Customize DirectoryPress Portfolio

We are working at updating our wordpress web directories bundle of sites, mostly developed to showcase function design within the back frame of the directorypress theme. We have become comfortable with this specific theme, and have rolled out a website which will address any web directory service required to accompany the directorypress theme, and anyone wishing to customize directorypress. What we intend to showcase with our portfolio currently is the ability we have to create unique backend functionality for directorypress customizations.

Customize DirectoryPress websites online all still look the same, and act the same. When we customize directorypress we like to keep an open mind, and deliver custom features and designs that match the user requirement.

Customize DirectoryPress : Function vs Style

The process of customization on any PremiumPress theme can be divided in two processes. One is the styling aspect. Secondly, you have to deal with functional element of what you are creating. It is not complicated to deal with customization, even to customize DirectoryPress using varied online services.

The basic requirement for styling is to create a PSD, and convert that to a WordPress theme. To gove you an idea, just type into google : PSD to WP theme.

I have found services rangin from sub $100 to around $500 that would cover all of the design elements to customize directorypress to suit your style.

Do you really NEED a custom directorypress consultant to achieve a custom design? In my mind, NO!

Customize DirectoryPress functions

This aspect will be more complex. Not only is the DirectoryPress theme complex to get to all the settings, but adding functions into the frame, also need to consider any future updates. It is within this requirement to customize directorypress where we excel.

You can have a look at our web directory service domain, with some samples and featured plugins we have created and given away free to the community of PP users. The fetch meta plugin for example, is launching on 1 March 2012. The map it plugin for directorypress is due in March 2012. You can view an example of how we customize directorypress, by seeing our map it plugin working on our skateboard video project

PremiumPress Customization.

We have started our path on premiumpress themes with directorypress. We are still developing web directories, but we have started this year with some of the different themes as well, and we will soon be updating some functionality and ideas we have developed. For the time being, we can customize directorypress.

]]> http://www.webforless.biz/portal/customize-directorypress/feed/ 0 http://www.webforless.biz/portal/wordpress-plugins/ http://www.webforless.biz/portal/wordpress-plugins/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:25:47 +0000 admin http://www.webforless.biz/portal/?p=1217 The same issue still haunts the wordpress directory listing the various wordpress plugins available. The index process comined with the resulting query searches makes very little sense sometimes. As we are doing some add on plugins for the All In One SEO plugin I will illustrate using this search on the wordpress plugins directory. This is the screenshot for the search all in one seo from the wordpress plugins directory on the wordpress domain.

The result for that query should surely not place the actual plugin lower than the import packs for it. Consider the result as you check the number of downloads. The top listed plugins, before you reach the actual plugin, has just over 1% of the downloads the plugin actually has had. Yet, there is NO option to query the WP database to arrange the results like this.

If WP wants to expand the user base of this web publishing script, this domain surely has to be the authority site on WordPress plugins, and let the users have the most relevant data to their searches. The result searching from within your WP admin panel is the same, so you are not much better off working from within WordPress on your own domain.

WordPress Plugins Directory

Previously, as one of the first startup projects with directorypress, I made a sample site with the directory theme, and as data I chose wordpress plugins. This section on the WFL site has been out of commission for some time, but we thought we should update it a bit, clean up some of the old style things, and present a cleaner interface. As we are also soon releasing our first wordpress plugin, specifically for DirectoryPress, we thought this might be a nice little pointer to some of our other domains.

The new test site is set up, and I have pulled the data out of the old site. Now it is merely a question of cleaning up the database file, and then getting the data back into a new frame. As we have been concentrating hard on the functionality aspect of WP, it was time to also experiment a bit further with the style editing options, and see what type of styling plugins we could potentially develop? The drag and drop aspect, with some of the artisteer function we can add to the backend of the WP admin panel. Does this make sense to anyone?

WordPress Plugins : Fetch Meta Plugin

The fetch meta plugin will soon be ready to go. If we somehow can get the time to get the directory of wordpress plugins back up and running soon after that, I think it can also be a useful tool. We have discussed some process changes as well, and I think a frame to list webmaster tools, combined with this wordpress plugins, will make pyramid style linking easier. The comments can also be used more creatively, and this will retun excellent results. I have tested this extensively on the backlinks project, and I know of some opportunities.

I think these are the target domains to create this pyramid link back connected through this, the portal blog. What are we doing for the next 12 months? WordPress plugins. Where can we list them? WordPress plugins directory? We have a support site and a marketing approach, and using this frame we can capture and send user to the squeeze site at least. All we have to figure out, is what wordpress plugins we can make for the squeeze?

The longtail keyword searches, especially combined with an exact  url have served us well in some of our previous work. Why not then buy BUY ALOE VERA dot COM as a shining example of what benefit can be added to a specific keyword query by manipulating the domain, as well as keyword focused content. Some of the previous work, SEO wise, has been very experimental, and I look forward in opening the new BUY ALOE VERA domain and actually see what effect we can have with the skills acquired, and the lessons learned.

Buy Aloe Vera Products

The product ranges that appear in the SERP after query BUY ALOE VERA doesn’t have a great spread amongst well ranked sites at all. There are some instances of amazon and big retailers SERP ing, but most of the links to the forever living product range seems to be hidden well behind layer and layer if bad domain management, lack of keyword focused content and definitely not an easy and quick checkout process. The links to the shop items from affiliates, redirects to a home page of the distributor and the search is on again.

The argument that I heard about the affiliate scheme for queries related to buy aloe vera makes little sense as well. Although there is an online store, it seems that internet marketing is being pushed away in favour of face to face meetings, social networking and an overall more viral approach. Although we have extensively tested various viral marketing approaches, this is NOT the most effective way to go.

Buy Aloe Vera : Business Plan

Let us start at the backend, and not approach the whole buy aloe vera thing with a similar approach as usual. Seeing that the product is competitive, it is spread well and the search for these products are trending up, the frame needs to be considered to make this an easier opportunity for MASS marketing online. And what better way to do this, than to link to a lot more affiliate marketing people, and giving them the opportunity to market. In the great pyramid of schemes, this will determine an excellent SERP for the query BUY ALOE VERA.

So, the concept is bigger than merely a frame for the SP theme. Bigger than geo targeting. Bigger than affiliate feeds. And bigger than a single product range. I am not saying this will turn into another biggie, but we have to create the framework, to be able to test and validate the performance, before we can worry about the products. Similar to a SEO SUR approach, we have to reverse engineer the process for Buy Aloe Vera.

We are on the verge of launching something functional that will see users actually engage with us for the first time really. We have dealt with various people, accounts, services and other users online, but now it is time to tie down some of the support and admin functionality we require. We cannot put this off any longer, and we will need to set up some frameworks in a portal. We also need to leave some of our functions in place, and just ensure the integration to the portal link page.

I have discussed this with Simon and he has already started in doing just that. This is not a PRIORITY task, as the initial issues is just hooking up the front page to wahtever we want the users to access. Whilst we are on the domain, we can also ad some navigational links for ourselves, as well as manage some more secure area for the development aspects.

Drag and Drop WhiteBoard

The concept I have for this, and of course I am open to suggestions , is a sidebar with all the domains we are working on listed. Drag the domain widget into the clean page, opens a sticky note pad. Add notes, edit notes and archive note functions only. When you have updated the whiteboard as such, you save it, and it reverts back to a sidebar widget, if you like.

Using the UAM from WP, we can easily control some premium members and their specific site requirements here as well. This should give them access via their own logins to do this. Maybe a consideration for the future is a premium member plugin, enabling the whiteboard feature centrally for us, ad individually on their domains. We will need an API for this, as I am not planning on having thousands of these installed on non premium users domains.

3439 : Moving Local

Although this will kill me, I will need to catch up with Simon ayway, to finalize the process of transferring our online repository of scripts, files, sites, backups and database files to the local server as well. I bet he is secretly yearning for the time I have to ask. Anyway Simon, it is almost that time.

That said. most of the admin stuff is a bit scattered, but at least it is all in place.

The map it plugin is also steadily moving forward to a release date, yet to be determined. The first plugin, the fetch meta plugin, will soon see the light of day. As I have discussed in the previous post, it isn’t merely a case of releasing a plugin, it requires a focus on the vision we have developed, and creating the framework for this plugin, and the ultimate goal we have set. I am constantly battling with my colleagues to understand that the focus is not creating a commercial approach initially, but first create some products that work, and have gained us some kudos in a community.

The map it plugin will go a long way towards this goal. Having had countless discussions on the PP forum, private messages and emails I think that the reception for the Map It Plugin will be great, and as there is a community that can potentially add value to this product by way of enhancement or feature requests. Ultimately, this map it plugin, as well as the latitude longitude finder project, will be a driving force behind the eventual project on the GOOGLE MAP IT domain.

Map It Plugin : Where is the panel?

So we now have hooks on the PP frame, as well as a widget area where integrating the map it plugin is actually easy and quick. The functions are all working, and the only requirement at this moment is to ensure the ease of use for the users. At the end, the ap it plugin will only work if the NON TECHNO users can actually make the functional changes they want to see. I have sent out some test sites last week, and the response has been great. The issue though is that users not familiar with the functions, and the WP backend don’t really know what they are doing.

Rob (crazy Hungarian) has worked non stopped for this weekend, and the results of the developments are amazing. If I can get three Robs, watch out Bill Gates.

The requirement for the map it plugin is now to contain all the admin functions for the main map, as well as add some options for single post type maps.

I have seen all these on varied sites we have been testing, so I assume it will be an issue to drag and move files to make the functions appear in the backend.

Map It Plugin : Release date?

Well, this is really the crux isn’t it?

With the launch date imminent for the fetch meta plugin our focus can be on the release date for the map it plugin. The workload will have been dramatically decreased, and we can devote more attention to completing the map it plugin. I do believe that we will be able to get this out before the end of March 2012. As far as a specific date go, I won’t commit to any specifics yet.

The issue is not the functional aspect of the plugin AT ALL. The only concern left is to enable the users to work in the admin panel of WP, without the need to ”hack” at any of the code. Not that we mind the ”hacking”. Any development within the community allows for benefit for all of us. With the frame set up, changing and adding admin and/or map functions should be uncomplicated.

When ROB reads this, maybe he will comment?

To complete the ”directory” aspect of our goal, within this admin panel you only need to incorporate a SINGLE aspect that will completely DOMINATE the goal. The ability that you are creating from GOOGLE MAP IT, combined with the WP release of MAP IT PLUGIN V2, will result in your initial requirement from PHP and Javascript. Have faith brother. The path is set !

Now I am looking forward to the Map It Plugin release date even more!

After a hectic week or so, the fetch meta plugin is now in the final stages of completion. After some response from the premiumpress forum Mark has agreed some hooks into the latest release of the PP themes, so the integration now seems to be uncomplicated. The issues of hooks was raised more in regard the Map It Plugin, but as we have come to an agreement on the map issues, Mark also included a hook for the fetch meta plugin aspect. Thanks Mark.

There has been some feature requests to add an additional SEO plugin support as well, and we have done so. Initially we have added only a single extra SEO plugin support, but the frame is now ready to accept some feature requests and add these quite simply as upgrades, or more specifically focused on individual plugins for specific SEO add ons.

Fetch Meta Plugin : Support Site

Some extra work of course, but the plugin(s) we will be releasing through 2012 will need a ”home”. The various directory related frames of different domains set up through 2011 all serve their function well, and the link pyramid structures put in place allows for multiple SERP in Google results for the same query. In most instances, we have three different domains that shows for the query. Creating a specific home for these plugins, as well as some support functions, it will now be an issue of redirecting these varied SERP results to ultimately launch the new domain to the top of the pile.

That said, creating a new frame before we launch the fetch meta plugin is taking some time as well, and this is a luxury I can ill afford.

Fetch Meta Plugin : Manipulate URLs

The fetch meta plugin is a core base for developing plugins for either the DP frame, or with any of the wordpress projects. We have the basic function that can grab a url from the WP database and execute whatever requirements we have. As usch we have sniped a quick issue on the PP forum, and have created within an hour a test plugin that fullfills an apparent shortcoming on the CouponPress frame.

I have also seen some other comments and feature requests on the PP forum, but as we have enough at the moment to work with, I have not gone chasing after these.

This opens a whole new can of worms, and I look forward to the release date for this plugin, as well as some of the more intelligent requests from users that will actually understand the functionality, and the base, of what the fetch meta plugin is capable of.

As usual everyone is hung up on the visual aspect of the Map It Plugin, and they cannot fathom that the fetch meta plugin is actually the much more functional plugin for the PP frames. But then, blue buttons on sites have always been the main attraction. I for one cannot wait to get some new concepts drawn up and develop the fetch eta plugin into a killer app for SEO.

An article to buy aloe vera? Have I lost my mind? Is this a wordpress focused website or am I now entering the world of wordpress ecommerce?

None of the above really. Buy Aloe Vera is a keyword phrase that I have found a reason for looking into. As web development go, and as we are expanding into some wordpress ecommerce projects using the PremiumPress range of themes, we thought it wise to look for a key area in the market where we can find affiliation, as well as an opportunity for placement in the SERP for Buy Aloe Vera.

Longtail keywords Buy Aloe Vera

Although the phrase ”Buy Aloe Vera” contains three words, with a huge impact created by the buy aspect, I have found that a page that can be optimized for longtail searches, can easily wade its path through higer ranked sites, and sometimes surprise you with their initial SERP placement. Although I am sacrificing my domains to check these various SERP results, sadly, this is what in my mond the first step should be before you even start considering domain names etc.

The Buy Aloe Vera aspect comes from the USA. We have come across a potential market where users use this keyword to search for the range of products we could potentially engage with. In researching the current standings for BUY ALOE VERA, these are some of the links that have caught my attention:

• Holland and Barrett is on SERP 1 for Buy Aloe Vera, searched from UK. They don’t have pretty permalinks, but the PR and the backlinks already in there will be difficult with a low PR site to shift. Immediately that is.
• Buy Aloe Vera site that reflects the keyword search is currently at SERP 2. Although it is ranked 0, and Alexa indicates limited traffic , the domain name itself is already almost 5 years old.

Buy Aloe Vera : SEO prediction

No I don’t mean to be arrogant, but the competition for the keyword phrase BUY ALOE VERA, is not that great Although there can be some hurdles to overcome, especially with some backlinks, we can easily attain page 1 within weeks. I would be surpised if this page cannot get in the first page within 10 days. There, I said it. Let’s have a look.

The issue with the SERP in the USA might be a bit more complicated, but looking at the amazon results etc. for the query, I cannot see that it will be that complicated. Buy Aloe Vera returns around 9000 search queries a month according to google keyword research for BUY ALOE VERA. The figures are misleading, and for that specific query I don’t anticipate more than 3000 potential clicks.

I am finishing off the SEO tags Rob, and then I will publish. I am sure that you will be checking Google within the next 10 minutes anyway. No worries, the page will not have SERP for Buy Aloe Vera yet!

Working on our second plugin, and posted some details on the PremiumPress forum about the Map It Plugin. The response have ben great, with some nice messages and requests for features and developments after only one day. The domain we launched for web directory service also had some nice referral traffic, and is sure to impress the search engines. I will keep focsuing now to update across a number of domains what the situation and development progress is with the Map It Plugin, allowing for an organic spread of the keyword and see how that will imapct various SERP related queries.

The Fetch Meta Plugin query has indexed, and is displaying. At the moment, and similar to the North Wales SEO project, the portal is still out SERP ing the domain, but we know that will soon change. The SERP has the old page for the plugin indexed higher than the actual relevant page. I am considering a 301, but after the fiasco on the directory blog, I don’t know if it is worthwhile.  I have created some additional links to the relevant page, and the organic traffic received have supported that. Will see if Google actually ranks the correct pages, and if not I can do the 301 later.

Map It Plugin Update

I did update the state of play with the Map It Plugin for DirectoryPress yesterday, and it seems I might have to speed things up a bit. Although i appreciate users will want to usethe feature, there is little point in just giving it to users without the plugin being completed. Originally planned for release late in 2012, I will change the schedule and leave some other projects aside whilst we ensure we get this plugin out as soon as we can.

We did make some progress last night, and the admin panel for the plugin now has the map functions already embedded. So the first options can be set from the admin panel for the map it plugin. The issue of course is that we are set to launch the Fetch Meta Plugin now, and we don’t want to distract from that for the time being.

Map It Plugin : Google Map It

The various web projects we have conducted over the last 12 months with Google Maps is now in the process of being turned into a new domain. The Google Map It project will add some great new enhancements to make maping in general. The focus we have is making maps easy for webmasters. There is no point in having to learn code for everything you want to do on your website. The Map It Plugin is our first map related plugin for WordPress, but will in 2012 be followed with some more features, and easy ”snippet” and ”widget” integration for various maps into your domain. You can see a copy of our Latitude Longitude Finder Widget here on the portal.

Today I should get a chance to update the ”slow burner” domain, WordPress UK. Created as a summary and progress of our path, I should update the plugins section on this domain as well. I will list these two plugins at the moment, and some new additions as we progress. The Map It Plugin, along with the latitude longitude finder project will all help with the progress of the Google Map It project.

]]> http://www.webforless.biz/portal/map-it-plugin/feed/ 0 http://www.webforless.biz/portal/skateboard-videos/ http://www.webforless.biz/portal/skateboard-videos/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:50:30 +0000 admin http://www.webforless.biz/portal/?p=1105 Skateboard Videos Project

The skateboard videos concept was used as a training project for a new recruit to the web world. The first project is now nearing completion and will be launched within the next week. It has been a challenging experience working with the Cozy Joker and his skateboard to create this skateboard videos project. The concept was to let him create a multi database driven domain, mixing wordpress web directories, videos and standard text sub sections all mashed up. The result so far is nothing short of astounding.

Considering that my first ”student” has never used WordPress, let alone know anything about the internet, it is amazing to think that three months and a topic of skateboard videos has allowed him to create hist first website. The site launches with his return to South Africa. We have developed some interesting concepts for the South African market specifically, so keep watching for some new site launches about South Africa. We will soon update the law attorney project as well.

Skateboard Videos : MoviePress Styled

We have used another PremiumPress theme in the background of the skateboard videos project. The theme called MoviePress allows for easy content being added from video sharing sites like YouTube. We wanted to focus on skateboard videos of course, but needed to create some textual content as well. We still have some development ideas on how we will use the videos aspects of the SKATEBOARD VIDEOS theme to be the main force behind the site. In the interim, and to get the skateboard video project live, we will use some additional navigation tools to link the sections up.

Watch this space, we will be changing this aspect soon, ensuring videos is the core of Skateboard Videos !!

Skateboard Videos : Site Setup

The skateboard videos project has a number of sub sections. Shortly, these are :

• Skateboard Videos : The home page and textual content of the domain.
• Skateboard Tube : The video database of all the related videos featured everywhere all over all the sub sections.
• Skateboard Legends : Skateboard Legends, data, textual and SEO focused.
• Skateboard Tricks : Skateboard Tricks, data, textual and SEO focused.
• Skateboard Brands : Skateboard Brands, data, textual and SEO focused.
• Skateboard Shops : Web Directory project for skateboard shops all over the world.
• Skateborad Parks : Web Directory project for skateboard parks all over the world.
• Skateboard Spots : Web Directory project for skateboard spots all over the world.

The project will launch in January 2012.

Skateboard Videos Project : Custom DirectoryPress Plugins

Working on the skateboard videos project we have used the range of premiumpress themes extensively. We have started developing some new directorypress plugins for the directory sections already. We will soon be launching our first such FREE plugin. If you have a DirectoryPress website, you can get more information on the Fetch Meta Plugin here. We have also developed some MoviePress plugins, and we are currently testing and developing some of these before we give them away for FREE.

Have a good flight home! Looking forward to see what the Cozy Joker can do with his Skateboard Videos domain.

Having opened the web directory service domain some weeks ago, it was time to reflect and give the site a quick face-lift. In anticipation of the DirectoryPress Plugin, Fetch Meta Tags plugin, I needed to create a frame from where I could potentially launch and track the development of plugins for niche wordpress web directories. The Web Directory Service Domain itself holds little value, and will at some stage potentially end up in the back-end somewhere of the create web directory domain. For the time being however, it served a purpose to separate the web directory service aspect.

The site itself offers some service descriptions, with lots of contact us buttons. Specifically, we are only focusing on the release of the fetch meta plugin for directorypress.

VISIT the WEB DIRECTORY SERVICE domain.

Web Directory Service Site Frame

What is interesting on the web directory service domain is the theme setup. This frame makes an excellent static page frame for a website. The description that follows will most likely bore you to death, so I will summarize the highlights of using this frame setup for websites requiring minimal static pages.

• Web Directory Service Domain : Slider details consist from choosing a specific category. Add new category, add some data, and specify the category to get the clicks flowing.
• Web Directory Service Domain : The SERVICES aspect (defined in web panel for theme) places the three image links below the slider.
• Web Directory Service Domain : Using simple 301 redirect plugin, I created additional pages to mirror the SERVICES section, and created landing pages to correspond. Simple.
• Web Directory Service Domain : Editing these and creating new landing pages will be painless.
• Web Directory Service Domain : Using ARCHIVES sidebar feature, I can easily ”link” to all posts, even if they are not relevant. This will satisfy navigational SEO requirements.
• Web Directory Service Domain : If I change static pages in the future, might have to create a link somewhere to call old pages links.

Quite easy to set up, and now with some cloning I can tweak this and some more of these type of themes.

Service Sites : Backlinks & SEO

One of the projects we wanted to do the same with was the backlink section, started some weeks ago. This will be the next project that gets a face-lift and will look somehow very different by February 2012. The concept at this stage is to continue with the development projects, but quickly throw together some service related sites, like web directory service, and start researching the process of service provision online. The BackLinks website project will use a similar theme to the web directory service project, and although I aim to make them look completely different, the theme ”function” must stay similar. Should be interesting to see hoe the web directory frame function on a live project.

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