Looking Out From the Garage

It is a big change for me.

I started seriously blogging back in June on Active Rain.  In July I picked up Blogger (Blogspot).  I wanted an outside platform that would be more configurable.   But, everything was fine with Blogger.  I changed the theme a bit to better fit with my personality and subject.  All was ok.

However, as I delved deeper into what I wanted to accomplish (in regards to my real estate business), I decided that I needed to offer something more than I would be able to offer with a static website.  So, I started researching options.

In steps Joomla.  Joomla is a content management system.  It is kind of a cross between a blog and a website, but as a blog… not so great.  I created GarageHomesUSA.   This was what I wanted a site to be.  it had depth and organization and was very configurable.  Most of my blog material found its way there.

Then came the meltdown.

I’ve chronicled  it previously on the blog, but because i selected a version of Joomla that wasn’t stable yet, and because my host had me on the same servers as a few years ago, I had to change serveres with my host.  I decided as I was doing that, that one of my sites was not really fulfilling a purpose.  LaneBailey.com was just kind of there.

In an “aha!” moment, I decided that the blog needed to be there.  I could afford to lose that site to bring my blog “in-house” so to speak.  And so, I again dived in to do some research.  Opting for another open source application, I chose to run WordPress on my domain.  Again, it could function almost as a website as it is another CMS (content management system).  However, it is a great blog, but less than optimal for a full site.

So, over the last week, I have been running both the Blogger and LaneBailey site parallel to each other.  I will continue to do so for a while.  After a bit, I plan on just summarizing my posts from LaneBailey to the Blogger platform.

So, if you are my reader…

I’d love for you to visit LaneBailey and hang out in the shop with me.

As always, I’d LOVE your comments and suggestions.  I look forward to hearing from you.

This is yet another technology post... and there are so many other things I want to blog about... but I just can't move past this until I get it out.  I'll include a bonus for those few of you that stick it our for a few minutes.  

It all starts out in

Another in the never ending series of posts about building a website... Part ZCXII

And then I carried it a little further with

Just when you think you got it licked...

Well...  I am a couple of steps further. 

I decided that since I had to go to all of the trouble to rebuild my web presence, I should upgrade.  I had already gone pretty much over the edge with GarageHomesUSA, but LaneBailey was pretty boring.  I mean really boring.  But, hopefully, those that stumble on to this post soon won't see the site that the early readers see.  Instead, they'll see the new site.  I was thinking about my "other" blog, and had wanted to migrate to a WordPress platform on my own domain.  ***BTW, this is the bonus.  I haven't turned the name on yet, so you are getting a REAL sneak peak... if you are an early reader.***

This whole blogging thing is out of hand.  

So, I am getting away from Blogger, and going to WordPress.  I'm going to make one of my primary consumer interfaces into a blog.  I'll keep the Blogger up for a while with regularly updated posts.  Then, I will transform that platform into a anthology site. 

I also got a new toy that I'll be getting set up in a few minutes... a Nikon Coolscan V.  I have literally thousands of images to scan... and you can bet that some will be making it on to my blog.  I have not really put as many pictures as I'd like into my posts, but much of that has been because I didn't want to run afoul anyone's copyright... and I knew that I had something floating around that would cover it...

So, enough technojunk from me...

(I thought about naming this Adventures in Web Management Part 715)

So, last week I found a GREAT theme for my Joomla site, www.GarageHomesUSA.com. It is really cool out of the box, and it has a lot of room for mods that I wanted to do anyway. So, I figure...

I got it beat!

But then there was a little compatibility issue... I have been running version 1.5RC2. The new theme was written for RC3. I upgraded, and then I was sure...

I got it beat!

And then I notice (thank you Marchel and others) that the actual articles aren't showing up. I can see all of the front page and the teasers, but no real content. That sucked... After doing a bunch of digging, I find that the PHP version on my host's server is 4.3.1.1, and I need it to be version 5.something. I chat them up, and not only can I change, but it will be a little less money. So, I back up all of my data, and get the change ordered up. Everything is cool. Once again...

I got it beat!

And then I find that the zipped files (spelled a-l-l-o-f-m-y-c-o-n-t-e-n-t) are corrupted. Should I say that this is HUNDREDS of pages of content? I think not. I have EVERY SINGLE SHRED of it in other formats, but that will be a pain in the butt... So, I go to the back-up of my back-ups, and... (care to guess)

I got it beat!

Seriously. It's back online. But I'm not going to say I got it beat! because I don't want to see what happens as I start wiggling things around. That will happening for the next couple of days... between the other changes and migrations that are a result of this whole change-over. More on those changes later...

About the video...

Near my "happy place", Moab, UT, there is a trail called Hell's Revenge. Around 40% of the way through the trail, there is an optional side-route. Off of the optional route, there is a slight deviation. The side route goes to an overlook of the Colorado River across from Arches National Park. The deviation gets one to the same overlook, but ends with this little "hill." Keep in mind while watching that this climb is too steep to walk. I'm not kidding.

I was not there for this, but I can very much visualize how it happened. Please note the spotter. A few seconds before it all goes terribly wrong, he is pointing the other way. The driver (I assume) can't see him, and doesn't hear him.

The driver walked away, and the Jeep was driven off of the trail.

I think I have done around 121,894 posts about building my website...  Ok, maybe not, but it seems like it. 

Last night I crashed it.  Bad.  Like off-line for hours bad.  

But, I learned (or was reminded about) a few things.  

• Always back up files before making changes.  I did, and it saved me DAYS of rebuilding content.
• Always know what you are going to do before taking it on.  I didn't, and it took the site down for 6 frustrating hours. 
  
• Did I mention backing things up?
  
• It might be helpful to have a "dummy site" that tests can be run on.  That way, instead of crashing a live site, a private site can be crashed and no one will know. 
  
• Don't build your site in front of the world (wide web).

On the last one, I know that I won't practice it.  I have been working on this site for a couple of months.  My target date is still a month away.  But, there are several guests in the site almost any time I log in to do work.  I mention on the front page that work is ongoing.  I have also changed things on the site based on user input.  I have several "evangelists" that spread the word about the site, and feel a sense of ownership because they know that I am using their feedback. 

I have a dummy site, but nothing ever seems to go wrong there...  I only have issues on the live site.  

This isn't the first time I've blown my site up while "upgrading" something.  It's funny, because when it happens I will get calls from friends and strangers telling me I am off-line.  The last time was really funny.  I was doing the upgrade at 10:00pm, and the site had been down about 15 minutes, and I got a phone call from California.  It was followed by my HVAC guy.  If one is going to blown up their primary marketing tool, it is at least nice to know that people notice. 

So, Lane, what did you do?

I just upgraded from Joomla 1.5RC2 to Joomla 1.5RC3, and added a new theme.  The new theme is going to get a lot of custom touches.  Starting in January, it should become a magazine format.  The theme designer has set this up to allow a LOT of customization.  We'll find out how good the support is while I learn how to take advantage of it. 

Since both the site, and the underlying architecture are still in Beta, expect that there will be more issues, and there will be more outages.  Also expect to see design changes frequently as I learn my way around both.  I know that many would counsel me to hire a webmaster to do all of this... and it would be much easier to farm it out... but, with the format that I am trying to build, it would be cost prohibitive to pay for monthly changes.  I also like being able to alter the site immediately.  

I am currently on Round 4 with the design of my new logo.  Of course, the new logo will show up on the site as soon as it is finalized.  The new theme will allow the logo to be placed on the site, and allow me to utilize a flash logo if I desire... and I desire.  

What's with the pictures?

They have no business here, other than I promised Marlene I would post one of them after mentioning it in the comments of her blog.  I couldn't very well write a whole post about my wife selecting and editing that picture for our Christmas Card, so I just thought I'd toss it in here as a bonus, along with the classic Pink Pig. 

For those of you not familiar with the Pink Pig, it is an Atlanta tradition.  Originally on the roof of the downtown Rich's store, it started making its Christmas runs in 1953.  When Federated bought Rich's, and closed the downtown Atlanta store, the Pink Pig was modernized and moved to the Lenox Mall store.  Federated then dropped the Rich's brand, and rebranded the stores as Macy's, but kept the Pink Pig tradition.  My wife rode the original as a child, and now my son has been on it each year... even before he was actually born.  

Don't worry, I'm sure there will be more about my new site as I relate trials, tribulations and victories while I build it out.   

Buy a house from my wife's and my son's favorite "Pink Pig." 

I got to thinking after responding to a post, and I thought I would expand upon that and write a whole new post. 

Gayle Rogers points out the drawbacks of a company website for real estate practitioners in her post Websites that Your Company Provides.  She outlines her experience with building the SEO and traffic for a site, only to abandon it when she changed brokers.  I think that many of us have been there.  I know that I was.  This was my reply:

There is a path, and a few of the stops along the path are:

• company branded site and email (www.LBailey.C21nwr.com and LBailey@c21nwr.com)
• Personally branded, but company templated site (www.LaneGetsResults.com and LBailey@C21nwr.com)
• Our name as a domain (www.LaneBailey.com and Lane@LaneBailey.com)
• Separate domain which would be more directed towards our niche, and could be sold upon retirement (www.GarageHomesUSA.com and Lane@LaneBailey.com)

>>Please note, in the actual comment, all of the links were dead to make sure that no one could say I was just self promoting<<

It seems that these are the steps most of us go through in order to get to the final goal, a site that resonates well with out consumers, and can be a stand alone business when we decide not to be in it any more. 

So, what could I add?

Every broker that tries to recruit me tells me about their fabulous website, and all of the cool things that are going to happen as soon as I join their firm.  Most will even give me a FREE site, much like the first example.  But, if I were to leave, the traffic that I generate with my marketing (postcards, business cards, ads, etc.) will all go to the brokerage.  The site is also LOADED with the broker's branding.  So, in effect they are giving me a free site and I am building their brand.  

On to the second example.  I thought the first address was clunky, and it was.  So, like many agents, I transitioned to a catchy name.  But, I didn't actually change the site.  So, I am still building my broker's brand as much as my own (if not more).  But, at least now I own the domain name and can take it with me.  However, because of the platform, I couldn't have the domain in my email address.  

Iteration three.  I bought my name.  I will never let it go, because I think that in this business I need to own my name.  I can use it for my email, and there are a tremendous number of benefits that come with owning a domain that includes mail.  I use disposable and trackable email addresses (ePro folks will understand this.. but I haven't taken the course).  There are also ways to use third level domains and other tweaks (955Juniper2324.LaneBailey.com is a third level domain).  This is where many agents settle, and there is nothing wrong with that.  It is a nice place to retire. 

But then there is number four.  I didn't understand this, even though I read Millionaire Real Estate Agent.  But, if I ever want to pass the business along, or sell it, it is MUCH more marketable if the domain and the business aren't quite as tied to me.  So, concentrating on my niche, I came up with a name that would mean more to clients.  My name (even though I like it) doesn't mean anything more to them than what I provide.  So, if I pass this along to my kids, or sell it outright, the business can survive without people asking who I am.  

My advice to rookies is to just start out with the fourth one.  Get the third if you can, but if you can't you'll be ok.  Tie your website to your business, not to yourself.