Revised 12/7/20
Goal: Using WordPress create a multi-site serving selected content to four sub-site divisions of the parent company.
https://www.reinhardthomeheating.com/ and
https://www.reesemarshall.com/ offer a larger range of services and equipment than
https://www.pauloil.com/ and
https://www.sdpetroleum.com/.
Dynamic content is currently “included” in various areas of the sites and managed using a custom admin. Only News behaves as regular posts. Each other type could become a custom post or simply a widget or block within WordPress.
I found a good plugin to push content from the parent site to the subsites.
- “Messages,” shared across sites and shown on home pages under the slider images. Custom post created, posts pushed to subsites. Need a plugin or widget to display on home page.
- “News,” created as regular blog posts, are a) listed on a news (blog) page, https://www.reesemarshall.com/resource-latest-news-posts.php, as well as highlighted on b) the home page (need a custom plugin) and c) a few recent posts pulled into the Resource Center main page, https://www.reesemarshall.com/resource-center.php (widget or shortcode?). DONE
- Testimonials are shown a) on an “/about-testimonials.php” archive page on each site, b) optionally “included” within home page carousel (widget and plugin needed), and c) if desired, within selected pages such as /services-service-agreements.php in two sites (unless a shortcode is easily written, I may ask client to post the random ones manually).
- “Hours” are displayed in multiple formats (NOT shared across sites) within selected sidebars and all footers, https://www.reinhardthomeheating.com/about-reinhardt-home-heating.php, and will be displayed with widgets and reusable blocks.
- There are also various “includes” pulled into spots such as accordion footers, /fuels.php. These will be reusable blocks. An example can be seen at the bottom of each accordion panel on https://www.reesemarshall.com/equipment-heating-equipment-hot-water.php.
- I would like feedback on the complexity of programming the “Zip Code Locator.” The tool can be demonstrated starting from this page, https://www.reesemarshall.com/become-customer.php and corresponding pages on the other three sites. If you enter “13124,” the answer is “yes” and you can view the list of zips served by this company which are also entered in the database. If you enter “05673,” the answer is “no.” If you enter “13425,” the answer is “alternate” and the database is cross-referenced to display the other companies when applicable. Please price this as its own line item so we can make a yes/no decision on including it in the project.
- There are four forms on each site, one of which is quite lengthy and presents the input for review before submission, i.e. https://www.reesemarshall.com/new-customer-agreement.php. You can easily test it to that point if you want to see the review page without submitting. Please price this one form as a line item including purchase of plugin if necessary.
The existing database content has been imported or manually added. The main site will be fully populated with the post content to be shared. Unless otherwise noted, the custom posts have been established using the plugins Advanced Custom Fields by Elliot Condon and Custom Post Type UI by WebDevStudios as needed.
Distributed posts get ghosted within each site interface, and the client can also post within one subsite if desired. Posts can be released from the parent site as needed.
Numbers 6 and 7 should likely be done with Gravity Forms so that the one form needing review can be implemented.
The basic structure/layout/theme of the site will be done on WPEngine using a Genesis child theme and ready by Dec. 31. The project MUST be completed, test, ready to launch by March 31, so it would be good for you to plan on completion by Feb. 28.
Please let me know anything needing clarification. Happy to discuss by appointment.
Darlene
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