On 10 Jul 2007, at 23:43, Kevin Ross wrote:
I am trying to find a solution to a nagging problem. Most of my
client's sites are not very dynamic and I update them as the client
requires. Because the updates are very infrequent, I have not been
charging very much for this ongoing support. However, I have a new
client who wants to maintain her own site (one I designed for
her). She is pretty good on the computer, but doesn't really know
her way around HTML or CSS. I am agonizing over how to "pass the
torch" over to her. The site is not extremely complex, but is more
than a little task for someone who does not design web sites.
I am wondering for advice on this situation and I am also wondering
how others handle ongoing updates after the initial design has been
implemented.
I am also wondering if a CMS system would, in any way, be a
solution to a situation like this.
have you clearly defined the clients need to update the site?
what changes is she likely to be making?
I usually work through the following process:
1. how much of the site will *really* be changed.
2. how often will the changes need to be made.
almost every client i have had has expressed a desire to update it
themselves. Most don't really need to.
my solutions are:
maintenance agreement for small and infrequent changes - saves the
client future time and immediate development costs.
for sitewide frequent changes, use an Open-Source or Bespoke CMS.
for a couple of pages that change frequently, create a bespoke CMS to
manage them - e.g. a press release page or a news page.
sometimes I might create a management system for my own use.
e.g. http://www.bclm.co.uk
each of the pages is built from template snippets and a PHP script
that creates flat html files.
some of the pages are backed by a MySQL database, that the client has
an admin page set to enter and edit content (events, prices, news and
press releases)
one of the pages is dynamic PHP.
the client has control over the frequently changed items, I can make
minor updates and adaptations where they want something outside the
ordinary.
making them learn and use a full CMS would have been counter-
productive and letting them loose with Contribute would have broken
the site quite quickly.
it really is a per case solution, with maintenance at one end and a
full blown CMS at the other.
best to be absolutely clear with the client that paying for a full
blown CMS when all they want is to update their contact details, if
they change, sometime!
often the question comes from an insecurity problem - "what happens
if you go away and I need an update to my site?"
maintenance contracts with clearly defined fallback plans are a good
thing - they keep you in touch with the client and give the client
confidence for the future.
hth
my 2p.
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