Social Gifting – The Missing Link Between the Virtual & Real Worlds of Social Media

In just a few weeks, JunoWallet will be releasing its latest innovation – Gift Behind, a new addition to their JunoWallet/JunoPoints program.  Gift Behind integrates brick and mortar establishments with live social networks, creating the missing link between the real world and the ‘virtual’ world of media.  Catalyzing a whole new category called Social Gifting. [...]

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JunoWallet, the Perfect FourSquare Add-On

There’s a new app in town available for the iPhone, iPad and Droid that is changing the rules for location-based networks like Foursquare. The app? JunoWallet. The hype? Promotional incentives and the introduction of an entirely new category to social networking called ‘Social Gifting.’ So, what’s the big deal? Before the introduction of the JunoWallet, [...]

A gift for you A gift for you

How to Choose a Good Web Hosting Company

  In a world filled with choices and an Internet flooded with web hosting companies, people are often overwhelmed when tying to decide where to host their website. Because of my background in the web hosting business, and work in website design, I am often asked which web host should be used. When choosing a hosting company, there [...]

featured_photo1 featured_photo1

Does Social Media Have a Place in Your B2B?

In various social media briefings and presentations that I’ve facilitated, it’s been brought up that social media is great for those B2C (Business to Consumer) organizations, but really doesn’t apply as well for a B2B organization (Business to Business). My answer? Social media can become a key way for B2B’s to connect and interact with their customers, build [...]

featured_photo2 featured_photo2

Manually Move a WordPress Blog to a New Folder

Steps for moving a WordPress blog to another folder on your domain. Step One: Move the contents of the main wordpress folder to the new location. Here are three ways to do this. 1. Rename the blog folder, for instance: Rename $domain.com/$oldname to $domain.com/$newname (Ex: I could rename searchableme.com/wordpress to searchableme.com/blog) 2. Move the blog [...]

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Social Gifting – The Missing Link Between the Virtual & Real Worlds of Social Media

October 4th, 2010 mhillaert

In just a few weeks, JunoWallet will be releasing its latest innovation – Gift Behind, a new addition to their JunoWallet/JunoPoints program.  Gift Behind integrates brick and mortar establishments with live social networks, creating the missing link between the real world and the ‘virtual’ world of media.  Catalyzing a whole new category called Social Gifting.

Traditionally (if we can even use that word in reference to social media), Social Gifting has been limited to sending a friend a weapon in Mafia Wars or points for Farkle on Facebook.  The gifts, although a fun way to connect with friends, are virtual in nature.

Companies like JunoWallet are changing this, uniting the virtual world of social media with a tangible real life experience and benefit.  Use your imagination.  The possibilities are endless.  Instead of leaving someone a weapon for their virtual world, you can leave your friend a piece of pie, or a beer at your favorite restaurant.  Even better?  Send all of your friends $50 in chips to spend at the closest casino.  The best part?  It doesn’t cost you a dime.

Advertisers are always looking for ways to put their product or name directly into the hands of their customers or potential customers.  The advent of social gifting makes this easier.  Instead of spending money on professional advertisements, venues can take some of their budget and apply it towards gifting their own products directly to the public.

So, how does Social Gifting work? 

  • Choose an item to gift.  The advertiser chooses an item to gift to customers and sets it up in their JunoWallet account.
  • Users check-in to the venue and leave a Gift Behind.  While at the venue, users check-in to JunoWallet and are automatically asked if they would like to leave a Gift Behind for a friend.
  • Venue logo and gift are sent to friends.  Every time a Gift Behind is sent, a Facebook wall post, Twitter post, Foursquare Shout Out and JunoWallet /JunoPoints newsfeed are generated featuring your venue’s logo and item picture and description, such as a specific drink, mini appetizer or dessert item.
  • Friends visit venue to redeem gift.  In order to receive the gift, the friend has to redeem it at the same location by the specified expiration date.
  • Friend who left Gift Behind receives 20 JunoPoints upon redemption.  For every friend that redeems a Gift Behind, the ‘gifter’ receives 20 JunoPoints towards that venue.

It’s easy to see how the customer benefits… but what about the Venue.  What do they get out of it?

With Social Gifting, the venue really wins.

  • The average venue can receive over 1,000,000 ad impressions in any given month on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Yelp, exposure for which traditional advertising would traditionally cost thousands of dollars.
  • Performance statistics are provided to indicate the success of each Gift Behind, allowing a business owner to manage their business and product offerings based on what their customers want.
  • When a user comes in to the venue to redeem a gift behind, odds are that they will spend money on other items such as a cup of coffee to go with a piece of pie, or a second drink, etc, making up for the nominal cost of the gifted item.

It will be interesting to see how quickly the world adapts to the idea of Social Gifting, but given the facts, I’d be willing to bet it won’t take long before other major social networks are jumping on board.  It just makes sense.

So, what do you think about Social Gifting?  Would you try it?

Earn a $50 Vacation Cash Card by Checking-in to HotSpots with JunoWallet

September 30th, 2010 mhillaert

On Friday, JunoWallet is going to ‘experiment’ with NorthWest Indiana and Chicago. We’re going to create seven seperate “HotSpots” where you can check-in with JunoWallet and receive a $50 Vacation Cash Card directly to your JunoWallet account on your mobile device.

We are making this benefit available all day Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2 at the following locations:

Gotta love BDubs (Buffalo Wild Wings)!

Stop in at the following locations, enjoy some wings and check-in to these JunoWallet HotSpots to capture your $50 Vacation Cash Card.

5000 South Franklin
Michigan City, IN 46360-7803

4343 North Grape Road
Mishawaka, IN 46545-2606

212 East Lincolnway
Valparaiso, IN 46383-5691

1200 Indianapolis Boulevard (Rt. 41)
Schererville, IN 46375-1310

Holy Casino!

Check-in to the JunoWallet HotSpot while at the Four Winds Casino and the Blue Chip Casino to receive your $50 Vacation Cash Card.

Blue Chip Casino
777 Blue Chip Drive
Michigan City, IN 46360

Four Winds Casino
11111 Wilson Rd
New Buffalo, Michigan 49117

Here Comes Chicago!

Ever been to Sully’s House?  If not, now’s the time to give it a try.  Pick up your free $50 Vacation Cash Card while enjoying a beer and watching the big game.

Sully’s House
1501 N Dayton St
Chicago, IL, 60642

JunoWallet, the Perfect FourSquare Add-On

September 28th, 2010 mhillaert

There’s a new app in town available for the iPhone, iPad and Droid that is changing the rules for location-based networks like Foursquare. The app? JunoWallet. The hype? Promotional incentives and the introduction of an entirely new category to social networking called ‘Social Gifting.’

So, what’s the big deal?

Before the introduction of the JunoWallet, JunoPoints program, the main beneficiaries of Foursquare were venue mayors, or those users who checked-in to a venue the most using Foursquare. That’s no longer the case.

The JunoPoints program is taking Foursquare to a new level by providing a tangible incentive and benefit to everyone who checks-in to a venue, and allows users to share that benefit with friends.

Suddenly, location-based networks like Foursquare become not only a place for social competition and badge collection, but a value add for everyone, because any participating Foursquare member can check-in to a venue and earn gift cards and/or JunoPoints towards merchandise.

JunoWallet creates ‘real world’ rewards in a virtual environment.

By using the JunoWallet, people can monetize something that doesn’t cost them money; it just costs them activity. A user can go walk through the mall, check-in to their favorite venues and earn JunoPoints. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t cost them anything, yet they receive a tangible value.

Using JunoPoints. How does it work?

  • Users earn 20 JunoPoints every time they log in to a venue.
  • 1 JunoPoint = 1 penny
  • Threshold for redemption is 10,000 JunoPoints – or $100.
  • Some places will give away bulk JunoPoints (such as 1,000 JunoPoints, or $10) to get people in the door.

Here’s the kicker…

Before the introduction of Juno Wallet, when you received JunoPoints or gifts, you were the only person who could benefit. The introduction of ‘social gifting’ changes this dramatically.

“In two weeks, JunoWallet will be releasing the first ever loyalty-based program that lets you share gifts, called ‘Gift You’ and ‘Gift Me,’” says Chris Sweis, Chief Mobile Officer for JunoWallet. “We combined social gifting and social buying into one app.”

With JunoWallet, for the first time, you can actually share your JunoPoints and gift cards with friends or other JunoWallet users, and sharing is as easy as ‘bumping’ two phones together.

To clarify… if I have 1,000 JunoPoints, and my friend has 9,000, I can gift a thousand JunoPoints to my friend to give her a total of 10,000 JunoPoints, the number she needs to redeem a gift certificate.

In order to jumpstart veteran Foursquare users new to JunoWallet, every new user gets credit for up to their last 250 Foursquare check-ins and will receive JunoPoints. “We want to reward them for their recent location-based loyalty, instead of being at zero from day one.” Chris Sweis

It’s easy to see how the JunoPoints program benefits users, but how does this translate to the vendors providing the benefit?

  • JunoPoints creates incentive for users to “check-in” more often, because they will always receive a benefit.
  • It improves online visibility through word-of-mouth advertising on social networks, because of increased check-ins.
  • By utilizing the “HotSpot” feature where users can check-in and receive promotional gifts, vendors can create a form of “mobile billboard” to advertise and promote their products and venues.

Elizabeth Cecconi, Director of Marketing and Development for the South Bend Airport, is excited to be using the JunoPoints and HotSpot programs. The South Bend Airport is the first airport to adopt JunoWallet, creating a ‘HotSpot’ sponsored by Travelocity.

“In addition to earning 50 JunoPoints with each check-in, users that check-in to our airport will be prompted to download a $50 Vacation Cash Card, powered by the Travelocity Network. Location based loyalty is built around our travelers. By rewarding travelers for social networking activity and check-ins we now have the opportunity to engage our passengers on a new level. Social gifting and social buying are a brand new social media paradigm –what we are doing is delivering small amounts of happiness in the form of small gifts.”

Feel like trying it out? Visit www.JunoWallet.com for more details or to download the iPhone/Android applications to start reaping new benefits with every Foursquare check-in.

Keep your eye out as JunoWallet continues to grow and create more ways to provide value to their customers. So what’s next? Ways you can leave gifts behind. Now, think about the possiblilities!

Good-bye Michiana… Guess “Hoosiers” aren’t so bad afterall!

September 20th, 2010 mhillaert

Changes have never been easy for me, and saying good-bye to wonderful friends… well, frankly… it hurts.  Ever since the decision was made to move to the Washington D.C. area, I’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions.  One minute, elated for new opportunities, being united with old friends, Costco… and yes.. I DID just say Costco :)  The next minute I’d find myself embarrassingly enough… in tears.

So… why the tears?  To be completely honest with you, when I first moved to South Bend, I hated it.  I’m a Texas girl… you know… from the ‘friendly’ state?  Not only was it hard to make new friends in this strange land… but the weather was cold for way too long.  I felt alone, and was often dreaming of my old home in Naples, Florida and wondering why I had thrown myself at the mercy of life in “Hoosierland.”  Yuk!

Things began to change about two years ago when I finally started getting out of the house, I joined the WBOM (Women’s Business Owners of Michiana) to try to drum up some consulting business. For me… this was one of the best decisions I made, and it was the beginning of a huge attitude change towards these people that called themselves “Hoosiers.”

At WBOM, I met Kerri Blair, of Kerri’s Avenue Salon, who, over time, has become one of my best friends. What started as a business relationship quickly turned into a close friendship. Being a young and somewhat inexperienced entrepreneur, Kerri taught me many valuable lessons on building relationships, networking and standing up for myself.

Kerri was quickly followed with friendships like Elizabeth LaRocco, owner of Hugs From Heaven Baby Boutique, Sue and Pat Mulligan of Mulligans Bar and Grill, Amber, Liz, Ryan… And the numbers grew.  I guess “Hoosiers” weren’t so bad after all.

Last year, I ventured out of the house and started a full time job with the Pinnacle Group of Indiana. Social Media was the game… or… job that is. My experience at Pinnacle was life-changing… to say the least.  Co-workers quickly became friends, as did clients and so many other people that I met through my work there.

Pinnacle challenged me to learn new things and to stretch way outside my comfort zone. I began to follow blogs and learned of great minds like Seth Godin and Mitch Joel. I was in a constant school of business, drinking in every word and action at client meetings.  Listening to the business leaders there, and learning.

One of my strengths during my time with Pinnacle was in networking and building relationships with local leaders.  In saying good-bye to these connections, I’ve found myself choking up. I had to ask myself… why the heck would I want to cry and feel so sad saying goodbye to someone like Mark McDonnell of LaSalle Grill?  He’s a business relationship.

But you see… Mark is way more than that to me.  Mark is a friend that will be greatly missed.  I’ll probably think of Mark every time I sit down in a restaurant and receive coffee that’s just… well… sub-par.

You see… If I’ve built a business relationship with you… then I’ve built a friendship.  To me… the two are inseparable.

Right now, as it stands, I have friends all over South Bend. Large business friends. Small business friends. No business friends.

So I want to personally thank you for changing my outlook, bringing joy to my life, and finally… for making me cry:

To my dear neighbors on our secluded cul-de-sac, you will be sorely missed.  Katie & Nick, Charity & Chris and your beautiful kiddos who have been the best friends to ours.. what will we do without you?  I’ll have to find someone else from whom to borrow a cup of sugar or bottle of wine :)  You guys are truly the best!

Thanks to WBOM members, Allison Nanni, Patti Spice, Hope Nutting, Karen Barnett and especially my bff, (and yes… I DID just use that terminology :) Kerri Blair.  For the beautiful hair styles and the advice… whether solicited or not… you know it was always heard and often taken :)

Thanks to my band… especially TJ for giving me a chance as a ‘band’ newbie when others did not.  You guys are amazing.  Adam, Tony, Greg, Brandon… you opened my eyes to so many new and interesting things in life.  It truly was a pleasure :)

Have to give a huge shout-out to my favorite karaoke DJ’s and local friends (yes… we all know I’m an addict).  Jerry and Marcus, you’re the best!  Thanks for bumping Debbie and I up the list on numerous occasions.  I will really be missing you in D.C.  Don’t think I’ll be getting such favoritism there :)  Thanks Elizabeth L., Lisa, Tracey, Amber, Liz & Ryno for the fun, laughs and a little bit of perspective :)

To my lovely ND Law Student friends PJ and Kaitlin… thanks for keeping me young and making me feel like a gourmet chef!  Y’all are welcome to visit us any time :)

SMC Chicago… you guys rock!  My first “Social” experience.  Jeff Willinger, Rebecca Denison, Tim McDonald, Jessica Murray… thanks for all the advice and for your help in jumpstarting SMC Michiana.

Thanks to the NWI TweetUp group.  You were my first real tweetup experience.  Dave Woodson, Nat Finn… you guys had me rolling more than once.  Karl, Nichole, Saan, Chris (yes… I remembered your name this time.  LOL), Jay, all of y’all… thank you for being so welcoming to me.  You will be missed.

Thanks to my wonderful SMCN (Social Media Coaching Network) group.  You guys were such a hoot!  Loved every minute.  Juan Flores, Andy Jewett, Sally Brown, Cathy Baldwin, Wendy Ballast, Tammy Dodd, Ann Lagomarcino, Mark McDonnell, Laurell McDonnell, Nancy McDonnell.

Huge thanks to the original SMC Michiana team… Edgar Diaz from Memorial Hospital, my new bff (yes… I DID use the term AGAIN) Elizabeth Cecconi from the South Bend Airport.  You guys have made such an awesome team.  Everyone has worked so hard to get our organization off the ground.

I’ve had so much fun getting to know the Agency ND group over at Notre Dame, Don Schindler and Tim O’Connor.  Don, thanks for all of your advice.  You ARE the real thing.  Tim, thanks for inviting me to tailgate with y’all.  I had a real blast and FINALLY had the opportunity tailgate, ND style.  You guys are the best :)

My friends at OrderedList.com, Steve Smith and John (What’s his name?  Yeah… I’m GREAT at forgetting names… LOL).  Steve… I’ll be hitting you up for that bacon-wrapped jalapeño tailgate recipe!

Tony and Tina’s Wedding gang… especially Elizabeth LaRocco… Thanks for the laughs and fun, girl!  You’re a wonderful mama, a creative entreprenuer and sweet friend.  For the rest of the crew…  I had so much fun getting to know y’all.  Being in an off-broadway play was a ton of work, but so worth the friendships that came out of it!

SBPD – Yes… South Bend Police Department… Namely… @edwardlife.  You do an amazing job with the SBPD social media, and it was such fun getting to know you.  Thanks for being such a great tweep :)

I have to thank my co-workers at Pinnacle, especially Jason, Jen, Janet, Ryan, Neil, Joel, Bill, Lamar… the ‘privileged’ few who saw both sides of ‘the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead.’  Thanks for lending an ear & putting up with me every day :)  At work, I had the privilege of being a part of both the development team and the sales team… and honorary front office and IT team.  All of you guys rock.  You made me smile and laugh, allowed me to make fun of you and be loud and obnoxious.  Hope you enjoy the peace and quiet that you will now be enjoying, irregardless of the fact that I’m sure someone will step into my shoes soon :)

Thank you to the Pinnacle management team, especial Mark Meyer.  You’ve been an awesome business mentor, and I have sooo many take-aways… still ‘wrapping my mind’ around it all :)  As for the rest of you… thanks for being patient with me and putting up with my mistakes… you know… like ordering a $40 fish for a guest because I (we) didn’t think to look at the menu prices?  You guys are awesome.  (And if you haven’t told Maurice about that one yet… good thing my last day is Friday!  LOL)

Even though I’m taking him with me… I’d be very remiss if I didn’t say thank you to my ”Awesome” (watch “Chuck” to understand that one), Trent Hillaert (also an original “Hoosier”), for putting up with the many sides of ‘me’ through all of this.  Thanks, hun :)

Honestly, I have so many new and wonderful friends here, that it would take pages to get to everyone.  Fact is… “Hoosiers” really aren’t so bad after all.  I’m leaving with a major attitude change, a ton of friends, and a fresh outlook on life.

So… if I cry when I say goodbye to you… please don’t take it as a sign of weakness… but the fact that I truly care… and you will be missed… dearly.

One last note… (and yes… this IS a threat) if I find that you have come within one hour of me, and have not Tweeted or FB’d me.  You will be reckoned with!  Next time you come to the D.C. area… your drink’s on me.  (How’s that for incentive?  :)

Twitter:  @mhillaert
Facebook:  http://facebook.com/michellehillaert
LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/in/michellehillaert
YouTube:  (Well… let me think about that… NAH ;)
Phone:  Friend me on Facebook.  Look in the info tab.  (Like I’m really going to put THAT on a blog? LOL)

My final Michiana #FF:
@mitchjoel (Six Pixels of Separation – only non-local #FF, a real value-add), @donschindler, @oaknd1, @orderedlist, @viewfromsbn, @diptoe, @edwardlife, @davewoodson, @natfinn, @ktatgenhorst, @rebeccadenison, @jwillie, @jasonfisher, @momadvice, @dadadvice, @joelchmiel, @kemmeyer, @markmeyer, @jafields

There are many more I could add… but these are the people that I connected with on a daily basis.  Great networkers or awesome sharers of information.  Thanks y’all!

How to Choose a Good Web Hosting Company

August 27th, 2010 mhillaert

Photo from flickr courtesy of MarcoBellucci

 

In a world filled with choices and an Internet flooded with web hosting companies, people are often overwhelmed when tying to decide where to host their website. Because of my background in the web hosting business, and work in website design, I am often asked which web host should be used.

When choosing a hosting company, there are several things you need to keep in mind.

Does the hosting package come with a control panel?

Most hosting companies will include a control panel in their hosting package.  That being said, I have run into several situations where website owners had previously existing hosting accounts, with no control panel access.  In this situation, I generally encourage them to move to another hosting company. 

Why do you need a control panel?
A control panel allows you to have easy one-click access to certain website tools.  Some of the more helpful tools would be: 

  • Email account creation and control – easily create email accounts, change email passwords, set up email forwarding, create a mailing list, etc.
  • FTP Users – create FTP users, change FTP passwords, control directory access to particular directories for certain FTP users.
  • File Manager – View site files, change file name, permissions, edit contents, etc.
  • Statistics – While many are using Google Analytics to measure their web site statistics, many control panels include a tool that does this as well.
  • MySql Database (phpMyAdmin) – easily set up and maintain multiple mysql databases
  • Easy installation of modules and extensions (php, asp, etc)
  • One-click installation of programs such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, phpBB

Sample Section of a cPanel Control Panel

 

With the use of a control panel, you do not need to have a strong technical background to install included programs or manage basic website functions, like adding an email address or an FTP account. 

Make sure they have great customer support reviews.

When something goes wrong with your email, installations or basic site functions, and you need help, nothing is more frustrating than trying to contact your web host and not getting a response, or even worse, receiving poor customer service.  Do your research and answer the following questions before you choose your hosting company. 

  • What is their response time?  How quickly do they respond to a technical support request?
  • Are their answers generally helpful and are they courteous to their clients?
  • Do they have a “Live Chat” option?
  • Do they have phone support?
  • Can you actually talk to a live person, or do you have to climb through a maze of indistinct phone options?

 

Choosing a web host with winning support can save quite a bit of time and effort in the long run.  In my experience as a web host manager and support technician, I’ve seen plenty of stories where people transfered their hosting to our company (which has since been sold) because they were unable to get some basic functions fixed, due to poor customer service and support.  

Are the packages fair and competitive?

Just because a hosting company brags about cheap web hosting, this does not mean it is quality web hosting. They may be seriously limiting the number of email addresses you can add, or giving you a lot of space and just a little bandwidth, or vice versa. 

Research and compare hosting packages. 

  • Is the package price competitive? What all does it include?
  • Make sure that the package includes a good amount of bandwidth (transfer) and space.
  • How many email accounts do they allow?
  • Do they include mailing lists?
  • Ability to add FTP users?
  • Can you have databases?  If so, how many?
  • Is it configured to work with PHP, CGI, ASP, etc? If not, some of your scripts will not work when uploaded to the server.
  • Can you host multiple domains under your account, i.e. host unlimited domains?

Are the domains backed up regularly?

Make sure your hosting company offers some sort of backup service. This is very helpful if an unintended change has been made, and there was no manual backup made prior to the change. Within minutes you can have a copy of the file back on the server, and the web site functioning properly again. 

Finally? Research, research, research!

We are blessed to be in a day and age where gobs of information is at our fingertips. All we have to do is navigate to Google and run a quick search to find the answers to virtually any question we can imagine. If ever in doubt, Google it! Social media and real-time search has exponentially expanded the type of information that can be recovered by simply searching.  It is easier than ever to find user opinions on virtually any topic. So, before you make a choice on a company to host your website… do the research! 

Wait… one last thing.  If you’re curious as to my suggestion…

My favorite hosting company to recommend to clients and friends is Blue Host.  Blue Host has a great customer service department and they offer a full package for a fair price.  Their Professional Web Hosting is $6.95/mo and in addition to other features, their package includes the following: 

  • Unlimited Domain Hosting
  • Unlimited GB Hosting Space
  • Unlimited GB File Transfer
  • Unlimited Email Accounts
  • Free Domain Name
  • Ful Control Panel

In case you were wondering… no, I’m not affiliated with Blue Host.  I recommend them simply because in my own search to find good hosting for my friends and clients, they have proven their great customer service, and the packages speak for themselves. 

Good luck with finding your hosting company!  If you have had any good/bad experiences with any host in particular, feel free to share your experience.  Thanks!

Does Social Media Have a Place in Your B2B?

August 18th, 2010 mhillaert
In various social media briefings and presentations that I’ve facilitated, it’s been brought up that social media is great for those B2C (Business to Consumer) organizations, but really doesn’t apply as well for a B2B organization (Business to Business). My answer?

Social media can become a key way for B2B’s to connect and interact with their customers, build SEO, increase their expertise and leadership, and save money via saving time.

How is this? One answer can be found in blogging. Most B2B’s will have certain common questions their customers will be asking. Put the answers to these questions in a blog, and when customers call, send them the link. If they have more questions, they can call back, but in the meantime, instead of explaining the same thing over and over, the customer service rep can spend time on more productive and revenue-building activities. Other blog articles can cover latest news, new products, how-to’s, etc.

What it comes down to is this. Know your clients. Know the questions they have or the key words they will be searching on, and then deliver through your blog. Share latest news, new products, etc.  In the end, it’s all about connecting with your customer and becoming the thought leader in your industry.

A few more simple ways B2B’s can leverage social media?

  • Create how-to videos either your customers or their customers can review to learn how to use your product.
  • Share simple tips & tricks of the trade.
  • Big one… leverage LinkedIn and LinkedIn groups to connect with customers and potential customers in a business environment.

Manually Move a WordPress Blog to a New Folder

August 18th, 2010 mhillaert

Steps for moving a WordPress blog to another folder on your domain.

Step One: Move the contents of the main wordpress folder to the new location.

Here are three ways to do this.

1. Rename the blog folder, for instance:
Rename $domain.com/$oldname to $domain.com/$newname
(Ex: I could rename searchableme.com/wordpress to searchableme.com/blog)

2. Move the blog folder to a new location.
Move $domain.com/blog to $domain.com/updates/blog
(Ex: I could move the searchableme.com/blog folder to searchableme.com/updates/blog)

3. Make the blog the default view of the website by moving the contents of the folder to have $domain.com automatically open to the blog.
Move the contents of the $domain.com/$oldname folder to your default www folder.
(Ex: Move all files in searchableme.com/blog to searchableme.com default folder.)

 

Step Two: Update the database.

There are a many ways you can do this. The examples I’m giving here are directly related to Linux servers and the MySQL database.

Key answer: In the database for your domain, you need to update the “siteurl” and “home” variables in the “wp_options” table to reflect the new location.

Two ways to update the database on a Linux server:

1. Update via the command Linux command line.
Log in to your MySQL database, then:

mysql> update wp_options set option_value = “$domain” where option_name =”siteurl”;
(Ex: mysql> update wp_options set option_value = “http://searchableme.com” where option_name =”siteurl”;)

2. Update Via PHPMyAdmin in your Control Panel
Log into your Control Panel, and into PHPMyAdmin and select your blog database, then:

a. Click the “wp_options” table name on the left-hand side of the screen:

Click wp-options

b. To change the blog location, click the pen icon next to the ‘siteurl’ option name.

Click ‘Pen” icon to edit ‘siteurl.’

c. Change the name of the siteurl to the new name.

Change http://searchableme.com/blog to http://searchableme.com, and then click “Go”

*** IMPT: Repeat steps “a” through “c” with option_name “home”. ***

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