Managing website for someone...

User 2312005 Photo


Registered User
59 posts

I know that VSD is not an open source software (if I use a correct verbiage) but here is my question.
I have an offer to build a website for someone, maybe including an e-commerce and I will update the website every week or so. What if my relationship with this business ends? How will they be able to take over everything that was done previously? Do they have to use VSD only or there is another way?

Thanks!
http://www.ericphotoart.com - my website
http://www.istockphoto.com/ericsphotography - my stock photography profile and portfolio
User 38401 Photo


Senior Advisor
10,951 posts

Firstly I wouldn't suggest using VSD at this point simply because Mobile sites are getting more important to the Search Engines than they ever used to be and VSD has no Mobile setup in it at all. Not responsive and in order to do a site with mobile access at all you would need to create multiple site pages to accommodate the visitors in order for the ranking to stay in good ranges with the Search Engines as they are going to start ranking websites differently and include a ranking criteria for whether a site has a mobile presence or not. Unfortunately, if you are not a coder then you may not have much choice since RSD hasn't been released yet and not sure when that's coming so.....

If you are forced to continue to use VSD, then here's what happens:

Your client will need to purchase a copy of VSD and install it on their computer (or if you are in the vacinity of the business then you would install it for them if needed). The client's file tree will need to mimic the file tree of the created site project so that all files will be the same. You will need to provide them with any logins and passwords necessary. Usually what I do is create an account in the client's name on CC and purchase the software for them there, or you can have them create the account and purchase it, or you can purchase it on your own account and then create an account for the client and ask the CC tech support to transfer that copy of the program to their account. Multiple ways to get the software to the client.

The client will NEED the software for the VSD site, because I can tell you for sure that no one that takes it over will ever want to try to edit the code manually that a VSD site puts out, way too much hassle so they will have to have the program to do any editing of the site.

The client will most likely need any software for the e-Commerce that you use as well, especially if that is done with SCCP as that has the same situation as VSD in that all the files are in a proprietary master file so to speak and cannot be edited (easily or productively) outside of the program. If you use SCCD for the theming, then they will need that program as well if they ever want to edit the theme of the shopping cart.

If you create the cart system using some 3rd party online setup such as Cube Cart or Zen Cart etc, then they will need the URL for the Admin panel to get to the Admin area of the cart to edit things as well as the login and password to do so.

Also depending on where you have their site hosted, they will need access to that as well so they can get to their files, change hosts if they choose to, etc.

Then the only other thing you'll need to do is provide them with ALL the files that are used on their site(s). This being the .vnu file for VSD, the shopping cart files which are a little more complex to transfer if you've used SCCP as you have to transfer both a .sccp file, .sct file, and the folder that contains all of the images as well that the program creates. If you use other cart options you will want to provide them with a folder of all the content and images that you used to create it as well.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.
User 2312005 Photo


Registered User
59 posts

Thanks a lot Jo Ann. This is exactly the answer I was looking for. I was a little bit shocked by the first paragraph, however. So you DO NOT recommend to use VSD to build a website?
http://www.ericphotoart.com - my website
http://www.istockphoto.com/ericsphotography - my stock photography profile and portfolio
User 38401 Photo


Senior Advisor
10,951 posts

Well VSD is soon to be irrelevant in the web design industry as CC is developing a replacement that will be much more beneficial to your websites. I guess what I would suggest is that if VSD is your only way to create a website, then do it with the thought that you will be remaking it when Responsive Site Designer is released. RSD will be a much much better product to use and will encompass all of the most up to date code standards which will include responsiveness, HTML5, CSS3 and a version of Bootstrap as well as CC's own version of grid system. I will guess that a lot of this is probably Greek to you at the moment, but it will be extremely important with today's web standards changing once again in the SEO part of it.

Search engines, and most particularly Google, are going to start ranking websites in their inclusion of Responsiveness or more precisely whether they include a mobile version of the site for phones and I am sure tablets too soon. This means that if your site doesn't have this, your ranking will be penalized on Google and will drop.

So yeah, I would recommend you either wait if you can (probably can't since we have no idea when RSD will be released), or make the site with VSD knowing you will need to replace it in the near future if the people you're making the site for need a decent ranking on the search engines.

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