Ooops! I'll Program Again....

My college degree is in Marketing, although I haven't used it as much as I would have liked. However, I can and do think like a Marketing person. This has helped with trying to grow our little business, as I am always looking for new and different ways to market got baby!

Lately, I've been experimenting with widgets -- which are SO cool. Yesterday, I spent several hours trying to get my widget to have a gradient background using just CSS. It started, because I was checking site traffic and came across an unfamiliar URL. When I checked it out, I saw that somebody had installed one of my widgets to sell Cafepress stuff.

Well....it looked AWFUL.....which was MY fault, not the blog owner's. I didn't realize that most blogs only allow about 170 pixels on their sidebars, and my widget is for 220+ due to the background image. Ooops! I'll program again......I just hope that they keep the widget once I update it.....

I am thinking I need to create some more customization with my widgets. Currently, they only offer someone the ability to add their Cafepress PID and maybe change the size. My latest widget features gifts for the new dad and dad-to-be, and it gives you the ability to change the background fade colors, font sizes, link colors, etc. I think I'll take it one step farther and give users the ability to add some of their own URLs. This might increase the number of installs.

So, I reorganized my store yesterday and didn't think about the possible fall-out! I had to change all the links on got baby! Then, I had to deactivate my Google Base feed. My husband purchased some software yesterday that is supposed to import everything into Google Base, so he's taking over that task -- thank GOD! Creating those spreadsheets was a PAIN.

My widgets are all updated now. I just worry about anyone linking to old product pages....oh well, it's not like there were THAT many! Thankfully, I am doing this now when we don't have tons and tons of traffic.

Oh Lord, that just reminded me of several other places that need links updated....CRAP. I know what I'm doing for the rest of the day!