Multiple Site Management

Hi Everyone:

As I have said in many posts, I am a rookie at this although I’ve had a website up and running for 20 years.
Using Blocs has allowed me to expand the way I think about my site, and now, with Blocs on iPad, the possibilities seem endless.
Let me elaborate on what is now possible for me.

My weather website is updated twice per day. I spend quite a bit of time reading weather maps, etc, then adding graphics and forecasts, and other content. It is truly a labor of love.

Anyhow, there are times when I am traveling, and not in a position to perform the complete update to the site. In the past, I would simply not update, catch up the next time I am available.

However, now with Blocs on iPad, I have created a “Lite” site I intend to use when I can’t update the main site.
Now being a rookie, I would think I’d have to go up to my FTP server, and delete my current full site files, then upload the “Lite” site which would then load instead.

So, finally, here is my question: Is what I describe above the only way to accomplish this feat?
I simply want to switch from one site to the other. Is there another method I should be looking at, or is what I described above pretty much it?

Thanks for reading through this and offering suggestions.

Rich the Weather Guy

Just a thought. And I’m a newbie so not sure if this would work for what you need.

If you have a hosting package that can manage having multiple sites in it, you could possibly create two sites in it.

Then when mobile change the domain to point to the ‘light site’ and the point back to the main site when needed.

I didn’t something like this with mine and found it was just a matter of changing the folder address in the hosting package.

As I said not sure if this is the best way or whether it works for all, but it did work quickly and easily for me

Thanks for the suggestion, but whenever I have changed the domain to point to something else, it took at least 24 hours for it to work correctly, which would negate the whole exercise.
At least, if I understand what you are suggesting, that has been my experience.
I do appreciate the suggestion…

Rich the Weather Guy

Hi Rich (@WeatherguyNH)

If you are using a linux-based hosting, you could force the redirect to a seperate folder using an .htaccess file.

Technically this would suffice:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^$ /lite [L]

The premisse here would be that the folder containing your “lite” version is inside the “www”, “htdocs” or whatever the rootfolder of your site is called.

Simply deleting the .htaccess file afterwards will remove the redirect to the “lite” folder.

Would that not require a wildcard* for visitors aiming to visit a specific page on the main site that needed to be redirected?

Hi Brecht:

I am “mildly” aware of the htaccess file…but my host is running Ubuntu 20.04 AMD64.

Rich

Which is Linux based :blush:

yes it is!! I did not write that well… :woozy_face:

It can do if the names servers need updating.

I have a package where I have multiple sites in the one package, so it’s just a matter of changing the link to the folder, which happens straight away for me.

Apologies that’s all I have on it as a suggestion, good luck though

Sounds like you have very high TTL set in DNS. Most servers/providers would let you set a TTL of 60 or 300 seconds (some have 900 minimum). Default many places are 14400 seconds. (This value defines how long resolvers are told caching the record would be OK.)
… Not commenting on best solution, just on DNS :sweat_smile:

Flips:

Now I have new things to look up…Thanks!

Rich the Weather Guy

Recce:

You have me wondering if I deleted the index page for the current site, then put up a new index page for the “lite” site, and the assets to that “lite site” were in another folder within the site files I already have up there, would something like that work?
No idea what I am suggesting, just thinking out loud.

Rich the Weather Guy

I would rethink the whole approach, possibly embrace a CMS if you’re going to be doing remote updates.

Does SEO matter to you?

Reading this over a few times and comments, I would 100% not build 2 sites and swap them when travelling, but approach it differently. If travelling I can see you having issues in the way you are talking at the moment.

What @PeteSharp has suggested, some form of CMS.

I would build in Blocs Plus and go the route of Wordpress and keep the elements you need to update really simple. You might find plugins in word press that might update what you want automatically anyway!

No, SEO does not matter to me.

Rich

Adie:

The main site has way too many graphics that I update every day, so trying to do this from an iPad or on the road is really not feasible.
I am determined to use the “Lite” version I created, maybe I will keep it to a single page, just replace the index with no links. Only that single page will load…all I will need, I think.

I keep looking at the CMS option, but again, far too many graphics and time when I am remote.

Rich the Weather Guy

Have you thought about just putting a CMS?
The Volt, for example.
Then you can edit the content from your IPAD.
Because the creation of a separate site looks like the worst crutches for my taste.

1 Like

Newbie:

Yes, yes, to everyone suggesting a CMS. I have been looking at Volt since day one…but I don’t see how it helps me.
I change no less that 35 graphics EVERY DAY. No way I can process all of those graphics with a CMS or iPad. Takes me over an hour on my 27" iMac with dual monitors…

Thanks for the vote…

Rich the Weather Guy

How does your workflow on desktop look like in detail?

You’re daily changing the main home page of the site and exchange text content there. Are you inserting / replacing the images inside the blocs project, or are these referenced from a server location (remote asset)?

Hi Jannis:

I thought your ears might burning by this time? :grin:
My graphics are embedded in the site. They are numbered so they just go to the right place when I add them.

Rich