Thread: WPMU Site with multiple themes

WPMU Site with multiple themes

I want to set up a portal for my local City.

I will start with a business directory using Vantage and in the near future will add a Coupons/Vouchers Blog using Clipper. Then in the future I will look to add a Classified Ads section and a Job Board using ClassiPress and JobRoller.

A few questions....

1. Should I set the blog up as a WPMU from day 1 and then install each "section" of the site as a separate blog and then install the relevant theme to that blog

2. Do all of the themes work with each other - for example if a business signed up for a business listing could they then post a classified add or job listing without having to create a new account for the separate themes ?

3. If use multiple blog/themes is there an easy way of keeping a single header/footer across all blogs so I don’t have to edit numerous files for every tweak across the entire portal ?

4. Can I easily import "listings" into Vantage ?

5. Is there an easy way to import "Coupon Codes" into Clipper ?

6. Can Clipper be used for non-website Coupons – so instead of clicking to visit a site they see a coupon they can print and present in a shop/restaurant or display on a mobile device ?

7. Does JobRoller come with any job import scripts or do I need to purchase a plugin for this ?

8. I would like a Q&A Section for my portal [as per the Askit theme from Elegant Themes] the closet thing you have to this seems to be Ideas - do you think this can be easily converted to a Q&A Section ?

9. If I buy a single theme to begin with for $99 can I get access to the remaining themes for $150 [$249 - $99] at some point in the future ?

Many Thanks
MrM

In answer to your questions:

1. If you are looking to use multiple themes on a single website then the easiest way to manage them will be through a WordPress multisite setup, so yes you may as well set it up this way from the start. Each theme could be in its own subdirectory:

e.g.
yourdomain.com <== Vantage
yourdomain.com/coupons <== Clipper
yourdomain.com/classifieds <== ClassiPress
yourdomain.com/jobs <== JobRoller

2. The themes don't automatically link users together, you'd have to share the user database but this can be done via the multisite setup

3. You'd ultimately need to edit each independently, but once it's not done it's not something you'd need to keep updating anyway..

4. Vantage has a built in .csv import tool, so you can use this to import bulk listings.

5. Clipper also has a .csv importer built into the theme

6. Yes, Clipper allows you to create coupon codes or printable coupons

7. JobRoller has Indeed integration built into the theme, however you can also purchase additional feed aggregator plugins from the AppThemes marketplace.

8. Yes it can be done, an existing customer has done something similar with their Ideas site in the AppThemes customer showcase

9. If you buy a single theme to start with, yes you can upgrade to AppThemes club at a later time paying the difference between prices at the time you upgrade.

If you wish to read more about individual theme features and check out the demo sites, you can get to these from our main themes page. Thanks.

Hey Pepsi,

Thanks for your reply.

I have a few follow up questions....

1. Where can I see a demo of what a user sees when he logs in ?

2. Is the listing layout as shown in the Vantage demo the default layout i.e. will I get that once theme is installed or will I need to set that up myself ?

3. For search bar on Vantage - can I remove the "Near" field [I want to use create a directory for a single City]

4. Can you expand on what you mean by "you'd have to share the user database but this can be done via the multisite setup" - would a user need multiple log-in's to admin info from different themes ?

Many thanks.
MrM

1. The Vantage demo site is automatically logged in by default, so that is what a user sees when they log in.

2. Yes the demo shows you how your site will look out of the box (apart from the actual listings and categories used), without any additional plugins. The layout is achieved through configuration when you initially install it.

3. The "Near" field cannot be removed via a setting within the Vantage admin dashboard, so it would require some customization of the theme code on your part if you were looking to remove it.

4. If you installed various themes in subdirectories, this doesn't automatically link the user databases between them (i.e. they would literally have to register and log in separately to each theme). But if you make the required changes to link the databases, then this will allow a user to register and log in just once. Thanks.

Hi Pepsi,

Thanks for that, I have a whole new set of questions. Sorry about this but after wasting my time and money with another directory theme I want to be 100% sure your product will cater for my needs before I buy]

1. Can the area with the search box and menu bar be made to expand to full width of screen ?

2. Likewise, with the map can this be made to fit the full width of screen ?

3. Can I change the top menu bar to include the main top level categories [ie shown horizontally rather than shown as a drop down on mouseover] ?

4. Currently categories and sub categories are displayed when a user mouseovers “Categories” on menu bar – If a category had “sub sub” categories how would they display ? - how many levels of sub categories can I have ?

5. Events - I see a user can enter an event that either last a certain number of days or can enter a number of different dates the event occurs - can they submit a regular event - eg every Tuesday night until further notice ?

6. Hidden Affiliate URLs - can I set up an affiliate link for a listing - visitors to the site will be shown the standard www link (eg amazon couk) but when they click the click it will actually go to an affiliate link (eg amazon co uk/productcode/affiliatecode)

7. "Contact the Listing Owner" form - is it possible to add a Capture to this to avoid a bot spamming all of our listings

8. Is there any limit on number of Categories OR Listings the plugin can handle

9. On business listing by category page - is there a way of displaying the sub categories (for that main category) above the listings

I think that's about it :-)

Many thanks
MrM

No problem, we'd certainly rather you clarified information before you make a purchase so that you're comfortable that the theme includes the features you're looking for :)

Questions 1-3 all relate to customization of the theme as these are not options/settings which you can change from within the Vantage admin dashboard. Vantage is not encrypted, so ultimately you are free to modify the theme as you wish.

4. You can add as many categories/subcategories etc as you like and determine the category depth from the Vantage admin dashboard as seen here on the admin demo site.

5. You can add multiple dates to an event listing at the time of listing it, but it still involves adding the dates individually rather than a recurring date as you describe.

Questions 6-8 These are all not currently a feature of the theme, so it would require customization if you were looking to implement it. Thanks.