Cloud Cannon – Let Your Clients Edit Their Own Websites

Cloud Cannon is a tool that web designers can use to turn their own HTML, Javascript, and CSS into a hosted CMS. Design clients are then able to make changes to their own websites — like editing the content or inserting new images — directly from within their browsers.

Expand the services you provide to your web design clients by signing up for a Cloud Cannon account and encouraging clients to handle basic edits and updates on their own. Copy your own HTML, CSS, and other static website files into Dropbox, then add the class=“editable” tag to any elements that you want to be editable in your HTML. Within seconds, Cloud Cannon will sync with Dropbox and start serving files from its own servers. Your clients will then be able to update their own live websites in real-time without having to remember any deployment procedures or FTP passwords.

Cloud Cannon works well with popular tools like Wufoo, Jekyll, Dreamweaver, and MailChimp. The platform offers unlimited scalability, which means users have access to unlimited storage and bandwidth at all times. Cloud Cannon also provides users with template tools that make changing the structure of a website incredibly simple.

Practical Uses:

• Let clients edit their own websites
• Host a blog on Cloud Cannon
• Make your existing website load faster
• Encourage clients to frequently update the photos on their business blogs

Insider Tips:

• Users can add dynamic content by embedding third-party services
• Cloud Cannon serves files from its own servers
• Clients have the option to use their own domains or use one supplied by Cloud Cannon
• Designers can create custom 404 pages

What we liked:

• Users get unlimited storage and bandwidth
• Cloud Cannon helps speed up website load times
• Web designers can provide clients with tools to update their own sites
• Saved files are live on the internet in mere seconds

What we didn’t like:

• Pricing may be too expensive for some designers to pass on to clients

Alternatives:

• Cushy CMS – https://www.cushycms.com

Company Info:

• Launched: 2013
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: Dunedin, New Zealand
• Founded by: Mike Neumegen and George Phillips
• Web site: http://cloudcannon.com

Costs:

• Basic plan is $5 per month
• Plus plan is $12 per month
• Premium plan is $28 per month
• Pro plan is $49 per month