White Label Website Reselling: How It Works and What to Ask First
White label website reselling means another company builds and hosts a website and you sell it to your client under your own name, so the client never sees that company. Before you sign, read the contract and ask who owns the site. The other way to get sites to sell is to build them yourself.
"White label" sounds fancy. The idea is simple. Another company builds and hosts a website. You sell it to your client under your own name. The client never sees the other company.
If you are thinking about selling websites to local businesses, this is one of three ways to do it. This guide explains how it works, what it costs you, the questions to ask before you sign anything, and the other options.
I have run a marketing agency for 15 years and worked with 100+ agency clients. I have seen resellers do well and I have seen them get stuck. The difference is usually in the contract, not the website.
How white label reselling works
There are three parties:
- The provider. A company that builds, hosts or maintains sites.
- You, the reseller. You sell the service under your brand and talk to the client.
- The client. The business owner who pays you.
You set a retail price. The provider charges you a lower, wholesale price. You keep the difference. The provider does the work behind the scenes, and the client usually deals only with you.
Vendors in this space include platform companies such as Vendasta and Seahawk Media, and many smaller shops. They all describe the same basic model.
What can be white labeled
Common things resellers offer under their own name:
- Web design and site builds
- Hosting
- Website care, updates and backups
- Extras such as chat widgets, forms or review tools
The good parts
- You do not need to build. If you cannot design or code, someone else does.
- You can look bigger. A client sees a full service under your name.
- Recurring income is possible. Hosting and care plans can bill each month.
- It scales with less of your time, if the provider is reliable.
The risks
- Your margin is thin if the provider raises prices. You are in their hands.
- Quality is out of your control. If their work is poor, your name takes the hit.
- Slow turnaround. You wait on them while the client waits on you.
- Lock-in. Some providers make it hard to move a client's site out.
- Contracts. Some require minimum volumes or long terms.
Questions to ask before you sign
Write these down and get the answers in writing.
- Who owns the domain name and the site files? The client should. If the provider keeps control, walk away.
- Can I move a site out if I leave? How, and what does it cost?
- What does the provider charge, and when can that change?
- Is there a minimum number of sites or a long contract?
- How fast do they deliver a first version?
- Who answers the client's support questions? You, them, or both?
- Is any of this branded as theirs? Footers and "powered by" links matter.
- Can I see real sites they have built? Open them on your phone.
- What is their refund or cancellation policy?
If a provider cannot answer these in plain words, that tells you something.
Who white label suits
White label tends to fit you if you are happy to manage client relationships but do not want to build or host anything. It suits people who like talking to owners, can price a service, and can wait a few days for a first version.
It fits less well if you want every site to look different, or if you want to be able to move fast on your own. Then building the sites yourself, as shown below, may suit you better. A fair test is to try one small project with a provider, read the contract twice, and see how you feel about handing your client's first impression to someone else.
The other way: build the sites yourself
The alternative to buying white-label sites is to make them. You used to need a designer or a lot of time. Now an AI assistant can build a simple one-page site from a business's real details. I explain how in how to build websites with Claude for local business clients.
Compare the two:
| White label | Build with Claude | |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds | The provider | You, with Claude |
| Look | The provider's style | Each site is different |
| Your cost per site | Wholesale price | Your Claude plan plus your time |
| Hosting and handover | Often included | You set it up |
| Control over quality | Lower | Higher, but you must check |
| Risk of lock-in | Check the contract | You hold the files |
Neither is always better. If you want zero building, white label fits. If you want each site to look unique and want control, build your own. A mix is also fine. Read AI website builders for agencies for a three-way comparison.
Do not forget the hard part: clients
Both routes assume you have someone to sell to. Getting from "I can make sites" to "someone pays me" is where most people stall. A reseller with no clients earns nothing, however good the provider.
That is why finding the right businesses comes first. See web design leads: where to find them for the options, and how to start a web design business with no experience for how to set a price once you have an interested owner.
Where SiteRevive fits
SiteRevive is not a white-label provider and it does not sell you sites to resell. It is a tool for the finding and the first draft.
- You pick a trade and a U.S. state. SiteRevive finds local businesses with old or missing websites and checks each site.
- It takes the owner's email from the business's own website.
- With Run with your AI, you paste one prompt into your AI. It builds a one-page site for each business and drafts or sends a short note from your own inbox. You can choose "drafts only."
Plans start at $97 a month, plus your own AI plan, which the AI company bills you for. There is no setup fee and nothing to install. There is a 7-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. It covers local U.S. businesses only. It does not promise replies, sales or income. SiteRevive's servers never send email; your own AI sends from your own account, or saves drafts.
You can pair SiteRevive with a white-label host if you want one. See how the pieces fit on the SiteRevive home page.
Frequently asked questions
What is white label website reselling?
A provider builds or hosts a website, and you sell it to your client under your own brand. The client usually deals only with you. You pay the provider a wholesale price and keep the difference.
Is white label reselling profitable?
It can be, but it depends on your provider's prices, your client's price and how many sites you sell. Do the math with real numbers before you sign, and do not rely on a vendor's examples.
Who owns the website in a white-label deal?
It depends on the contract. The client should own their domain and, ideally, their site. Ask the provider in writing before you sign.
White label or build my own sites?
White label saves you the building but gives up some control. Building your own, for example with Claude, gives control and unique designs but means you set up hosting and handover. See the comparison above.
Is SiteRevive white label?
No. SiteRevive finds local U.S. businesses with old or missing websites. Run with your AI has your own AI build a one-page site for each. It does not host sites or sell them to you for resale.
Does SiteRevive have a refund policy?
Yes. There is a 7-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked, on SiteRevive.