Making and handing off a website

November 3, 2020 6:33 AM

I've been making websites since they existed, pretty much, but have yet to solve the perennial issue of how to make and hand off a site for a non-technical user.

This site will be a modest one for a self-published writer who is non-technical. Is there a standard process now for acquiring a suitable domain, getting hosting, and handing off the site to the owner, who won't know what to do with it (but, unless she contracts for upkeep, won't be my problem after delivery)?

I don't especially want to buy the domain and hosting and bill her back – I'd like it to all be in her name – but I don't think I can rely on her to buy the correct domain and hosting services, since she has no idea what that means. What do people do?

I'm in Canada, if it matters, and I know which services I want her to buy. But is there a less circuitous method?

posted by zadcat to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

If you want to handle it, advance bill her - in a recurring manner.
Use waveapps to create recurring invoices.

People like this want a all in one solution so they don't have to go create different accounts or go to different places. I would recommend either walking her through or just doing this altogether and having recurring billing.
posted by iNfo.Pump at 6:47 AM on November 3, 2020

For my less tech-savvy clients, we have a step-by-step document of how to buy hosting at our preferred hosting provider. You can say, I recommend buying domain and hosting from X & Y (or if it's an all in one provider whatever) and here are the steps to purchasing hosting (one by one with screenshots) and here are directions for giving me access to launch your site.

If they choose some other hosting they are on their own, but you've made a professional recommendation, and they can follow it or not. I assume your contract says hosting and domain are the responsibility of the client.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:26 AM on November 3, 2020