A friend told me about DevHub earlier today as they were about to launch to the public. They offer a solution that enables users to create and publish multiple websites and offers a way to monetize them in the same process. Think of it as a WYSIWYG website editor (much like Website Tonight) mixed with a series of widgets that ease the process of trying to monetize a website. My main concern with this model, regardless of how easily one can build a site, is that in order to monetize it needs traffic. This service, like all quick build solutions can’t help there.
So now on to more about DevHub. The web-based publishing platform isn’t groundbreaking stuff, but DevHub lets web publishers tap into a fairly large aggregated network of sites and affiliate networks with the use of an API, boasting deals with more than 35 internet properties such as Careerbuilder, Superpages, Shopping.com, Priceline, Homegain, etc.). The startup says this integrated monetization approach, the rich WYSIWYG editing capabilities and the extensive reporting features are what set them apart from other online website building tools (and there are many of those).
During the private beta, the Seattle company had already over 55,000 sites developed with the centralized platform. The company claims it takes 5-10 minutes to set up a website, so you don’t need to refrain from testing for lack of time. They also have an interesting way of going about signing up new users: while a DevHub user can manage an unlimited number of sites on the DevHub platform, they must pass a quality threshold for their first set of 10 sites before being allowed seats for their next 10. It’s unclear what this quality test entails exactly.
The product is targeted primarily at wannabe internet entrepreneurs looking to build an online media network without a lot of technical know-how.
From their own FAQs:
1. How is DevHub different from WYSIWYG/CMS Solutions? (Synthasite, Weebly, SquareSpace)
Firstly, use of the DevHub platform and all its features are completely free. Companies in the past that have offered ‘free web publishing’ offer premium tools at a cost per month or are free for a limited amount of time before they start charging monthly. For users that are trying to create useful, profitable sites for their endeavors, paying a monthly cost makes it that much harder.
Secondly, while DevHub does offer similar site editing and content management tools to current online solutions, the power of the DevHub platform is in its aggregation and distribution system, allowing us to hook in via APIs to a wide range of content and monetization partners. These integrations are then placed in modules in the editor for users to place on their site to enhance their content and revenue-generation capabilities. As an aggregated ecosystem of developers, we are often able to bring on board exclusive partners or deals that would typically not be available to the individual developer.
Current partner API integrations provide users access to exclusive affiliate offers, local directories, products, property listings, job listings, photos, videos, RSS feeds, and site search. We have a dedicated business development and API integration team constantly bringing on new partnerships and integrations for users of our platform.
2. How is DevHub different from Blogging Tools? (Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger)
Blogging tools were originally created to be an online diary for personal expression. Due to lack of alternative solutions at the time, many users started to bend these tools beyond their intended purpose in an attempt to create media-rich, commercially viable (e-commerce, affiliate marketing, etc.) websites.
Users of this system often require a certain degree of hosting and CSS/HTML know-how and end up incurring time and development costs to incorporate the right templates and plug-ins to put together a useful site. Constant upkeep and upgrades add additional complexity to managing these sites.
DevHub is designed from the ground up to be a website development platform with full monetization capability. All programming/heavy lifting is done in the background, so site creation is simple to use and requires no previous programming knowledge. This seems to be the biggest big barrier-to-entry for those looking to use the hack-a-blog method.
3. How is DevHub different from Auto-Gen Solutions? (Domain Parking, SEDO, TrafficZ, WhyPark)
A website cannot grow or provide value to users without some sort of human touch. Domain Parking solutions and auto-generated solutions such as TrafficZ, SEDO, Domain Sponsor, and WhyPark provide domain owners with little to no control over how their domains are presented and monetized on the web. The resulting pages created by these services are often duplicated on another page, mediocre in their ability to bring relevant, coherent content together, and is obvious to the Internet user that they are not real sites. As a result, domains placed through these services are put at risk of being flagged as spam sites or banned by search engines.
DevHub’s focus is on making it easier for people to build quality sites on the Internet that brings value to both the users and the creators of the sites. While DevHub initially suggests what your site could be about and provides you with multiple content and monetization modules, we encourage users to use our editing tools to provide their own knowledge, content, pictures, and design touch. While a DevHub user can manage an unlimited number of sites on the DevHub platform, they must pass a quality threshold for their first set of 10 sites before being allowed seats for their next 10.
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Saying that “…Whypark provide/s domain owners with little to no control over how their domains are presented and monetized on the web.” is irresponsible and showing that you haven’t actually tested WhyPark’s systems. We allow our customers full customization processes, their own adfeeds and rev sources, easy input content for original articles, even blog style reporting with “click to add page” ease of use, and full html setup of every page. In other words, for only $.99 a domain ONE TIME FEE, you can get your own hosted website. We just require you purchase 100 domain slots, so minimum cost, one-time, is $99 for 100 domains. And you get content feeds based on your own keywords.
Please do more research on a company before you make blanket statements about them that are false. WhyPark is probably the most exciting new technology for domain name owners right now.
thanks…
Hi Stephen, if you read the post you will notice that the comment about your service is directly taken from the FAQ section of DevHub and can be found here: http://www.devhub.com/faq#autogen – I make no claims to have tested your system but did ensure I mentioned in this post that the content you are referring to is direct from their website. I would suggest you take up your concerns with DevHub and I do look forward to trying your service.
Damn people are testy
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.
Devhub crushes whypark. It’s not even close.