Keeping Track of On-Line Files Off-Line
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
max-info.com
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A) WEB SITE ORGANIZATION - As your business site grows in size, keeping up with where each item is located becomes a challenge. You need to always keep good records on: 1) A complete list with all the url address for every page on your site and a description of each page
2) location of each url address for every product
3) picture url's that support the product and the picture sizes
In the beginning when your web site is only 10, 20 or 50 pages long, remembering where everything is located is easy. But when your site becomes a few hundred, a thousand, 6000, or so pages remembering becomes a painful waste of time. It is a big mistake for you to think that once a page or picture is posted on your web site that you will never need it for anything else. As you actively improve your web site, you will reuse many of the pictures, so remembering their sizes becomes critical. You will find yourself listing classifieds and need the url to certain products. Or my favorite, writing a new section for the web site and need 100 urls to link the pages with. These problems do happen. Fortunately I learned about records fast.
Here are three examples of the forms I use to keep records of max-info.com
The first one is the general page list. It is best if you keep a separate page(s) for each directory on your site.
Directory: max-info Date:4/12/99
Page Description |
URL |
URL |
Home page
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index.html |
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Internet spy
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spy.html |
market/spy.html |
Library - Fast
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market.html |
market/Auction.html |
No Money Down |
realstate.html |
NoMoneyDown/ActionPages.html |
Every page on the site is recorded on a page like this and kept in a handy day runner type book.
The next form is to keep track of your products and supporting pictures. It is good to divide these forms by type.
Type: Knives Date:3/26/99
Description |
Url |
Url |
Pic url |
Pic url |
Black 4" #sp02 |
Resell/knives/sp02.html |
cat/knives/blk4.html |
re/knv/img/p02.jpg 120x140 |
img/blk4.jpg 62x78 |
Merlin #pk30 |
Resell/knives/pk30.html |
cat/knives/merlin.html |
re/knv/img/pk30.gif 168x213 |
img/merlin.gif 74x96 |
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If you keep all the pictures relating to your product types in the same directory on the web site it is much easier to keep track of your pictures. Example would be all knife pictures in max-info.com/knives/images/.
The last form of the three is a product details form. This form is especially useful when you have dozens of different products and use different prices at different locations. This form works best when divided by type.
Type: Mood Jewelry Date: 4/12/99
Description |
Item # |
Price |
URL |
Other |
Mood Collection
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mc40
nj50 |
11.95 |
mj/modcolet.html
cat/jewelry/modcolet.html |
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Heart shape
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nj12
mr03 |
4.95 |
re/jewelry/heart.html
mj/heart.html |
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Traditional
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mr05
nj14 |
2.95
4.95 |
mj/trad.html
cat/jewelry/trad.html |
Special |
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This form will also help you greatly as telephone and email orders start becoming common.
You will find full page copies of these forms for you to use by clicking here. If you make them 8 1/2 x 11 inch you will have lots of room and they will work well in a three ring binder. I use them as half pages, 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch and keep them in my day runner for quick and easy access.
Make sure you date each copy as you update your records.
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