all of the logs, you’ll be familiar with the environment and you’ll know what software is running on what platform. “Also, your backup procedures don’t have to change, you’ll be familiar with the back end of the server and how to set up cron jobs – the opportunities are endless and you’ll be able to enjoy them”, – explains Andrew Tanner, a Web developer at StateOfWriting and Ukwritings.
This is definitely one of the best perks of the job. Working on your own server can be good for you, keep a steady income and be easier for you in the long run.
- You’ll have all the control that you need
You’ll be able to do what you want and whenever you want on your own server. If a client already has a hosting service, you would probably need to talk to their IT guy and face all kinds of obstacles that you would rather not face. Instead, you could work on your own server and have all the freedom and control that you need to add upgrades and features.
This can be efficient, without a myriad of gates that you have to open. You could access the website and update it and add to it as you wish. Any developer knows how difficult it is to deal with various company personnel to get what you need.
- You’ll add value to your overall services
If you know how to use a web server, you’ll be considered much more skilled at your job even if your knowledge of servers is at a very basic level. Plus, most clients won’t really care who is hosting their websites – their main goal is to get their website to work. If you offer them a full service, they won’t even think about it before saying yes. It’s much less of a hassle to them and it makes you seem more valuable in their eyes.
People like all of their services in one place, especially if they are all related to the same thing. As an addition, no really cares how experienced in hosting you are as long as they can Google their site.
- You’ll be able to charge them for it
Of course, one of the best things of hosting websites of your clients is that you’ll be able to charge extra money. Charles Corbin, a Web development blogger at Boomessays comments: “The clients never complain about the fees charged and they certainly don’t mind the time it takes to host a website. You’ll be able to make a lot more money than you did so far and that’s a bonus that’s hard to overlook”.
The reason why they don’t mind either the time or the price is that it’s something that they don’t understand. It’s complex to them but they are grateful to you for keeping their site live.
Should I Host My Clients Website: Negatives
While there are certainly many pros in this case, some people get hung up on the cons. They are few but they can sometimes overweigh the positive sides of hosting a website. There is much more to do when you have a hosting service and most of the time, you’ll be the one to blame for any troubles.
Take a look at the cons:
- You’ll need support
When you are hosting your client’s website, you’ll have to be the tech support – the first line of it, no less. This means that you’ll be the first one that everyone will call if there are any issues. While for some, this is not such a big deal, some are repelled by it. If you think about hiring some tech support, you might want to reconsider since it can get quite expensive and it will eat up everything your clients pay you for your hosting.
If you don’t want anyone screaming for you and you don’t want to hire a bunch of customer service agents, this is definitely not a job for you.
- You’ll need legal support
Other than tech support, you’ll need legal support as well. This is something that most developers don’t really think about. “However, all it would take is one small mistake, one outraged client and a good lawyer to ruin your career. This is why hosting your client’s website is tricky and you need to make sure that you are safe while also securing your clients’ data”, – says Beatrice Law, a Tech writer and editor at Essayroo and Study demic.
Final Words
There are many different opinions when it comes to hosting your clients’ website as a developer. Some have had some bad experiences and would advise against it while some would be more than happy to recommend hosting. It’s up to you to make an informed choice.
Still confused whether Should I Host My Clients Website? Drop a comment and I’ll try to clarify it.
