How do you "enter" your site if you....

[artistes]

Hello....New to this forum and I need help. If anyone has a minute to explain to me how I can get "into" my site to make changes, deletions, additions, fix the look, etc.. I cannot at this moment afford to pay for maintenance to my web designer. So she burned my entire site in a CD and gave it to me.
HTML is not entirely unknown to me, though my knowledge is very limited.
My site has pictures, and text.
I have Ms FrontPage2000, 1stpage2000 and WS-FTP. I uploaded the site in WS-FTP but then I got stuck, couldn't understand what the next step would be.
Can someone just tell me in kind of point form how I can manage my site without destroying the whole thing?
Thank you for your help and patience.
Marlene A. Sahal
www.artistestravel.com
msahal@sympatico.ca
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[minstrel]

The first step is to check your URL. I tried to go to your site at www.artistestravel.com and it doesn't exist. Where did you upload it using WS-FTP?

[cyanide]

hmmm, interesting question.

If we only all had 2020 hindsight. YOu should have made this decision from the get-go

FTP is generally only useful if you are using a local development program like Dreamweaver.
I don't know FrontPage that well, but I do know that you need to make sure your host supports it and has installed frontpage extensions.
Then It may be possible to copy and paste the code in to FrontPage. Do a search on google for tutorials (http://www.google.ca/search?q=frontpage+tutorials&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=)

If you are planning to change the buttons, you're going to need to learn Javascript as well.

Your host should have given you username and password info, which you can connect with ftp. You will be looking for a html, public_html or www folder, something like that. Every host is diffeent

You said you don't have the funds to pay your designer, but do you really have the time to learn?
As a web designer myself, most of my clients are small business owners and when they ask about editing their own sites, I always tell them that my business is to look after their site so they can concentrate on looking after their business.

And what happens if you destroy your design?
Not only will that hurt your credibility to your visitors, but you could be looking at much more $$$ to fix it. Most designers these days have monthly maintenance programs, which can be a little more economical than an hourly rate

[minstrel]

FTP is generally only useful if you are using a local development program like Dreamweaver. I don't know FrontPage that well, but I do know that you need to make sure your host supports it and has installed frontpage extensions.
Actually, that's not entirely accurate - She can use FrontPage to edit files and even use FTP (either WS_FTP or the FTP built into FrontPage) to upload changes to the server as long as he isn't using any of the features in FrontPage that require the FP extensions. For a while, although FrontPage was my editor of choice, I had my site hosted on a Unix/Apache server without FP extensions and it worked just fine.

Since artistes has a copy of the site on a CD, she can "import" the web onto her hard drive using FrontPage and henceforth edit and re-publish the site from there. Just make sure that you make backups of the site locally anytime you make changes in case you need to go back to an earlier version when something doesn't work. Also, a local backup in my view is essential anyway in case something happens to the site on your server.

But as I said, the first problem is to find out where the site is...

[matauri]

In regards to how you set up your site...presumably your ex-designer would have setup the CD directory structure exactly as it should be uploaded to server.

But, I have to agree with Cyanide here.

I have a client (who also happens to be a friend). They decided they wanted to look after their own site & even upload it to their own server. I thought 'fair enough..each to their own'. Now his sites were all hand coded (I dont use WUSIWYG editors), and he had no experience with html, average experience with ftp, and no expereince with php/mysql which drove his forum.

I even offered to give him a hand doing it. Even taking into consideration he was in Canada & I am in Oz. Now his wasn't a difficult site by any means! It was pretty basic. Yet, but the end of the saga (today)...after a week of many hours back & forward, and even having to ask questions to problems on the forum myself...we finally got it up & running ok. This was time I should have been putting into other projects which would make $$'s not lose it.

Here is how it unravels when a client goes it alone, even with help:

1. The client may decide how they want the site to run, and how it looks, etc..but.. it is the designer who sets it up & they set it up so it is easy for them to maintain.

2. The client thinks they now have the site in their hands & they had better learn how to maintain it themselves to save themselves money. However..... the client hasn't taken into consideration that a designer has been learning for many years to design that site for them. Is the client going to have many years to get to where their site is at moment to maintain it themselves? No...because in the time it takes you to maintain a site yourself, it is now outdated in comparison to your competitors.

3. The client asks for help off the ex-designer, and good-o if the designer agrees (which may I add is a good designer to keep - and you jsut let them go). However, the designer cant see what you have done. They are only relying on what you tell them...and you aren't speaking in the same language. The designer is left pulling their hair out because they don't know what the client has done wrong....and the client is getting frustrated & taking short cuts which weren't instructed to find a solution, often causing things to screw up more. You go back forward, back forward...costing the designer money you have jsut taken off them anyway, jsut to try & get you working again. The designer ends up giving up, you have cost them too much money as it is, and they tell you to go it alone. So the ex-client has p*ssed of what could have been a great assett to his continueing online entity...and has ended up with a site that is going to be a headache to maintain.

OR....

You can set up an affordable maintenance schedule & not have to worry about it, or it going out of date.

But to step in inexperienced into the end product, you are asking for trouble & lot of hours put into learning it. If you run a business, I gather this time could be put to better use elsewhere. If you want to learn the mechanics of your site....fine... good. But don't disengage your designer until you are pretty well fully conversant with how your site runs.

But I wish you luck. By all means ask questions here. But I think you should think about retaining your designer until you can operate your site successfully.

Sorry for the downer, I jsut don't think clients thinks of these things when they disengage their designers.

Cheers :-)


Cindy

[cyanide]

Actually, that's not entirely accurate - She can use FrontPage to edit files and even use FTP (either WS_FTP or the FTP built into FrontPage) to upload changes to the server as long as he isn't using any of the features in FrontPage that require the FP extensions. For a while, although FrontPage was my editor of choice, I had my site hosted on a Unix/Apache server without FP extensions and it worked just fine.
Clearly you didn't read my post carefully. I did say generally and did admit that I don't know FrontPage
Instead of explaining your methods as an overview to me, why not go indepth, like a tutorial so the poster, obviously a newbie, can understand.

Matauri:
Great post !!
That explains alot and sorry you had so much trouble with your client.

artistes:
Back to you !
I guess you can see how we designers have to work with clients. It's not always easy.
I do suggest that you speak with your designer, but in either case, we're here if you need help

[minstrel]

okay... the site is available now.

Your title needs work:
<TITLE>Artistestravel.com</TITLE>

If people already know you as artistestravel.com, they don't need a search engine to find you so use the title tag to help identify what and who you are - maybe something like "Travel for Women Artistes" or something... - basically, something the search engines can actually use.

Although not heavily used, you should also add a description meta tag and a keywords meta tag - I didn't see any with a quick look at your HTML because there is so much scripting there before you even get to the text/content (another problem in terms of where you'll rank/list in searches).

Basically, though, as Cyanaide and Matauri have said, unless you're prepared to put time in learning HTML and web promotion, you might be better off getting someone reputable to do it for you, leaving you to spend that time making money in your business. Mind you, having said that, I wouldn't and didn't do it that way because I like learning about these things... it's a question of what you want to commit to...

[minstrel]

Clearly you didn't read my post carefully. I did say generally and did admit that I don't know FrontPage. Instead of explaining your methods as an overview to me, why not go indepth, like a tutorial so the poster, obviously a newbie, can understand.
My apologies, cyanide - my comments weren't intended as a criticism of or attack on you or your post and in fact were meant for artistes - I recognize that she is new to this and wanted to make it clear to her that, if she was going to be doing her own editing, she could indeed use FrontPage to do it without having to change servers (in the event she doesn't have FP extensions on her current server).

[artistes]

Hello everyone,

I truly appreciate all your comments and tips and all. However, I still don't know how to get into the site to edit it.
Minstrel:

Please clarify :Your title needs work:
<TITLE>Artistestravel.com</TITLE>. How were you able to determine such an observation? Did you get "into" the site? Actually, Minstrel, Over 2000 hits are recorded in my stats at Bluesun.com my hosting co. since Sept.20,2003
Cyanide and Matauri:

You're absolutely right, it will be a sound business decision to allow my Web designer take care of the site, to avoid complications and more outlays later. But unfortunately, I did not know that I could have negotiated a price to maintenance of the site, once completed, it was not offered or included in my contract and I was a bit disappointed of the extra time she has taken and such things... So now, she is being unreasonable as far as price is concerned and it is something that I cannot dish out for the moment. I didn't think it was this difficult to edit.
I used to work for a company as a translator and I was able to translate English into French from the site itself when it was in FrontPage Editor 2000. Can't I do the same thing with my site by being in the site and just make changes?
Any more insight, suggestions and things are welcome and appreciated.
Thank you
Marlene A. Sahal
www.artistestravel.com

[minstrel]

Minstrel: Please clarify :Your title needs work: <TITLE>Artistestravel.com</TITLE>. How were you able to determine such an observation? Did you get "into" the site? Actually, Minstrel, Over 2000 hits are recorded in my stats at Bluesun.com my hosting co. since Sept.20,2003
That's not bad for 2 months - I assume your site was submitted to some search engines to get that. And no, I didn't get into your site - I just used Internet Explorer to view the page and then clicked on View | Source from the top MSIE menu.


I still don't know how to get into the site to edit it.
When you uploaded the site using WS_FTP, you had to enter your URL, your username, and a password. You can edit files using WS-FTP but that isn't the best or recommended way to do it.

Assuming you want to use FrontPage, do this:

First, copy all files on the CD to your hard drive - this will be your local copy of the website. Then follow the FP instructions for "importing" a website - these are for FP2002 so the FP2000 menus may be slightly different (try Help | Import a web for instructions). Then

Open a web site
On the File menu, click Open Web, and then do one of the following options:

1. Open a disk-based web site on your local computer
In the Open Web dialog box, use the Look In box to find the local folder containing web sites. In the list of web sites, select the web site you want, and then click Open.

2. Open a web site on a Web server
In the Open Web dialog box, in the Web Name box, type the URL of the web site, and then click Open.

Of these, I recommend option #1, since that way you'll have a chance to view any changes you make and upload them only when you're happy. Although you can "edit live" (i.e., the file actually on your server), if you make a mistake that error is already published for any visitors to see - also, while you're making the changes, visitors may get errors in trying to reach your page/site.

Once you've changed/edited/updated the page, use FrontPage to upload them to your server bu clicking on File | Publish. You'll be prompted for your username and password, which should be the same as what you entered into WS_FTP.

[artistes]

Minstrel, you are fantastic!! That's exactly what I needed to know to see if I am really capable of taking care of this myself or if it would have been beyond any comprehension.

I will follow your instructions to the letter and report back here with positive results or another cry for help.
Thank you all so much.
Merci "buckets"
Marlene A. Sahal
www.artistestravel.com
msahal@sympatico.ca

[minstrel]

:-)

Happy to help... and please do post back to let us know how it worked out - whether you encountered problems or even if it all went without a hitch.