Website management the mobile way
Over the past two years, mobile apps have redefined the way we are productive on mobile devices. And as more and more apps flood the market, more niche needs are being filled by developers desperately seeking to find that killer app that hasn't been developed yet. The net result is a real win for the end user - more apps designed to provide mobile methods or streamline existing methods of interaction with various services. In this post, I'll be detailing how nine applications on my iPhone have changed the way in which i manage my web presence, all for under $20 cost in app purchases.
Web maintenance has by and large always been something done at a workstation or laptop. But, as with many activities, once the opportunity to access and update via mobile presents itself, it becomes one of those things where you find yourself saying, how did I get by without this? From updating CMS content, to managing domains, to viewing analytics data, an awful lot can be achieved in just a couple of screen taps. On to the apps:
WordPress 2 - CMS management
Free, app store link
If you have a wordpress blog, whether hosted on your own domain or at wordpress directly, you simply need this app. The reality is that if you aren't jotting down ideas already on your mobile device, you should be. And if you aren't doing it in this app, you should be. Create posts and add media/tags/categories, approve comments, edit pages...and undoubtedly more planned for the future. You will be more productive and be more involved with your content with this app. And best of all, its free, first party, and very stable.
CPanel - host management
$3.99, app store link
This one is still a bit early and lacking in overall features, but the potential is there for a great app. If your hosting is cPanel based, you can manage subdomains, see data quotas and usage, manage email addresses, and more. It's still a bit sparse, I don't open this one too often. But the promise of new features makes this one to look at.
Analytics - Google Analytics data viewer
$5.99, app store link
Google Analytics is becoming a defacto standard for analytics. If this isn't your primary metric, odds are good that it is at least a secondary. This third party app is worth every penny of $5.99, and they are still adding features. They just added multiple login capability, so you can see all of your GA data quickly, easily, and most importantly, formatted well for your mobile device.
Pinch Media Watcher - Pinch Media Analytics data viewer
$2.99, app store link
If you develop mobile apps, you probably know Pinch Media already, who recently merged with Flurry. This third party app allows you on the go access to your app analytics data. Good stuff.
FTPOnTheGo - FTP Client
$6.99, app store link
Some may balk at $6.99 for an app. But what did you pay for your desktop FTP client? FTPOnTheGo does a lot for $7 dollars, and the ability to view and edit (text editing only) any file on your server is a must have.
MobileMe iDisk - Cloud storage client
Free, app store link
For mobileme users, this one is a no brainer. You could argue this has nothing to do with web maintenance, but that all depends how (and if) you use the content on iDisk, so I included it in this list.
Echofon - Twitter client
Free, app store link
My blog spits out tweets to my posts behind the scenes. I always check that they were formatted correctly, and if I'm mobile when I post, a twitter client is essential. I'm torn between Echofon and TweetDeck. Either one will do the job well.
LinkedIn - LinkedIn client
Free, app store link
Same goes for LinkedIn, my status is tied to Twitter. So, as above, blog post==tweet==linkedIn status. Gotta be able to verify.
GoDaddy.com Mobile - domain management
Free, app store link
If you register through goDaddy, rejoice - they are fleshing out their domain management app, and it is comforting to know (especially if you own multiple domains, I'm at 20 currently) that you can access your info whenever, wherever.
There are more apps out there to do similar tasks, many are dependent on a users particular needs and the services they use. Peruse the app store, and be sure to use appropriate keywords. You may be surprised what pops up that will allow you instant access to something you just didn't have before.
What apps are you using? Drop recommendations in the comments.
Jeff dePascale is a web and mobile applications professional based in Fairfield County, CT.
May 5th, 2010 - 00:10
It is also easy to backup and transfer all your websites from one server to another server if you have cPanel installed-,.