Customer Blogging and interaction

[Onestopfoodsuk]

HI Everyone.
I’m currently thinking of a new idea for my website to add a customer blogging section where people can open an account on my website and enter there own blogs, comments and photos.
I have an online shop and want customer interaction.

Basically it will be a customer blogging section split into different subjects where customers can add comments about anything, suggest good websites to view with a link, ask questions, add a photo of them selves for a profile or a photo to there blog entry etc.
Basically a field live on the website where they can write there text etc but is stored on the website or emailed to me first to check first before it goes live on the website to manage and control content.

Is there a way of doing this in Actinic and if so how do i set this up?
Dose anyone have the code for this.
If anyone is kind enough to help me with this and give me the code I would be most grateful.
For full details and code and step by step help of what to do I would be happy to send a food hamper in return for your generous Help.
Many thanks in advance.
Simon

[Onestopfoodsuk]

I will take that as a no then.
Well it was worth asking...

[Steve G Griggs]

Actinic and blogs.

No there is no way built into actinic, but you could set up a blog with wordpress and link it into the site, I don't know if you could integrate wordpress, but I think the answer would be no.
One point to note is if the blog gets a lot of attention you might need to moderate it frequently-look carefully at terms and condition re moderating.

[grantglendinnin]

For a food store, I actually think this is a good idea.

I like Wordpress. I can't see any reason why you can't do as you suggest, minus integrating with Actinic, this will not work.

What you need is WordPress Multi User - which you will need to set up properly for this environment, please feel free to send me a PM if you get stuck, I work with Wordpress a lot and should be able to help if needed.

You will need to manually install on your server - I would probably suggest installing on a sub-domain, simply because it keeps things cleaner on the server, and wouldn't effect your main site too much - though I don't think there's much difference whether you run the blog at blog.domain.com or domain.com/blog - the subdomain is simply preferential.

[Steve G Griggs]

I didn't want to give a definite "no" to integrating with Actinic but I felt this would be the case. I agree withe subdomain idea, and wordpress would definitely be a good option, I have used it myself, and it's very good.
I can see a blog or forum being a good addition to a food site, extra work maybe, but if it increases sales....

[Onestopfoodsuk]

Thank you to both of you for your thourghts on this.
I will look into that further and do some reading up on wordpress. Im sure I will be back with some questions on wordpress and this subject hehehe
It something i really would like to do but not sure how complicated it will be for me to do, but will give it a good try.
I have set up a quick blog with blogger tjust for the moment to help with links etc. Seems to be working too and getting more hits on my site.
Be great to have the comunity set up on the website.
Well better hit the books again. lol
Thanks guys.

[Jarvis]

Set up your WordPress Blog, (or whatever you choose), either on the same domain or indeed on a different one.
Create a new 'Brochure' page with an iFrame linking it to the Blog.
That's it, simple.

Example, (Not a blog, but external applications):
http://www.nostalgia-building-supplies.co.uk
Look at either the News or the Guestbook.

[chris ashdown]

Can i be the devils advocate here

Whilst I understand what you are trying to do, are you not giving customers the oportunity to leave your site and wander off somewhere else and never come back to purchase what they originally came to your site for

I would imagine the time spent monitoring etc would be better employed in SEO or expanding the site

[Onestopfoodsuk]

Can i be the devils advocate here

Whilst I understand what you are trying to do, are you not giving customers the oportunity to leave your site and wander off somewhere else and never come back to purchase what they originally came to your site for

I would imagine the time spent monitoring etc would be better employed in SEO or expanding the site

I see what you mean, and understand your point, and that is why I wanted to create it with in the site so they are using my website and not being passed over to another. The object is to get people more interested in the site were they can read and write ideas and share information on food matters , Its something a little different and I hope would get people to click on to the site more often than they normally would to view and write there comments or ideas. Then may prompt them to by something while they are there or at least see our special offers etc.
Its and Idea i am toying with at the moment.

[pinbrook]

The object is to get people more interested in the site were they can read and write ideas and share information on food matters ,

why not simply install a forum? i cant see how wordpress is going to help if the main goal is to get customer participation. Although my view echos ChrisA's - it is difficult to set up a website community, i'd go for spending more time on SEO and maybe start getting a name for yourself on exsisting expat forums based in your delivery area

[Onestopfoodsuk]

why not simply install a forum? i cant see how wordpress is going to help if the main goal is to get customer participation. Although my view echos ChrisA's - it is difficult to set up a website community, i'd go for spending more time on SEO and maybe start getting a name for yourself on exsisting expat forums based in your delivery area

Yes a forum would be a good idea and that would be something I could do.
Understand not easy to create a community but i would like to give it a try.

How would I go about setting up a forum in an actinic site?

[Duncan Rounding]

For example you could set up a free forum here:http://ipbfree.com/home/ and show it in an iframe in a text only fragment.

[pinbrook]

How would I go about setting up a forum in an actinic site?

the fact you have an actinic shop is irrelevant. Install a forum (maybe consider a sub domain) and just link to it from the actinic site - hardcode a link into the navigation/template

[Onestopfoodsuk]

For example you could set up a free forum here:http://ipbfree.com/home/ and show it in an iframe in a text only fragment.

Thats great, I have set up a test run on this, and looks cool but is there away of tranforming the look of the Forum to include my store logo and store colours?
If not do you know of a forum where I mite be able to do this so that it looks like part of my website?

I have managed to do this in our blog and atleast been able to input my logo and changed the colours.
www.onestopfoodsuk.com

[Onestopfoodsuk]

the fact you have an actinic shop is irrelevant. Install a forum (maybe consider a sub domain) and just link to it from the actinic site - hardcode a link into the navigation/template

Thats great thanks, I will try that as soon as ive set up the forum.