As a website developer you will often be faced with the daunting difficult task of managing corporate clients' digital assets, whilst you build their site. Many developers use different techniques for staying organised when working on a site, this article shows you some of the best ways to keep on top of things.
1) Create a set folder structure.
We've used various folder structures in the past but the following links provide a collection of some folder structures we've seen used for websites, depending on technologies used. There is also heated debate amongst search engine gurus as to what sort of structure to use. Some people say that websites with files all within the root directory work better, than those who use folder names with default documents inside. Feel free to submit your folder structure for sharing.
Website folder structure sample (zip format)
2) CSS naming conventions
I like to separate my CSS files into the following categories.
uni-copy.css - this file will hold styles which are directly related to universal text styles, and will adjust how text appears on the site, normally holds font familys etc.
uni-layout.css - this file will contain universal styles for how things are laid out on the page, this will typically hold positions for divs.
uni-fix.css - any css hacks that are necessary for page layout go into this file.
uni-forms.css - this holds styles for forms.
3) CSS Comments.
Organise your CSS files by adding a nice table of contents right at the top. This will help you understand your CSS file when you come back to read it - for any future development and allows you to skip to certain parts of the file quickly and easily. Simply add a numeric index, then add "headers" to certain parts of the file so you can do a quick find command.
4) Client Files and communication
Keep your clients build files all together in one folder, including any JPEG's,
PSD's, PDF's, quotes etc in order to have a point of reference at a later stage.
Mark this folder as hidden in your web development software or Ftp program so
it never gets uploaded. Also make sure you have a nice calendar application
up and running that reminds you when to invoice, and how much you invoiced.
5) Passwords
Passwords are essential in nearly every web project, whether it be for FTP access to a site, or to login to project management software or similar. Keeping passwords secure, following security policies such as numbers and special characters in passwords can make them particularly difficult to remember. Grab yourself a password storage program such as Big Crocodile, and all you will have to remember is one password.
6) Maintain an online weblog
Promoting, developing and growing an online business is never easy. Your catylst of growth lies solely with ideas. Many online websites offering free blogging services, its never been more important to keep a record of your ideas, both for sharing them with others, and for a chronological record to be able to look back at. In addition blogging is important for gaining good backlinks from people around the web who like what you are saying. Webdistortion offer blog setups, branding and promotion services for bloggers.
7) Project Management
Project Management software can show your clients what the progress on their project is, and keeps them up to date in an easy way - Basecamp is particularly good at this sort of functionality. A few other gems we've come across in the past are the latest free offerings from BT. BTBroadband Office has a number of useful business tools up, Workspace Lite, offers a secure online space to store and share documents, contacts and files with customers and colleagues and BT Business Builder offers a way of storing information from HR to Payroll to Invoices.
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