One thing I’m always contemplating when beginning a new website project is whether a turnkey script is the best solution in starting out. I mean, the fact that there are so many other website’s out there operating off of the same exact script kind of deters me a bit. But starting a turnkey site can have its benefits though.
Let’s face it, we all don’t have thousands of dollars to shed out for a custom website script. We all know this and face this each and every day, especially the small business owners. So what do we have to rely on until enough income is generated to have such a custom script made? Turnkey scripts is the answer. 
What exactly is a turnkey script? Its nothing more then a website script designed to operate on auto-pilot for the most part. Or at least this is what I was taught the definition of it was. No matter how you look at it, its just software that you can setup and be on your way.
Let me give you an example. Have you ever wanted to start up an auction site so you can make a little bit of additional income? Surely you couldn’t compete with eBay and I don’t say this to discourage you. But no matter the cause, in my opinion, there is one script out there that is the elite amongst other auction software. Its called PHP Pro Bid and although it runs around $215.00USD for a license (as of the writing of this article) – it is feature packed.
Now I won’t go into details about it because I don’t want to turn this into a promotional article. But none-the-less, with the many features it has, it is an absolute “set it and forget it” software.
But if its one piece of input I can apply to this article before going any further, I wouldn’t suggest using a turnkey script should you start gaining credibility. That is why I’m going to make the suggestion here that when you start profiting and your serious about taking your “turnkey site” big, use some of those funds to pay for a custom script.
It’ll cost a bit but in the end, you’ll have a much more stable system to rely on in the form of a custom script.
But back to the original topic. The main question is why start off with a turnkey script? Simply because it allows you the ability to see whether you can be successful or not without investing thousands into a custom script that won’t be used. Some people use turnkey scripts to simply setup a website and make a small monthly profit from it.
That’s good and all but no matter what the case need be, some work is required. Don’t let others fool you with saying that a turnkey script is a FULLY set it and forget it script. Every website should have some kind of work needed to be done to it or some kind of operations management.
So the bottom line comes down to whether I believe a turnkey script is really worth it? The answer to that is whatever you respond. I cannot give you a definite answer as in the end, its totally what you believe. If you are working on a budget to begin a new project that you feel will be huge in the future, then maybe a turnkey script for you.
But alternatively, if you have a few thousand dollars to spend on a custom script, then this is your best course of action. No matter what you do, your business is your business. Your opinion is the only one that counts and therefore you should ask yourself the question with the above facts in mind.
