Community web site for creating and maintaining a web hosting community
An example embodiment of a includes a Home Page, a Web Presence Tool Page, and a Product and Community Forum which is created and maintained by a Hosting Provider. The Home Page may be made accessible to Hosting Customers and Partners and is an ideal location for placement of ads since all members of the Web Hosting Community are funneled through this Web page. The Web Presence Tool Page may display information generated by a Partner regarding the Partner's application which may be viewed by the Hosting Customers. The Product and Community Forum may allow the Hosting Customers to share information regarding all the applications with other Hosting Customers.
1. A system comprising: one or more hosting server computers communicatively coupled to a network, the one or more hosting server computers comprising a community web site and the community web site comprising:
a) a home page accessible to one or more hosting customers and one or more partners;
b) a web presence tool page configured to display information, generated by the one or more partners, to the one or more hosting customers regarding a software application developed by the one or more partners and available via the community web site for download and installation; and
c) a product and community forum configured for the one or more hosting customers to share information regarding the software application with one or more other hosting customers.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the home page is directly accessible by the one or more hosting customers from a hosting control panel.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein when the one or more hosting customers access the home page from the hosting control panel, an identity of the one or more customers is checked at the hosting control panel and the identity of the one or more customers is not checked at the home page.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the home page includes an ad for the software application developed by the one or more partners.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the web presence tool page includes a link to a web site having application support information created and maintained by the one or more partners.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the product and community forum includes a Wiki for the one or more hosting customers to create and edit support articles related to the software application.
7. A system comprising: one or more hosting server computers communicatively coupled to a network, the one or more hosting server computers comprising a community web site and the community web site comprising:
a) a home page accessible to one or more hosting customers and one or more partners;
b) a web presence tool page configured to display information, generated by, and incorporated into the web presence tool page, by a partner via a partner website, regarding a software application developed by the one or more partners and available via the community web site for download and installation; and
c) a product and community forum configured for the one or more hosting customers to share information regarding the application with one or more other hosting customers.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the home page is directly accessible by the one or more hosting customers from a hosting control panel.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein when the one or more hosting customers access the home page from the hosting control panel, an identity of the one or more hosting customers is checked at the hosting control panel and the identity of the one or more hosting customers is not checked at the home page.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the home page includes an ad for the software application developed by the one or more partners.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the web presence tool page includes a link to a web site having application support information created and maintained by the one or more partners.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the product and community forum includes a Wiki for the one or more hosting customers to create and edit support articles related to the software application.
13. A system comprising: one or more hosting server computers communicatively coupled to a network, the one or more hosting server computers comprising a community web site and the community web site comprising:
a) a home page accessible to one or more hosting customers and one or more partners;
b) a web presence tool page configured to display information regarding a software application, wherein the software application is available to each of the one or more hosting customers via the community web site to be purchased and installed after download from the web presence tool page onto a hosted web site controlled by each of the one or more hosting customers; and
c) a product and community forum configured for the one or more hosting customers to share information regarding the application with one or more other hosting customers.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the home page is directly accessible by the of one or more hosting customers from a hosting control panel.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein when the one or more hosting customers access the home page from the hosting control panel, an identity of the one or more hosting customers is checked at the hosting control panel and the identity of the one or more hosting customers is not checked at the home page.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the home page includes an ad for the software application developed by the one or more partners.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the web presence tool page includes a link to a web site having application support information created and maintained by the one or more partners.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the product and community forum includes a Wiki allowing for the one or more hosting customers to create and edit support articles related to the software application.