Building a user-maintainable website

M

markalroberts

Hi,

I am a webdesigner/developer by trade. Whilst my day job involves
working for a software company, I also create sites for people from
time to time.

My biggest dilema at the moment is how to create a site that the
non-technical end-user can maintain.

One particular user (a musician) wishes to have a CV site to advertise
herself. It's a basic affair mostly static HTML, but there is the need
to maintain a list of performances that changes serveral times a month.

In the past I've used Dreamweaver templates and CSS to standardise the
layout/styles, and allow the user to maintain content. Whilst this
works quite well, it still requires a little technical knowledge, and a
fair bit of money for the Dreamweaver license.

I've also designed sites that use ASP and ACCESS (could use PHP and
MYSQL, but these tend to cost more). The problem there is it's more
time consuming for me to implement/test, and harder and more expensive
for the user to find someone to enhance/mend the site if needed.

My ideal would be to create a simple site with simple end-user
content-editing functionality that requires minimal ongoing maintenance
and cost. It should not be branded with too many (if any) "Powered
By..." logos, should not have advertisments and should not by tied into
one web host alone (i.e. the layout/style/content should be
transferrable to other hosts).

If anyone had any ideas, I'd be most grateful :)

Thanks,
Mark.
 
C

Chaddy2222

Hi,

I am a webdesigner/developer by trade. Whilst my day job involves
working for a software company, I also create sites for people from
time to time.

My biggest dilema at the moment is how to create a site that the
non-technical end-user can maintain.

One particular user (a musician) wishes to have a CV site to advertise
herself. It's a basic affair mostly static HTML, but there is the need
to maintain a list of performances that changes serveral times a month.

In the past I've used Dreamweaver templates and CSS to standardise the
layout/styles, and allow the user to maintain content. Whilst this
works quite well, it still requires a little technical knowledge, and a
fair bit of money for the Dreamweaver license.

I've also designed sites that use ASP and ACCESS (could use PHP and
MYSQL, but these tend to cost more). The problem there is it's more
time consuming for me to implement/test, and harder and more expensive
for the user to find someone to enhance/mend the site if needed.

My ideal would be to create a simple site with simple end-user
content-editing functionality that requires minimal ongoing maintenance
and cost. It should not be branded with too many (if any) "Powered
By..." logos, should not have advertisments and should not by tied into
one web host alone (i.e. the layout/style/content should be
transferrable to other hosts).

If anyone had any ideas, I'd be most grateful :)

Thanks,
Mark.
Perhaps eather:
Install a CMS (content management System) such as Mambo Open Source.
That would mean the user can just choose from a list of templates and
just add content etc etc.
Or just build a simple HTML site and give the user appropreate
instructions on changeing content and uploading it useing FTP.
An alternitive to DW is NVU http://www.nvu.com
It's also easier to use.
 
M

melissamarasigan

Depends on your limited resources that u have on your personal computer.
 
B

Beauregard T. Shagnasty

I've also designed sites that use ASP and ACCESS (could use PHP and
MYSQL, but these tend to cost more).

How could PHP and MySQL cost more?

To answer your other question: if it is only a page or two that needs
the updating, feed it from a database (obviously) and write a few pages
for the client to add, edit, and delete records. Hide those pages from
the public, in some other directory, and use a login.
 
A

Andy Dingley

My biggest dilema at the moment is how to create a site that the
non-technical end-user can maintain.

Blog.

Install a standard blog / chatboard system, then switch off features
until only a basic "owner makes a single thread of uncommentable posts"
remains.
 
M

markalroberts

Thanks - i though about this, but the there are very few free blogs and
even less free asp blogs. I guess a pay-blog would be ok if (a) it's
cheap enough and (b) it doesn't have too much branding and (c) i can
make it look like a proper professional website with css etc.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Mark.
 
M

markalroberts

Thanks for the reply - i shall look at mambo

Perhaps eather:
Install a CMS (content management System) such as Mambo Open Source.
That would mean the user can just choose from a list of templates and
just add content etc etc.
Or just build a simple HTML site and give the user appropreate
instructions on changeing content and uploading it useing FTP.
An alternitive to DW is NVU http://www.nvu.com
It's also easier to use.
 
M

markalroberts

An example is streamline.net - asp and access come with the cheapest
package. php and mysql cost more.

well, i have used the database feed previously, but it suffers from
being too beskope and more difficult to enhance/maintain than, say, a
"standard" package.
 
T

Toby Inkster

markalroberts said:
I've also designed sites that use ASP and ACCESS (could use PHP and
MYSQL, but these tend to cost more).

Huh?

Microsoft Access: £170
http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpresentation/index.php?product_id=MSSA03M3E

(ASP is part of IIS which is part of) Windows 2003 Server: £803
http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpresentation/index.php?product_id=MSSA04LME

Versus...

PHP: Free
http://uk.php.net/downloads.php

MySQL: Free
http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html
 
R

Rik

Toby said:

Yep,

and even if you don't pay for it yourself but use it on a shared server,
LAMP packages are normally cheaper..

Grtz,
 
N

nice.guy.nige

While the city slept, Toby Inkster ([email protected])
feverishly typed...

You forgot to include the server in your calculations...

Apache: Free
http://httpd.apache.org/

;-)

Cheers,
Nige
 
M

markalroberts

No, that's not what i mean.

The cheapest hosting package includes ASP and MSACCESS support. It
costs more for PHP and MYSQL support. That's what I'm saying.
 
R

Rik

No, that's not what i mean.

The cheapest hosting package includes ASP and MSACCESS support. It
costs more for PHP and MYSQL support. That's what I'm saying.

Que?
I tend to host 'local', i.e. with hosters from The Netherlands, because of
the ease of communication, and being physically close to the server. Fact is
that almost always, Windows/ISS/ACCESS is more expensive here then
Apche/MySQL.... I'm not sure what you mean by 'support'. I need the
possibilities, and possibly an admin who doesn't **** up. I don't need a
helpdesk, I usually know what I'm doing :)

Grtz,
 
A

Andy Dingley

Thanks - i though about this, but the there are very few free blogs and
even less free asp blogs.

That's why you host with PHP / MySQL

I had hoped your ASP / Access comment was just finger trouble, because
that's so clueless it's beyond debate.
 
M

markalroberts

Oh Jesus - i know how twitchy people can get over opensource - for the
record, i don't give a toss.

ASP+ACCESS = £13.99/year (home user - good enough for me)
PHP+MYSQL = £23.99/year (power user - more expensive)

http://streamline.net/wh.php

I've used streamline on several occasions now, and they're very good.
I'm sure people will jump at the opportunity to tell me where I can get
php+mysql for £13.99 a year or cheaper.

In the meantime, not to lose track of the thread... I want to create
simple easy to maintain sites so completely non-technical users don't
have to employ me or anyone else to keep the thing afloat. Altruaist
enough?


Mark.
 
J

James Hutton

Hi,

I am a webdesigner/developer by trade. Whilst my day job involves
working for a software company, I also create sites for people from
time to time.

My biggest dilema at the moment is how to create a site that the
non-technical end-user can maintain.

One particular user (a musician) wishes to have a CV site to advertise
herself. It's a basic affair mostly static HTML, but there is the need
to maintain a list of performances that changes serveral times a month.

In the past I've used Dreamweaver templates and CSS to standardise the
layout/styles, and allow the user to maintain content. Whilst this
works quite well, it still requires a little technical knowledge, and a
fair bit of money for the Dreamweaver license.

I've also designed sites that use ASP and ACCESS (could use PHP and
MYSQL, but these tend to cost more). The problem there is it's more
time consuming for me to implement/test, and harder and more expensive
for the user to find someone to enhance/mend the site if needed.

My ideal would be to create a simple site with simple end-user
content-editing functionality that requires minimal ongoing maintenance
and cost. It should not be branded with too many (if any) "Powered
By..." logos, should not have advertisments and should not by tied into
one web host alone (i.e. the layout/style/content should be
transferrable to other hosts).

If anyone had any ideas, I'd be most grateful :)

Thanks,
Mark.
I too had this problem a while ago with a local charity, I created an
<iframe> on the page, asked the client to write their content in word,
save as html (with a predefined filename) and ftp the file to the host.
Point the <iframe> to the word html file and the client can update as
often as needed. Before all the purists shout me down, it took 10
minutes to teach the client, including setting up the ftp client (she
still does not know what it is, only that it's one button to connect and
one button to upload the file!), and I've never had any problems from
her asking for support.

I know that word's html output is awful, but the vast majority of users
can use Word and they can produce acceptable documents with text and
images. Set up the ftp client for them (or give them bombproof
instructions) and you'll never hear from them again!

James
 
T

Toby Inkster

markalroberts said:
ASP+ACCESS = £13.99/year (home user - good enough for me)
PHP+MYSQL = £23.99/year (power user - more expensive)

http://streamline.net/wh.php

You're comparing Apples with Oranges here. The ASP account comes with
150 MB of space and one POP3 account; the PHP account comes with 500 MB
and 10 POP3 accounts.
 
M

markalroberts

Toby said:
You're comparing Apples with Oranges here. The ASP account comes with
150 MB of space and one POP3 account; the PHP account comes with 500 MB
and 10 POP3 accounts.

Sure but, like I said, the ASP one is fine for me and the person I'm
making the site for.

So, if I could find a php+mysql site for the same or less money, then
I'd be happy to try it.

Regards,
Mark.
 
M

markalroberts

Thanks James :) Tjhat's the sort of thing I'm thinking of.

It's made more difficult for me because (a) she only has MS works (!)
and (b) she really is not at all technical - but a very good cellist
btw! and (c) I would ideally use CSS to mark up the content, and it
could be difficult to ensure the CSS class names are in her content,
and that no additional formatting/layout creeps in by accident :)

Regards,
Mark.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
473,744
Messages
2,569,483
Members
44,903
Latest member
orderPeak8CBDGummies

Latest Threads

Top