Improving my WordPress Workflow?

[realph]

So, I design and develop websites myself, mostly in WordPress. Once I’m happy with the site on my local server, I upload it and its database to the web server and let the client make whatever changes to the site. When they need me to make changes to the code or the backend of WP, I usually work on the remote version of the site from then on, which is a pretty slow process compared to working locally.

I guess what I’m asking is, is there a way to work on a local version of the site which syncs any changes made to the remote version of the site? Is this version control by any chance?

Here’s my typical workflow:

– Set up local database
– Code local WordPress site
– Export local Database
– Import local Database to remote server
– Upload all files to remote server
– Continue to make any changes post-launch remotely

Is there anyway to improve my current workflow?

Thanks in advance.

[Senff]

My advice would be to have the site on your local server a little earlier than that, so that the client can see some progress and raise flags if necessary. Basically, to avoid situations where you deliver a full web site and THEN they say “Hm, well, we preferred this part and that part different, actually….“

So basically, not make everything available right before launch time, but way before that. And then keep things in sync, either by version control or upload to your remote server periodically, as well as exporting local database and importing it remotely (which is not always really necessary, when you have a significant amount of placeholder content).

[realph]

@senff Do you know any good tuts on using version control for web development? Didn’t have much luck on Google.

@krysak4ever But what if they want to make changes in a years time, update the site so to speak?

[Johnnyb]

I get what you’re saying realph. I’ve run into the same problem and what I usually do is just export the remote database and import into it into my local setup. Then once I’ve made any changes I need I’ll just export it from my local and import it back into the remote site. It’s not ideal but exporting/importing only takes a couple of minutes and then you’re able to work with the latest content locally.

[Author]

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