[dba-VB] Web project advice

Mark Breen marklbreen at gmail.com
Fri May 14 03:13:51 CDT 2010


Hello Michael,

You have two choices when you create a google apps site

1) use a previously created domain name that is not really currently being
used for anything else
2) Allow Google and their domain registration partners (Go Daddy and Enum)
to create a .com domain for you for $10

I usually prefer option 1 because it allows me to seperate out the
management of the domain name and the domain hosting (the google bit).
However the slight complication with option 1 is that you have to create
the C Records and the MX Records yourself.  If you have not done this
previously, it can seem daunting, although in reality it is not difficult
and there are loads of instructions out there.

In Option 2 Google will do ahead and open a Go Daddy / Enum account for you,
pay the 10 USD and then they will set the C Names and MX Records all
automagically.  This works a treat and is very slick.  However, if you do
not currently have a google account and if that Google account does not
currently have payment facilities set up, you will have to do that as part
of the process.  This can take the shine off the slickness, but once it is
done, option 2 is slick.

So, assuming you have chosen Option 1 or 2, the total cost now of playing
with Google Apps is €10 for the domain registration.  I customarily create
domains and sometimes forget about them once I have tested a particular
point.  I frequently register domains with names such as
www.test14052010.com

As Gustav will probably agree, Google Apps is an incredible solution for
free, the email facilities alone are great and for small businesses that was
to pay just $10 per year for their domain registration, this is a great way
to have full cloud email, and full website facilities backed up by Google.


How to make money from it?

Well, there are a few ways

1) I usually create the sites for free for people and openly tell them it is
only 15 - 30 minutes work.  Sometimes they throw me €50 or €100 which is
nice pocket money when it comes.  They they manage the site from there.
2) Sometimes when people have no desire to manage the site at all, I set a
small fee to do the whole lot for them, but I always tell them inadvance
they can do it themselves if they wish.  I still only create four or five
pages sites and I KISS.
3) As expected when you give away time for free as I have done with google
apps, they then come back a month or more later asking for a database system
to be built, and this is where I make my real money.


In summary:  As a free tool, Google apps really fills a need in the market.
If we charge €500 per site we take away the neatness of the the free
solution.  So I like to leave it as a free solution and charge down the line
or one the site for the service I provide.

I have also ran some "Build your own website" courses for a small local
organisation where I insist that they will have a site up after two tough
days.  Because I do them for free, I do one or two per month, and because I
do so many, I am not very fast at creating the site.

To be honest, it does not really make me money, but I love to see people
with a website running in the cloud for just the $10 is takes to register a
domain.

Is that any help?

thanks

Mark




On 14 May 2010 00:28, Michael Maddison <michael at ddisolutions.com.au> wrote:

> Cant find a trial option and I'm not sure I should use my real domain to
> try it out?
> How much flexibility do you have with styles/laying out the pages?
> 15 minutes??? I'll go broke :-(
>
> Cheers
>
> Michael
>
>
> Hello Michael,
>
> I have set up about 100 sites now with Google apps, I can do them in
> approx
> 15 minutes if I have the content.
>
> It is free and you get the benefit of corporate quality email as well.
>
> Remember you need to select the Standard Edition as opposed to the
> Premium
> Edition.
>
> It has a list / table style template page which works well.
>
> Google Gadgets work really great also, especially the maps and you tube
> integration
>
> HTH,
>
> Mark
>
>
> On 13 May 2010 07:59, Gustav Brock <Gustav at cactus.dk> wrote:
>
> > Hi Michael
> >
> > Or Google Apps:
> >
> > http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/sites.html
> >
> > /gustav
> >
> >
> > >>> michael at ddisolutions.com.au 13-05-2010 01:39 >>>
> > Hi Guys,
> >
> >
> >
> > Just looking for some feedback.
> >
> > I've been asked to quote on a small website for a cattle stud.
> >
> > It's not a complex site but the user has asked for the ability to
> > add/update beast stud info. He says he needs to do this once a year.
> >
> > I've used DNN before but it seems like overkill for this spec.
> >
> > Adding/removing maybe 10 entries a year.
> >
> >
> >
> > Any thoughts/recommendations?
> >
> >
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> >
> >
> > Michael M
> >
> >
> >
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