I have worked manually to try and make our sites mobile friendly but it's not easy. Is there any CC software that will just do it for you? Or am I just stuck with manually changing everything from image sizes to text size, moving things around vertically, from horizontal...?? I tried downloading some of the free templates from CC but can't get those to load at all. Those are probably already mobile friendly, correct? Still means re-adding all my content but I am considering an overhaul of one of our websites anyway.

Thanks,
T.

Hi Tanya,
Site Designer is the way to go. Lots of great free templates or you can purchase one. You can also start from scratch and make your own or even alter an existing one. They're plenty of users on here to help you get it looking correct if you run into issues.

From one of the websites it looks to me that Site Designer 3 is being used. I suspect the template problem may be from trying to load templates made for Site Designer versions higher than what is being used.

The templates page at https://themes.coffeecup.com/index.html#templates allows one select a template and see a live preview, but it is necessary to restrict one's choice to those where the 'Technical info' section shows a version of RSD no higher than the version on which one intends to use it.

SD can use items prepared for lower versions (i.e. it is backwardly compatible), but the reverse is not the case.

Frank

Hmmm. I tried loading a template (from that CC template page) into a newer version of SD (3.5..the latest that I have) and none of them worked. It says they were made with an older version and asks me if I want to upgrade it to one of the options (Bootstrap, Foundation, etc) and so I select one and it gives me an error and won't let me cancel out of it...then I have to force quit.

My current sites have used Responsive Site Designer 2.5 but I opened up SD 3.5 and tried to load a totally new template/site (not my current sites). Wouldn't load.

On another note....when I've tried loading my old site into SD 3.5, I have to choose a version (sorry, I'm not a computer techie). Is Bootstrap the best one to choose? I can't remember which I chose in the past, but it resized everything and it would have been more of a pain to try to fix so much, than to keep using RSD 2.5

Any ideas?

I'm not sure that many in these forums still have versions as old as you mention. I went through all those versions (and the Responsive Layout Maker that preceded them), and from memory some of the progression was somewhat time consuming. At this late stage I agree that it may not be worthwhile trying to move a project from version 2.x to a later version: rebuilding may well be both quicker and easier.

All the basic materials from an old site (text, pictures, video/audio files etc.) will remain available for building afresh if at some stage it is decided to upgrade to the current version of SD and to choose one of the up-to-date templates, many of which come with the current SD version.

As to frameworks (Bootstrap, Foundation etc.) The 'Technical info' section of the templates page shows the framework used for those templates, and one has to use the framework set for that template. If simply choosing a framework to use for a new project, it seems that those who provide help in these forums tend to be most experienced with Foundation, and will therefore more easily be able to advise.

I'm sorry not to be able to be more helpful. Maybe others will have more or different suggestions.

Frank

PS In another thread the 'Save the planet' template is mentioned as not loading into RSD 3.5. The 'Technical info' for that template is shown as for RSD 4.0+.

I didn't think that SD 3.5 was that old. I guess it is. Does the new/current version automatically make the site mobile friendly in mobile view? One important thing is: does it automatically create a hamburger menu from your menu buttons when you go smaller? With the older software I had to create the menu separately and then import the html and someone here had to help me create that menu as it wasn't easy (for me).

I don't want to start from scratch. I will either try to import my current website from RSD 2.5 into the newest version of SD (can I do that?) OR I will try again with a template after upgrading to the current SD. Is it 5 or 4? I see "Upgrade to v5" in my purchases, but when I hover over it, it says "v4".

And IF I try to import my old site into the newest version, what is the best option to choose, if it asks? Bootstrap 4? I know I'll have to adjust all the sizes, etc.

Honestly, what is the BEST way to update a site when software keeps changing? Seems it should be fairly easy to import into newer software without it changing all sorts of things. Or maybe we're not there yet, LOL.

As for the "Save the Planet" template, I was trying to open it in SD 3.5 (Not my RSD 2.5) and it said that I could upgrade the template to Bootstrap, etc, but it wouldn't let me. It just crashed everything. So all of those free templates will only work on the most recent version of SD, is that correct?

Thank you for all the help...it is MUCH appreciated.

UPDATE: I am downloading the trial to see how it works.

Well....it's all messed up now and I can't get it back. I installed the trial version of SD5. It's way too complicated for me. It looks soooo different from RSD 2.5. So then I tried opening my site with SD 3.5 Since I had purchased that upgrade a while ago but never made the change. I immediately saved it with a new name so I could go back to my old version. It was also a bit too foreign for me so I closed it and chose NOT to save it. I opened my site up in RSD2.5 because that's what I'm used to and know how to use. As it turns out..it DID save my site in some weird version and I can't get it back.

It has all the weird purple things all over it, like in Bootstrap (SD 3.5) and it says "Bootstrap 4" under the Grid. It has removed a bunch of my pictures (which I had removed after I saved it under the name, just because I wanted to change things).

I tried to enter TimeMachine but that particular file is greyed out so I can't restore it to an earlier version. I'm about to throw it all out and just use Weebly....I am not a happy camper at the moment. Sigh. I do appreciate all your help. I should not have tried opening my site in the newer software.

Hi again, Tanya,

I replied to your other thread saying your best bet is upgrading to the newest version of SD , version 5. Since you obviously have played with it and apparently overwritten your old source file, the only help I know of is to start using the newest SD.

Your current site, tanyasolomon.com was made in Foundation, and your violaduo.com was made with the old framework Coffeegrinder. The theme you seem to be interested in, 'Save the Planet' is for the Materialize framework. I would say that Foundation is probably the easiest of the frameworks, and as Frank said, it has a large user congregation here, so getting help would not be too hard.
As to learning the new version of SD, it certainly has seen a lot of new features and also visible changes since version 3.5, but the core is the same, and you build a site the same way.

I would advise you to get SD5, and then to find a framework that has been made with Foundation. Most of the Foundation ones are on that Themes page fairly far down, below the middle, and you recognize them by the light blue wee icon. People here in the forum will be able to help you adapt them to your own need, whether it means changing colours, simplifying/removing or adding stuff.
As to your question about menus being automatically changed to mobile ('hamburger') menus, that depends on the theme you choose. but there are also ready-made menus made by users (like e.g. the sites in my signature, check them out.) You can change a menu in a template if you find another that you like better.

Since you have posted in 2 threads and the topic is the same, I have now closed the other thread, so that any follow-up answers will appear here.

Thanks, Inger. I will consider the new SD5.....and if I want to spend the money and learn the new software. Very helpful info about my websites and which framework they use (thanks!). Our violaduo site is the one I am currently trying to update.

Thanks again!
T.

Hi Tanya,

I once scanned your website with a special program to see what the structure looks like
I would recommend a landing page to make one page mobile-friendly and scrollable
I can help you on your way. For each block create a subsection and after that place it in the main section
Write a convincing headline that leads to conversion.
I don't see a repeat of calls to actions
What is your main goal towards the visitor? - Are they attracting leads to you and give something away such as a piece of value e.g. an ebook, piece of audio (the freebee)
The header would look like a personal photo on the left and a giveaway on the right where people can leave their email and name and then continue
I use Bootstrap 4 or Materialize
Kind regards
I send you an draft how its look like
Write