Edit: there is a new thread to review and critique the website I made from this idea, DaisySpace.com

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Hi all,

I'd just like to bounce around some ideas about an online service I want to start up this summer.

I've yet to determine a name (I have one or two that I like, I just need to get around to registering the domains)... Put simply, it would be a place where small businesses and non-profit groups can create a customized website and have it hosted on my server (joesbusiness.mysite.com).

This is what I'm thinking:

1. The user applies for the free website, using a contact form where they describe why they need a website and what sort of work they're into.


2. Once approved, they are granted access to a password-protected area of the site where they will design their own website.


3. They choose from various public-domain templates to pick their website's style.


4. They fill in a form with all the copy (and images) that they want on their site.


5. All the info is emailed to me, and I replace the Lorem Ipsum with their copy. Also replace generic images with the pictures they provide.


6. I upload the files to their desired subdomain, and give them the website files if they want them.

This service is to help small businesses and non-profit groups - who normally don't know a whole lot about web design - have a basic online presence. If the user needs help registering their own domain/hosting, or if they want additional modification, I'll charge them for that.

I think the beauty of this system is that the user supplies all the necessary information via a single form, so there is no sending emails back and forth, as with the traditional client-designer relationship.

I'd love to hear what you all think about this idea. Any suggestions about what I could do to make the process more streamlined, easier for me, easier for the user? Any other features I should have?

Its a neat idea, are you intending to give them the ability to make changes e.t.c or will they have to come back to you in order to make them? If so, doing it for free will soon take up a lot of time if it generates a lot of interest maybe.

There is always the option of installing free website maker (ASP) which could let people change their content on the fly, or maybe even offering services customising or admin'-ing sites.google.com projects and managing domains?

Good idea and good luck!

Posted By: conartistdesignsyou could make the whole thing automated though. with a little php anything is possible....

Definitely an option worth exploring. I'm not too comfortable with PHP, but maybe this summer is the time to learn...

Posted By: SkyshadowIts a neat idea, are you intending to give them the ability to make changes e.t.c or will they have to come back to you in order to make them?

I plan to offer the website 'as-is'. They get a zip file with HTML, CSS and images. They also get a subdomain on my site. I upload it once.

They've got the zip file, so they can change whatever they want to their heart's content and host it themselves... or they can pay me to make modifications. They don't have to come back to me to make changes, but unless they know how to code they probably will.

Posted By: XSQueenUnfortunately from past experience I can tell you that very very RARELY will people be able to give you all the info in one fell swoop or be happy without any major changes

I've had nasty experiences with that too... I'm hoping that this setup will encourage the user to have everything together before they ask for a website.

Or, what about a 'registered members' area where they can save their changes... take as much time as they need to get all the content down, then when they're all done, hit 'submit'.

OK, after a month or so I'm now ready to get the ball rolling on this project.

I'm starting to get a handle for PHP, I'm using the include function on my music site no problem, but I guess I'll learn more in creating this new site.

Can anyone start me off in the right direction by pointing me to a script/tutorial that would help automate the process I described above?

I was thinking of having php inlcudes in all the user-editable parts of the template. These includes somehow grab the information that the user submits in the form? Something like this...

<img src="<?php include("LOGO SUBMITTED BY USER"); ?>" alt="Predefined alt text" />
<p>This is a paragraph that the user cannot edit.</p>
<p><?php include("BODY TEXT SUBMITTED BY USER"); ?></p>
<img src="MYIMAGE.IMG" alt="The user can't modify this"/>

I'd really appreciate some ideas and insight on this topic. Am I thinking it out all wrong?

Well, I hadn't thought of using a database. I do have MySQL access, but I don't know the first thing about how it works. How would I go about storing the information in a database, then pulling it into the template?

I just made something along your line.
I developed a multi-site version of LightNEasy, so that you install it on your server, you create a website for each client (the process is automated), you send your client his password and he has full access to his website administration, so he and not you will be able to create his website, edit content, add images, etc.
LightNEasy has for now 50+ templates to chose from. It's very easy to convert any -XHTML/CSS website template to a LighTNeasy template.
I won't distribute this version openly, but let me know if you are interested.

Ok, just commented out a set of lines in the file admin.php inside LightNEasy folder.

You can download it from HERE and replace it.

Just go to demo.lightneasy.org.
It is a demo site (password "demo") for people to experiment and has a template switcher. in the main page.

One suggestion/request re; the LightNEasy templates? They all print overflow .. if you try to print the pages, they do not print properly and you lose some of the text. Maybe I am weird and I like making hardcopy of something as "reference" for offline, but to me that is a BIG gripe when a site does not allow for proper printing, and its a site that has info you may want to print out! ;)

I will try to give it a go tonight ;) Thank you!

it seems like a very nicely designed site .. I wonder how much advertising is insterted into the free "sites" you create there? There's a place I always eat at that I wish would have a site ... maybe I can talk them into it with this ... if nothing else to post their menu etc ;)