Archives > July 8, 2009

James’ Kit Car Site Is Getting a Birthday Makeover

By James Martell

The idea for a kit car site came to me a couple years ago. I loved kit cars – especially the 1965 Shelby Cobra S/C - and decided that I should create a site based around my hobby so that other enthusiasts could share in my enjoyment.

If you follow my newsletters, you already know that the 1965 Shelby Cobra has been at the top of my list for years. In fact, I dreamed of owning one since I first laid eyes on the Cobra in 1979. My wish finally peaked in 2004, when my affiliate marketing success allowed me to buy my dream car.

The car was built to my specs by a professional in Alberta, Canada, and delivered to my garage in the middle of the night in mid-January 2005. Two years later, I decided to go ahead with a website dedicated to kit cars, and so KitCarConnection.com was born.

Using the Drupal CMS (content management system), I shared information with my fellow car lovers on a continual basis. Since then, I have worked with a number of writers from Elance, adding new content to the site to keep the interest fresh. While the site averages about 15,000 unique visitors per month, I know it's capable of way more.

Yes, it’s time for an upgrade.

Although I enjoy using Drupal, it's a bit too technical, so I have decided to do some research for another possible solution that's a bit easier to manage and offers more in the area of photo and video management.

I've since become a fan of WordPress, a popular CMS rival, and used it to update my personal site; JamesMartell.com. WordPress is amazing, but I am not at this point if it's the solution I am looking for.

In the beginning, I chose to work with Drupal because it offered some features that the other systems lacked. However, as WordPress has progressed, it’s developed into an easy-to-use, low maintenance system with a variety of available plugins.

One such plugin, BuddyPress, which does give me the functionality I need to let members socially interact on the site, but what I really need is a photo and video gallery that let's members easily upload their own photos and videos.

I'll continue to research WordPress as a possible solution and plan to investigate available plugins to see if I can find the features I need for the site's upgrade.

As I continue to improve KitCarConnection.com, I invite you to keep up-to-date on the progress in my future newsletters. I think you may find it interesting to see how the site develops – and maybe even snag a few ideas of your own.

Stay tuned,

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