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  1. #1

    Default Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Hello everyone,

    I have a quick question about something I have never encountered before, that I need help with. I thank anyone in advance for any assistance they can offer.

    I think this is simple but...

    I have a customer with a restaurant that asked if I could shut down their site temporarily while they finalize their menu changes. I guess they don't want a mismatch between hard copy and the website. They said they need about a week. I said to them "No problem" and then said to myself, "Oh crap, this is a problem" as I had never done this before. I'm assuming just from my bit of knowledge floating in my head, I could make a new home page that states the Temporary shut down for maintenance dialogue, but then is it a redirect? or what? That's where I'm lost. If you have a solution and it's not a bother, can you write step by step instructions as to what I need to do. I don't want someone to just state that "yes, add a redirect" and leave it at that, because I'm not sure I know how to do that properly, and don't want to bugger something up! I want to do this if possible, without changing or affecting the actual current homepage that I already have for the site. I created their site for them, so doing changes, adding a page etc, is not a problem. I'd like to be able to make a landing page, so when someone enters the url for the restaurant like usual, they come to a page that states the temporary maintenance shutdown but there's the restaurant phone and address, etc. So a custom page if you will.

    I'm using Xara Designer Pro X

    Thank you,

    Tazz

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Harwich, Essex, England
    Posts
    21,895

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Hi Tazz, this sort of interference with a site can cause problems besides those you mention yourself.

    One of the biggest problems may be that of search engine ranking. Search engines can take some time parsing your site and ranking it. So removing content, even temporarily for a week, can drop your ranking and take time to re-rank after content is re-added.

    As for a method of actually doing so in Xara, it would be to move the page content horizontally off the page and into the pasteboard area. Provided you have Web Options / Website / Clip to Pages Edges selected, nothing on the paste board is published with the site. You can then add temporary content to the page area saying "Under revision" plus contact details etc. Also remember you'll need to do this for all other pages on the site. So again perhaps a single page "menu" would better suit?

    Then when the client gives you new content you can delete the temp content, move the old content back on page & amend as required. However bear in mind the SEO issues mentioned above. If your site ranks number one for "Shrimps in Peanut Butter" and you temporarily remove such content (i.e. to change the price) then reintroduce it after a week with an amended price, will the SE still rank it number one? It'd disappeared, how long will it take the SE to re-parse it?

    Far better to explain this to your client, arrange a new menu launch date (online & in house) and do it on the same date.

    Just my thoughts.
    Egg

    Intel i7 - 4790K Quad Core + 16 GB Ram + NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1660 Graphics Card + MSI Optix Mag321 Curv monitor
    + Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB SSD + 232 GB SSD + 250 GB SSD portable drive + ISP = BT + Web Hosting = TSO Host

  3. #3

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill View Post
    Hi Tazz, this sort of interference with a site can cause problems besides those you mention yourself.

    One of the biggest problems may be that of search engine ranking. Search engines can take some time parsing your site and ranking it. So removing content, even temporarily for a week, can drop your ranking and take time to re-rank after content is re-added.

    As for a method of actually doing so in Xara, it would be to move the page content horizontally off the page and into the pasteboard area. Provided you have Web Options / Website / Clip to Pages Edges selected, nothing on the paste board is published with the site. You can then add temporary content to the page area saying "Under revision" plus contact details etc.

    Then when the client gives you new content you can delete the temp content, move the old content back on page & amend as required. However bear in mind the SEO mentioned above. If your site ranks number one for "Shrimps in Peanut Butter" and you temporarily remove such content (i.e. to change the price) then reintroduce it after a week with an amended price, will the SE still rank it number one?

    Far better to explain this to your client, arrange a new menu launch date (online & in house) and do it on te same date.

    Just my thoughts.
    Egg,

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and expertise...all very great points you mention that I will definitely follow. I didn't even consider the SE implications that could occur. I will definitely speak to the client and come up with a plan B.

    Tazz
    Last edited by Tazz; 16 April 2018 at 07:39 PM. Reason: More text

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    41,487

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    I would publish a single page, index with the closed info. Then when you are back up republish the site.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Harwich, Essex, England
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    21,895

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Yes, but remember that SE's might also list your other pages Gary and if the client information is not up to date serve up outdated info...
    Egg

    Intel i7 - 4790K Quad Core + 16 GB Ram + NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1660 Graphics Card + MSI Optix Mag321 Curv monitor
    + Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB SSD + 232 GB SSD + 250 GB SSD portable drive + ISP = BT + Web Hosting = TSO Host

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    41,487

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Well I am not sure if there is any way to delete archived pages. But to people who go to the web address, they will see a sign down for maintenance.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Is'nt the simple solution to just simply change the menu page to read something like contact the restaurant for updated menu, or words to that effect. This way the site stays live without issues.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Harwich, Essex, England
    Posts
    21,895

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Yes but remember regular visitors will not be automatically be downloading the latest site, but one from their computers cache. So unless these visitors press Ctrl+F5 they still get the old version. At least that's my understanding ...
    Egg

    Intel i7 - 4790K Quad Core + 16 GB Ram + NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1660 Graphics Card + MSI Optix Mag321 Curv monitor
    + Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB SSD + 232 GB SSD + 250 GB SSD portable drive + ISP = BT + Web Hosting = TSO Host

  9. #9

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    When I visit a regular site I don't press Ctrl+F5 each time. What would be the point in updating your site if all that everyone got was an old version? When I visit a regular site I get an updated version.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    SW England
    Posts
    17,746

    Default Re: Temporarily Close a Site for Maintenance

    Quote Originally Posted by Miko View Post
    When I visit a regular site I don't press Ctrl+F5 each time. What would be the point in updating your site if all that everyone got was an old version? When I visit a regular site I get an updated version.
    The changed page can include an HTML META to force a refresh for everyone.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

 

 

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