both my sites are html and I am begining to wonder if I am really going about this wrong... how do I keep all my content organized and such. Does anyone here still used only html? or has everyone switched to a cms? Should I stop now and switch to a php typw site... how hard is it to switch?
Probably it will be best to sort of "ramp up" and try out a few PHP scripts. Also, if budget allows, maybe you can afford to get someone who is proficient in PHP to help you get to "the next level".
or you could always learn to use php include function. It makes life a lot easier ... some kind of walking on foot cms
unfortunatly my host doesn't support php... so if I am going to switch I might as well go all the way. I am worried at how hard it will be for me to switch my current content into a php type site... is it doable?
Technically, you can just change the file extentions from .html to .php. Since no <?php (php tags) have been opened, then the content would stay exactly the same. If your website is fine with static content, there's nothing 'old fashioned' about still using HTML.
I agree shamness, don't fix what isn't broken per se, but maybe deploy the use of templates for a fresh look and faster, "on-the-fly" updates across the board. I've taken some html sites and use several templates for different sections, directories, etc. Another thing I've done with smaller sites, it simply do a cut/paste into a CMS like Joomla or Mambo ... it can be a little time consuming, but worth it in the long run
The last thing you want to do is change things around. Now if your site has no pr or backlinks and does not rank on the search engines then change may not be a bad idea. But if you do have those things in place then leave it the way it is, you are better of that way.
Oh, I forgot to mention, if you do switch to .php, remember to forward all your .html files to their relative .php ones, so you don't lose any back lines you might have.
I use 100% pure html on my sites, only because thats all I know and I dont have the time to learn anything new ATM Seems to work good for me though!
Do you 'hand-jam' each page? And do you incorporate templates? I've only been doing websites for a few years and html is all I've used until recently and the only php or CMS stuff I use is what I have someone else set up first for me honestly. However, I've been going back through some old sites and pages and creating templates which has helped quite a bit. Those with some good CSS can really breathe life into an old html site IMO.
no I don't use templates... and changing up the content daily is killing me time wise. I'm sure there must be better ways to do it... but I don't know them.
Do a blogspot blog but host it on your server and run it as part of your site - you can even post to it via email. You can even go a step further and run a small script on your home page or elsewhere as a feed for the top "x" stories, with the titles and first "x" characters as a lead in but the title would be linked to the full blog article.
If your host doesn't support PHP, then what CMS do you plan on using? Or are you implying you'll be switching hosts?
I would be switching host for any new sites... not sure where yet, but I first have to figure out the whole cms scene!
can I do this? if my host only supports html... could I still do it? Is it easy to do? I know I can place an iframe from my blog... but I wouldn't get any seo credit for that so it didn't seem worth it.
I'll make a video tutorial on how to make a "fileinclude" in php later this week and I'll pm it to you. if I don't contact you by this thursday, send me a pm with a reminder.
I know it can be done - I've seen many that do. I don't host my blogspot blog on my server, but I do run a script that feeds any new content from it to a page on my site - this could be further tweaked to put in a column or small part of a page. No, you won't get good SEO credit for it per se, but it would render fresh content on the fly so to speak, which would be for your visitors and not the bots, which in the end is more important IMO. Of course it may not be worth the hassle and learning curve if you'll be switching hosts anyway where you'll be able to deploy other tactics that will serve you, your site and your visitors better. Awesome help and support offered up there free - kudos.
I feel you! My website is created and mantained using entirely pure HTML. Was looking for some automation in the future because updating is such a pain in the butt...
I've used XSLT and XML to organize and generate html websites. http://sourceforge.net/projects/lagoon is what I use to process the XSLT XSLT can be a pain in the ass, but this would allow you to generate your html files on your local computer and then upload them to your server. No php required
You might try using some macromedia or adobe software like Ultradev. I use it on my website. I still hand write scripts and special content.