Simple template program

[csdude55]

Can you guys recommend a simple template program that I could install for my newbie clients? Something I can easily set up using WHM/cPanel?

I've set up Wordpress for a few, but it's waaaay too complicated for them to figure out. I need something super simple, but still good looking.

[engine]

I need something super simple, but still good looking.

There's the conundrum.
The vast majority of people really aren't interested in the technicalities, yet want it all. I'd be interested to hear of recommendations or ideas, too.

[csdude55]

I've already lost a handful of clients to Wix and GoDaddy templates this month! It's driving me crazy, that's like $80 /month I've lost, and I can't find a way to compete.

[not2easy]

Have you looked at C-panel apps? They offer quite a few, many free. I've not tried any so can't make a suggestion, sorry.

[csdude55]

Yes and no... cPanel has a ton of options, and several years ago I went through and installed several of them for testing. I don't use templates myself, though (I'm a coder), so I didn't like any of them.

Now, somehow, templates are all the rage. I doubt that I'm going to personally like any of them, and I don't have the type of customers that would spend a month going through them and testing them out for me. So I'm hoping one of you guys have already gone through this and found something that worked.

Here's the list that I have from cPanel (I think it's still accurate, anyway; I drew this up several years ago), but I can install anything that's available for Linux.

Blogs
b2evolution
Nucleus
WordPress

Content Management
Drupal
Geeklog
Joomla
Mambo
PHP-Nuke
phpWCMS
phpWebSite
Post-Nuke
Siteframe
TYPO3
Xoops

Customer Relationship
Crafty Syntax Live Help
Help Center Live
osTicket
PerlDesk
PHP Support Tickets
Support Logic Helpdesk
Support Services Manager

Discussion Boards
phpBB
SMF

E-Commerce
CubeCart
OS Commerce
Zen Cart
F.A.Q.
FAQMasterFlex

Image Galleries
4Images Gallery
Coppermine Photo Gallery
Gallery

Mailing Lists
PHPlist

Polls and Surveys
Advanced Poll
phpESP

Project Management
dotProject
PHProjekt

Site Builders
Soholaunch Pro Edition
Templates Express

Wiki
TikiWiki CMS/Groupware
PhpWiki

Other Scripts
Dew-NewPHPLinks
Moodle
Open-Realty
phpAdsNew
PHPauction
phpFormGenerator
WebCalendar

[not2easy]

Of that list, the only site builders (templates such as GoDaddy and Wix offer) are:
Soholaunch Pro Edition
Templates Express

I would look for more recent information.

[csdude55]

I remember using Soholaunch many years ago, but clients were very impressed so I stopped pitching it. We're talking YEARS ago, though.

I just looked, and it looks like my last server update didn't include Fantastico, which is where those programs come from. So I guess that I installed Wordpress manually at some point (although I have no recollection of that!), but not the others.

I can install anything that works with Linux, of course, so I'm not limited to the Fantastico list! I just need something for those many clients that need a 2-3 page website and aren't going to pay someone to build it for them.

[tangor]

What's your cut for providing your client with a "we don't need you after this" product?

And why do it?

My sales pitch to those that want that is "Why ask me?" Then go on to explain how LOCKED IN AND FIXED their options are by using something that LIMITED. AND how much it will cost for them to have that updated to something that really works when they find out how limited that option might be.

These aren't "clients" as much as they are freeloaders looking for a quick fix. I, personally, don't have the time for that kind of client. That said, when they ask, I just send them to GoDaddy and wait for the SERIOUS call for help later down the line.

[csdude55]

Good question, and it's a mixed basket, really.

Back in the day, I did commercial web design for clients, and offered hosting as an afterthought, which became a small amount of secondary income. Then I set up my series of sites and sold local ads, which became a third leg. Then I brought in Adsense, which became a 4th leg.

Over time, web design died away as templates got better, to the point that I don't even market it anymore... which takes me back down to 3 legs of revenue. But I have about 120 hosting clients, ranging from $8.95 to $14.95 /month, so they cumulatively bring in about $1,200 USD /month.

But this year, Adsense has gotten weaker and weaker (literally about half of what I made from it last year, even though traffic is higher), so now I'm focusing on the other 2 legs of the business: locally sold ads, and hosting.

But lately I've been losing clients to Wix and GoDaddy, because they're cheap and the client can easily do it themselves. So to compete, I'm going to have to come up with a similar option; otherwise, my business will have gone from 4 legs of revenue to 1 (the locally sold ads). And that's scary.

Worse, a lot of those hosting clients were sold on "get a website, domain, hosted, and an ad on a local site, for $500 /year". When I lose their hosting account, I also lose the local ad... so it becomes more than just the $8.95 for hosting that's lost.

If I could find a good template program that any monkey could use, I could start promoting a "free website with ad" package again. But as it is, I'm kinda stuck with the inability to grow.