Manage Client Sites with LightCMS
My first job was at an agency around 10 years ago. When I look at the tools out there now, I'm amazed at how quickly the standard has changed. Sometimes I was made to cobble together an ugly, rigged CMS; other times I was hacking around subpar open source e-Commerce projects in the hopes I could make them look presentable. Rarely was much thought put into security or uptime. The kicker: I was usually told to set up these client sites on shared hosting plans. And forget "cloud" anything; the only cloud I knew was the black one raining on me every day.
Today the bar is set way higher. Content Management Systems are more than just a WYSIWYG editor, hosting has hit the cloud so your site isn't taken down by another shotty site on a shared hosting account, security standards have improved, and clients know all of this -- so they expect more. One service that can help you deliver that extra level is LightCMS.
LightCMS is a complete cloud-based content management system that was built from the ground up with web designers and developers in mind. Their tools are easy to use and they provide full access to the HTML and CSS for users who desire a fully custom website. LightCMS allows developers to scale their business quickly and easily with built in billing, hosting, and unlimited support. All security updates and new features are included for free.
Quick Hits
- They originally built it from the ground up with web designers and developers in mind - Originally built it for themselves because they needed a powerful CMS that would allow them to design the way that they wanted to with no restrictions, yet still allowed their clients to maintain control of their content with no training. It became so popular with their clients that they eventually began offering it as a standalone product.
- Acquired by NetSuite - World's largest cloud ERP vendor. All websites are hosted in NetSuite's secure, enterprise-class datacenters.
- Free 14-day trial - Free trial allows developers to get a solid taste of the product
- Developer Program - Build and manage your entire business on LightCMS
Developer Program
The Developer Program offers web developers the ability to build their entire business on the LightCMS platform without anyone knowing it's LightCMS; this is a huge selling point as you look all the more professional. You can use a custom subdomain on your own domain to make your LightCMS instance look custom.
A few more helpful points about the LightCMS Developer Program:
- With Client Billing, LightCMS invoices your customers on your behalf. That money is sent directly to your Stripe account and shortly after, LightCMS collects the hosting fees due on your account. In other words, LightCMS doesn't get paid until you do.
- You pay LightCMS $19 per live site (sites in development are free) and you can charge your customers anything you wish above that. The Plan Builder shown below allows you to create your own pricing plans and calculate your monthly profit.
- The Dashboard will give you a quick overview of your client sites, monthly revenue, etc.
- You will have full access to the HTML/CSS on every site and you will be able to upload/download templates and designs as you wish.
- Full FTPs access
- Two pricing options (one time setup fee):
- Starter: $99 - great for freelancers and small studios who wish to begin reselling websites to their clients
- Professional: $495 - Ideal for those who wish to automate billing and brand the LightCMS platform as their own.
A product like LightCMS would have been a lifesaver for me when I was balancing client sites, billing, CMS functionality, and branding. The one reservation I always had about products like this was lack of white-labeling, but since LightCMS provides the ability to do that, LightCMS looks a winner!
