How I'm building a template-based website builder with a built-in content management dashboard.
Most small businesses want a website but find builders like Wix or Squarespace overwhelming. They don't want to 'design' — they want to fill in their information and have a professional site. The gap between 'I need a website' and 'I have a website' is still too wide.
Upsite uses a template-first architecture. Each template is a standalone Next.js application with a standardized data schema. The dashboard connects to Supabase and lets owners update content fields that map directly to template sections. Changes deploy automatically via Vercel.
Business owners don't want drag-and-drop — they want a beautiful site that works. Templates with editable content deliver faster results.
Simple key-value content storage with real-time preview capabilities. No need for a complex CMS.
Automatic deployments on content change, global CDN, and zero-config SSL. The owner never thinks about hosting.
Templates need to be opinionated — too many customization options paralyze non-technical users.
The dashboard is the product, not the template. If updating content isn't delightful, the site goes stale.
SEO defaults matter more than SEO settings. Auto-generate meta tags, sitemaps, and structured data.
Create an ecosystem of industry-specific templates — restaurants, salons, clinics — each with domain-specific features baked in.