Business Interchange Group

Carter Braxton Preferred Properties, LLC

2012-04-24T10:34:07Z

Our newest custom Wordpress site goes live April 24, 2012. Carter Braxton Preferred Properties is an independently owned and operated real estate firm located in historic downtown Leesburg, VA.

The new site, carterbraxtonproperties.com is built on the latest Wordpress platform and incorporates the popular "OpenHouse RealEstate" theme with the premium dsIDXpress integration. The IDX interface gives users direct access the the regional Multiple Listing Serivce know as MRIS, one of the largest in the US.

]]> Customization includes:

Color scheme extensively modified based on the Carter Braxton logo
Custom widgets featuring Virginia mortgage loan rates, office location and dynamic agent list linking to individual agent pages.
Integration with Google Aps with office calendar of public events on the site
Customization of agent pages with agent listings shown
Custom/secure contact form
Featured broker listings on the home page slideshow
A bokerage News blog

The platform can be implemented for a full brokerage or a single agent.

The Consulting Professional

2012-04-06T20:49:37Z

The Consulting Professional site becomes the official website of the Accredited Consultant in Real Estate™ (ACRE) program. It is a complete redevelopment and transition of The Consulting Times, the former site for ACRE.

It is our second live site built on the Movable Type 5+ platform with extensive jQuery application and modal dialogs. JQuery provides a much cleaner user interface and linits the amount of page reloading to retrieve new content.

This is another new program for Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn; SWS author, coach and real estate consultant.

and the ACRE 2.0 team

Features include:

]]>

Built on industrial strength MovableType 5.12

Dynamic use of PHP and mySQL.

Jquery with the following plugins

User Interface

FancyBox

Validate

xqUload for member photos

jCrop

AJAX

Google Maps

MyBB integration

The result: AWESOME 2.0!

Check out these Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn creations: Sell With Soul and SWS Connect.

Pangle & Associates

2012-02-13T18:23:59Z

Gwen Pangle, a long time Loudoun County Real Estate agent and Associate/Managing Broker for several firms, opened her own brokerage in 2011: Pangle & Associates. We developed her new website on Wordpress customizing the Twenty-Ten standard template to showcase her new brand and logo.

]]> Additional features include:

SEO Plugin
Custom Widgets
Google Fonts
Custom/secure contact form
Custom Featured Property widget

Additional features include access to the MRIS HomesDataBase and Local Market trends.

Gwen is one of the finest real estate professionals in Northern Virginia.

Check out the full site at Pangle & Associates.

Jennifer Allan's SWS Connect

2012-01-23T00:22:22Z

Jennifer, known for her Sell With Soul real estate wisdom including books and mentering, has quite a following and wanted a new website for members to be able to Connect and collaborate. We took her concepts for Connect and turned it into a website that integrated jQuery extensively to provide her members an easy to use, postive web experience. Check it out at SWS Connect.

Features include:

]]>

Built on industrial strength MovableType 5.12

Dynamic use of PHP and mySQL.

Jquery with the following plugins

User Interface

FancyBox

Validate

xqUload for member photos

jCrop

AJAX

Google Maps

Wordpress

MyBB integration

Ajax Chat

The result: AWESOME!

More thumbnails (Google Maps & myBB):

Google Calendar Integrated with Movable Type

2011-10-10T13:18:32Z

Google Calendar is a popular free service. Displaying the full calendar on a web page is relatively easy and Google will let you customize the look, include multiple calendars and specify the size (width and height). Examples:

Providence ... it was meant to be full calendar and
Raspberry Falls Community full calendar

Calendar content is also available in various access formats including URL link, iCal and RSS feed. We developed a custom widget display using the RSS feed. Each of these are designed to summarize calendar events/content for a specified period of time from today. Examples can be found in the right sidebar at

Providence ... it was meant to be and
Raspberry Falls Community

The Raspberry example also displays events from multiple calendars.

Contact us for more info.

Raspberry Falls HOA (upgrade) ~ Leesburg, VA

2011-04-25T09:47:57Z

A major upgrade to the Raspberry Falls HOA Website was installed in March 2011. The new site was built on the Hybrid News Theme with a private residents blog utilizing the MT Community features. The objectives for the new site are:

Promote the Raspberry Community (first and foremost), local area and region as a desirable place to live
Provide convenient access to FAQ's about the community and HOA
Provide a way for residents to advertise their homes for sale (featured on the Home page slider)
Provide the private site for residents to easily share information, dialog and stay informed about community and HOA activity

]]> Major Technical features:

Built on MT 4.35
Jquery implementation (slider and sidebar content selection)
Custom PHP/mySQL for user registration and sign in to private site as well as the resident directory
tinyMCE rich text editor interface for UI and resident entry/commenting forms

New User Features:

Home page slider to highlight significant features of the Raspberry community including homes for sale as well as highlights of Loudoun County and Virginia Living.
Full featured Google Calendar showing Raspberry and Loudoun County events.
Calendar summary on the home page
Sidebar content dynamically displayed by selecting buttons

Leesburg Vintner ~ Leesburg, VA

2010-12-18T12:46:01Z

First web building project using sureWebBuilder, a Content Management System (CMS) offered by our hosting provider icdSOFT. A simple, nice design using one of the CMS templates. Many features were added including JavaScript slide shows and Facebook interfaces.

The Facebook interfaces includes:

Facepile: The Facepile plugin displays the Facebook profile pictures of users who have liked your page or have signed up for your site.
Like Button: The Like button lets a user share your content with friends on Facebook. When the user clicks the Like button on your site, a story appears in the user's friends' News Feed with a link back to your website.
Like Box: The Like Box is a social plugin that enables Facebook Page owners to attract and gain Likes from their own website.
Comments: The Comments Box easily enables your users to comment on your site's content

These new features turn your website into a social site!
Check it out at leesburg-vintner.com.

icdSOFT Releases sureWebBuilder

2010-12-18T12:06:54Z

project home page

template selection
click images for large view

icdSOFT recently released sureWebBuilder, a new Content Management System (CMS) that is easy to use and highly customizable. The Objective: Rapid development of custom websites at a low cost.

Features:

Multiple projects on the same server
Nice template selection (over 70) to get started and is very user friendly
Unlimited number of pages and can be nested
Header and footer areas can be designated as "global" or "local"
Easy to use WYSIWYG interface
Easy to use file management system for images, documents and media
Easy to add custom JavaScript and css files.
Good backup features and each page remembers revisions which can be reinstated.

Overall, a good alternative in a world with many CMS options. Contact us if you would like to learn more.

Using images as input in an HTML form

2010-12-10T15:56:59Z

Learn something new every time I try something different and in this case it has everything to do with browser interpretation of standards. Example:

Look to the right and you will see images used to select the color theme for our website. I am using $_GET to pass the color selection. There are subtle differences in how browsers will present the $_GET data in the URL. Here's what I started with using Firefox:
    src="images/user/color-gray.png"
    alt="gray image" title="Click to change style to gray"
    style="width: 25px; height: 25px; padding-right: 5px;" />
...
more  with name="color" value="name of color"
...
In my php routine I used the familiar isset function on $_GET and if set used the key value of 'color' to set the $color variable like so:
if (isset($_GET['color'])) $color = $_GET['color'];
Worked great in Firefox as the URL had the following parameters when clicking the Gray image (notice the color=gray parameter highlighted in red):
/index.html?color.x=12&color.y=11&color=gray
BUT ... Internet Explorer (7 and/or 8) does NOT pass all the same parameters ... Here's the URL with parameters provided by IE (notice the color=gray is not passed, only the coordinates of where I clicked on the image):
/index.html?color.x=12&color.y=18
SO, off to modify the php form handler to accommodate yet another IE interpretation of HTML standards. I renamed each input with its unique color ...
    src="images/user/color-gray.png"
    alt="gray image" title="Click to change style to gray"
    style="width: 25px; height: 25px; padding-right: 5px;" />
and the URL looked like this when gray is clicked
/index.html?gray.x=12&gray.y=18
And the php code (note: gray.x will be changed to gray_x in php):
  if (!empty($_GET))
  {
    // Just need to extract the color in the first key in the $_GET array
    $color_keys = (array_keys($_GET));
    // Then remove the _x to just get the color name
    $color = str_ireplace("_x","",$color_keys[0]);
  }

Now it works the same in both browsers.
:-)

Hybrid News now in more colors!

2010-12-03T18:36:14Z

I just completed modifying the style sheets to generate Hybrid News in more colors. Here's a sample of the blue-gray rendition. Light, interesting and easy to read.

Other colors included red, raspberry, green, Hybrid News Lite (blue), yellow and gray. See the color samples below:

Contact us to order the custom css files.

Install MT on the hosting service of your choice

2010-01-12T22:58:13Z

We have wide experience installing Movable Type on a variety of hosting services including:

icdSOFT
GoDaddy
PAIR
Mid-Phase

We have installed most all versions of MT from V2.6 through the current V4.35. Options include:

Standard MT
Professional Pack
Community Pack

Need More?

Community Blog? YES
Forum? YES
Motion? YES
Hybrid Theme? YES
Notifier? YES
Major Plugins? YES
Google Map Integration? YES
Google Calendar Integration? YES
SimplePie Integration? YES
Lightbox2? YES

If we haven't done it, we can do it. Our broad experience brings you best practices. Contact us for a quote for your install.

Software selection and integration

2010-01-02T12:59:47Z

Software selection and integration becomes a critical step in the development of Websites. Our approach depends on user requirements which may range from very simple to complex. We always attempt to satisfy requirements using free, open source solutions to keep development costs as low as possible.

We use and recommend an underlying Content Management System (CMS) as apposed to manual development of Web pages allowing for rapid development, reduced cost and allowing users to ultimately manage Website content. Our development approach is based on the Movable Type platform:

]]> CMS/Blog Platform: Movable Type Pro Version 4.32

Industrial strength, the platform of choice for large and small enterprises
Create unlimited Blogs and/or Websites
Select standard design templates or create custom designs
Powerful content management system (CMS)
Multiple users with permission managemnt
Extensive Web 2.0 capability
Built in search
Built in graphics and photo management
Super fast performance

Price: Commercial license, 5 users - $400.00

Here are just a few of the open source software/services we have implemented for our clients:

Lightbox2

Photo Gallery: Lightbox 2

This is free software and has become an overwhelming industry standard on websites featuring multiple photos. The photo gallery incorporated on this site uses this technology. Simply click on any thumbnail image under Example on this page to launch the viewer with full size images. In an image set, hover on either side of the image to reveal next/back controls.

Multiple galleries can be created with software controls to select which images are included.

Price: Free

Calendar: Google Calendar

The Google Calendar is a free service and simple to deploy on websites. A sample implementation can be viewed at Providence, our personal Website. The calendar features:

Simple setup
Administrative controls
Public and private entries
Multiple Calendar integration
Mobile and email alerts
Manage tasks
Send event invitations and track RSVP's
Multiple sync options with desktop calendars such as Outlook

Price: Free

Other calendar software is available. These vary in sophistication and cost (free to a nominal license fee) but would require greater effort (and cost) to integrate with the proposed Website.

Interactive Maps: Google Maps

Google Maps is a free service and we have implemented complex, custom versions when mapping is part of your requirements. Many businesses which have a physical address frequented by clients use a Google Map to provide a visual location as well as providing driving directions.

See an example of our personal implementation at Providence: Road Map.

Price: Free

Video Player: YouTube

If there is a requirement to display video on your Website, the simplest and most elegant implementation would be the free video publishing service from YouTube. By publishing on YouTube, there is the added benefit of getting free advertising on the YouTube channel.

Price: Free

To see an example of an embedded Video, see the get in MOTION video on this site.

There are other methods of embedding videos including Macromedia Flash by Adobe Software. The software to build the videos in Flash can be very expensive and requires special technical skills. If your video production service can create Flash videos, we can coordinate the requirements for insertion into the Website.

Video Player: JW FLV Player

As an alternative to YouTube, we have integrated a very flexible video player from Longtail Video: the JW FLV player. You can also see an example on this site under Featured Technology. The JW player supports many video formats and sources.

Price: Free for non-commercial use, a single Website commercial license starts at about $100.

Website development approach

2010-01-01T15:33:48Z

Our Website development approach follow these basic philosophies:

Deploy an administrative platform that supports

1. a content management system (CMS) allowing end user content maintenance
2. a web browser "style sheet" system for flexible design
3. Web 2.0 capabilities for possible visitor interaction
4. capability to easily integrate third party software
5. adherence to Web Standards
6. cross browser compatibility (i.e. Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8 and Firefox)

Choose a Web Hosting company that

1. supports industry standard software
2. is responsive for maximum user/visitor positive experience
3. has a record of 99.9% plus up time
4. is cost effective

Maximize search engine optimization (SEO) by

1. creating web pages which are search engine friendly
2. deploying key search terms in page titles and content
3. submitting "site maps" to search engines for easy indexing

Site development using a live 10 step "Cascading" method:

1. choose a color palette consistent with organization branding
2. design a navigation scheme
3. design/refine page layouts
4. create shell pages
5. select appropriate graphics to be used
6. integrate third party software (i.e. Calendar)
7. add/edit page content
8. engage user in every step
9. iterate over steps 2 through 9 to refine presentation
10. announce public launch

Use free, open source software and/or services whenever possible to reduce development/maintenance cost

Best in class email marketing

2010-01-01T14:32:34Z

Deliver your message to the right people with opt-in email marketing. We deliver best in class, proven techniques to get you noticed whether it is for personal use, organizations such as non-profits/associations or business. You will be surprised at how affordable it is.

We do everything for you:
- Already have a subscriber/customer list? We load it for you.
- Build a subscriber list from scratch
- Design the look and feel of the email
- Personalize it to specific subscribers
- Always include an unsubscribe link that takes effect immediately
- Test it for proper appearance in all the major email clients
- Schedule delivery
- Give you access to all the stats so you can see your message effectiveness
- Provide a Sign Up form for your Website

Do it yourself:
- email Newsletters
- Website sign up forms
- Follow up autoresponders
- Email analytics
- Top-notch email deliverability
- Unlimited campaigns at a VERY low monthly cost
- Vast supply of ready to use templates
- Superior customer support
- Check out one of our partners: AWeber Communications

Just need help with a custom design?
- We design your templates using email client compatible methods
- You add your own content
- Schedule you own deliveries
- You take advantage of AWeber affordable rates

Either way, you will be on the forefront of electronic marketing. Need help? Contact us for a complimentary consultation and pricing.

Important: email marketing SPAM is never tolerated and we will not support marketing with purchased email lists. Your list must be an existing membership list already opted-in to receive communication or a list derived from an opt-in process. We only support permission based email marketing. No exceptions. Period.

Enabling PHP on your server

2009-12-31T15:18:52Z

Hosting providers have different requirements to enable PHP on the servers you use. Our experience is:

GoDaddy: Requires all Web pages containg PHP code have the .php file type.

icdSoft: Enable PHP by creating an .htaccess file in the root directory and adding the following code:

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php5 .php .html .htm

We can continue using .html as the file type and when PHP is embedded using

the server interprets it appropriately.

If in doubt, save yourself some time. Look for enabling PHP in the server support help pages or contact your hosting provider support staff.

Adding optional page layouts to MT 4+ themes

2009-12-29T22:15:23Z

There are instances when it is desired to have page layout options in the MT 4+ themes besides wtt, twt, tw, wt, mw and wm (w=wide, t=thin, m=medium). A case in point: on our personal Blog Providence (using the MT Professional Black Theme) we wanted a full Page width with no sidebars to display a Google Calendar and Google Map the entire width. Here's how we got it:

]]>

@import url(<$mt:StaticWebPath$>themes-base/blog.css);
@import url(<$mt:StaticWebPath$>addons/Commercial.pack/themes/professional-black/screen.css);

The themes-base/blog.css is the standard setup for all themes and contains the css definitions for the various layouts. We added the following:

/* Wide */
.layout-w #alpha {
    width: 940px;
}
.layout-w #beta }
    width: 0px;
}

The standard Page layout is wide-medium (wm) defined in the Page archive template with this code:

<$mt:Var name="page_layout" value="layout-wm"$>

The "page-layout" variable is later used to set the content style. We have two Pages created: "Road calendar" and "Road map" requiring the wide layout. Here is the code we added to the Page archive template (right after the standard value above):


<$mt:Var name="page_layout" value="layout-w"$>


<$mt:Var name="page_layout" value="layout-w"$>

Add the content to the pages and you will have a single wide page layout. Here are my examples:
Road Calendar
Road Map

** Test title resulting in a URL with a leading dash

2009-12-27T14:20:21Z

We have detected a condition causing server 500 errors (not a good thing) when the entry title contains non-alpha/numeric leading characters.

The Entry Title is used to create an entry URL with non-alpha/numeric and spaces replaced with dashes. Example:

This is an entry title generates a URL this-is-an-entry-title.html

When a title is entered as:

** This is an entry title ** MT generates -this-is-an-entry-title.html

The leading dash in the URL causes the error. It has been reported to MT support.

DAX Safety & Staffing, LLC ~ Kansas City, MO

2009-12-21T05:59:43Z

A site quickly developed for a heavy construction safety and staffing consultant in Kansas City, MO. Features include a slide show with fading transistions using jQuery and Javascript DHTML active menus by Milonic.

The site was up and running in less than 4 days including all the graphic design, MT template modifications and CSS customization. A real treat to get a striking site in production so quickly. Better yet, a happy client!

Visit DAX at www.daxsafety.com

What's style got to do with it?

2009-12-12T14:10:00Z

Prior to all the Social Networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, Blogs were the most explosive phenomena on the planet! Blogs were the original innovation for people to express themselves and invite participation by others. Politics, personals, diaries, merchants, products, real estate services (yes!) and much more. Blogs are probably more relevant today than ever before. Blogs are free expression. Blogs have personality. Blogs make statements. Blogs entertain. Blogs and social media are symbiotic. Blogs have style!

In search of the ultimate blog style...

Check out these samples:

A List Apart: clean, organized and refreshing, teaches the art of style
Web Designer Ramblings: The epitome of brilliance in minimization
To Real: Minimal at its best!
The San Diego Home Blog: Chris and Steve Berg at their best!
Rain City Guide: Informative, interactive, sometimes controversial. Good use of screen real estate
Real Central VA: Clean and very organized, promotes conversation
RealEstateJournal-WSJ: Lots of content, headlines pop out, you can find what you want
The Daily Pundit: Great San Fransisco style. Where have you been?
Matrix: Nice style. Content can be controversial.
Zillow Blog: I hate cartoonish logos and icons. How juvenile.
Curbed: Makes me dizzy but very popular.

Style can be subjectively measured in many ways; from the first visual impression to the depth of content. I didn't care for IMUS at first but after staying tuned for more than a minute, he grew on me. Those mentioned above are our Favorites for reasons of style; albeit visual and/or cerebral.

I prefer the more subtle, organized, clean style and clear organized thought. I am also visual. Give me pictures and diagrams.

Our style is evolving. Ultimately it may never be static. I think that is a good thing. We would gladly entertain your comments, suggestions and/or criticisms.

Is Google changing their search pages?

2009-12-01T14:54:11Z

I found a link to this article this morning on the TypePad site:

Google's new look? The search giant is testing a revamped results page
...
The good news, should the new look utterly disgust you, is that so far Google hasn't even mentioned the new look (and had not responded to our inquires when this story was published) let alone taken any steps toward making it official. Given Google's track record of beta testing, we suspect the redesign will be thoroughly and publicly tested before it goes live, if in fact it ever does.

Find the article and picture of new format on webmonkey monkey_bites.