Hi, I have completed my first website using Freeway express and now want to overwrite the existing one, which is already live. The website address is the same but some of the pages have been removed and others added.How should I proceed now? Do I just launch as the “Getting Started” manual shows? Can I download the current one and then upload the new one? Do I need to re-register with search engines? I am concerned that the business on the site will suffer if I get I wrong. Might it cause it to receive less hits now that I have changed it?Any advice or direction would be very welcome.
How should I proceed now? Do I just launch as the “Getting Started” manual shows? Can I download the current one and then upload the new one? Do I need to re-register with search engines? I am concerned that the business on the site will suffer if I get I wrong. Might it cause it to receive less hits now that I have changed it?Any advice or direction would be very welcome.
Good questions.
Here’s what I’d do.
I’d find some way to flag up on the existing site that it will go down for maintenance at some specified time. Be clear the site will be inaccessible during the maintenance period.
I have downloaded an existing site as a backup in case of problems later. Use an FTP application like Fetch, Transmit or Cyberduck to access the server and download the files to your Mac for safekeeping.
When the time comes for the “maintenance”, I would use your FTP app to clean out the HTML folder on the server. Finally, upload the new site (either with Freeway or FTP app). Once that’s done, check the site works in a browser - you may have to refresh and/or clear browser caches to see the new site.
The search engine stuff shouldn’t be a problem. If you have added the meta details to your Freeway site, and the details match the current site, all should be okay. The new site will eventually be spidered by the search engines, but you cannot guarantee to maintain places in search results in my experience.
Hope that helps.
Heather
Imagic Design * Good Design - No Compromise
email@hidden http://www.imagic-design.co.uk
Twitter @Imagic-Design
T: 01634 864017
The other thing that you can do to maintain some SEO MoJo is ensure that the file names of matching pages are the same ie if you have a contact.html page ensure the file name of the New contact page is also contact.html
Thats really helpful. Just one more question… When you say “use FTp to clean out the HTML folder on the server” do you just mean to download all the pages before uploading the new ones?
Kath
On 18 Feb 2012, at 11:29, Heather Kavanagh wrote:
On 18 Feb 2012, at 11:13, Kath wrote:
How should I proceed now? Do I just launch as the “Getting Started” manual shows? Can I download the current one and then upload the new one? Do I need to re-register with search engines? I am concerned that the business on the site will suffer if I get I wrong. Might it cause it to receive less hits now that I have changed it?Any advice or direction would be very welcome.
Good questions.
Here’s what I’d do.
I’d find some way to flag up on the existing site that it will go down for maintenance at some specified time. Be clear the site will be inaccessible during the maintenance period.
I have downloaded an existing site as a backup in case of problems later. Use an FTP application like Fetch, Transmit or Cyberduck to access the server and download the files to your Mac for safekeeping.
When the time comes for the “maintenance”, I would use your FTP app to clean out the HTML folder on the server. Finally, upload the new site (either with Freeway or FTP app). Once that’s done, check the site works in a browser - you may have to refresh and/or clear browser caches to see the new site.
The search engine stuff shouldn’t be a problem. If you have added the meta details to your Freeway site, and the details match the current site, all should be okay. The new site will eventually be spidered by the search engines, but you cannot guarantee to maintain places in search results in my experience.
Hope that helps.
Heather
Imagic Design * Good Design - No Compromise
email@hidden http://www.imagic-design.co.uk
Twitter @Imagic-Design
T: 01634 864017
The other thing that you can do to maintain some SEO MoJo is ensure that the file names of matching pages are the same ie if you have a contact.html page ensure the file name of the New contact page is also contact.html
Thats really helpful. Just one more question… When you say “use FTp to clean out the HTML folder on the server” do you just mean to download all the pages before uploading the new ones?
Yes, in a way. You can download the pages and associated material to your hard drive for safekeeping. What I meant, though, was to then delete the old stuff on the server so when you upload with Freeway there’s no clutter left behind.
Did that make sense? It’s Sunday morning and I’ve been up early and out photographing the dawn!
Cheers
Heather
Imagic Design * Good Design - No Compromise
email@hidden http://www.imagic-design.co.uk
Twitter @Imagic-Design
T: 01634 864017