I came across this conundrum a couple of weeks ago when I suggested to a client that it might be more productive to show them how to update their website, rather than keep asking me to do it for free.

I would have liked to have based their site on WordPress in the first instance but budgetary constraints prevented them from affording hosting with a MySQL database (maybe one day such databases won’t be necessary to run blogs or content mangaged sites!). So when I’d completed one site update too many I suggested that I could train a staff member to update the website themselves. “What a good idea” they replied and so I set about putting together a suite of freeware/open source website editing, development and ftp tools. Here are my thoughts.

website editing

There are a few website editing tools out there, but I settled on Kompozer due to its simplicity and ability to upload the edited html file direct to the server.
I was tempted by SeaMonkey, but it offers a little too many other functions for what my client needed.

ftp access

In order to upload images and new media onto the site, I opted for FileZilla which I’d been using myself for a while. I normally work on a Macbook pro and use the excellent Transmit ftp software, but when I need access on a PC I always opt for FileZilla. It’s dual window view is familiar and intuitive, and although the GUI isn’t the prettiest, I does what I need quickly and without fuss.

image editing

The client also had the need for editing photos for use on the site, and after some searching I showed them how to make the most of the wonderful web-based Picnik, a web app that puts a little smile on my face every time I use it. It’s super easy to upload photos and add effects to them, including a cool little polaroid camera effect.

So there you have it – free website editing and updating for the masses. Is this the beginning of the end for more expensive applications?