How to temp host a site so a client can see it?

Is there a regular/normal way to temporarily host a site so your client can preview it before going live? I have a hosting account that allows me to host several urls. Should I just temporarily put it up there and take it down after they approve everything?

I usually just put a folder on my server called "dev" or "preview". Then place the files there and direct the client to the URL.

Hi Becky,

See if your host allows subdomins. That is the most cost-effective and professional way to do it...

Your main site is www.domain.com
This client's temp/dev site would be client.domain.com
Which is good for demos.

But what I do, if the client signed on and I'm actively developing their site, is get them an IP address. So they can always view the site-in-progress at http://123.123.123.123 for example. This may be important for server-side programming, domain specific code, server directory specific code, et.
Then when it is approved, its a simple matter of pointing DNS to the hosting account.

Thanks guys. My new questions, lol, are:

surfwax95 said:

I usually just put a folder on my server called "dev" or "preview". Then place the files there and direct the client to the URL.

Click to expand...

I've had problems using folders on my server before. The browser couldn't find my site at first. But I can just put this whole site into it's own folder and then send them the URL?

giulio said:

Hi Becky,

See if your host allows subdomins. That is the most cost-effective and professional way to do it...

yep, I can do sub domains, I'm already hosting 2 other sites that way, they're freebies, my HS reunion, etc.. It's cool to do that on a temporary basis though?

Your main site is www.domain.com
This client's temp/dev site would be client.domain.com
Which is good for demos.

But what I do, if the client signed on and I'm actively developing their site, is get them an IP address. So they can always view the site-in-progress at http://123.123.123.123 for example. This may be important for server-side programming, domain specific code, server directory specific code, et.
Then when it is approved, its a simple matter of pointing DNS to the hosting account.

Click to expand...

Would you do the IP address thing for a redesign? They already have a site that I'm adding to...I don't know nothin' about IP addresses!

Much obliged!

I wouldn't do the IP thing for a redesign, unless the company wants to pay for the hosting account (one per IP). They may want to have that 'development environment' though. If you dress it up with enough buzz words you may make a few extra bucks on it. It allows their current site to stay live, and shielded from the dev environment.
Otherwise, I'd set up a subdomain on their own website: http://dev.clientdomain.com
When they approve everything, simply move all files from dev to www. This assumes the site is static HTML or the server scripting doesn't care about directory paths.

Are you making a straight HTML site or plan to do file actions (read/write/create/delete) as well, with PHP or coldfusion, etc?

giulio said:

I wouldn't do the IP thing for a redesign, unless the company wants to pay for the hosting account (one per IP). They may want to have that 'development environment' though. If you dress it up with enough buzz words you may make a few extra bucks on it. It allows their current site to stay live, and shielded from the dev environment.
Otherwise, I'd set up a subdomain on their own website: http://dev.clientdomain.com
When they approve everything, simply move all files from dev to www. This assumes the site is static HTML or the server scripting doesn't care about directory paths.

Are you making a straight HTML site or plan to do file actions (read/write/create/delete) as well, with PHP or coldfusion, etc?

Click to expand...

um, sorry, did I forget to mention that I just barely know what I'm doing? no coldfusion or php. File actions are...? Static HTML means no databases or forms? there are none of those.

and another clueless question. Why if you set up a subdomain does the sub domain name come in front of the reg domian name? Seems like it would be opposite... Does that keep the images folders separate?

No problem...

OK a static site will make this much easier! You wont have to worry about file actions/etc.

The sub domain name works like so:
subdomain . maindomain (name your bought). topleveldomain (com, edu, net...)

When you buy your domain, you choose your TLD (top level domian). You then get DOMAIN.COM
Most hosts attache WWW to the front, making WWW.DOMAIN.COM and DOMAIN.COM point to the same website.

If you have a decent host, you can create subdomains for free: SUB.DOMAIN.COM which points to a folder inside of your site, but acts like an entirely differeny website.
That's important to remember because files on the outside of that sub's folder are invisible/inacessible to the sub! The plus is that when you make links that point to the root, such as /images/file.gif the browser will load from the root of the subdomain, not the main domain.

Thank you! That's really helpful! Especially that the rest of the things will be invisible....

What I did so far was make a new folder on my site for it. So it's right now it's - www.domain.com/theirfolder/index.html

Thanks for the hand holding!
But I will move them and do it the way you recommended. Seems a lot better.

You're welcome. Your icon did it for me. My wife went the same route =)

Typically, www.domain.com/client is the same content as client.domain.com
The web server uses the folder 'client' for the subdomain content. So you don't have to move anything. Just set up the subdomain with the same name as the folder.

giulio said:

You're welcome. Your icon did it for me. My wife went the same route =)

Click to expand...

I was wondering if anyone here would recognize that avatar. It seems like such a nice community here, that I wasn't worried about anyone being weird about it. I also have a "got breastmilk?" bumper sticker on my car and it never fails to get approval from dads. That always makes me laugh. My sister thought I would attract wierdos, but it's just the opposite!

I modified a BABY ON BOARD sign to read BABY ON BOOB =)
I can send you the PSD if you'd like

What we do is join the LLL chat room, and just let it scroll. Then come back later and read all the good stuff.

giulio said:

I modified a BABY ON BOARD sign to read BABY ON BOOB =)
I can send you the PSD if you'd like

What we do is join the LLL chat room, and just let it scroll. Then come back later and read all the good stuff.

Click to expand...

That's awesome! Definitely send me the PSD. If you PM, I'll send you back my actual addy.

So are you on the LLL with RSS feed? I still just don't get how to do that. That's really embarrassing, but true, I'm RSS challenged. I don't know what my problem is! On here I just go to "get new" and pretend it's like I'm using RSS. I know, I'm a spaz. I go on the forum on the lll community site once and awhile. I'm more likely to go to the mothering.com forum. That get's a ton of traffic/posts and there's always a lot of good stuff. although sometimes it's like watching a traffic accident, IYKWIM?

Giulio, I just checked out your portfolio! Wow.

I'm brand new to web design. But I have to say I don't think I've seen many sites that look a good as yours AND you do all the backend stuff, too? How did you learn all that? Most of the sites I've seen done by backend people are so, hmm, how should I say this, ugly. Yours are gorgeous. Keep up the good work!