What does this mean for you?

It means your real estate blog can now have the functionality of a highly custom site with search engine friendly IDX data. dsIDXPress is released with special introductory pricing of $99.95 setup and $29.95 a month. That is an introductory offer and will go up over time.

And for the most part the plug-in is compliant in all markets they cover with the exception of a couple of the more strict MLSs. If you have any questions or comments about compliance reach out to them here.  Let’s take a look at a few ways to implement dsIDXPress.

Short code

If you’re not already familiar with shortcode, it’s worth taking some time to familiarize yourself with the concept. It was introduced in WordPress 2.5 and allows the blog author to include a small piece of content [shortcode] in a post or page to replicate what would usually be numerous lines of code.  In the case of dsIDXPress the shortcode placed in your posts and pages is replaced with specific listings or groups of listings from your MLS.  That’s right, no frames….actually pages from your site that get indexed by Google and the others. *C’mon deep crawl*.  This also means that your real estate blog can now be sculpted to represent your market area in custom fashion. For example, take a look at a few options:

• Geographic: Create a page for each of the different areas in your market. Break them down into geographic levels that make sense: city, zip, community or tract.  Here are a few different examples of how the shortcode could be displayed in a page:

[idx-listings city="Pleasanton" orderby="Price" orderdir="Price" count="15"]

[idx-listings zip="94566" orderby="Price" orderdir="DateAdded" count="15"]

[idx-listings community="Golden Oak" orderby="Price" orderdir="LastUpdated" count="15"]

[idx-listings tract="Willow Glen" orderby="Price" orderdir="DESC" count="15"]

• Listing Specific: This piece of shortcode uses the MLS number to display a configurable view of a property. Show just the basic property details or all data available.  Included in the property display is a Google map that will also display in your RSS feed for subscribers.
  Example: [idx-listing mlsnumber="AB454834" showall="true"]

Widgets

dsIDXPress comes with 3 widgets: Search, Area List and Property List. Each provides different levels of customization. The property list widget can display a crawl-able list of properties, map, and a detailed array of properties.

MyTechOpinion

It’s no secret that we at MyTechOpinion love WordPress. So much so that we partnered with Brian Gardner of AgentPress because he captured the essence of what a real estate agent require in a WordPress theme.  Now we see the same in Diverse Solutions new dsIDXPress.   We think they really nailed it with their plug-in.  To start, it’s very easy to install and early adopters will likely see amazing results. Overtime it will become more important for real estate bloggers to sculpt their site to increase pagerank and facilitate a deeper index by Google.  If you need help in that department, make sure you reach out to Chad of MyTechOpinion for a quote.

If you’re even slightly interested in learning more about dsIDXPress from this article let me give you the push. Go check it out….tell them Reggie from MyTechOpinion sent you.

Related Posts

• Great Real Estate Plug-In: The Secret Tool For Featuring Listings with WordPress
• The Trick To Adding Local Search To Your Website or Blog
• How Mapping Can Market Your Sales History

Now when it comes to selecting a WordPress theme that delivers a clean design, variety of options, highly optimized code, and customer support….the MTO team chooses StudioPress. Which has been a great theme option for us and our Web design clients. But now theme legend, Brian Gardner, is back and has developed AgentPress, specifically for the real estate industry. In fact, we’ve partnered with Brian to offer customization and consultation for AgentPress theme users.

We’re excited about this new theme (yes, because partnering with Brian ROCKS) and because it brings together the best features of StudioPress: sleek appearance, clean code base….but also integrates listings with custom property templates. So now when you’re adding listings to your blog, all you need to do is upload an image once and Brian’s AgentPress theme dynamically auto-sizes it for you. Uploading a listing with Wordpress has never been easier! And if you’ve been looking for a way to archive your sold listings, this theme will take care of that for you too!

We choose to use AgentPress because once customized with your selected features and content, you’ll have a blog that makes an impact with your local market, impresses your clients, delivers relevant resources, and helps you better maintain relationships with your sphere.

We can help you customize your real estate blog with highly relevant content and resources to benefit your local market. Some of the customizations we feel an innovative real estate blog should have, include: IDX search, local market and real estate trend data powered by Cyberhomes ,Walkscore, & others, neighborhood & school score data, Facebook Connect or Fan Box integration, as well as  lifestreaming multiple social profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc.)and shares.

Visit AgentPress to learn more and if you’d like assistance with AgentPress customization, contact us at info@mytechopinion.com. Got questions or comments, drop us a line right here!

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• Color Generation Technology for your Real Estate Blog
• Great Real Estate Plug-In: The Secret Tool For Featuring Listings with WordPress
• Real Estate Bloggers Participate In Blog Action Day

BlogWorld officially kicks off October 15th at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  The first day of the 3 day program will provide some specific niche tracks…one of which is Real Estate BlogWorld. The agenda for REBlogWorld is packed with rockin’ speakers and sessions covering a variety of topics specifically geared towards the real estate industry (i.e. Social Media ROI, Hyperlocal Blog Content, Branding in the Social Age, etc).  Yours truly will be moderating an ALL-STAR panel including Jeff Turner, Ian Lurie, Todd Carpenter…and rumor has it, David Armano! My fellow MTO rockstars, Reggie Nicolay and Chad Johnson, will be presenting their idea of the “One Site”, the real estate blog of the future that can be achieved today! To obtain all the details for the day, register and view special hotel rates, visit REBlogWorld.com.

Now just when you think all the fun is over, another 2 days of social media bliss will ensue! The BlogWorld & New Media Expo was my favorite event last year! I was able to get up close and personal with many of my blog idols: Darren Rowse aka “Problogger”, Laura Fitton, Lee Odden, and Chris Brogan. It was like a Disneyland for bloggers! And I would say that the learning, laughing, and conversing I experienced was even more fun than Space Mountain!

So I’m extremely excited to not only attend this year, but also have the opportunity to speak alongside some of social media’s finest! If you plan to go to BlogWorld, you will not want to miss, “How Twits Lay Golden Eggs – The Art of Social Engagement for Business”, on Saturday October 17th, 4:15-5:15 pm in Room 221.  The panel includes microsharing maven – Laura Fitton, the nicest social media pirate you’ll ever meet – Chris Brogan,  real-time innovator – Nick Halstead…and me (clearly the underdog who begged, borrowed, and danced her way into speaking at BlogWorld).  At any rate, I’m in and would appreciate any support. My promise to you: a fun, playful learning experience with highly useful takeaways!

If you’re lucky enough to be headed to BlogWorld, here are a few pre-trip tips for you:

• Follow @blogworld and @reblogworld on Twitter
• Check out and RSVP for both events on Facebook (REBlogWorld, BlogWorld & New Media Expo)
• Plan your schedule now. Don’t forget to RSVP for Branding in the Social Age, Integrating Everything Into the One Site,  and How Twits Lay Golden Eggs: The Art of Social Engagement for Business
• Read Reggie’s post: 10 Ways to Make Deeper Connection at Your Next Conference

So, “shut up and put your money where your mouth is” and “shake the glitter” with me at BlogWorld in Vegas, baby!

Related Posts

• Meet the Bloggers at NAR
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Regator.com is online hub of hand-picked blogs representing numerous content areas. Basically, you can search for and find quality blog posts on just about any topic. With millions of blogs, it can be a very time-consuming task to find, identify and bookmark the REALLY GOOD ones out there. So Regator chooses the best and most resourceful blogs, then organizes them in a way that’s easy for you to locate exactly what you are looking for. You can also be assured that these blogs will offer you quality content, which is key if you aim to be your network’s trusted advisor!

With the NEW Regator iPhone app, which is FREE, you’ll have mobile access to over 3 million quality blog articles from 500 diverse categories. Everything from beekeeping to real estate technology! View real-time trending topics and the most popular blog posts in the blogoshere! And best of all, share what you find via email, Facebook, and Twitter.

MyTechOpinion

I already turn to Regator.com to find interesting blogs and helpful resources. Now I get to do it on the fly….woohoo! This is a no-brainer! It’s a free resource that helps you help yourself, and others! Love it! FYI- While this free version of the app does not feature the “MyRegator” tools available on Regator.com, a paid version with these features may be released in the future if there is demand.

To obtain the Regator iPhone app visit the App Store and search for “regator”. To see Regator in action, check out the  video below.

Related Posts

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• Inman News Beta: Same great news. Brand new site.
• TheClozing: The Real Estate News Aggregator

Back in November of 2008, I created the Tweet Plan in order to streamline the resourceful side of twittering. I sent it to Darren Rowse (aka @Problogger), and he was intrigued and understood the value of better organizing your tweets to reach your network. Rowse published my tweet plan on his Twitter tips blog, Twitip.com. Shortly after, I modified the Tweet Plan specifically for real estate professionals and shared it here on MTO.

Well, the Tweet Plan is back and super charged with a new handy tool. In this new version you will drip your resourceful tweets using an auto-tweet tool called HootSuite throughout your day, but also share some spontaneous thoughts and experiences when you have time to! Let’s get started!

Step 1-  Start a Tweet Topic List

Start with a tweet topic list, which is nothing more than an on-going list of topics you are passionate about, as well as your expertise. Here’s a quick example:

Step 2- Identify Your Resources

Visit and bookmark your favorite sites that provide great articles and media related to your topics and expertise on your Tweet List.  Here are a few of my favorite sites:

Step 3: Schedule Your Drip Tweets

Now that you know where to find resourceful content, all you need is a great tool to automate your drip tweets to your network. My favorite auto-tweet tool is HootSuite. To get started, visit HootSuite.com and login with your Twitter info.

Next drag and drop the “Hootlet” into your toolbar.

Now you are ready to visit your favorite resource sites and set your drip tweets. For example, let’s say you  visited the Cyberhomes Good Reading Blog. First, scan the site for a relevant article you’d like to share with your network.

After selecting the article you like, click on the “Hootlet” shortcut in your toolbar.

The Hootlet window will pop up and automatically create a tweet for you, including the article title, name of the Website, and shortened URL. You can then choose the “send later” link to schedule when you’d like that tweet published. You can also modify or customize that tweet with your own verbiage if necessary or even add you own opinion.

I recommend scheduling 5 drip tweets a day and staggering them out (i.e. 6:30am, 9:00am, 11:30am, 2:45pm, 7:00pm). And in order to better manage your time effectively, consider blocking time daily for a “Twitter Check-in”. During that time you will add new followers, send welcome messages, and schedule your 5 drip tweets for the day (or following day).

Step 4: Supplement with Spontaneous Tweets

Now if you’re sharing resource or drip tweets you ARE providing value to your network via broadcasting. But in order to become your network’s trusted advisor  you should also be listening and responding. So try to make a little time each day (even if it’s only a few minutes) to scan your network’s tweets and respond back if you can relate, offer assistance, provide help, or just laugh along! Everyday moments and occurrences are very easy for people to relate to and engage with.

Related Posts

• Organize Chaos with The Real Estate Tweet Plan
• Tweet It Forward: The Secret to Building an Invaluable Twitter Community
• Why TweetLister, When You Can Just Twitter

Live Blogging

Flickr Photos

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The error message starts with (1) “Warning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent by…”, followed by (2) a reference to a plugin file and (3) a reference to “pluggable.php on line 850”.

This error can seem like a bunch of gibberish, but once you know what you are looking for, it is quite easy to fix.

The Source of the Error

What has happened is that a PHP file in a plugin folder has picked up an extra line or two after the closing PHP tag. Sounds complex, but it isn’t.

Basically, Wordpress doesn’t want to see any extra lines after the “?>”. The page should end immediately afterward. Doesn’t seem like a big detail, but coding is about little details.

Finding the Guilty Plugin

Section (2) in the above diagram tells you the plugin with the frivolous carriage returns.

You will recognize the “/wp-content/plugins/” as the folder that you uploaded your plugins into. After that is the name of the plugin folder with the corrupt file. In this example, it is WP-Print (an excellent way to add printer friendly pages to your website).

The Fix

The easiest fix is to download a fresh copy of the plugin and replace it for the old folder.

If you have customized the plugin, replacing the entire folder may mean losing your modifications. In that case:

• Find the file identified in section (2) of our diagram. In the example, that would be wp-print.php in the wp-print folder.
• Open that file in the Wordpress plugin editor or your favorite code editor.
• Place your cursor right after the “?>” at the bottom of the file and hit the delete key on your keyboard until no additional spaces remain.

Related Posts

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Now using the Ubertor website system, clients of the $57 and $77 website plans can upload videos to their website and display them using the Combustion Video player. The same videos can also be easily syndicated to YouTube and Viddler.

The Contest: Your Chance To Win!

As I was talking with Steve about this new feature, we decided to make it a little more fun and give away some sites for MyTechOpinion readers.  Here’s how it will work…

Any MTO  reader is eligible to enter. However, if you are already an Ubertor client this prize is not applicable to your current website package. But you do have the option to gift your prize to any colleague of your choosing not already using Ubertor. The first 50 readers to retweet this article will be entered into the contest automatically.  Then tomorrow, NikNik will add the first 50 retweeters names into a hat and pick 5 winners. Each of the 5 winners will receive a website for one year for only $1.00.  The package usually runs  $77/month for an annual value of $924.

Looking for a few Ubertor website examples? Check these out:

• http://www.sandiegocastles.com – Kris Berg
• http://www.ianwatt.ca – Ian Watt
• http://www.theuncommonagent.com – Mike Lefebvre
• http://www.harborsiderealty.com – Mike Cannuscio

*Winners below

Related Posts

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• Cyberhomes’ Market Forecast Contest Launches Tomorrow!
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If you would like to know how you get the Fan Box, watch this short video:

Now out of the box, this widget may need some very small customization depending on how and where you implement. Maybe you need to change the width for a smaller sidebar or modify the widget because you already have Facebook Connect running on your site. I thought I would take a minute to share the each component of the widget.

Part 1
FeatureLoader.js.php is the main JavaScript file used in all Facebook Connect implementations and must be included for the widget to work. However if you already have Facebook connect running on your site, this script would be a duplicate and should not be included.Vu Manh Thang – I Am Superman

<script src="http://static.ak.connect.facebook.com/js/api_lib/v0.4/FeatureLoader.js.php" type="text/javascript"></script>

Part 2
The next line is a small piece of Javascript that tells Facebook the API key of your widget. Like the last script, it should be included on all uses except when Facebook connect is already being used on the page. If Facebook Connect is already implemented on the page, do not include this line:

<script type="text/javascript">FB.init("XXXXXXXXXXXXX");</script>

Part 3
This is the XFBML which is used to incorporate FBML in a HTML page. In this case to display the Fan Box.

• Do not change the profile_id, it is the unique id pointing to your Facebook page
• If you choose to include the stream, it will set stream =“1”. To remove the stream set to “0”
• If you choose to include fans, it defaults to connections=“10”
• Change the width (in pixels) as needed to fit your sidebar

<fb:fan profile_id="XXXXXXXXXX" stream="1" connections="10" width="300"></fb:fan>

Part 4
This is a link back to your Facebook page, and is not required for the widget to work properly.

<div style="font-size:8px; padding-left:10px"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/mytechopinion">MyTechOpinion</a> on Facebook</div>

If you would like to try the iFrame version of the widget, replace the XXXXXXXXXX with the API Key provided by Facebook for your Fan Box.

<iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="http://www.facebook.com/connect/connect.php?id=XXXXXXXXXX&connections=15&stream=1" allowtransparency="true" style="border: none; width: 300px; height: 600px;"></iframe> 

MyTechopinion
Facebook pages are a great option for real estate professionals in terms of both enhancing brand recognition and becoming a trusted advisor. Think about the average fan, once they’re connected they have the opportunity to engage with you on a regular basis. But also realize Facebook pages take a lot of effort to maintain. Try sharing relevant information, resources and fun content on a regular basis. Then watch your insights and gage what your fans engage with most?

Related Posts

• Kickstart Your Blog Community with Facebook Connect
• 12 Facebook Marketing Strategies Webinar
• Is My Facebook Profile Complete? FacebookGrader Has the Answer!

In real estate, there are numerous uses for a membership site:

Real Estate Brokerage Intranet – Share news, make documents and forms available for download, and post company meetings and events on the calendar (using one of our recommended Wordpress calendar solutions).

Preferred Client Area – Add an area to your real estate website to share special information and services to clients who register. Can you say, “lead generation” or “client retention”?

Paid Content Site - Are you the next Brian Buffini? Have a sales strategy that is worth selling? Create a membership site with paid subscriptions.

There are several plugins and scripts that can be added to a Wordpress website to provide membership capabilities. Each solution is very different in its execution, so it is important to identify your website needs before making a selection.

• Paid subscriptions? If you will be charging for site access, it is imperative to have shopping cart integration to automate the payment process.
• Is the entire site for members only? Some solutions lockdown the entire site, others allow for pages or posts to be protected individually, while others allow everything before the “Read more” to be public.
• Need membership levels? Create “Silver”, “Gold” and “Platinum” membership levels and provide different access to each type of member.
• Gradual content delivery? Concerned that someone will join for a month, download all of your content and cancel? Trickle content to them to keep them subscribed.
• Content Theft Tracing? Don’t want your content stolen and posted on another website? Use a system that added a digital watermark to all of your files.

Once you have identified your needs, it’s time to select your membership solution:

Wishlist Member ($97)

This highly customizable Wordpress plugin is loaded with functionality. Create membership levels, process payment through the most popular shopping cart systems and trickle content to members. A great solution for paid content sites.

MemberWing (Free)

A surprisingly powerful plugin for being free. MemberWing provides multiple membership levels, content theft tracking, and gradual content delivery. While payment integration is possible, set-up isn’t as clean as Wishlist Member or aMember Pro.

Member Access (Free)

Very limited on features, but the simplicity makes it a good fit for basic projects. Plus, you can’t beat the price.

WP-Membership ($29.97)

A very clean Wordpress plugin that allows for multiple membership levels and limited payment options. Pages and posts can be given different access levels to make some areas public, while protecting others. For preferred client areas and company intranets, this would be my first choice.

aMember Pro ($199.95 plus $40 for Wordpress plugin)

Definitely the most powerful solution of the list with the most refined member management systems. aMember Pro is actually a PHP script with an optional Wordpress plugin. This system is for those looking to build a large paid content site.

MyTechOpinion
You have grown to love the flexibility and ease of use of Wordpress for your blogging. Extend that wonderful functionality to your real estate brokerage intranet or take your real estate website to the next level with preferred client content.

As for a paid website, the debate continues as to whether people will pay for content. Look at your business model to determine if there are other ways to generate revenue by building a strong registered membership. Your content will have to be amazing to get people to pull out their credit card for it.

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I love pretty things and sometimes crap content can be made to look so nice you actually stick around. But watch out, because shiny objects can mislead you and even hypnotize you into monthly payments in some cases! It’s happened to me! I love me some bling!

So while I think it’s crucial to consider blog layout, design, and user interface…we can’t forget our friends at Google or the readers placing trust in your guidance. The bling will always entice, but it’s the thought provoking, helpful, resourceful, and relevant content that keeps your readers coming back for more, or even subscribe! With all the rockin’ blog themes available, a nice blog design is the easy part. It’s coming up with content and being consistent that is the real task at hand.

I’ve found the best way to maintain regular blog posts and fight “blogger’s block” is by creating a content posting plan. This is really nothing more than making an on-going list of content or story ideas from which you can pick and choose to create posts from. If you want to take it a step further, you could schedule time to write, as well as “read & research”. But don’t plan too far ahead, because some posts may be timely depending on whether they are events or breaking news.

Here are some ideas to kickstart your own content posting plan, or just melt your “blogger’s block”!

1. Write a Series of Posts: Take a big idea and break it up into several smaller posts. Be sure to link back to all the posts within your series.
2. Client Q&A: Create a submission form for your blog. Pick a day that you regularly answer clients questions via your blog.
3. Get Busy: Get involved with local businesses, interview business owners, share helpful businesses that are giving back to the community or can assist new homeowners with their services. Be sure to archive these posts in the form of a relocation landing page.
4. Community Events: Post a monthly event calendar or list of events with all the local information and links. Check out 4 Ways to Add an Event Calendar to Your Wordpress Blog.
5. Seasonal Homeowner How-to: Post informative guides on how to clean out the gutters, winter prep your pool, holiday décor, spring cleaning, etc.
6. Breaking News: Whether it’s local or national, twitter and other news sources can keep you up to speed with all the latest happenings.
7. Know your niche & drip the tips: Whatever it may be (women homeownership, short sales, green building), drip your expertise out by expanding upon single tidbits of advice.
8. Local Bargains & Coupons: Share discounts offered by local restaurants/businesses, online coupons for products & services, etc.
9. Local Market Update: Give us your forecast, graph the changes, share local statistics, and provide some tips for adapting to this changing market. Check out Cyberhomes’ Market Forecast report – great resource!
10. Interviews: Post short interviews with industry professionals, local business leaders, local heroes, etc. Include testimonials from past clients.
11. School scores & more: Post recent test scores, school achievements (ex: Distinguished School), school events, etc. for high schools and colleges in your area.
12. Neighborhood Spotlight: Showcase a specific neighborhood…the homes, parks, schools, stores…oh, and your listings too. Give us your top 10 reasons for living in each neighborhood. Interview local neighbors and connect with your farm at the same time.
13. New laws affecting real estate: Each year share the new laws for your state/county, and/or provide updates as they occur in real time.
14. Buyer/Seller Tips: Talk about the home buying process, share your best tips in post form.
15. Fundraisers/Non-Profits: Support or share info regarding local fundraisers.
16. Rate & loan updates: Get the latest info from your lenders and provide tips for buyers on finding the best rates, as well as the process for securing a loan.
17. Favorites: Whether it’s a recipe share, book review, or new movie release…it’s okay to have an opinion!
18. Photo posts: Show off the beauty and uniqueness of your area with photos. A single photo and a simple comment will suffice. Or get creative with a collage of photos taken in your market area or make a slideshow using Animoto.
19. Video posts: Follow your home stager as she/he prepares a home, interview your local lender, tour local neighborhoods, or just share your real estate expertise.
20. Investment insights: Post informational articles on how to select an investment property, interview of an analyst, local suggestions from your tax professional, etc.
21. Friday fun: Put a smile on your reader’s face or just wish them a fantastic Friday with funny articles or YouTube videos, interesting signs, wacky but tasteful jokes, etc.
22. Holiday hype: Share what’s happening in your area during holidays, give ideas for parties, recipes, fun traditions, tell a holiday story about your family, etc.
23. Community callout: Whether you have Facebook Connect on your blog, a Facebook Business Page, or use Twitter. Create a post announcing your new page or group, and let people know where/how they can connect further with you.
24. Consumer alerts: Clue your clients in to the latest information regarding FHA financing, loan modification rules, tax credits, etc.
25. Polls: Pose a question, collect the responses and share the results!
26. Storytelling: Explain a scenario whether real or hypothetical and how you would assist the situation with your expertise.
27. Re-post: Think of it like a “retweet”, but for a blog post! If you find a post written by someone else that you love, cite them and build upon it by offering your own perspective.
28. Invite a guest: Is there a lender you work with, home stager, local business owner that has something to say. Give them the opportunity on your blog!
29. The Spin-off: Take your best blog posts a little further, by building upon them, updating them or taking one concept mentioned to the next level. You can even make a list of all your best posts on a particular subject.
30. Liveblog: Going to an event? Share your experience as it happens (people you meet, products/services you encounter, interesting tips, etc.).

MyTechOpinion

Let’s face it. For most of us it’s not really possible to write and post every single day. But it does become easier, the more you write. Try setting a goal to post every other day or at least twice a week. From my standpoint, I’d focus more on quality than quantity.

Related Posts

• The Secret to Blog Success: YEO, You Engaging Others
• Ideas For Getting Readers For Your Real Estate Blog: Part 1
• Lifestreaming Real Estate Web Content

Posting information on events such as farmers’ markets, garage sales, club meetings and city recreation programs to a calendar makes your website community resource. A resource worth bookmarking, Twittering or sharing on Facebook.

Best of all, updating a calendar is easier than writing an entire blog post.

Here are 4 ways to add an event calendar to your Wordpress website or blog:

1. Calendar

Calendar is a Wordpress plugin developed by Kieran O’Shea that looked like it was going to be abandoned. Fortunately, Kieran has picked up where he left off and just released an update.

This plugin creates an AJAX enabled calendar that is highly customizable. Events are managed directly from the Wordpress admin. Color coded categories can be used to differentiate types of events.

A sidebar widget allows for upcoming events to be displayed throughout your site. With a little CSS know-how, the calendar colors can be changed to match your website.

Go to PeninsulaHub.com to see this plugin in action.

2. Events Calendar

Another Wordpress plugin that adds a calendar page using a short code. Similar to the Calendar plugin with a few differences.

Events Calendar doesn’t offer event categories, but adds the ability to create a post or page from a calendar event. This can come in handy for those events that need a bit more promotion than a simple calendar entry.

The widget for this plugin not only allows for upcoming events to be listed, but gives an option for an AJAX enabled mini calendar to be displayed.

3. Events Manager

Events Manager Wordpress plugin takes a very different approach to an event calendar. This solution is much more interactive, making for a richer visitor experience.

Offering features such as Google map integration, RSVP management and an RSS feed, this plugin is loaded with functionality.

Events Manager is a great solution for posting real estate office meetings and trainings. However, the layout isn’t as conducive to community calendars with a lot of events to display.

4. EasyPHPCalendar

Sometimes you need more control and functionality than a simple Wordpress plugin can offer. Such was the case for a recently released MTO Sites project, Tribes.com. For that site, we looked outside of the Wordpress community and found EasyPHPCalendar.

EasyPHPCalendar is a PHP script that is extremely customizable. Events can be displayed on a full page calendar with mouse-over text, on mini calendars, listed on the page, or a combination of the three.

Color coded event categories can be created. A legend of the categories can be added to your site and a dropdown filter allows for only events in that category to be shown.

Images, links and text formatting of event postings is possible after installing the free WYSIWYG editor.
Although EasyPHPCalendar is a separate script from Wordpress, it integrates beautifully. Once installed and configured, PHP code can be added directly to your Wordpress template. This makes your calendar feel like part of the entire site to your visitors.

This script must to purchased ($19.95 to $49.90 depending on level of branding) and requires professional installation, but the functionality is worth the expense. When you consider the time you will invest in maintaining your community event calendar, this expense is nominal.

MyTechOpinion

Site visitors expect more from community websites than the occasional blog post. Adding an event calendar can add value without forcing you to spend an exorbitant amount of time writing content.

For assistance with this or any other Wordpress website related issue or need, contact MyTechOpinion and our MTO Sites design team.

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TinyChat recently delivered version 2 of their chat product and I’m really impressed.  The application is extremely intuitive, which starts with a large text field prompting for a chat room name. Within seconds your new room is created.  But not before you’re given the chance to sign in using Twitter and invite other participants.  If you’re not using Twitter don’t fret; just enter your name to continue.

At this point the chat room has been created, now set a chat topic and select your privacy option.  By private it really means not listed on the TinyChat website.  If you need password protection, you’ll have to upgrade to the professional plan.  With that plan, you’ll also own up to 5 rooms, and broadcast in HQ video.

A TinyChat session can host up to 200 concurrent chat participants, and 12 simultaneous audio, video broadcasts.  The audio and video is really easy to operate. Click the big message the reads “Add live audio and video to this room” then approve the use of Tiny Chat to access your camera and microphone.  In our testing, we had multiple users streaming audio and video and I found the quality was equal to what I experience from Skype.

Other TinyChat features worth noting include:

• Share files via Flyupload
• Save chat transcripts
• Ban annoying users
• Embed the chat on your website or blog
• Share the chat room via Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace (or via any network by sharing the URL).

MyTechOpinion

I’m really impressed with the user interface of TinyChat.  I like that I wasn’t forced to install cumbersome software to initiate a chat session.  I appreciate the “ignore” link that moderators see next to each user’s update. If an unruly visitor joins the chat, use this feature to block them from participating. It’s also comforting to know that TinyChat works on Windows, Mac and Linux; using Firefox, IE, Safari, and Chrome browsers.

Real estate agents using this tool on a regular basis for online chat or webinars sessions may want to consider subscribing to the professional plan. As mentioned you’ll gain the ability to save room names-to protect your brand or keyword.

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While plugins can be a blessing, they also can cause problems with a website. This can come in the way of slow website performance or error messages.

One common error message experienced by those getting a bit “plugin happy” (activating a lot of plugins on a single Wordpress installation) is that of the “Fatal Error: Allowed memory size…” error.

This error message is a result of Wordpress exceeding it’s predetermined memory limit. Activating several large, high-functionality plugins can easily cause this problem.

Luckily, there is an easy fix.

Wordpress sets its memory limits within the wp-settings.php file. All that has to be done is change the memory limit from “32M” to “64M”.

Here are the step by step instructions:

• Open wp-settings.php in your favorite code editor. This file is in the root directory of your Wordpress installation
• Go to line #13 of wp-settings.php and locate ‘32M’
• Change the “32″ to “64″
• Save the file and FTP it to your server

Once this is complete, you should have no problems activating those large plugins. Keep in mind that too many plugins can negatively affect website performance, so choose your plugins wisely and only add those that add value to the visitor experience.

For assistance with this or any other Wordpress website related issue or need, contact MyTechOpinion and our MTO Sites design team.

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For example, here at MTO, we are very resource driven so we aggregate the delicious bookmarks from all three of us (Reggie, Chad, NikNik) into one fluid feed on the homepage. This way our readers get access to the ideas and articles we like in one place. In addition, we have chosen to lifestream a combination of both personal and professional Web content on our individual profile pages. My profile page aggregates my tweets, delicious bookmarks, Flickr pics, Viddler videos, and more!

You can lifestream on your blog as I mentioned above or you can select one specific site to become an online home base for your Web content. Some people even choose to make this their online resume. Personally, I love the option of making your blog the home base.  I purchased my name as a domain and have it directed to my profile page on MTO where I lifestream my Web content.

As you can see, there are many options. But when it comes to real estate professionals I think you can greatly benefit from lifestreaming selected Web content that is helpful to your network. If you’re an agent, you may want to consider aggregating your social bookmarks (from StumbleUpon or delicious) that include consumer focused RE articles, local events and updates, and other fun or relevant resources. Flickr and Twitter would also provide a bit more insight into your daily experiences and personality.

If you contribute to a multi-author blog, you may want to consider mashing up the blog posts, social bookmarks, and twitter feeds from all the blog contributors.  You could even set up a separate page to display a variety of blog posts, similar to Alltop, Inman Blog Network or AgentGenius Sphere!

To get started, you should identify the Web content feeds you wish to share, decide on where you want to stream the content, and select a plugin or other solution to aggregate the feeds. You’re in luck, because Reggie recently posted “14 Tools for Real Estate Lifestreaming”, and this helpful article provides a plethora of ideas on how to lifestream.

If you have a favorite tool for lifestreaming, or know a great example of a how real estate professional is lifestreaming their Web content, please share! We’ll be extending this article series to include more examples, tools, and ideas for best practices!

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Upon first glance, you’ll notice that Reggie integrated Facebook Connect, like what we’ve done here at MTO.  FB Connect allows you to port your Facebook Profile right into the Cyberhomes Blog Community. This makes participating an optimal experience! You control your profile settings and how your comments and other resources are shared.

There’s nothing as rewarding as learning something new yourself or aiding a fellow colleague with their real estate questions. Helpful content and cutting edge multimedia resources go hand and hand on the Cyberhomes Blog. As a reader, you’ll gain insight into the latest trends and technology that real estate and mortgage professionals are finding success with. Access, share and implement a variety of resources available within the Video Library, Image Gallery, and News Room.

I’ve mentioned before and I’ll say it again, Reggie is a great Web digger! The guy scours a plethora of online goldmines to bring you a frequently updated resource stream, aka the Cyberstream. The Cyberstream is content integration of information, tools, products, resources and fun…that you might not regularly find on the Web (without a little investigative Web digging).

Last but not least, no blog can be a good blog without powerful content. The Cyberhomes Blog was created for real estate professionals with REAL interests and issues. Reggie and the other talented contributors have just one simple goal in mind…bringing ideas and insight into the hands of the people that shape and mold the industry, that’s YOU!

If you’re a fan of MyTechOpinion, I’m sure you’ll feel right at home at the Cyberhomes Blog.  Check out this tour via Reggie:

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If you’re not familiar already, FB launched “Facebook Connect” similar to Google’s Friend Connect. The goal of these utilities is to make your social profiles portable. Many social networks, like Twitter, have already taken sides and aligned themselves with Google.  But the power of Facebook’s enormous network still impresses me.  Even the “non-technicals” are investing time in their profiles and connections. And with more than 110 million users, Facebook’s Webprint is making for an obvious social alliance…for your blog!

Facebook Connect can kickstart your real estate blog community ON YOUR BLOG! WordPress users are in luck and can add FB Connect to their blog by downloading the Facebook Connect WordPress Plugin. Your FB friends can instantly become members of your blog using their FB login. FB Connect adds your profile into the site that you’re on bringing your network of friends with you.  Your FB friends that visit your site will appear in a “recent reader” type widget. You can view people in your Facebook network who also belong to the same blog community or newbies with similar interests (to add to your network). FB Connect routes comments made on your blog back to Facebook profiles.  AND, because FB Connect is integrated with your blog you are also able to grow your database for blog newsletter distribution.

Getting started:

(1)    Create a Facebook profile, if you don’t already have one

(2)    Sign up for developer account at Facebook

(3)    Download the Facebook Connect WordPress Plugin

(4)    Upload and activate the plugin for your WordPress blog

(5)    You will need to paste the API Key and Secret from Facebook and set other features

(6)    Then click “Design” and then “Widgets” to add to FB Connect to your sidebar

(7)    Further customization will need to be done through the CSS

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But now more than ever real estate twits are working twice as hard. Do you really have time to tweet all day while you’re showing 18 houses, writing multiple contracts, and consulting with your clients? If you do, great…don’t bother reading the rest of this article. The Real Estate Tweet Plan is only for twits looking to organize and better balance social media marketing strategies.

Recently, I wrote a Tweet Plan for Darren Rowse’s new blog, Twitp.com. This was a general Tweet Plan framework really, so I thought I’d share an example Real Estate Tweet Plan. And it goes a little something like this…

Real Estate Tweet Plan created for @RENonna:

(1) Choose Twitter Check-in Times – @RENonna checks in with Twitter every morning with her coffee from 6:30-7:00am and every evening after dinner with her glass of red wine from 7-8pm. During those times, she (1) learns about her followers and chooses to follow back or not, (2) selects new followers she’s interested in and can learn from, (3) updates her tweetlists, (4) looks for helpful resources/media, and (5) schedules her Daily 5.

(2) Start w/ your Daily 5 – @RENonna’s Daily 5 (which are her interest & expertise topics) include: (1) short sale advice & tips, (2) local events in her market area (Pleasanton), (3) seasonal homeowner tips, (4) great buys (deals uncovered while previewing), and (5) weekender attractions. Other real estate specific topics could include: blog post updates, neighborhood stats & info, local tax and legal updates, credit tips and advice, etc.

(3) Make a Tweetlist(s) – @RENonna creates a list of pre-planned tweets that she will either sporadically tweet or schedule throughout the day. Here’s her Tweetlist for a given day:

Tweet 1: Short sale tip: Remember to consult with your CPA – could make the difference between a tax consequence, or not.

Tweet 2: Pleasanton Holiday Food Drive, donations of non-perishables can be made here:  http://budurl.com/tat5.

Tweet 3: Winter Weather Tips for Maintaining Curb Appeal: http://budurl.com/bjvl

Tweet 4: Local steal found on tour! Pleasanton charmer- 1234 Rose Ave, 4 bd 3 ba, 2450 sqft, .25 acre lot, walk to downtown, bank-owned $325,000!

Tweet 5: Ice skating in downtown Walnut Creek begins this weekend 11/13, check here for details: http://budurl.com/erdd

(4) Schedule Tweets - Keep your tweetlist at your desk or on you if you’re mobile. If you don’t want to manually tweet, use Tweetlater or Twuffer to schedule your tweets. Schedule them for time periods you will be focusing on work tasks only (or if you are on a business trip, vacation, etc).  For example, @RENonna set up her Daily 5 to be tweeted from Tweetlater at: 9:00am, 10:30am, 1:15pm, 2:30pm, and 4:15pm.  @RENonna also created Bud URLs for all the resource links she shares so she can track her follower activity. If she notices that she’s not getting much traffic from the morning tweets, then she may choose to schedule more tweets in the afternoon.

(5) Create an auto-welcome message – @RENonna would like to personally review and choose her followers. But she won’t be able to do that working in the field showing homes most days. So she plans to investigate her new followers during her Twitter Check-in times. In the meantime, she would still like to send a basic ONE-TIME “thanks for following” or “welcome” message to her new interested party. So @RENonna composed a welcome message, “Thanks for following me.  Nice to meet you, virtually!” and set it up as an auto-welcome message from Tweetlater to all new followers. NOTE: @RENonna is only sending a quick welcome, NOT auto-following back. She waits until she can personally review new follower profiles, Websites, updates, etc. to make her choice on whether to follow back or not. OFF THE HOOK: Spice up your auto-message with a little transparency topper, a “Welcome Video“.

(6) Supplement w/ spontaneous Tweets – In between your scheduled pre-planned Tweets, you may find yourself with an occasional opportunity to conversationally tweet. Do it! Or if you have an experience or current event that you want to share, by all means, share away. You can also use your Twitter Check-in times to converse and share your most recent thoughts, ideas, ramblings, or happenings. The point is, when you can and want to share, get back in the Twitter conversation. Twitter will be there…most times.

ONE LAST TIP: Be sure to aggregate your Tweets on your real estate blog and other social profiles. Here’s my own example. You can get more mileage from your Tweets by sharing them beyond the Twittosphere – with your blog readers and other networks (Facebook, FriendFeed, etc.).

TWEET PLAN DISCLAIMER: This plan may work great for those with little time in their day to tweet. But for some, taking time to organize tweets may actually be more time consuming that just tweeting off the cuff. This is NOT a plan for spontaneous tweeters and those of us that have adopted Twitter as a member of the family. This plan is for twits that want to tweet but are finding it hard to do so during their busy work day.  Please Note: This is only one Real Estate Tweet Plan example, what does yours look like?

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In this seminar, Randy will share easy-to-implement web site secrets and powerful social networking strategies that work. He’ll also introduce a ton of other ideas you can use to dominate your real estate market online!

The Seminar is today Friday, October 24
1-2 pm PT / 2-3 pm MT / 3-4 pm CT / 4-5 pm ET

If you are interested, click this link to RSVP

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Consumers move fast these days and they want immediate attention. The powerful element behind text messaging…is its immediacy. It’s also proving to be the way in which many communicate.

According to Nielsen, the average mobile subscriber in the US sent and received more SMS text messages than mobile telephone calls during Q2 2008.

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