Alan, a friend of mine who is a very competent web programmer calls Dreamweaver by another name. He's replaced the weaver part with another word that begins with W and ends in R, with a K in the middle.
I remember one time editing a page on a site he developed for me using DW and it borked the code and that's when I discovered his pet name for this program.
Using a Blog (weblog) to market your property
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Alan Knighting
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thisfrenchlife
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You can order them by the time they were created, through the configuration tab, but it's a bit long winded.Susan wrote:
I still can't re-organise the categories I have created though! I have given all the posts categories, but there isn't an option for resorting the categories, they just seem to be alphabetical,
Susan
Another way is to create a Typelist which allows you to feature your own text, HTML and links etc.
To do this click on Typelist and create a list, on the type option pick 'Notes' then give it a name. Don't call it Categories, maybe Sections???
Then in the window you can enter regular HTML so it could be something like this:
<a href="http://lahautemanceliere.typepad.com/br ... ottages</a>
<a href="http://lahautemanceliere.typepad.com/br ... l">Pool</a>
<a href="http://lahautemanceliere.typepad.com/br ... estbook</a>
<a href="http://lahautemanceliere.typepad.com/br ... l">Dogs</a>
etc.
Each category is just an index page for the articles you place in it so you can create as many as you want - but I'd try to stay to less than ten for ease of use.
Then make sure that 'Sections' is featured when you go into design and drop the Categories from the column.
Make sure you keep the option to organise articles in Categories, you are using the feature but just setting them out differently.
Promise it isn't as difficult to do as it sounds!
CraigMcG
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craigkillick
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Susan, thanks for comment on my blog.
My thoughts on the whole BLOG thing may be confusing as I am a little confused on how BEST to use it for a more complete strategy. I would say however that a BLOG is a great way for creating a small website that allows you to content manage it.
I am lucky in that I work with some technical guys who do our programming for our corporate site and have learnt off of them but I still feel you need to look at ease of use for yourself. You have found how easy it is to use a BLOG in one afternoon which says it all.
My personal website is based on things I read (and comment on). These things come to me via RSS feeds (which BLOGS can supply). I see this as a massive explosion waiting to be taken up seriously on the web and indeed a lot of Mac based browsers have the ability to feed from RSS feeds. Explorer 7 on the PC will have it built in (I am told) which is possibly when it will take off even quicker.
If you go to the BBC website you will see little RSS buttons everywhere which is only the start of it.
Regards your BLOG strategy, I would suggest giving it more of a structure. (I will try and post a suggested on tomorrow for you.)
For more info on RSS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_%28protocol%29
My thoughts on the whole BLOG thing may be confusing as I am a little confused on how BEST to use it for a more complete strategy. I would say however that a BLOG is a great way for creating a small website that allows you to content manage it.
I am lucky in that I work with some technical guys who do our programming for our corporate site and have learnt off of them but I still feel you need to look at ease of use for yourself. You have found how easy it is to use a BLOG in one afternoon which says it all.
My personal website is based on things I read (and comment on). These things come to me via RSS feeds (which BLOGS can supply). I see this as a massive explosion waiting to be taken up seriously on the web and indeed a lot of Mac based browsers have the ability to feed from RSS feeds. Explorer 7 on the PC will have it built in (I am told) which is possibly when it will take off even quicker.
If you go to the BBC website you will see little RSS buttons everywhere which is only the start of it.
Regards your BLOG strategy, I would suggest giving it more of a structure. (I will try and post a suggested on tomorrow for you.)
For more info on RSS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_%28protocol%29
In fact, I have found myself thinking something similar from time to time! Except it was more like, "I think I'd rather take the Bar Exam than have to figure out how to use this."Sometimes astro-physics can be easier to understand than Dreamweaver. What do you think Brooke?
(What's the equivalent of the Bar in the UK?)
Brooke
Yes, RSS is waiting to explode and that will surely happen when IE7 has it built in.
There's a really cool new site which give you a quick glimpse into news feeds:
http://www.netvibes.com
You can set up your own news feeds very easily. I now have this as my homepage with all my favourite blogs set up as feeds.
Find a blog or website with a news feed, BBC being a good starting place as Craig mentions, then top left of Netvibes you'll see 'Add Content', click on that then you'll see 'add my feed', little box pops up where you can cut and paste the new feeds' URL and set some preferences.
If you put your mouse on the light blue header bars of the feed boxes you can drag and drop them anywhere you like on the page and re-order them, set them up as you like.
It also contains a search engine box with tabs for the top ones.
It's fairly intuitive and this is a neat example of a read/write web application - as blogs themselves are too.
There's a really cool new site which give you a quick glimpse into news feeds:
http://www.netvibes.com
You can set up your own news feeds very easily. I now have this as my homepage with all my favourite blogs set up as feeds.
Find a blog or website with a news feed, BBC being a good starting place as Craig mentions, then top left of Netvibes you'll see 'Add Content', click on that then you'll see 'add my feed', little box pops up where you can cut and paste the new feeds' URL and set some preferences.
If you put your mouse on the light blue header bars of the feed boxes you can drag and drop them anywhere you like on the page and re-order them, set them up as you like.
It also contains a search engine box with tabs for the top ones.
It's fairly intuitive and this is a neat example of a read/write web application - as blogs themselves are too.
An SEO question from an SEO moron:
I keep reading that google, et al, like blogs. But how would using a blog as the base for a website affect SEO & performance?
As an example: Some SEO tipsters suggest carefully (emphasis on carefully) crafting your text for your main keywords, including judicious use of h1, h2... and having a separate page for each particular keyword set. (I am not talking about repeating your keywords ad naseum. We've seen enough of that already.) Writing enjoyable text this way is a challenge but it can be done well... and it does seem to me that it would help your search rankings AND improve the organization of your website. But if your website is based upon a blog, do these types of SEO tips still hold?
Any words of wisdom as regards SEO and the idea of using a blog as the basis for a holiday rental site?
I keep reading that google, et al, like blogs. But how would using a blog as the base for a website affect SEO & performance?
As an example: Some SEO tipsters suggest carefully (emphasis on carefully) crafting your text for your main keywords, including judicious use of h1, h2... and having a separate page for each particular keyword set. (I am not talking about repeating your keywords ad naseum. We've seen enough of that already.) Writing enjoyable text this way is a challenge but it can be done well... and it does seem to me that it would help your search rankings AND improve the organization of your website. But if your website is based upon a blog, do these types of SEO tips still hold?
Any words of wisdom as regards SEO and the idea of using a blog as the basis for a holiday rental site?
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Brooke,
To become a barrister (a member of the Bar with rights of audience in the High Courts) you must have achieved a high educational standard, submit yourself to an exhaustive pupillage and involve yourself in lots of formal dinners.
To become a solicitor (an Officer of the Supreme Court of England & Wales but without rights of audience in the High Courts) you must have achieved a high educational standard, work your butt off, pass extremely searching examinations and become an expert in eating crap food like pasta - cos' you can't afford anything else in the process.
Alan
The UK has a divided system.What's the equivalent of the Bar in the UK?
To become a barrister (a member of the Bar with rights of audience in the High Courts) you must have achieved a high educational standard, submit yourself to an exhaustive pupillage and involve yourself in lots of formal dinners.
To become a solicitor (an Officer of the Supreme Court of England & Wales but without rights of audience in the High Courts) you must have achieved a high educational standard, work your butt off, pass extremely searching examinations and become an expert in eating crap food like pasta - cos' you can't afford anything else in the process.
Alan
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craigkillick
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:16 am
- Location: Cyprus
- Contact:
Be careful
Susan,
You're doing a fantastic job and I'm trying to follow this thread with interest. Can't quite keep up, so forgive me if this has already been mentioned to you, but I'm quite concerned to see so many personal details about your family included in your blog, specifically about the children. It's not safe to identify young children on the internet in a publicly accessible way, by photo, name, age, interests, schools they attend, routines, activities, and especially when attached to a contact phone number and details about your/ their location. I don't mean to scare you, but there are some real nutters out there. Think about it.
I would rather say something like.......
"Well, here we are, enjoying a special moment all together over the summer. My interests include painting and gardening, and in winter, I teach English locally. My husband Steve is a sales manager for a UK based, multinational corporation. Our children are frequent travellers between France and England and enjoy the cultural differences and educational opportunities available in each country. Even my youngest is bi-lingual!"
....the idea being to keep it friendly, but fuzzy enough not to give too much away.
You're doing a fantastic job and I'm trying to follow this thread with interest. Can't quite keep up, so forgive me if this has already been mentioned to you, but I'm quite concerned to see so many personal details about your family included in your blog, specifically about the children. It's not safe to identify young children on the internet in a publicly accessible way, by photo, name, age, interests, schools they attend, routines, activities, and especially when attached to a contact phone number and details about your/ their location. I don't mean to scare you, but there are some real nutters out there. Think about it.
I would rather say something like.......
"Well, here we are, enjoying a special moment all together over the summer. My interests include painting and gardening, and in winter, I teach English locally. My husband Steve is a sales manager for a UK based, multinational corporation. Our children are frequent travellers between France and England and enjoy the cultural differences and educational opportunities available in each country. Even my youngest is bi-lingual!"
....the idea being to keep it friendly, but fuzzy enough not to give too much away.
Waves from America
I have had a blog for some time which was created for friends and family to give news on the project here. I have let it lapse recently and hadn't thought of linking it to my site until this thread came along. As many people have said there is nothing that different about it except it gives you a different way of managing your site content and presentation and can be more interactive. I am currently using pmachine but my daughter has suggested that I change to Wordpress so that in her words I ' can be a cool blogger.' She has redesigned her hockey club site with this - it's good for her as she needs to include a lot of data _ you can view it here
[/url] http://www.readinghockeyclub.org.uk [url]
I agree that the blog shouldn't get too personal for an open audience so I need to think how to rewrite what was rather a chatty blog to people who know us - I have a list of members who I can do a group e mail to so I can tell them when the blog has been updated. To use as a marketing tool I particularly like the idea of posting suggestions from the guest feed back with a note on how we have addressed it.
We could rewrite that song to make it 'the oldest blogger in town'!!
[/url] http://www.readinghockeyclub.org.uk [url]
I agree that the blog shouldn't get too personal for an open audience so I need to think how to rewrite what was rather a chatty blog to people who know us - I have a list of members who I can do a group e mail to so I can tell them when the blog has been updated. To use as a marketing tool I particularly like the idea of posting suggestions from the guest feed back with a note on how we have addressed it.
We could rewrite that song to make it 'the oldest blogger in town'!!
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craigkillick
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:16 am
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- Contact:
Susan
Just saw CraigMcG and to be honest, that would be a better way of doing it than the way I was going to suggest.
Perhaps another idea is also to have a 'news' style section which you update and add to regularly. Then if anyone visits your Blog they will just see the news first as it is the most relevant information. You could then add in the lists as CraigMcG suggests as to where the more factual (static) information is.
Nice idea CraigMcG by the way - I like your thoughts on the way to achieve the menu structure
Just saw CraigMcG and to be honest, that would be a better way of doing it than the way I was going to suggest.
Perhaps another idea is also to have a 'news' style section which you update and add to regularly. Then if anyone visits your Blog they will just see the news first as it is the most relevant information. You could then add in the lists as CraigMcG suggests as to where the more factual (static) information is.
Nice idea CraigMcG by the way - I like your thoughts on the way to achieve the menu structure
The idea of making a blog the basis for a website was intriguing... so, inspired by Susan, I stayed up waaayyyyyy too late last night and opened an account with typepad.
I created three "pages":
1. A sample main page. It really only links to these two other blog-pages...
2. A sample property page. "Casa Joaquina"
3. A more typical blog. "Resources, Links & Blog" (under "The Three Rs"
Here's the main page link
http://debk.typepad.com/visitingportugal
All in all, getting started was fast and easy. Getting more refined takes time because of built-in limitations and the learning curve.
The "Resources, Links & Blogs" is the friendly "true blog" page... the one I created last night is too busy for my tastes so needs major tweaking... but basically that page is ALL I was originally thinking about when I thought of adding a blog to our site. (that is, linking a blog to a normal non-blog-based website)
Oh, and I agree completely with earlier comments made today about keeping personal details off the site as much as possible. Excellent point, Joanne.
However, I ran into some bumps in this little experiment and wonder if anyone here can comment:
* With no easy way to do drop-down windows, the sidebar is really long. Does this only bother me?
* Takes a long time to load/flip between blogs... I didn't optimize the few existing fotos but, then again, there are going to be LOTS more
* Depending on who hosts your domain, you can make this your main site (eg, www .VisitingPortugal.com goes to the blog)... but, so far, I can't find info on how to keep the other page's URLs from looking like http: // debk.typepad. com/casajoaquina... when I prefer www .VistingPortugal.com/casajoaquina)
* I didn't yet research how much I would be able to tweak this for SEO. This is still a rather major concern but I'm not yet able to explain why.
Other comments? Ideas? Since the idea was born here I thought I'd share a bit about what I found so far...
It was a fun evening. * Yawn *
debk
I created three "pages":
1. A sample main page. It really only links to these two other blog-pages...
2. A sample property page. "Casa Joaquina"
3. A more typical blog. "Resources, Links & Blog" (under "The Three Rs"
Here's the main page link
http://debk.typepad.com/visitingportugal
All in all, getting started was fast and easy. Getting more refined takes time because of built-in limitations and the learning curve.
The "Resources, Links & Blogs" is the friendly "true blog" page... the one I created last night is too busy for my tastes so needs major tweaking... but basically that page is ALL I was originally thinking about when I thought of adding a blog to our site. (that is, linking a blog to a normal non-blog-based website)
Oh, and I agree completely with earlier comments made today about keeping personal details off the site as much as possible. Excellent point, Joanne.
However, I ran into some bumps in this little experiment and wonder if anyone here can comment:
* With no easy way to do drop-down windows, the sidebar is really long. Does this only bother me?
* Takes a long time to load/flip between blogs... I didn't optimize the few existing fotos but, then again, there are going to be LOTS more
* Depending on who hosts your domain, you can make this your main site (eg, www .VisitingPortugal.com goes to the blog)... but, so far, I can't find info on how to keep the other page's URLs from looking like http: // debk.typepad. com/casajoaquina... when I prefer www .VistingPortugal.com/casajoaquina)
* I didn't yet research how much I would be able to tweak this for SEO. This is still a rather major concern but I'm not yet able to explain why.
Other comments? Ideas? Since the idea was born here I thought I'd share a bit about what I found so far...
It was a fun evening. * Yawn *
debk
Last edited by debk on Fri Oct 14, 2005 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Debk, good work! It just shows you what is possible doesn't it?
I found the site quite slow but that might be because it's hosted on Typepad maybe? Not sure as I don't use it.
I would say that tweaking it for SEO should be as straighforward, possibly more so, as a normal website as you should be able to alter the templates, again not sure but I'm going to sign up for free trial and see how it works.
I've set up and evaluated a few blogging/cms tools over past 6 months and they all have their quirks but the one for my money is Textpattern with Wordpress a close second.
I found the site quite slow but that might be because it's hosted on Typepad maybe? Not sure as I don't use it.
I would say that tweaking it for SEO should be as straighforward, possibly more so, as a normal website as you should be able to alter the templates, again not sure but I'm going to sign up for free trial and see how it works.
I've set up and evaluated a few blogging/cms tools over past 6 months and they all have their quirks but the one for my money is Textpattern with Wordpress a close second.