Client Updates to FP Sites (Full Version)

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SallyOH -> Client Updates to FP Sites (4/12/2008 3:22:46)

Not sure if this is a true FP question or rather one relating to hosting and other software, but I will start here.

I have built several sites for small businesses using FP 2003. They are hosted elsewhere on a paid server. To-date, I have been providing maintenance for these clients when their sites need updates and changes. Several have asked to be able to make their own changes.

My question is: what is the best way to let the clients do their own updates and changes? The C-Panel at the hosting service is less than friendly for anyone who doesn't know what they are doing.

What are others doing to give the project over to the client for maintenance? Is there a particular software package that will work with FP files for this?

Sally



jaybee -> RE: Client Updates to FP Sites (4/12/2008 7:47:21)

Two options.

1. The client gets a copy of FP (or another editor IF you haven't used any FP bots) and they learn how to use it and update their own web site. Risk HUGE. Before handing it over get them to sign a contract stating that if they screw it all up they can't expect you to fix it for free.

2. If the client wants to be able to just update the text on some of the pages then you can use an editable region so they log in from their browser, update, save and never touch the actual site. If they want to be able to update a lot more than that then you need to look at giving them a Content Management System such as Drupal, Joomla etc.



treetopsranch -> RE: Client Updates to FP Sites (4/12/2008 20:00:54)

I recently had a client that also wanted to update their web. I said look at the page source and see if you can handle it. She said, huh? I explained to her how to look at the source from her business computer. She did and answered back that it looked too complicated with lots of gibberish that she didn't understand. (html and CSS) I said that WordPress was pretty easy to learn and we could access it from a link on her web. It took her two hours to learn WordPress with one of their simple templates and boy is she happy now.



SallyOH -> RE: Client Updates to FP Sites (4/12/2008 22:43:13)

Thanks Jaybee - all good thoughts!

A) they will not buy FP much less learn to use it. And their signed contracts state that if they make changes to the site, I am not reposnsible for any mistakes or the outcomes, nor will I make corrections to their changes free of charge. So that's already handled. I suspect that the fact the contract mentions their making changes is why they are asking to do so. However, one guy is a musician and wants to be able to update his calendar of play dates. I think I'll offer to do that free on a monthly basis, and save myself the headache and anguish of thinking they are in the CPanel and totally clueless.

B) The pages are set up with editable regions in dwts, but if they login to the CPanel, they ARE messing with the actual site by having to drill down to right folder (gasp) and then make changes. I'll look into one of the Content Management apps you mentioned since morethan one client thinks it would be easier (for them) to make changes and I get the old, "well, so and so had so and so build their website and they can make changes anytime they want. And she said it's not hard." Maybe I need to ask so and so the web designer how she's doing it!

thanks for the reply -- I am learning every time I open FP these days. And I have been using it for over 5 years now!

Sally



SallyOH -> RE: Client Updates to FP Sites (4/12/2008 22:48:26)

Don
That's another good idea -- I use WordPress for my blog and never thought about that option. It would solve the musician's calendar problem, I think. I can just link it to a blog from the site. Not sure how a blog would handle the web page changes though -- am I missing something, or was that a solution to a totally different kind of client problem?

Telling them to look at the code is also another good idea -- they'd run for cover (every one of them!)

thanks for the ideas!

Sally



Tailslide -> RE: Client Updates to FP Sites (4/13/2008 3:20:27)

I use WordPress for clients' CMSs all the time - only on their servers though, not the wordpress.com hosted blogs.

You can template the site so that it looks exactly how you want it. You specify the home page in the options section and you only use pages rather than posts and there you have a pretty damn good CMS!



jaybee -> RE: Client Updates to FP Sites (4/13/2008 8:19:16)

There really shouldn't ever be any need for them to go near cpanel. Even if they have FP they should just be publishing not uploading via cpanel. By editable regions I mean an editor they can load up in their browser by logging in to the site via a link on their page somewhere. Take a look at SnippetMaster for an idea.

WordPress is another option, it just depends what is on the site and what the client wants to update. Wordpress has some add-ins, Joomla and Drupal a lot more.

Your musician should be able to use the blog to publish gig dates but there are calendar add-ins available. I'm working on 3 musician's sites at the moment. If I come up with anything super whizzy for gigs I'll let you know. I've used Joomla Gigs Calendar on one site for a magazine and that is perfect but it's not been updated for the latest version.



bernieboy31 -> RE: Client Updates to FP Sites (4/19/2008 0:42:39)

Sally Said
"However, one guy is a musician and wants to be able to update his calendar of play dates. "

Have you thought of building a database, setting up a few .asp pages and letting him add/delete/change his own gigs/dates?

Seems to me to be an easier approch than CPanel and letting anyone mess with the "hard Core" !

Problem with letting customers/clients amend their own stuff is that when it screws up how can you determine that it was them that did it?? sounds v. dangerous to me!

HTH



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