I have taken on some local non-profit websites lately and now have one that would like the ability to add monthly meeting minutes to the site. Any recommendations for ways to do this so that I don't need to keep updating the site?

Hello Mark
There isn't a way within Site Designer to do this type of thing unless the client has got the Site Designer Application.

If they had then one could set up something with a page & symbols, but the client would need training in how to use Site Designer etc etc

One could show them how to do it using an HTML editor and the exported folder, but then that doesn't update the original Site Designer project file, so if ever they or you needed to export the SD project again it would overwrite everything.

One could use a CMS and once again train whoever is going to update the meetings thingy on how to use it.

There is another cunning way which is a possibility, but I haven't yet had the time or opportunity to test to see if it works the way I think it should.

So for the moment, I would say, not yet anything WITHIN SD per-sat unless they have it too.

There are a couple of people on this forum that have used/developed a CMS way of things, perhaps they may be able to suggest something, in the meantime, I might be able to get around to testing my idea shortly

Good luck with whatever way you may or may not be able to achieve what you want to do

Wayan

Hi Mark,
I have used a CMS (content management system) to enable clients to add their own content and do updates to their websites but as Wayan says, they will need a bit of training on how to do it.

The one I use is fairly easy to set up and install. It allows a client to log into the website and then they are granted access to only areas that you have set up for them to edit. It uses a database to keep track of changes and is not effected by Site Designer changes as long as you don't change the HTML code for the CMS on that page.

Once it is setup and running, it is very simple for someone with just a little bit of experience to use and it frees you from having to do the the monthly updates. I use a program called SimpleCMS by phpjabbers but I know that there are other similar products out there.

Hope that helps,
John

Hi Mark
The only real way is to use a lightweight CMS system. I have one that would work well for users to just upload pdf minutes to the site. All you would require is SQLite, PHP5. 6 or newer.

Maybe give the customer a ftp account for uploading the documents (minutes).
You could have a page with a linked list with monthly minutes for a couple of years pointing to existing and future minutes. Use standardized file names, like: "minutes-01-2020.pdf" meaning "minutes of the January 2020 meeting".
Use a php script to check existence of the minutes and grey-out the invalid links (file does not exist - yet).
At least you would only need to get involved every few years (when the list page gets too long).

I used surreal cms on a site...fairly easy to set up...very easy to use. surrealcms.com (I am not affiliated in any way)

Use the Form Builder or a form built within SD and let them submit it.

Thanks for all the ideas. I am looking into surreal cms as it is for a non-profit so I believe it would be free. Something I should learn anyway for future sites.

This would be VERY COOL if CC could add something like this. even for limited pages or areas. Blogs etc.. I am having A LOT of trouble selling against Wordpress in the last 6 months because of this. I can't stand working in Wordpress - we all know why - but this is becoming a real problem for me. All the flexibility talk works with more sophisticated clients but some of these smaller clients -- well you know. Not complaining just wishing!

Byron

The fourth paragraph of this post by Hans Top says, "Now we are also pondering to implement Google Sheets in Site Designer to function as a simple CMS."