So This is going to be a blog on whats it like to own a server i will add many things that include the running of a server plugin setup getting people on your server advertising banners and many more this will be a long blog so sit back relax and enjoy

Finding The Right Host
Okay so my first host was actually MCProHosting the pricing wasnt bad but the ssds for the server was terrible i owned many servers from MCProHosting 3 to be exact ive made a fair bit of money of the server and the time i spent with the host was good but i could of done better , i then went out and did alot of reserach checking ssds and ddos protection and the price category and i eventually find this host im using now which is called nitrous networks the pricing is great and the servers have ddos protection of 640gbs which is a tramendous amount and 1gbs of port speed which is also amazing , the admin panel for the host is very easy to manage and get around there will be a link to the website below and a link to the panel if you want some spoilers if you choose to use this host

Host : nitrous-networks.com/
Admin Panel : gyazo.com/08345cb6e4f58af22b31d805610ab883

Plugin Setup
If you are a noob to owning a server plugin setup is going to be really tricky for you , you will have to do alot of research on commands files and basic setup it took me a very long time to get to ends on how to actaully config plugins but once i got used to it , it was really easy , plugins like permissionsex and groupmanager take a long time to learn as it is a permissions database there are alot of commands that have to be taken place just to make a single group . Apart from that plugins need other plugins to actaully work for instance Factions needs MassiveCore otherwise it wont work , Just like PermissionsEx needs Vault Or it wont work Thats the basics For Plugin Setup

Having A Budget
Now if you are looking to buy a server dont run in and use your last $5-10-15 On a server this is a big mistake alot of people make , make sure you have $50-100 saved up so after the first month of having your server you can keep it going and you wont have to shut it down because you dont have enough money to pay for the server , never ever rely of people dontations to keep the server running because you never will know if players are going to donate , i saved up $150 for my server and luckily enough for me we have made $300 in the first month just on one server , like i said all donations to the server are greatly appresiated.

Getting People Onto Your Server
A big factor i find in getting people onto the server is the map itself i like to spend alot of time and effort into building my spawns to draw my players attention and inspires them to stay on , dont fix up at quick 10 minute spawn spend hours on your builds making them better edititing them making nice patterns expand of them dont make them small and ugly , the spawn is the first thing the player is going to see when they join the server and this will outcome if they stay or not.

What MiniGame You Choose
There are many mingames out there you can choose as a starting level , i choosed kitpvp as it is quick fun and you can explore with it , i added many fun plugins to make the time on the server much better than a normal kitpvp , i then went on to build a factions server which has been a slow start but its getting there , the more minigames you add the better off you will be , players get bored of playing the same minigame over time so having more for them to play on will guarnentee there stay on your server.

Advertising
Advertising is a big factor in getting people to join your server there are many links you can choose to advertise from but if you dont have the right essentials to make a good page for your advertising then you will get nowhere before you even think of advertising be sure to have a good detailed description about your server and a nice looking animated banner this is the first thing players will see when your server is advertised so the nicer the banner the better it will be for you , i like to make my banners look as good as possible and put alot of time and detail into my server description, NEVER adverise your server on other servers this will agrivate players and it will cause alot of stress on your server as players will join and have a big rant about how you advertised on there server

Choosing The Right Staff
Choosing staff isnt as easy as you think it is , luckily for me i have been playing with people i have know for a good 3 years that have been staff on all of my server so this is good for me because i have alot of trust for the players , when people join and they apply dont give them staff straight away because they are new and they are getting given commands that ordinary players dont have so they can easily abuse when you are not online , make them play for a few days to earn your trust then think about giving players staff.

Communicating With Players
The more you communiate with the players the better off you will be , talking to players makes you get to know them abit more , players dont like ignorant owners , the more you talk the more they are going to think its a nice enviroment to be around as there is a nice owner so its going to be a nice server , this is not always the case as people change over time so watch out for that.

Take Advice Of Your Players
Many ways i have made my servers more popular is by taking advice of my players , players that join your server know what they want from a server , taking there advice and adding stuff they want is a big hit , it makes your server more popular and makes the players that give you the idea want to stay on the server and invite there friends as its there idea , never say no to a player , always take players ideas into concideration it stops the server getting boring over time.

In Conclusion
Owning A server is not easy its harder than you thinnk there is a lot of time and effort that is needed to run a server and if you are not a patient person running a minecraft server is not for you Thankyou for reading my blog