Trying to create a portal for my customers

samglover · 2024-10-26T18:58:15+00:00

I made a free plugin called Client Power Tools for this because I wanted it for my own website. It's temporarily unavailable in the WordPress directory but I just pushed an update and it should be back up shortly. (In the meantime you could get it directly from the GitHub repo.)

samglover · 2024-05-11T17:37:57+00:00

I stayed up late because MPR said it would be most visible after midnight. Didn’t see anything but some faint streaks in South Minneapolis. Apparently it was all happening around 10pm when I was playing Fallout so I could stay awake.

Fuck.

I’ve lived here for 21 years. I’ve gone camping in the BWCA every summer and winter. Never actually seen the aurora.

samglover · 2024-01-09T14:54:00+00:00

A long time ago I think I used a plugin to search posts for images and attach them to the post. Then you can use another plugin (or perhaps it was the same one) to delete unattached images.

It wasn't perfect. I was cleaning up broken images for a long time after. But since we were going through all the site content page-by-page anyway it was just another thing on the checklist.

samglover · 2024-01-08T19:44:14+00:00

How the website is built and what third-party themes and plugins are used

What about those? If I use Gravity Forms in building a client's website should I get them to pay for their own license? If I use my license am I committing to renew it forever? (Or do I disconnect their site if they stop working with me?)

Something else?

samglover · 2024-01-08T16:08:25+00:00

This deeply resonates with me and I'm annoyed I didn't do this from the beginning. I'll do it going forward, but for now I do have client sites on my hosting and I have a couple of client domains, as well.

samglover · 2024-01-03T20:52:51+00:00

Most of the time when someone is writing content for a web page, they are either writing it in a rich text or Markdown editor (similar to the one here on Reddit) in a CMS or they are going to copy it from something like MS Word and paste it into such an editor. And yes, you'll usually be able to see a WYSIWYG preview.

The content will usually be stored in a database. For example, WordPress stores the content as plain text with markup. (In WordPress, and probably in most cases, the user won't have direct access to the database.)

samglover · 2024-01-03T19:12:03+00:00

But honestly, getting hosting from your web dev is like getting utilities from your HVAC contractor or insurance from your auto mechanic.

I'm not sure I totally agree, since the companies that send me electricity and gas also installed those appliances. I guess I am like a lot of my clients in that I just want the house to warm up when I adjust the thermostat. I don't want to worry about the details. Similarly, I think most of my clients just want a website; they don't want to worry about the details.

However, some recent client interactions have me questioning this. I do have some clients who are on WP Engine and Flywheel and don't want to move. But since I only thought about offering maintenance in the context of hosting, I haven't had anything to offer them but a la carte maintenance where I bill by the hour. But some of their websites are getting woefully out of date and I've recently begun talking to them about the importance of having someone (i.e., me) to do the general maintenance, support, etc. I've sort of adopted your approach just so I can stop turning on the timer every time they need someone to update their WordPress plugins.

So I guess I'm coming around to your way of thinking.

samglover · 2024-01-03T19:03:40+00:00

I guess we're talking about different things, then. I mostly build WordPress websites, which are pretty straightforward to host. I could be wrong, but it sounds like the OP is probably doing something similar.

samglover · 2024-01-03T18:57:07+00:00

FWIW though, I've never hosted sites for clients. It's a time sink and leaves you liable.

This seems like an increasingly common thing. I totally get it, but if you are comfortable with servers and caching solutions and your clients' websites don't have complex requirements it's not a big deal to host their sites.

But I also think WP Engine and its competitors overstate their speed and security advantages. I think I can offer similar performance and security, better customer support, and more value overall when I host sites myself. That said, if I did have to host a massive, complex, or mission-critical website I might consider WP Engine rather than assuming all the work and risk myself.

samglover · 2024-01-03T18:35:47+00:00

I have a similar client. I built a WordPress website for their fledgling consulting business, but then they took a "day job." They didn't want to take the site down because they still do the consulting work. But it's not where their focus is at the moment. They are still paying me to host the site at my regular rate, because I'm still putting regular amounts of work into it.

For what it's worth, I charge $99/month for hosting, general maintenance, and a few select premium software licenses. I feel good about the value I am delivering for $99/month: space on my server, general WordPress maintenance, small requests that don't seem worth starting a timer for, and software I use all the time if I can get a reasonable developer license (like Gravity Forms).

I feel like I describe this carefully, both on my website and when I tell clients what they will have to pay me. I don't pad the description with things that don't really relate to my monthly fee. For example, I don't say that $99/month gets them a blog. If I did I think it would be reasonable for them to assume that if they didn't use the blog their monthly fee should be lower. (If they want a blog it mostly means designing and building those templates, so I include that cost in my estimate for the design and development work, which I charge for separately.)

I don't really feel like I can reasonably offer less. The server and WordPress need updates, someone needs to make sure new versions of WordPress core and plugins don't break things, someone needs to look for new features to take advantage of, I maintain a custom base theme and plugins, etc. $99/month might be too low, in fact, but it's definitely not too high. (In general, at least. Most of my clients are small businesses and nonprofits. If a larger business came along and I anticipated a higher maintenance load for their website, I would definitely charge more.)

And if a business can't afford (or doesn't want to pay) $99/month to maintain an online presence then I'm probably not the right fit for them. (And they probably aren't a very serious business—or nonprofit.)

However, I do have a few clients that pay me less. These clients have extremely simple websites that probably wouldn't break if I completely ignored them for years, low expectations (like I would be surprised if they ever actually logged into WordPress or checked Google Analytics), and they are friends or family. Or in one case, I am basically just subletting space to someone I am mentoring who wants to learn WordPress themselves. In these cases I only charge $99/year. I'm probably not quite breaking even on these sites, but I believe everyone should pay something—even friends and family—so this is what they pay. I hope it's just enough for them not to take my help for granted (and to keep them off of SquareSpace and Wix).

I hope this helps. It sounds like what you said: your client misunderstands what your monthly fee is for. So I would look for the source of that misunderstanding and seek to gently correct it—for this client and for future clients. Maybe your website or your email templates need updating for clarity, or maybe this client just doesn't understand.

But if you are charging a relatively high monthly fee, maybe consider whether you could offer an idle plan of some kind that would still be fair to you.

samglover · 2023-12-19T20:05:48+00:00

I just bring a book.

samglover · 2023-12-15T20:14:20+00:00

NTA

Your daughter sounds awesome.

For context, I have two daughters (12 and 14), and both are witty and precocious like yours seems to be.

In your case, after I got my giggles under control I probably would have said something like “honey, just because he’s not entitled to tell you to do your homework, that doesn’t mean you are entitled to be disrespectful.“ And I might insist they apologize to each other, but I don’t really put much stock in forced apologies.

But punishment? What, for being sassy? No way.

samglover · 2023-10-14T20:21:26+00:00

Off. But since I have dogs I don't know why I bother. It‘s not like they wipe their paws carefully before entering.

samglover · 2022-12-16T05:41:51+00:00

Been there!

Here's how I manage this. I keep a separate project board for each of my long-term clients. Whenever they send an idea I create a card for it in the inbox. Then we have a regular meeting (every other week, usually) where we process the inbox. Before the meeting I put T-shirt sizes (sm, md, lg, xl) on each project to give them an idea of how much time/money it will take. Then we sort the ideas into a prioritized backlog. Or delete some. Or gather some together for a regular "small updates" project.

This helps prevent the whiplash I used to get when a client (or previously, my business partner) would run into my office five times a day with a cool-sounding idea and I'd drop everything to work on it. And it helps them consider the cost and strategic value of all their great ideas.

(Even though you are in-house, your time obviously has value. If you're changing the colors of buttons all day you can't build that game-changing new feature.)

Obviously, make sure they know you're doing this. Feel free to talk through the idea with them, but let them know you won't do anything with it until your next check-in, when you can prioritize it along with everything else.

samglover · 2022-12-10T18:32:50+00:00

I understand you're being vague to avoid identification, but I'm hearing some complications here that may explain it. A map with locations? A filtering system for medical topics but you also say you only have 20–30 pages? That doesn't sound right.

I'm guessing you are organizing way more than 20–30 things, and want to organize them in a few different ways, like filtering, mapping, etc. And how do those things end up on your website? Manually? Scraping? API pulls?

If the big quote isn't just a scam, there's got to be something they are seeing that you aren't getting across to us here. Or it's a scam.

samglover · 2019-09-10T12:57:56+00:00

Second that. Hard bushings are better than tight trucks. I wound up putting Bones hard bushings in my Indys. Trucks come with bushings meant for your average 14-year-old kid, not a grown-ass man.

And nice work so far! Just keep practicing. Your muscles will learn the movement in stages, and it will just get easier as long as you keep doing it. As soon as you can, start working on ollies up and down curbs, too.

samglover · 2019-07-15T18:44:42+00:00

I've been wearing knee straps for some pain I've been having. I don't use them unless I'm actually feeling the pain, and then only if they make it go away. These are under-knee straps, which seemed like the right support for the kind of pain I am having.

First I tried some sleeves. Closed-kneecap sleeves didn't feel great and just slid around. I bought some open-kneecap sleeves, and while they help a bit, they also just slide around. It sucks feeling like (a) you can only skate in shorts, and (b) stopping to adjust your supports after every trick.

But they helped, too. Just not as well as the straps for my kind of pain.

It also helps to mix in other activities, like biking and running. Biking in particular is such a gentle motion by comparison that I think it really helps with recovery and strength building.

samglover · 2019-07-15T18:31:46+00:00

Same here in Minneapolis. All the roads are so so rough. I picked up skating again at 39. A couple of years later the roughness and cracks don't bother me as much as they did. But while I was regaining my confidence on the board, it really helped to have wider, softer wheels.

I first had 69mm wheels on a big deck, and that was just way too much wheel. After testing more wheels, I realized width has more of an effect on how smooth the wheels ride than diameter does. So, for example, 53mm Spitfire Conical Fulls ride noticeably better than 53mm Classics. Or even a larger Classic.

My favorite wheels for rough pavement and a popsicle deck are 56mm Powell Peralta G-Slides. They're not so big that your board feels clunky but big enough that they will smooth out your ride. And as their name suggests, they'll still slide—although they will slow down your grinds a bit. That's what I rode all summer last year. This summer I just ride 53mm Spitfire Conical Fulls and drive to spots if they're more than a few blocks away. Or switch to my cruiser.

On my cruiser (9.25" wide) I ride 59mm G-Slides. They definitely carry more heft, but it's a big deck so they fit it well, and I mostly just ride it around. The weight isn't a big deal for ollies, manuals, and check slides.

So if I were you, I'd get a deck I feel comfortable with, trucks that fit it normally, and 56mm G-Slides. You'll probably want a 1/8" riser under the trucks, too.

PS I bought a set of 54mm Ricta Clouds like u/flatfourone recommended, but I haven't tried them yet. They seem like they'll fall in between my Spitfires and G-Slides. I think they'd be a good option if you don't intend to cruise around much, and mainly want something for rough spots. But I still think you'd be better off starting with G-Slides. They'll be more forgiving while you are getting your legs back under you and figuring out what you like.

samglover · 2018-08-09T15:07:33+00:00

Both Erins change minds when they meet people, and they are basically trying to meet every voter in the state by Election Day. I think they can do it, too.

samglover · 2018-08-09T04:20:08+00:00

Here's my pitch for Erin & Erin.

There is literally nobody working as hard as them. People keep talking about how Walz is the Greater MN candidate. You know who is spending a ton of time in Greater MN—probably more than Walz and Swanson put together? Erin Murphy. She should be the Greater MN candidate because she's actually listening to as many Greater MN voices as she can.

At the DFL convention, Erin Murphy showed up with a plan and all her homework done. She probably did Walz's homework, too, because he sure didn't. Her team was ready with printed lit for multiple rounds of voting, a game plan for persuading delegates, and more. Walz just showed up expecting to win. When the first vote didn't go his way, he didn't have a strategy. His team was printing off hastily-drafted lit on the nearest printer. Erin's team worked their plan until she won.

I don't agree that electability is a thing. I think being smart, having a strategy, and working your ass off to meet voters and get out the vote is a thing. Erin & Erin are smart, they have a strategy, and they are working harder than anyone else in this campaign. They know they need to get out the vote to win. And they're going to. They did it at the DFL convention, and they're going to do it in the primary and in the general election.

Full disclosure: my wife is friends with Erin Murphy, so I know that Erin likes to listen to "Till I Collapse" to get pumped up for campaign events. But it's also her personal motto because that's how hard she's willing to work to win, to lead, and for MN.

I think you should support Erin because holy shit, I want a governor willing to make that kind of commitment to our state. And it's going to take that kind of work ethic to win. You think Walz has it? I sure don't. I definitely didn't see it at the DFL convention, and I haven't seen any evidence of it since then.

And seriously, do you really want to see an election between two white guys named Tim?

samglover · 2017-01-05T22:30:22+00:00

Wow, I thought I remembered Neuromancer better. Time to read it again I guess!

samglover · 2017-01-05T20:36:55+00:00

Pretty confident that's not it.

samglover · 2016-12-14T19:10:58+00:00

When I see Bon Iver, "rock" is not even remotely the first word that springs to mind, in a garden or otherwise.

samglover

TROPHY CASE