If you run a hyperlocal you quickly have to learn a little bit of everything.
WordPress.com powered my first site and it was so simple that I could just concentrate on being nosy around Cwmbran and getting to know lots of people. Easy.
In 2013 I went self-hosted with little knowledge of what that really meant. Not so easy. My plan was to go on a steep learning curve using YouTube help videos and add website-building to my CV….
That hasn’t gone so well and I’m a bit embarrassed by the ‘look’ of my site. I can pick up a pen, record audio, take a photo, shoot some video and type out a story but as for themes, plug-ins and widgets I’m lost.
I’m jealous of sites like Roath Cardiff and Tongwynlais.com. I like their clean and professional look so recently decided I needed some help and turned to Facebook.
Turning to Facebook…
My skills are having a contacts book packed full of numbers and knowing a lot of people in Cwmbran along with four years of building up a lot of trust in my community. The Cwmbran Life Facebook page has to be seen to be believed.
I do all this in my spare time so keeping up with messages and notifications in the evening is a juggle. A few weeks ago I posted this:
Do you prefer lager or rose wine? And more importantly do you understand WordPress? I want to revamp my Cwmbran Life website and would like to offer someone who knows about “plugins and hosting” an evening of their favourite drink for free in a Cwmbran pub of their choice in exchange for a chat 🙂
The response was what I expected from Cwmbran residents. Lovely 🙂 One person sent a private message and gave me his number. He kindly offered to help me out around his business as a website builder. Wow.
We arranged to meet the following Sunday in the pub. An hour before we were due to meet he sent me a message asking where I lived. It turns out he lives in the same street as me. What a coincidence.
I popped around his house for a cup of tea and left four hours later. He solved a few of my website niggles the spot and asked me to come back to him when I have a clearer idea for the site. I find it quite funny that the help I’ve always needed has been 50 yards from my front door. He is a fan of Cwmbran Life and really pleased to be able to get involved.
£150 hosting out of my pocket
Cwmbran Life is a genuine love of mine. I’ve just paid £150 for another 12 months of website hosting. That hurts a little bit. I’ve always had an idea that at some point in the future I’ll take some sponsorship or advertising to soften the blow. I know a lot of Cwmbran business owners and am pretty confident that I can get their support but I’ll only do it when I can offer them a professional website.
The bit of luck I’ve had in finding a helpful neighbour means that ‘in the future’ now has a plan to be in the next six months. I’m researching lots of sites and taking screen grabs to put the plan together. My neighbour has offered to help customise any theme I choose. It’s now up to me to put the time and effort in to make this happen.
Getting recognised by my community
Talking about time and effort, it’s great to know that my local community appreciate the site. This week I was given a Civic Testimonial award from the Mayor of Torfaen . It was nice to get a pat on the back for something I simply love doing.
I posted a pic on Facebook and the comments from readers gave me big smile. Over 350 likes and 80 comments genuinely surprised me. This has also given me a spur to improve the website.
It’s exciting times ahead for Cwmbran Life.
Homepage image accompanying this article is copyright Matt Wetzler.
