web hosting

Reseller Control Panels

There is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration when investing in a reseller account.  One of the most important factors of all is the control panel.  Since the control panel interface is where you will spend most of your time, it is essential to find an intuitive program that meets the needs of your reseller business.

What is a Control Panel?

A control panel is a software program that allows you to administer your hosting account.  This type of software acts as the back-end of your account and can only be seen by you.  Nearly every web hosting provider offers some type of control panel though not all programs are created equal.

Some applications are clunky, poorly designed and limit the control you have over the account.  The average software used in the modern day hosting industry will grant you various administrative powers including the ability to create email accounts, add domains, upload files via FTP, backup your website and more.  There is a big difference between the software used for a typical shared hosting account and a reseller account.  However, two of the most popular control panels tend to perform well in both environments – cPanel and Plesk.

cPanel vs Plesk

cPanel and Plesk are respectively the most widely used control panels on the market.  Both are very powerful and offer a GUI (graphical user interface) that can be easily accessed by nearly any web browser.  Both provide you with basic options for configuring your account and advanced configurations as well.  And while the interfaces of both programs are clean and easy to maintain, these two programs are very distinct.

A reseller account that comes with the cPanel package offers the highest level of administrative capabilities in a control panel known as WHM (Web Host Manager).  Unlike the cPanel software on a shared hosting account, WHM is strictly intended for the administrator as it interacts directly with the server.  This program allows you to create individual web hosting accounts, perform backups for the entire system and also make configurations for a number of services hosted on the server.  Your web hosting clients are provided with the cPanel interface which gives them administrative control over their sites.  One of cPanel’s best features is the Fantastico script installer which gives individual users the ability to incorporate of number of free programs such as the Wordpress blogging application and the Joomla CMS.  The latest version of Fantastico comes loaded with over 40 programs.

Plesk has established a solid reputation for being stable and secure.  Resellers and end-users both appreciate its simple interface and ability to create professional sites.  Plesk grants control on four different levels: Administrator, Client/Reseller, Domain Owner and Mail User.  Users at each level have control over their own operation  For instance, control at the mail user level will allow clients to access messages, change their password and configure autoresponders all without needing to access the control panel intended for the domain owner.  Plesk comes packed with features and also supports a number of add-ons including Site Builder, a module that offers more than 300 templates, allowing users to create sites without any knowledge of FTP or HTML.

Conclusion

As a reseller, the control panel is one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal.  With the backing of a reliable program, managing your clients will be much easier, putting you a step closer to becoming successful in the web hosting industry.