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birdwatcher

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I finally found a forum that is great. I need some advise/knowledge on "how to fire your webmaster", they are not doing a superb job on changing things or adding things on our website. I do alot of it myself with passwords that they gave us, but to get rid of them I would need to know so much more on how to manage the website, any suggestions on seminars (that don't cost much) or some kind of on-line training on this?
 
I feel your pain. When we bought this place the PO's had a webmaster who decided, on his own, without consulting us, that he would continue to maintain the site for $200/month + fees for doing anything. We decided otherwise and it took a month to get the password released to us, requiring lawyers, etc.
As you can see from the questions I ask here, I'm 'teaching' myself. And everyone here is my teacher. As for classes, look around in your town for adult education classes, classes at the SBA or SCORE members who could work with you. If you belong to the Chamber of Commerce, they propbably have a webdesigner on staff who could point you in the right direction. They may also offer classes, or have a new webdesigner to refer you to.
Before all that, ask yourself if you have the time to do it the way you want it done. If not, look for another webdesigner.
I've been doing my site for 4 years and this is the only time of year I have time to work on it. The problems I have are multiple...fear I'm going to totally screw something up, which I've done; lack of a really good camera for photos; no 'eye' for photo content (believe me, I showed photos of my rooms on this site and EVERYONE helped me take the 'right' picture!); it's a LOT of work to design a site and then populate it with details.
I could design the site I want, but, because I'm also the webmaster, I have to carry out the work. Pages and pages of details, refining the copy, editing the superfluous, etc. Plus, you also need outside help just to make sure you've nailed it. Which is why this gang here is great!
So, before firing the company that does your site, check out your options with the groups I mentioned. Also, there are webdesigners here on the forum and I'm guessing you've figured out who by who answers the webdesign questions with tech geek responses.
 
I feel your pain. When we bought this place the PO's had a webmaster who decided, on his own, without consulting us, that he would continue to maintain the site for $200/month + fees for doing anything. We decided otherwise and it took a month to get the password released to us, requiring lawyers, etc.
As you can see from the questions I ask here, I'm 'teaching' myself. And everyone here is my teacher. As for classes, look around in your town for adult education classes, classes at the SBA or SCORE members who could work with you. If you belong to the Chamber of Commerce, they propbably have a webdesigner on staff who could point you in the right direction. They may also offer classes, or have a new webdesigner to refer you to.
Before all that, ask yourself if you have the time to do it the way you want it done. If not, look for another webdesigner.
I've been doing my site for 4 years and this is the only time of year I have time to work on it. The problems I have are multiple...fear I'm going to totally screw something up, which I've done; lack of a really good camera for photos; no 'eye' for photo content (believe me, I showed photos of my rooms on this site and EVERYONE helped me take the 'right' picture!); it's a LOT of work to design a site and then populate it with details.
I could design the site I want, but, because I'm also the webmaster, I have to carry out the work. Pages and pages of details, refining the copy, editing the superfluous, etc. Plus, you also need outside help just to make sure you've nailed it. Which is why this gang here is great!
So, before firing the company that does your site, check out your options with the groups I mentioned. Also, there are webdesigners here on the forum and I'm guessing you've figured out who by who answers the webdesign questions with tech geek responses..
Thanks so much, I will keep all of you abreast of what we are going to do. As you said it scares the beejeesus out of me, but this webmaster is not doing anything but letting the website just sit there. It just makes me so mad, had to call him a hundred times to update my domain name and after all the info I gave him, which he was the one that did it two years ago with his own password it was not done in a timely manner and my website went down.
Was I MAD....my husband sent him a pretty mean e-mail, and guess what happened I have not heard a peep from him, that just is not good for business. I know that this webmaster has bigger fish to fry but you dont do that to your regular customers they are your bread and butter when the big fish gets away. Just my humble opinion.
 
I feel your pain. When we bought this place the PO's had a webmaster who decided, on his own, without consulting us, that he would continue to maintain the site for $200/month + fees for doing anything. We decided otherwise and it took a month to get the password released to us, requiring lawyers, etc.
As you can see from the questions I ask here, I'm 'teaching' myself. And everyone here is my teacher. As for classes, look around in your town for adult education classes, classes at the SBA or SCORE members who could work with you. If you belong to the Chamber of Commerce, they propbably have a webdesigner on staff who could point you in the right direction. They may also offer classes, or have a new webdesigner to refer you to.
Before all that, ask yourself if you have the time to do it the way you want it done. If not, look for another webdesigner.
I've been doing my site for 4 years and this is the only time of year I have time to work on it. The problems I have are multiple...fear I'm going to totally screw something up, which I've done; lack of a really good camera for photos; no 'eye' for photo content (believe me, I showed photos of my rooms on this site and EVERYONE helped me take the 'right' picture!); it's a LOT of work to design a site and then populate it with details.
I could design the site I want, but, because I'm also the webmaster, I have to carry out the work. Pages and pages of details, refining the copy, editing the superfluous, etc. Plus, you also need outside help just to make sure you've nailed it. Which is why this gang here is great!
So, before firing the company that does your site, check out your options with the groups I mentioned. Also, there are webdesigners here on the forum and I'm guessing you've figured out who by who answers the webdesign questions with tech geek responses..
Thanks so much, I will keep all of you abreast of what we are going to do. As you said it scares the beejeesus out of me, but this webmaster is not doing anything but letting the website just sit there. It just makes me so mad, had to call him a hundred times to update my domain name and after all the info I gave him, which he was the one that did it two years ago with his own password it was not done in a timely manner and my website went down.
Was I MAD....my husband sent him a pretty mean e-mail, and guess what happened I have not heard a peep from him, that just is not good for business. I know that this webmaster has bigger fish to fry but you dont do that to your regular customers they are your bread and butter when the big fish gets away. Just my humble opinion.
.
Make sure you own the domain name and not the webmaster. According to your source code, the pages were created with Front Page (which is what I use). This is no longer supported by Microsoft and I don't think you can buy the software anywhere. So, look at some of the stuff Swirt told me (about Kompozer) and see what you can figure out. You may be able to transfer the whole mess all by yourself. Make sure you have all the passwords, do not tell your web person you are considering dumping them, and when you are comfortable, change the passwords and move on.
(I know how this sounds to legitimate web designers, but if this person hasn't done any work on the site, or isn't interested in doing the work, the innkeeper has to move on.)
To see who owns the domain name, use 'whois.com' to search for the info listed about your site.
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on.
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
Thanks for jumping in there. There was so much more birdwatch needed to know!
And so much that is not being done with the site..
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
I totally agree with you. I just took a quick peek..why would his site need .php???? I don't see anything there that would require it. And I like you second the move...find another designer who will give you a better looking site.
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
I totally agree with you. I just took a quick peek..why would his site need .php???? I don't see anything there that would require it. And I like you second the move...find another designer who will give you a better looking site.
.
The site may not really need it, but if it is being edited by a cms that would need the php. Given the choice, I go right to building sites in php now. Saves pain and agony down the road when the owner wants something that would need it.
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
I totally agree with you. I just took a quick peek..why would his site need .php???? I don't see anything there that would require it. And I like you second the move...find another designer who will give you a better looking site.
.
The site may not really need it, but if it is being edited by a cms that would need the php. Given the choice, I go right to building sites in php now. Saves pain and agony down the road when the owner wants something that would need it.
.
What does php allow you to do? What bucket does my site fit into? CMS?
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
I totally agree with you. I just took a quick peek..why would his site need .php???? I don't see anything there that would require it. And I like you second the move...find another designer who will give you a better looking site.
.
The site may not really need it, but if it is being edited by a cms that would need the php. Given the choice, I go right to building sites in php now. Saves pain and agony down the road when the owner wants something that would need it.
.
It sure doesn't look like a cms site and since birdwatcher says that the web designer has to do all the updates..which he doesn't seem to be doing...most likely it isn't cms.
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
I totally agree with you. I just took a quick peek..why would his site need .php???? I don't see anything there that would require it. And I like you second the move...find another designer who will give you a better looking site.
.
The site may not really need it, but if it is being edited by a cms that would need the php. Given the choice, I go right to building sites in php now. Saves pain and agony down the road when the owner wants something that would need it.
.
What does php allow you to do? What bucket does my site fit into? CMS?
.
php is a programming language that runs on a server (as opposed to javascript, which is a language that runs in your web browser). So php can make decisions and query a databases and things like that. This site is programmed in php. You can't see any of the language or the programming because it all runs on the server and then the server spits out the html that makes up the page you are looking at.
Your site is not a cms (content management system), your site is a straight html site. It has 1 actual page for every page of content. (unlike this site that has only 1 page that fools you into thinking there are thousands of pages). Your blog is a better example of a cms at work.
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
I totally agree with you. I just took a quick peek..why would his site need .php???? I don't see anything there that would require it. And I like you second the move...find another designer who will give you a better looking site.
.
The site may not really need it, but if it is being edited by a cms that would need the php. Given the choice, I go right to building sites in php now. Saves pain and agony down the road when the owner wants something that would need it.
.
It sure doesn't look like a cms site and since birdwatcher says that the web designer has to do all the updates..which he doesn't seem to be doing...most likely it isn't cms.
.
No birdwatcher said "I do alot of it myself with passwords they gave me". That could mean a cms or she is talking about a making changes to the site on her computer then FTP'ing it up.
For most small CMS's there would be nothing to reveal that it is a cms based site. They don't have to have some cookie-cutter look. They can look 100% custom like it was carved by hand ;)
 
This is why I always recommend that innkeepers own their own domain name and control that themselves. It is also why I recommend that they don't host with the same person that builds/maintains their website. There are too many places for the relationships/business arrangements to go kablooey.
Before making the move to ditch your designer, you will have to get the requirements for your system. As Bree mentioned, your site was built with Frontpage, but it runs using php (so your new host will have to support php. many do, but not all or sometimes not without an extra fee.) and you will have to know what you are using currently to edit or make changes to your site.....so that you can make sure that will also be available on your new host. My guess is that it uses a content management system or page editor that runs on your server, but I can't tell for sure. This may be something your webmaster owns for use on his server but if you move your site to different server, you may have to purchase a license to use it on your server. Or it may be using something he wrote himself and may or may not allow the cms to be moved. .... Sorry I don't mean to scare you, there are just lots of possibilities that you may not be aware of right now.
Just in case you are having second thoughts though, looking at the code on your site, you are probably doing the right thing by moving on..
"Kablooey"? Sounds like another word for the glossary. haha!
No offense to Birdwatcher but that web site doesn't look much better than some of the sites that you can build with a template. (YellowSocks did a pretty good job with one, didn't she?) SavvyInnkeeper has some decent kinda sorta do-it-yourself templates, too, don't they?
I just wanted to take that off my plate and my webmaster did a great job!!! :)
 
Thanks so much! I do have php on my computer. I am pretty ignorant or unknowledgeable on the computer things, but need to learn. Yes, I do most of the changes on my pages, I can even dowload pictures and change the contents on the pages it does use the "editor" thingie that swirt mentioned.
I have gotten many compliments on the website and I think its easy to navigate. I own the domain name in my name its goddaddy its paid for two years and I do have that control Now....do I have to have a "host"?
So many questions....what about the "server" is it on my computer? Yes, I am a "dummy" on this web stuff, but as an Innkeeper I really do need to know this stuff.
I am so glad to get some insight on what I need to do, although I am not going to make a rash decision until I know what will work.
 
Ok, how do I find a "host" for the website? I'm in the "duh" factor at this time.
 
Thanks so much! I do have php on my computer. I am pretty ignorant or unknowledgeable on the computer things, but need to learn. Yes, I do most of the changes on my pages, I can even dowload pictures and change the contents on the pages it does use the "editor" thingie that swirt mentioned.
I have gotten many compliments on the website and I think its easy to navigate. I own the domain name in my name its goddaddy its paid for two years and I do have that control Now....do I have to have a "host"?
So many questions....what about the "server" is it on my computer? Yes, I am a "dummy" on this web stuff, but as an Innkeeper I really do need to know this stuff.
I am so glad to get some insight on what I need to do, although I am not going to make a rash decision until I know what will work..
The website is hosted on a server outside your control. (So it's not on your computer.) You can do a quick search on 'webhosting' and get a bazillion hits on it. Or, someone here can tell you which host they like.
After you get your webhost account (and make sure they can host the type of setup you have already for your website) then you'll have to move your site from where it resides now to the new location. Now if the website does not reside in a place your webdesigner has control over, you may as well leave it where it is. So, if the webhost is some outside company and NOT your designers computer setup, you are probably ok.
As for your website, we all get comments about our sites from guests who love it. The ones you have to worry about are the ones who never say a word but who move on because they can't find things they want.
If you want to see how thick your skin is (
wink_smile.gif
), ask this bunch here to critique your site. You will get THE best info on what needs to be updated and what works the best.
 
Thanks so much! I do have php on my computer. I am pretty ignorant or unknowledgeable on the computer things, but need to learn. Yes, I do most of the changes on my pages, I can even dowload pictures and change the contents on the pages it does use the "editor" thingie that swirt mentioned.
I have gotten many compliments on the website and I think its easy to navigate. I own the domain name in my name its goddaddy its paid for two years and I do have that control Now....do I have to have a "host"?
So many questions....what about the "server" is it on my computer? Yes, I am a "dummy" on this web stuff, but as an Innkeeper I really do need to know this stuff.
I am so glad to get some insight on what I need to do, although I am not going to make a rash decision until I know what will work..
I have gotten many compliments on the website and I think its easy to navigate. I own the domain name in my name its goddaddy its paid for two years and I do have that control Now....do I have to have a "host"?
Birdwatcher may I add some feedback? There is a giant void on your website - access to the Room photos.
It was not easy to navigate - I looked at Rates/Policies "Where are the rooms photos?" I thought, I don't want to read a full page of text. I went to Accomodations "Where are the room photos?" I thought, another page of text.
Then I stumble upon them in the photo gallery - there they are! Oh but they do not have proper descriptions - just basic (a couple of them no descript.), so now what do I do? Open a second window to read what photo goes with what description? No, I close the window and move on to the next B&B on the list.
Guests who do this will not be telling you they are. "Absence of proof is not proof of absence" This is where this forum is INVALUABLE. All of us had something set a certain way and then read some info on this forum that made a whole lot of sense. I have a whole list of things I have changed.
teeth_smile.gif

 
Ok, so I need to put the room pictures with the discriptions on my rate page right, I don't really know how to do that, and asking my web person to do it will be like pulling teeth. I know that they own the server but the hosting I have no idea about.
HELP!
 
I just went into my website, and yes I can import the pictures of the rooms in the rate page...now the question is, how do I know what the URL is for the picture? This is really the hardest part that I don't know about, its not like I can just download the picture of the room can I? I have the pictures on the computer, I also took them, well as best that I could with the camera I had....should take new ones shouldn't I?
 
Ok, how do I find a "host" for the website? I'm in the "duh" factor at this time..
The host and the server are the same people. When you find a host, they have the server.
I use 1and1 for all of my own sites now and recommend them to my clients. Since yours uses php, make sure you choose one of the 1and1 linux plans and not the 1and1 Microsoft plans.
They are running a sale that ends Feb 28th where they give you the first 3 months free. Your site could run just fine on the 1and1 home plan for $4.99 per month. That would include the cost of registering 2 domain names and up to 1200 email addresses ;)
 
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