Editing a Website - Options Available?

Zuisse

Hi all,

I'm using a company to develop a website for me. Each of the pages has been created and we just need to finalise the text & images.
The quotation that I received has an option for php scripting to allow me to update pages on the site myself whenever I need to. However, the cost seems to be excessive (€500-€700 per page plus training).

In the past I've used basic templates as part of my hosting package & updated the website myself - however the template wasn't great and that's why I'm getting the design done professionally this time.

My question is that now that the basic design has been completed is there simple software available that I'll be able to use to edit the text & images myself? (and possibly create a new page by copying any existing page - although this is not essential). I've seen a few threads mentioning CMS and I think this is the method they're proposing for me to use. Would it matter if I used different software to that used to develop the website?

As you can probably gather I don't have any experience with programming so the easier the solution the better. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

R3al

Zuisse wrote: »

Hi all,

the cost seems to be excessive (€500-€700 per page plus training).

I've seen a few threads mentioning CMS and I think this is the method they're proposing for me to use. Would it matter if I used different software to that used to develop the website?

As you can probably gather I don't have any experience with programming so the easier the solution the better. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

There are quite a few different CMS systems available the most well known open source versions would be Joomla/Mambo see www.joomla.org
and for online shops there is osCommerce www.oscommerce.com or zencart www.zen-cart.com

If you visit www.opensourcecms.com you can see demos of many of the open source cms systems and try them out.

500-700 per page seems very expensive for cms especially as it does not include training, if you google you will find quite a few proprietary cms systems also.

codecrunchers

Hi
I second that, if you're site is straighforward they should install the CMS for 500-700.

As for training you may need some for the CMS - but 300 should easily cover your needs if they have developed it well...

Also, noone is going to teach you how to program for that price either - they seem VERY expensive.

p

Really, this should have been specified at the start of the project by your or them.
Pricing per page for a CMS is a bit strange, as usually it's a relatively fixed cost.

Sounds like you're just in with a crapy company, try negotiate with them.

TheHoban

If your not looking to go with a CMS and there is no php on the pages you could try NVU.

I reccomened it to my clients when they want to manage their own websites, and also use it when i'm doing demo's as it's free and easy.

mewso

TheHoban wrote: »

If your not looking to go with a CMS and there is no php on the pages you could try NVU.

I reccomened it to my clients when they want to manage their own websites, and also use it when i'm doing demo's as it's free and easy.

Agree NVU is good for html editing. I think the OP was looking for an editor folks not a CMS which is what he was getting quoted for effectively. The world is gone so CMS mad it's the first thing people think of when someone mentions updating their site.

forbairt

if its ecommerce stuff I'd recommend steering clear of oscommerce (security nightmare)

codecrunchers

Hi, just as a matter of interest - why do you reckon oscommerce is so bad seurity wise - would you have any more faith in ZenCart?

TheHoban

I'm not very fond of them two. I use Cubecart for my store as the admin panel is more user-friendly.

I have done some OScommerce sites before and I don't think it's that bad, the admin panel from what i rember is horrible...

mewso

codecrunchers wrote: »

Hi, just as a matter of interest - why do you reckon oscommerce is so bad seurity wise - would you have any more faith in ZenCart?

Never used either but I just opened a Zen Cart page from link above and it gave me a script error. Confidence=0.

Bluefrog

Freelance Web Developer Bias Warning!

Let me start on a positive note by saying I think it is great that you have realised the benefit to your site and business of professional design. However, going on what you tell us, I have to tell you that this project sounds pretty much out of control currently.

Firstly, as someone pointed out, a per page charge for a CMS is illogical - the entire purpose of a CMS is to allow you to edit existing pages but also to add new ones. Without knowing the full situation, as described, it sounds to me as if they are trying to sell some some kind of proprietary system (one they developed themselves) that will let you update individual existing pages and that is not a CMS. If they give you a per page rate, how to they legislate for future pages you may add - will those fees be recurring? If it is their system, can you move it if needs be down the line and can any other developer work on it?

As someone else pointed out, all of this should have been agreed from the start with a detailed specification document and a contract to cover build fees, schedule, liability, maintenance, licensing and a procedure for dealing with disputes. I would suggest that if you have not already got these in place, that the editing aspect may be the least of your woes as these agreements serve to protect both the client and the developer and it is in everyone's interest that there are clear ground rules. Therefore, one would expect any professional outfit to draw your attention to these matters even if only for their own protection from the start.

Who owns the copyright and what is the licensing situation for the template you have had done for instance and if you decided to have your CMS built by another party, could you take the template with you to them?

When people consider both self-editing or a CMS, they are usually primarily focussed on the ongoing cost of ownership of a site. What they don't really consider is that while there are savings on ongoing web/design development time, there are expenses in terms of training (both in the usage of the system and in SEO), copy production, and overall site maintenance (applications of security updates for instance in the case of a CMS or, if you should break a page during editing, who rights it, how quickly and at what cost). Agreeing the contract with the developers would address these questions.

You need to consider these points and also the frequency and breath of the updates you need to be able to carry out when figuring out if you could edit yourself or need a more robust system. These matters would have arisen in the preparation of the specification document.

So what do you do now? If I were you at this point I would suspend any further work and immediately seek the help of a professional who can discuss, assess and clarify the issues I have mentioned above as they apply to your case specifically.

One of the main problems with this industry is that there is a relatively low entry point for service providers and so standards vary greatly. 100% of my work comes to me via word of mouth and I would suggest that, as my clients do, you should use your business network to sieve out the wheat from the chaff. Talk to other businesses who have sites you admire about their experiences with their service providers and it won't be long before you find a more capable outfit providing value for money.

Best of luck with the site!

Zuisse

Bluefrog wrote: »

Without knowing the full situation, as described, it sounds to me as if they are trying to sell some some kind of proprietary system (one they developed themselves) that will let you update individual existing pages and that is not a CMS.

Thanks to everyone for the comments to date - you've given me alot to think about.
I had a meeting last week to discuss - they're using FTP / html scripting (I think - not too well up with this). The additional fee per page/section was for additional PHP scripting.
I've decided not to avail of this option - I'm not planning on updating the website too often (1-2 times a year) so it's probably best to let the company make the changes for me rather than doing it myself.
Might have a look at NVU though, sounds like a good option in the future.