"I want to update our site in house
- Started
- Last post
- 21 Responses
- BREWMANCHU
I hear this from client's so often, and each time it seems to be a struggle to set up their website in a manner that they can update easily without screwing up the design. Most often nobody "in-house" has the first clue about HTML/CSS or Flash.
Any suggestions? CMS, Contribute...?
- sherman0
CMS
do some research - picking one depends on the size of the org.
- jevad0
contribute if it's a small op or mom and pop shop...full CMS if it is something bigger
- monNom0
"I want to update our site in house"
once it's done, home many clients ACTUALLY work on their own site?
in my experience, not many.
Their time is usually better spent doing their own job and offloading the grunt work.
- BREWMANCHU0
I agree, most clients do not update, but in the bidding stages, they demand it. So it's the struggle of whether I outsource the CMS and increase the cost or hope they have an ounce of tech savvy to handle Contribute.
- Mimio0
Another option might be to do the bulk of the content in include files made of just text and css markup etc. in flat files(.php, .asp, etc) and template the rest of the site structure. It might restrict your design but it could be a good solution too. That way all they need is a person who can edit text and apply the correct styles, maybe place images.
- Zeitgeist0
Hell, some of them don't even need a damn website! But I'm glad they feel like they do - it pays my rent.
- jevad0
"hope they have an ounce of tech savvy to handle Contribute.
BREWMANCHU
(Jun 19 06, 20:44)"instead of just 'hoping'...why not ask...or take the time to walk them through the options...
takes a lot of the guesswork out
- Triss0
CMS, hahaha, can you say XML?
- rasko40
what sort of a cock in the ass response is that?
- Triss0
"what sort of a cock in the ass response is that?"
....
what sort of a cock in the ass response is that?
- lnu0
For small sites i do XML driven flash, most people can actually learn how a xml file behaves in word, and then drag and drop it into an ftp location in explorer.
- Triss0
Implying why spend project development time implementing a CMS, when you could use simple XML files for content updates...
- lnu0
While we're on the subject, does anyone know a good, simple xml editor for windows? I don't need anything complicated, just something that lists the tag structure without showing the user the actual tags. Thanks.
- rasko40
see that's much better.
- mikeim0
Contribute has been a good referal for us, unfortunately most clients don't use the styles we set up for them. They make fonts extremely large and they use random colors so the site ends up looking like shit.
And full CMS is usually not in their budget.
- Triss0
rasko4. I thought we were going for it then... ;)
- Nairn0
I recently did a wee site for a friend with includes along the lines of Mimio's description - as he wasn't outright scared of FTP and code and does not have DB-capability, but wanted a site with multiple languages, I simply php-included each language as a seperate file, flagging variables with obvious names like "$contactPageHeaderText"
"$contactPageTelephone"
or
"$aboutPageIntroText"
etc..So, as far as he's concerned, he's got an only slightly codified text file with all content compiled 'neatly' on one page.
However, his site is only a handful of pages long - if he had loads of content, this would very quickly become unwieldy, with the language includes being too heavy to bring in for each and every page.
- joyride0
instead of just 'hoping'...why not ask...or take the time to walk them through the options...
takes a lot of the guesswork out
jevad
(Jun 19 06, 22:10)Exactly! Most clients want to be able to update their sites. I always show them options. But I always try to find out WHY they want to update the site. Know the answer? Because the last designer didn't make updates on time, if at all... So they try to take them out of the mix. So take note! if your trying to develope a client base... customer service is still important. Most updates take less then an hour anyway, squeeze them in. Or i'll just keep taking your clients ;)
- johndiggity0
at work we're building a custom cms to build client sites around just so they can perform all the maintenence and updates they want. i'll never be able to live link to my work again.
- Engage0
If I said to a client who asked to update a site, yes there are some XML files you can easily change... they'd think I was having a laugh!
Half the reason clients won't use a CMS tool / or update their site is probably because you haven't actually idenitified what it is they want to say or how it is going to fit in with their business...
Its no use saying 'yay you can have a news area that you can update whenever you want' if the news isn't going to be that frequent and actually cause them more work... the site should be easing the amount of work they have to do, not finding new jobs for them.