For REAL tech experts - linking to WordPress

ajavaajava Registered Users Posts: 124 Major grins
edited December 27, 2013 in SmugMug Customization
Up until today, my "main" site was through WordPress.org, with links back to my SmugMug site for certain galleries. The WP site allowed for much smoother blogging, a more robust contact form, etc. I have been working on (and recently unveiled) my newly designed SmugMug site. As the last order of business, I wanted to change the "custom domain" setting in SmugMug, so that my domain name would point directly to my Smug site.

BUT, I wanted to retain the blog and contact form on the WP site. So, while users are on my main Smug site, they could click links to either "blog" or "contact" in the nav menu and be taken back to my WP site.

Here is the problem with that: Everything is set up on the WP site with the domain name "www.winterwoodphotography.com" (e.g. to log into the dashboard area on WP, I would enter "www.winterwoodphotography.com/wp-admin/")....so you see the problem - that domain name no longer points to the WP files/directory, it points to Smug. So, all of those WP admin links are broken.

I'm hoping there are some experts around that would know how to remedy this situation (2nd domain, maybe?), so that I can maintain the blog entries and contact form on the WP site, but alter all the file names over on the WP side so that my domain name is no longer referenced. It sounds so confusing but seems so simple in my mind.

Can anyone help with this? Any ideas at all would be helpful. I've already contacted BlueHost (they host the WP site) as I thought I'd have the most luck with them...but they had limited info, because they weren't familiar with how Smug works. I think this is basically a WP question - I need everything over there to remain "intact' but just not reference www.winterwoodphotography.com.

Comments

  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,467 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2013
    You need to create a sub-domain for either your blog or your Smugmug site. If you're only using your Smugmug site for just pictures, then I would create the sub-domain your SM site, like 'photos.winterwoodphotography.com'.

    FWIW, I'm using a sub-domain on my SM site and my "regular" site is a Wordpress site.
  • WirenWiren Registered Users Posts: 741 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2013
    Just what I need, other WP users..... I have some questions and want to bounce things off of you guys..... advice please.

    I have an old SM site - www.onthewallphoto.net - that I used to use for everything. The other year, before the new and improved SM, I decided I wanted to create a new web name, have a better site (since at that time you couldn't get a few things I wanted print wise via SM, but now can) and take just my landscape photo's to the new site and leave the old SM for my family, people and group photo's.

    I unveiled my new landscape site in a WP with help from somebody I paid to set it all up... www.prismaticimagery.com. While it's not bad, WP is mainly a blogging site.... I do not blog... I don't have time and don't care to. What I want is what SM offered in the past, just better now with the new and recent change.

    My question is.... how difficult will it be for me to create a new SM site pointing my Prismatic Imagery domain name (via hostgator) to it....? Is this a good, bad move (i'm guessing a good one). I am thinking with a little help, it should be an easy transition.... I sure wished SM had made their changes prior to me spending $$ on a WP site.....

    Any tips/tricks or suggestions....? I am looking for a way to make life easier in dealing with my website.... Not that WP is mondo-difficult to manage, but compared so SM....? I want the ease of uploading my image and giving purchase options that I don't have to deal with any longer.

    Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

    Lee
    Lee Wiren
  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,467 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2013
    Wiren wrote: »
    Just what I need, other WP users..... I have some questions and want to bounce things off of you guys..... advice please.

    I have an old SM site - www.onthewallphoto.net - that I used to use for everything. The other year, before the new and improved SM, I decided I wanted to create a new web name, have a better site (since at that time you couldn't get a few things I wanted print wise via SM, but now can) and take just my landscape photo's to the new site and leave the old SM for my family, people and group photo's.

    I unveiled my new landscape site in a WP with help from somebody I paid to set it all up... www.prismaticimagery.com. While it's not bad, WP is mainly a blogging site.... I do not blog... I don't have time and don't care to. What I want is what SM offered in the past, just better now with the new and recent change.

    My question is.... how difficult will it be for me to create a new SM site pointing my Prismatic Imagery domain name (via hostgator) to it....? Is this a good, bad move (i'm guessing a good one). I am thinking with a little help, it should be an easy transition.... I sure wished SM had made their changes prior to me spending $$ on a WP site.....

    Any tips/tricks or suggestions....? I am looking for a way to make life easier in dealing with my website.... Not that WP is mondo-difficult to manage, but compared so SM....? I want the ease of uploading my image and giving purchase options that I don't have to deal with any longer.

    Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

    Lee

    When Wordpress started it was for blogging. Now I think Wordpress is more of a CMS (Content Management System) then a blog.

    It's easy to switch from your Wordpress-driven site to Smugmug, if that's what you want. You will have to buy another SM account if you want your Prismatic Imagery domain to point to SM.
  • WirenWiren Registered Users Posts: 741 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2013
    When Wordpress started it was for blogging. Now I think Wordpress is more of a CMS (Content Management System) then a blog.

    It's easy to switch from your Wordpress-driven site to Smugmug, if that's what you want. You will have to buy another SM account if you want your Prismatic Imagery domain to point to SM.

    That's the tough part.... do I really want to pay for a new SM site to get the ease that I want..... I figured that there was a way to make it happen, but.....hmmm

    Thanks Mike
    Lee Wiren
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