That is a good example of how hosting can create recurring income, even if it starts small.
I think a lot of people underestimate web hosting because they only look at the first payment. The real value is usually in the recurring monthly or yearly customers. One $10, $20 or $50 payment might not seem huge, but when you have multiple clients renewing every month, it starts to become a proper business.
The main ways people make money from web hosting are usually:
- Hosting websites for local businesses
- Selling hosting as part of a web design package
- Offering website care plans
- Reselling hosting accounts
- Charging for migrations or setup
- Offering email hosting
- Adding maintenance, backups and updates
- Providing support for non-technical clients
For beginners, I think the easiest route is not trying to compete with huge hosting companies directly. It is better to focus on a smaller niche, such as local businesses, tradesmen, restaurants, charities, bloggers or clients you already build websites for.
If someone already designs websites, reseller hosting can make sense because you can keep the client relationship and offer hosting as an extra recurring service:
https://websitehosts.uk/reseller-hosting
The important thing is to treat it like a service business, not just a server. Clients are usually paying for convenience, support, reliability and someone they can contact when they need help.
My advice would be to start small, price properly and avoid overselling. A few good long-term clients are better than lots of cheap accounts that create support problems.
So yes, you can definitely make money from web hosting, but it takes consistency. The income builds over time through recurring payments, renewals, support services and trust.