7 Website Hosting Platform Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A Website Hosting Platform

Here are some real life success stories of starting a website hosting platform:

1. WPX ($3.6M/year)

Georgi Petrov and his business partner Terry Kyle came up with the idea for WPX, a WordPress hosting company, after experiencing the poor quality and slow service of other hosting providers. They saw a need for a faster and more reliable hosting service that would cater to solopreneurs and non-techies. With just 2 people, they launched WPX and quickly gained customers, eventually growing to a team of 100+ and generating a yearly income of $3M.

How much they make: $3.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 100

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Tired Of Bad Hosting Services, We Decided To Start Our Own [Now A $3.6M/Year Business]

WPX, a WordPress hosting company, started as a side project bootstrapped with just a server and a few licenses, and is now a team of over 100, servicing over 11,000 customers globally, with an annual income of $3M, thanks to their consistent focus on providing fast, reliable service and tech support for non-techies.

About
Georgi started WPX about 11 years ago
Revenue
Georgi grew the business to $300K/month
Costs
It cost Georgi $10000 to start the business
Read by 3,399 founders

2. 51blocks ($2.52M/year)

Michael Borgelt, the founder of 51Blocks and BionicWP, was inspired by his grandfather's business principles of helping people. He saw a need for quality digital marketing services and SEO expertise in the industry, so he started 51Blocks in 2009. With a strong focus on customer service and referrals, the agency has achieved an impressive customer lifetime value of 2.5+ years and generates $2.6 million in annual revenue. Building on this success, Borgelt launched BionicWP in 2020 to provide hyper-fast WordPress hosting with top-notch customer support.

How much they make: $2.52M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 30

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We Make $2.5M/Year Selling White Label SEO & WordPress Hosting

This case study is about Michael Borgelt, founder of 51Blocks and BionicWP, who generates $2.6M revenue annually offering quality digital marketing and hosting solutions, including white label SEO, hyper-fast WordPress hosting, website development, and paid advertising, achieving a customer lifetime value of 2.5+ years and hosting 2,000 sites in about 1.5 years.

About
Michael started 51blocks about 15 years ago
Revenue
Michael grew the business to $210K/month
Costs
It cost Michael $1000 to start the business
Read by 3,890 founders

So... can you actually make money with a website hosting platform?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

3. Anachak Design ($84K/year)

Vathana Nguon stumbled into starting his web design agency in 2015 with low expectations, but through face-to-face marketing and old-fashioned methods, he was able to grow his business and generate $5,000 per month. He built his expertise in WordPress development through self-teaching and extensive research, eventually launching his agency that focuses on WordPress design and development. By targeting the tourism industry and offering specialized services, he was able to stand out and become the go-to web designer for tourism businesses in Cambodia. Additionally, he utilized SEO and blogging to attract customers and achieve long-term success.

How much they make: $84K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
Current team size: 3

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This Self-Taught WordPress Developer Started An $84K/Year Web Design Agency

Learn how Vathana Nguon started a freelance web design agency in Cambodia through self-taught WordPress design, attracting clients through search engine optimization and unique selling techniques, and utilizing tools like Themeforest and MailChimp to grow a steady stream of new and returning clients.

About
Vathana started Anachak Design over 8 years ago
Revenue
Vathana grew the business to $7K/month
Costs
It cost Vathana $1500 to start the business
Read by 3,037 founders

So... can you actually make money with a website hosting platform?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

4. tiiny.host ($24K/year)

Wanted to create a simpler and easier way to host web development projects. He wanted the project to be as easy to use as possible, with as few clicks as possible.

How much they make: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 0

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How I Turned My Teenage Hobby Into A Profitable Static Web Hosting Service

Tiiny.Host is a web hosting company that's doubled its monthly recurring revenue every three months, amassing 40,000+ users by providing an easy-to-use hosting and file sharing solution, and built up its brand through SEO.

About
Elston started tiiny.host almost 5 years ago
Revenue
Elston grew the business to $2K/month
Costs
It cost Elston $100 to start the business
Read by 4,707 founders