Editing index.html, uploading face.jpg, amending style.css, deleting oldies.html… Sounds like a list of simple tasks every one familiar with computers could handle. But managing a website is more than that. It is about doing it well and fast, while keeping the web server a clean ecosystem to work in. Not to mention making sure information accuracy is preserved. Here are 4 rules that should always guide your actions, disciple: organise, name, back-up and clean.
1 - Organise folders
You should be able to find any file easily. If you need to google a page to find it, it may mean there is a problem in your folders hierarchy. First of all, it is easier if folder organisation reflects website structure. Create sub folders to organise files by types or by date. It is a good idea to follow the convention of having a folder to store images (it should be named ‘images’) and one for documents (’docs’).
2 - Set up a naming convention
At a folder level, nothing is worse than facing a list of indiscernible files. By using a naming convention, you make sure your files are showing the way you want. Do you want them organised by date or by name? Do you need the name to carry information about file size or the part of the site it will be used in? Give it a gook thought before you set up your folder, it worth it.
3 - Make nothing irreversible
Never assume a minor change is straight forward enough to allow you to go without a back up. Except when fixing typos, you should always keep a copy of a document before starting amending it. Then again, use your naming convention (see previous rule) so every back-up version will be named on the same model. Some usual choices are ‘file-name-old’ or ‘file-name.bak’.
4 - Clean as you go
Don’t leave anything out of date or inaccurate live. Mainly because it could be indexed by your website search engine, and users could potentially access to it via the search facility. But you also want to prevent anyone from loosing time editing the old version of a page. And the less oldies you keep on your server, the more disk space you save for good fresh content.
To sum it up, make sure your website folders are clean and organised in such a way that anyone could take up your position any day. This way you will spare precious time in your daily tasks. Is anyone aware of other rules I may have not mentioned in this post?
