TL;DR: Startups can expand revenue by offering website design, development, performance optimization, web hosting, and maintenance, including reseller hosting, SEO, and content management.
As of 2025, more than one in five startups fail in the very first year, and most fail because they run out of money. It’s evident that startups need a solid plan to grow their revenue right from the start. Managing website resources for clients is one way to achieve that. However, it’s a broad concept that incorporates website development and optimization, web hosting services, SEO and content management, and analytics and performance tracking.
Offering website design, development, and performance optimization
You can grow revenue by using CMS platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or custom-coded solutions. One hundred seventy-five new websites launch every minute, and knowing where to target your business can be daunting when faced with the exponentially rising number of websites on the internet.
Specializing in a niche is one of the most effective strategies to facilitate business growth. To choose a niche, examine your interests, skills, and past experiences. Consider whether you or any of your team members have any particular experience with any industries or projects you particularly enjoyed working on in the past.
One of the best approaches to getting clients is to use networking. You can do this by joining groups or online forums, participating in industry events, or through platforms such as LinkedIn. By building professional relationships, the probability of finding clients increases. Word of mouth can be very beneficial, and the number of people who might recommend you increases. At the very least, they might mention you when talking about needs and projects with other professionals.
Web hosting and maintenance
You can provide hosting services with security, backups, and uptime monitoring or subscription-based maintenance plans for regular updates and troubleshooting. Startups can sell reseller hosting plans. They buy packages in bulk from an established hosting provider and resell them to their clients at a markup. One of the simplest ways to generate recurring income is by selling hosting plans on a monthly or yearly subscription basis.
If you offer website development, include hosting as part of your service. This allows you to charge premium rates while keeping clients on your hosting for long-term revenue.
Increase your revenue by offering additional services alongside hosting. These can include SSL certificates, website backups, or security and malware protection.
Most reseller plans allow white-labeling, meaning you can brand the service as your own. This creates a trustworthy and professional image while allowing you to set premium pricing.
SEO and content management
You can enhance website visibility through keyword optimization and on-page SEO or offer blog writing, content updates, or multimedia integration. Most consultants expand revenue by building websites on top of content management systems for clients.
The work consists of obtaining leads, closing a deal, developing project specifications, and delivering on the design and implementation plan. Companies might approach your startup directly, or you respond to proposal requests and try to win bids.
Most importantly, you and your team must see the value in inbound marketing: sharing ideas and content freely. Smart startups and consultants offer a retainer-style agreement for ongoing projects. This means an increased likelihood of more work, consistent cash flow, and continuous provision of high value to clients, which increases your pricing power. You can charge more without losing your clients.
Analytics and performance tracking
One final suggestion for startups to expand revenue involves setting up Google Analytics and heatmaps to track visitor behavior. They provide insights and regular reports on site performance to clients.
Final thoughts
The stats are scary: 10% of startups fail within the first year, and 70% go under during years two through five. Failure rates are similar for startups across industries. However, the founders of more than 50 billion-dollar tech startups realized their ideas during a recession. When Mark Zuckerberg was starting Facebook, Peter Thiel told him the biggest risk he could take was taking no risk in a world that was changing so quickly. This quote is as valid as ever in 2025.