Rent Or Own Your Website? Part 2
July 31, 2008 by Michelle Waters
I just got off the phone with Kristine, one of my design partners. We were talking about a new client who has her Web Mama eCart, which is the same software as the Shop Kit Plus. This client is moving from their current host to my hosting because of issues with the database on other company’s server.
While I had Kristine on the phone, I asked her to take a peek at the Rent Or Own Your Website post I wrote on July 23. I wanted to know if she thought I was out of line with what I wrote.
And I figured she’d be the perfect person to let me know, seeing how she is a competitor and design partner, too.
Kristine pointed out that the license is indeed owned by the software developer. The reseller cannot sell ownership of the cart, only the right to use the cart under specific circumstances. Which brings me to something she pointed out something that I hadn’t even thought about when writing the original post.
Each license that the reseller sells to the customer can only be used on one domain name. So, if you want to use your cart and license on a new domain name, you have to get permission from the reseller, who can only give it to you within 1 year from your original purchase. Otherwise, you’ll need to purchase a new license. Even if you aren’t going to use the cart on the original domain.
We also talked about her cart and what she offers with it. Mainly, she sells the cart to people who are web savvy enough to not need the support that my team provides. She installs the cart, hands the keys over to the owner and is done, unless the script itself has a bug. She will then install a patch or update. If a client wants to upgrade for other reasons or needs additional support, she charges extra for her time.
On the other hand, I provide all the hand-holding you want via the helpdesk and a free one-time 30-minute phone consultation. I have 30+ hosting technicians to answer your website and email questions. And I have two techs who are SKP experts. We fix bugs and only charge a minor fee for our time in installing updates (unless they are related to security, in which we will install them for free within a certain time period).
However, I don’t want to deal with supporting carts that are on other people’s servers (too much of a mess!), so I do not provide any free support for SKPs hosted on non-Watersweb servers. These clients must pay for my support time (other than the forums, video tutorials and printed manual that is available to all SKP clients).
So what does this mean?
My personal opinion:
- Make sure you choose your domain name carefully. Even if you’re buying a product like vbulletin, which allows you to switch licenses between domain names, you don’t want to do that very often. You’ll lose customers.
- Make sure you read the fine print and know exactly what you are purchasing. If you need extra support, make sure you choose a package that offers the support you need. If you are very tech savvy and don’t need a lot of support, you can go with a cart that can be hosted anywhere.
This reminds me. I have a client now who uses Zen Cart, which is totally free. But she is uncertain how to make some changes to her cart, so she is paying me to do them. My Watersweb customers, in the same situation, would simply request instructions for how to change the settings. And if a feature on the cart wasn’t working properly (as advertised) we would fix it.
Just some food for thought.
Michelle, this is an excellent post! And as Michelle said, I’m not only a competitor but also a design partner!
When you have a cart on your own host, its a lot more work than having someone else manage your cart for you. Therefor, while I sell my own un-hosted cart, I generally only sell it to clients who are web savvy or need to have it un-hosted at their own server for a specific reason. I sell them the cart license to use at any host they want, but they can only use it with the one domain. (unless they make a request for transfer within the first year) No matter what, the programmer actually “owns” the cart software, the reseller has the right to sell licenses to use the cart, the end client is buying a license to use the cart. One way to know if you “own” the cart, ask yourself this: “can I resell this cart as my own or to another person?” And do you know what the license is for your cart? Do you have access to the programmer for support? (or only the reseller) Chances are, you are still referring back to the reseller for everything. So do you really own it?
And then we talk about support. My clients buy my cart and I offer support with cart issues and bugs, and I can direct them on how to use the cart. But I can’t offer 24/7 technical service with a team of tech people. And I’m still referring back to the programmer of the cart for any issues that I can’t answer. Hosting specs are another common issue. Different versions of admin and php software and limitations, totally unrelated to the cart, can affect how the cart runs (or doesn’t run). Using a hosted (or “rented”) cart eliminates any server and hosting issues that may arise. And you, the client, are not stuck playing the middle man when relaying information between your host and your cart person, you eliminate the stress on your part because your cart person is your host person. Having an un-hosted cart, like mine, is many times the best option for several reasons for specific clients, but there are just as many reasons and more for the general web site owner to prefer the hosted (rented) cart version.
My default answer to clients wanting a cart with their web design package (my primary service) is to refer them to Michelle and have them buy her Shop Kit Plus cart. Yes, I sell my own cart, but I know that different clients have different needs and I fell its my job as a designer to match them up with what will work best for their specific business. This attitude has allowed Michelle and I to work closely with our clients to offer the best support possible and compliment each other’s services. And when my clients do need my cart for whatever reason, I still like to promote Michelle’s hosting services to put the cart on because of her great customer support.
I offer support with cart issues and bugs, and I can direct them on how to use the cart. But I can’t offer 24/7 technical service with a team of tech people. And I’m still referring back to the programmer of the cart for any issues that I can’t answer. Hosting specs are another common issue. Different versions of admin and php software and limitations, totally unrelated to the cart, can affect how the cart runs (or doesn’t run).