Web Design

[kingdonk]

What market do you think there is for a web site that offers novices to create their own website, with their own domain name and e-mail by using a point and click service, with ready made templates that allows them to change the logo's, text, images, couler layout and more.
I am looking at launching such a service.

[cyanide]

What market do you think there is for a web site that offers novices to create their own website, with their own domain name and e-mail by using a point and click service, with ready made templates that allows them to change the logo's, text, images, couler layout and more.
I am looking at launching such a service.

Hmmm, I think I would say that market is pretty saturated.
You would do well to incorporate a secondary or tertiary service to develop your overall service, so as not to 'put all your eggs in one basket' so to speak

[Website Biz]

kingdonk,

There are a lot of sites that do this already. But that doesn't mean the market is saturated. It indicates that there is a viable market.

You need to develop your site to target people who know little or nothing about websites and site design. Give them templates they can customize with point and click techniques. Don't bother them with details like "99.9% uptime" or "Super Duper Double Helix Backbone Servers". Give them "fast, easy, cheap, anyone can do it". You can also upsell them with options of premium or custom templates, paid technical support, affiliate products (graphics, more templates) etc.

The fact that so many others are already doing this means there is a demand. Give it a shot. Bravenet started this way, and if you stick with it, you may be able to quit your day job.

Good luck.

[Weedy Lady]

Yahoo is (I think) a leader in this through their Geocities arm. They do everything you listed for $4.95 per month. They also include the ability to use layers, and a lot of other kind of fancy stuff that beginners would never ever figure out. You can actually get a free site on geocities and check out all the features of their page builder without paying the $4.95 per month for the "private" domain name. That way you'd know what the competition has to offer for sure.

If you can do it better and cheaper and compete with the big guys, best of luck to you!!!

Sincerely,
The Weedy Lady

[DrTandem1]

Yes, most ISPs allow you to this for free (part of your service). You could then always copy-and-paste the source code and files to your own domain.

[malcolm]

I think there is a great market for such a service. The best I can find is http://www.homestead.com/

I suggest this to clients who can't afford my entry level price for me to design.

The homestead thing is very good. It is perhaps too good, too busy, too complex with too many options for say a plumber or builder that wants to publish say a 5 page "business card" sort of site.

I'd be very, very interested in a simple online solution for such clients that gave them their own domain name.

There's nothing new under the sun. Most ideas are better solutions to a market need rather than a new idea.

Malcolm

[andy206uk]

The company I work for (www.names.co.uk) offer a free "1 page website" which can be created by a customer free with all domain registrations.

Its quite a simple system, they can upload a logo, add some text and contact details and set the page title and meta tags. Nothing too complicated but our customers seem to like it. :)

It's definatly a good thing to give customers to add value to existing services and the like.

[voodooboy]

The best hope you have in getting over the fence with the companies that have already cornered the market is to go into a niche industry. For example, market to plumbers and offer templates that work for a plumber. Market to that industry until it is showing a profit, then expand into other markets. Focusing on one niche market every time you venture out.

Now I used plumbers just as an example. You could choose any industry to start with.

Best of luck.