[BlueOnyx:05769] Re: Automated installs of CMS's

[Darrell D. Mobley]

Most of today's successful web hosts have models based on giving away
everything for nothing, although we know they are really nothing for
nothing.  But with perception being reality, if a customer can see, in
Chris' example, 176 options, they are more inclined to sign up.  As it is, I
find myself having interested parties ask the question, I refer them to WHAM
and say pick your poison, and a week later I am writing them back to ask if
they found a solution yet, only to have them they tell me they are now on
Plesk or Cpanel.  A free installer like WHAM is great ... for the web host.
We need to start thinking like the client ... everything for very little,
and then we can stand a chance of getting some of those customers back.

In our era of everyone being a blogger or a web site owner, if we don't stop
thinking that providing the basics is enough, then we will all suffer.

Greg does great work, for him I am appreciative.  I know he wants to get
some compensation back for his work with WHAM.  If that means a monthly
license, sign me up ... after we get some more choices under the roof.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: blueonyx-bounces at blueonyx.it [mailto:blueonyx-bounces at blueonyx.it]
> On Behalf Of Chris Gebhardt - VIRTBIZ Internet
> Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 6:50 PM
> To: BlueOnyx General Mailing List
> Subject: [BlueOnyx:05767] Re: Automated installs of CMS's
> 
> Darrell D. Mobley wrote:
> > Greg, my experience has been that a new client doesn't want to look at
> the
> > WHAM list and write the admin back to purchase X module for WHAM,
> install it
> > and then allow them to install the program.  They want to order an
> account,
> > have it set up and then make their selections.  WHAM requires either the
> > system operator purchase all the modules in advance or wait until the
> system
> > operator can.
> 
> That is generally true based on my experience as well.  Perhaps it would
> be helpful if there were a "bundle" of all available applications so
> that it wouldn't be necessary to select individual packages.
> 
> Interestingly, WHAM's model seems to be the reverse of similar packages
> on other platforms (ie: Fantastico, Softaculous on Cpanel or
> ApplicationVault on Plesk) in that when you purchase (or subscribe to)
> the installer, you automatically get a large selection of software to go
> along with it.   For instance, with Plesk's ApplicationVault, once you
> purchase the software, you have hundreds of applications available.
> (We've culled our list to "only" 176 of them for our customers).
> 
> I don't mean to suggest that the WHAM model is the wrong way to go.  But
> I do sympathize with Darrell's point and wonder if there might be an
> easier/better way to get applications in the hands of those who would
> like to have them.
> 
> --
> Chris Gebhardt
> VIRTBIZ Internet Services
> Access, Web Hosting, Colocation, Dedicated
> www.virtbiz.com | toll-free (866) 4 VIRTBIZ
> _______________________________________________
> Blueonyx mailing list
> Blueonyx at blueonyx.it
> http://www.blueonyx.it/mailman/listinfo/blueonyx