I’d probably have more to talk about if I hadn’t spent such a large portion of last weekend getting this website updated.

I don’t really enjoy updating to a new version of WordPress.  I do it so infrequently that I never remember how it goes, and of course, writing things down would be too easy.

This time, I was upgrading from WordPress 2.3.2 to 2.7.  Yes, I’d put it off until the big update came out, then waited until everyone else figured out whether it really worked or not.  But, I’m glad I did do the upgrade.  The 2.7 version is a huge improvement from a “back office” perspective. 

I’d read posts from people who were having difficulty finding things, and it’s true that things are in different places.  But I think everything works so much more easily, so I don’t mind poking around until I figure out how to do something.

The other thing I had to deal with was the fact that the theme I had been using for quite a while wasn’t compatible with 2.7.  That, coupled with the anniversary thing, prompted me to completely redo the site.

I went over to WordPress.org to look for a new template.  I don’t enjoy doing that, either.  And, customizing a WordPress theme isn’t at the top of my list of skills.  So, I decided to look for a “premium WordPress theme”.  In the lingo, premium means that you have to pay for it.

After researching the alternatives, I decided to purchase a Flexx theme from iThemes.com.  I’m really in love with this theme, so if you’re running a WordPress blog, you might want to check it out.

Once you install the theme, at least on 2.7, you end up with a menu of theme options incorporated right into the WP menu.  You can easily change the layout of the blog, meaning that you can select where to put sidebars, headers, widget areas, etc.  And, all you have to do is click on the sketch of the layout you want – just my speed!

The theme has a built in flash-like set up for the header, so all you have to do is upload a .JPG or two, and the rotation is done automatically.  There’s also a “billboard” section where you could easily display advertisements for blog sponsors.  iThemes has a number of themes, some of which lend are set up magazine style  and others that lend themselves to integrated website/blogs.

Why didn’t I just combine BuildRealEstateResults.com and this blog?  Yup, you got it.  The ranking I’ve got on BuildRealEstateResults.com might have fallen apart if I transferred it to a site with such a different structure.  And, I wasn’t willing to take that chance.

The best thing about this purchase, though, is the support.  Yes!  Actual support for a WordPress theme!  There’s a support forum that has the most helpful group of company and user folks that you could want.  Needless to say, I had a few issues getting things together.  And, the worst ribbing I got was one person who agreed with me when I said I knew enough about this stuff to be dangerous!

They were all operator errors, but I got quick resolutions on the forum.  Over the weekend.  Amazing.