Using a Pre-Built Deal Platform Versus Creating a Daily Deal Site From Scratch

Daily Deal Builder is a deal software provider, and I want to first state that we have attempted to be as unbiased as humanly possible in creating this report.  If you feel that you are a “right fit” for the deal industry, one of the first steps you need to decide is whether or not you want to create a site from scratch or use deal software to create your site.  This article discusses a few major pros and cons of starting a deal site from scratch versus starting a deal site using a white label provider.

Pros of Using a Deal Software Provider:

• Save Money.  When you start a deal site using a deal platform, you are going to spend less money than you would if you were to hire a team of developers and create a deal site from scratch.  Creating a complex deal website could cost you anywhere from $10,000 to well over $100,000.
• Save Time.  Along with saving money by using a deal platform, you can save much time.  Creating a deal site from scratch will probably take you anywhere from four months to well over a year.
• Get access to knowledge, contracts, and training.  Using a deal platform can get you connected to a wide range of knowledge, training, and contracts that you would otherwise have to create and learn on your own.
• Leverage existing relationships.  Many times a deal software provider can help you leverage existing relationships that they have already built up or tap into a deal feed to allow you to sell deals negotiated by the deal platform provider.

Cons of Using a Deal Software Provider:

• Might have to dish out part of your business.  Many deal software providers will take a percentage of your business when you use their deal platform.  There are, of course, certain companies (like ours) that allow you to process your own payments.
• Shared hosting environments.  Many deal companies will put you on a shared hosting environment.  This could mean trouble for you if your site grows very quickly and the shared hosting environment can’t handle the amount of traffic.
• Having things out of your hands. Many times when you go with a deal platform provider, you are limited with what you can actually do to your site.  One of the things you should look for if you decide to go with a platform is the ability to have full access to the codebase and the ability to be flexible and make the site unique.
• Might not own the codebase.  Starting a site with a deal provider could potentially mean that you don’t own the actual code base of your website.  With Daily Deal Builder, you own your codebase and have full access to it.  The only caveat is that you can’t re-sell your codebase to multiple other people and become competitors with us.

Back in the early 90’s, there was a big debate on whether or not to use a pre-built shopping cart platform, or develop one yourself.  This debate has surfaced yet again with the huge insurgence and success of many daily deal web sites.

Barely anyone has the time or resources to create a shopping cart from scratch anymore and there are plenty of flexible solutions to start with something that is already created.  I have a similar feeling about going with a deal provider.

Marc D. Horne
Daily Deal Builder