I decided to go ahead and change the website template again. Recently I mentioned that I added a mobile interface. That was not a lot of work and it was just an adjustment to keep the site functioning. People are doing way more on their phones these days. I wanted the main website to work without having to send mobile users to a special page of their own. Reactive is the property of a web page that allows it to re-organize itself on the fly to fit a different screen size. I purchased a template that I liked which had this property and several other features that I found intriguing. I have been busy converting the site into this new template for the last few weeks.
This may seem simple. Copy and paste. I assure you that it is not since my website is tied to a database I designed in 2003. At that time I had the entire site coded in ASP and was running a simple access database. Currently it has been re-coded for the Microsoft .NET Razor engine. It is still backward compatible with ASP. One of my goals is to allow my customer base to be able to log in and manage their accounts. I have the framework all set for that. I just have not enabled them to access their records yet.
The other interesting thing about my website is this blog. Built upon WordPress it is using PHP and a MYSQL database. The challenge here was to display both CSHTML and PHP content using the same template. I started Friday evening and completed the conversion Saturday morning. I had to develop my own WordPress template. It was my first. It is a little rough. But I am happy to say it appears to be doing fine.
I still have have small amounts of tidying up to do before I make the landing pages display the new template. Some of the “Copy” is needing TLC. I am not sure I am entirely happy with the new index page either. When it goes to a mobile phone view the content under the headings simply dissapears. I have considered creating child pages from the headers but then I am opening a can of worms because I have to then build content pages for each heading. Again, for whatever reason, simple clear writing is not my strong suit. I get to wordy and technical for the average person. So I need a translator to make it easier to read basically. Reading all of this you probably understand now.
I do plan on selling products on line and soon. However, I think I will sell to people who are willing to pay with pay-pal or in person with cash or check. My issue is that Payment Card Industry requires an annual audit of pci compliancy. I remember getting fined because I simply was late. I realize the importance of PCI complaince but it seemed out of my price range then and now. The audit has a fee of $150 or more depending on your situation. Additionally, processing cards from the site directly requires a payment gateway. They cost roughly $50 / month plus a percentage of sales.