Is a hosting business still viable?

hosting will never die... just use brain and think a business strategy

 

Everything changes. And web hosting services as well. In any case the workable formula would be: do your best every day and follow changes. Satisfied client is the main goal!

 

You need to find an effective way how to acquire clients. For example, give away something for free. E.g. There are some free hostings, supported by advertising, but all of them are creepy and not stable. If you introduce a really good and reliable free hosting, a lot of people will be interested. Then once you onboard a lot of clients who use your hosting for free, you can raise prices, maybe in a year or so. Some users will drop off, but some will stay. Just an idea...

 

Somebody mentioned being passionate earlier. That is a key attribute needed to be a web hosting provider. Without the passion, your ship has already began sinking before setting sail.
We are still a relatively young company but in a short time have amassed the trust of our clients and have a steadyily growing client base. Our niche? 24/7 efficient support and budget friendly prices.
Do not expect to see a profit or even break even in the first year, maybe even the second and third. This is where the passion comes in.
Learning as you go is not impossible but not advised either. You need to have a certain level of competency to be able to propel the business forward. You need to realize you are in a position where hundreds to thousands of people are relying on your services and uptime to successfully host their business and personal sites meaning you need to be alert to your infrastructure, monitor everything and be reactive to minimize downtime.
If the passion is there, then it can be extremely rewarding. Just be sure you are doing it for the right reasons and not something you see as a quick profit dash and run.