Is there a market for my software?

13 replies
'Afternoon all,

I built a CRM/invoicing system and website deployment tool several years ago for a very specific purpose and I'm wondering if there is still a market for it. Here is what it does:

1) Manages Leads/Clients (demographics, notes, file attachments)
2) Invoices Clients - one-time or recurring. hooks into authnet and a couple other gateways for merchant processing
3) builds wordpress sites on the fly. Basically, you build a wordpress site with content or without, enter in some template tags then dump the database into my CRM, then with one click (ok, maybe 3) you can build a stand-alone wordpress site with or without custom content (you can change themes too). Hosting can be subdomain or FQDN (not sub-directory based)
4) Each wordpress site then contains a custom dashboard that allows your business to communicate with the website "owner" via RSS feeds and other custom HTML. (Easy to offer notices, up/cross-sells, Ads, etc)
5) the CRM is multi-user, role based security
6) its (obviously) php/mysql and needs a server with root to run. (due to the httpd.conf hacks necessary to pull it off.)

Maybe it does some more stuff I'm forgetting but its been sitting on the shelf for a couple years (I do keep wordpress updated though). Should I dust this off and make a real product out of it?

Think there is a use?

tldr; any use/value for a CRM that builds wordpress sites on the fly and can bill for them too?
#crm #crm or database #market #software #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author SteveSRS
    @OP
    Well doesn't sound to bad mate.. sounds like it could be a pretty powerful tool for niche marketers. All depends on how user friendly it is, perhaps you could make some hooks to monetizing tools for niche sites (think adsense, amazon etc) can be as simple as 'pre installing' some plugins for that purpose with your 3-click WP installation.
    Also consider offering a installation service if you decide to offer it!
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    • Profile picture of the author Lchoate
      Oh, thats a good idea SteveSRS. Originally, it was built for Amazon stores. So a user could launch a bunch of sites, all similar but then you go in to each one and choose your amazon feed. Could you go in to a little detail on adsense? I don't have any experience with it so I don't know a lot about it.

      Thanks again.
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      • Profile picture of the author SteveSRS
        Originally Posted by Lchoate View Post

        Oh, thats a good idea SteveSRS. Originally, it was built for Amazon stores. So a user could launch a bunch of sites, all similar but then you go in to each one and choose your amazon feed. Could you go in to a little detail on adsense? I don't have any experience with it so I don't know a lot about it.

        Thanks again.
        adsense just blocks of where adsense ads can be placed..
        Just make it so users can somewhere enter then adsense account data choose a place (block) where they want to place it and your system generates it there all automatically.

        What Dave said is a good one also.. all WP installs should be able to have their own themes
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  • Profile picture of the author martinbx
    Do you have a link?
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  • Profile picture of the author DoomsDayDave
    I might be interested in something like this for an idea I had. I would definitely be interested in seeing it in action. Can each wordpress site have a custom theme?
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    • Profile picture of the author Lchoate
      Yes, each site can have a custom theme, even custom content if you want. Custom content is done 2 different ways. 1) You can create specific pages from scratch or 2) You can "spin" the canned content.

      Because the setup is so specific, I don't have a fully working demo today. I'm going to set one up tonight though... Watch this space for a URL tomorrow.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lchoate
      Originally Posted by DoomsDayDave View Post

      I might be interested in something like this for an idea I had. I would definitely be interested in seeing it in action. Can each wordpress site have a custom theme?
      Dave, I could give you a tour of a working system if you'd like.
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  • Profile picture of the author AnalyticsNerd
    Your best bet is probably to try to find a guy (or girl) who sees an opportunity in your solution and then enter into a deal with this person.

    It sounds like you have a lot of other assignments that take away your focus from possibly turning your old solution into a money maker.
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  • Profile picture of the author bougalo
    If you're able to simplify to a degree where it becomes an online application with members only area, and where it's purpose will be to generate a self-updating mini-site on the WP platform, you could make a killing in the IM world. While you're at it, leave out 3 blocks to immerse respectively ebay Affiliate ID, Amazon Associate ID, and Adsense ID. You could sell it as a WSO for about $17.

    Hope this helps
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  • Profile picture of the author gmcclure382
    I figure this is programmed in PHP never the less..you could sign up for Microsoft BizSpark and network with another business. You would be surprised how many startups will buy software from other startups.
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  • Profile picture of the author DoomsDayDave
    Lachote I can't send you a PM because I don't have the required Posts....you can post a URL or contact me on Twitter @azpaulangel
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  • Profile picture of the author rrielly
    I would be interested in teaming with you....sounds like together we could make this product fly....
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  • Profile picture of the author dexlink
    It seems good....... Hopefully it would be useful in perspective of online platform.
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