February 22, 2008
As this week comes to a close, we should all have at least 1 Build a Niche Store affiliate site running and capable of logging sales and traffic. At this point in the series, I am going to write a piece about generating a sitemap to use on your site and actually linking to that sitemap from other websites, so search engines will find your index quicker!
Before I do that… let me say that Build a Niche Store 3.0 is due out VERY SOON… In version 3.0, the sitemap generator is already built into the administration, so most of what I am about to do is not going to apply to the newer version! I know… I heard the raspy gasps of air myself as you read that! For those of us using BANS 2.0 to build these first stores, we have nothing to worry about at all… the 3.0 update will update your current site in less than 2 minutes and all of your work will remain intact! Besides… it offers us another chance to learn even more about Build a Niche Store when we do our update on an existing store!
If you are using version 1.3 of BANS - there is already a BANS sitemap MOD in the archives. Go grab the .zip file and follow along.
BANS 2.0 Sitemap Files (zip file, download and extract)
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28 Responses to “Build a Niche Store Empire - Turn on Your Sitemap and Find a Few Links!”
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If you’ve never done this before, you most likely are pretty concerned about doing all these steps. Yes, it is a little scary and it will take a little time … but it is worth the trouble.
Something to keep in mind … any time you find a mod such as this one that you know you will want to incorporate into each of your stores, find a way to do as much of it as you can ahead of time and build it into the template folder you use to upload each store.
Several months ago when I found this site and finally got around to buying BANS, I created my own “modified” folder that I use instead of the one that came from BANS. I did all the modifications up front that are generic and are done outside of the BANS admin panel. And then I added a text file to the folder (doesn’t get uploaded) that tells me what needs to be done after the fact. So when I uploaded my first site for this series, I already had the basics of this mod (along with some other changes) built into the files I uploaded. Then once my site is actually uploaded, I just go in and do a few things that are specific to the site (creating the page for the sitemap, changing the name to reflect where the sitemap is, etc) It is huge timesaver, believe me.
Since Version 3 is incorporating this mod, you probably won’t want to take the time to do what I’ve done for the sitemap. But keep it in mind for any other changes you eventually decide on that you want to do on each site. As part of my modified files, I have some eBay graphics and I’ve made some changes to the auction display area. I knew I would want to make these changes on every site I created so I just took the extra time upfront to build them into my own modified version.
Be on the look out over the next few weeks for time-saving steps like this that you can do once and not have to do with each different BANS site you create. You’ll be glad you did.
Cindy
question for the group.
I set up a store category, and started editing out the items i did not want to show up on my site. In error i deleted all the items. when i tried to put the category back in, in the hopes that everything would be rest with all the items, they did not reappear.
How do I reset the category, and get all the items.
Len
Len - Adam wrote instructions on this at http://buildanichestore.com/members/viewtopic.php?t=5777&highlight=deleted+categories
Rochelle
Hey Mark,
Your opening paragraph states …
“I am going to write a piece about generating a sitemap to use on your site and actually linking to that sitemap from other websites”
… but this post was only about generating the sitemap. Is there a Part 2 coming which indicates what we should be doing as far as getting links from other sites?
Cindy
First of all thank you so much for sharing our insights on BANS. You have inspired me to start creating stores again.
I followed along on your video and had a question.
The site map that was created on my store using this MOD created a bulleted list with the links.
How do I get rid of the bullets?
I assuming its somewhere in the CSS.
Thanks for all your help.
@ Scott -
Did you apply the style css changes to the stylesheet?
Shoot me the url of the site.
Mark
As soon as I posted a comment on our blog. It magically rendered correctly. I just think it took some time for the server to update.
Thanks again,
Cheers
Scott
Hi Mark,
I followed the video but I think I messed up in some way. When I try to access the site map page on my site it says the following in the header:
“Fatal error: Call to undefined method FRONTCONTROL::sitemapnav() in /home/emo/public_html/mexicantraveldeals/themes/layout-3-both/header.php on line 94″
Do you have any suggestions? I tried messing around a bit with the lines of code (I figured maybe I pressed return one many times). It first told me there was an error in line 95, but after messing with it it now says it’s on 94, as shown above.
Any suggestions?
@ Erik -
I just helped another reader with the same problem earlier yesterday. It turned out that the frontcontrol.php file did not have the function sitemapnav embedded into the frontcontrol file.
In cPanel, open the file for editing and Control-F, type in sitemapnav and see if it finds the function.
Mark
I have tried twice to add the code fot the site map and have had to rebuild my site each time. I did all the steps in order but when I do Step 3 and save I am getting all sorts of “unexpected” errors. Since I know nothing about .php I cannot fix the problem and when I try to restore the files and take out the code that I have installed it completely fries the template.
Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.
Elaine
@ Elaine -
Hi Elaine, sorry you are having problems with the code. What program are you using to do your copy/paste functions? Do you have an html editor, or are you using somethng like MS Word, or Wordpad, notepad etc.
Mark
I am using notepad. I usually just edit straight in the source code. I don’t use an HTML editor usless I am building something from scratch.
[…] Installing Sitemap MOD to your first BANS store that promote deep indexing, Develop an INBOUND link strategy to make sure your Niche Store is indexed! Immediately Start Developing a New Site (or 10) […]
Hi Mark
Problem with updating stylecss, I get this error message
“Warning: fopen(../themes/layout-1-both/styles.css) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in /home/golfcart/public_html/cont/Pages.php on line 2289
Cannot open file (../themes/layout-1-both/styles.css)”
Any suggestions
Help-
I followed your video and installed the sitemap, but when I try to view it there’s an error
Fatal error: Class ‘FRONTCONTROL’ not found in /home/dplln/public_html/index.php on line 46
Please help, I’m really new at this, and don’t really know what I’m doing.
Thanks
Well that one took me a couple of tries.
I tried it the other day but just couldn’t get it to work. I put it all back to the way it was before and left it like that.
Yesterday I created a new BANS site and today I tried it again. Worked the very first try.
I then returned to my first BANS site and did a redo and guess what it worked.
Very pleased, thanks Mark
I went ahead and installed the v3.0 that has the site map incorporated however nothing is showing on the page. I did copy and paste the code into the style.css. Did I miss a step?
Elaine
I installed the sitemap mod in December with no problems. SInce the recent problems with BANS the sitemap is not showing on the page. No errors just isn’t there.
John
@ John -
Did you update any of the pages on your site (Specifically, frontcontrol.php)
If so, you need to add the code to the new version, if not, use the contact link above and send me the login to your BANS site… I just want to look through the header file.
Mark
Mark did you recieve my e-mail with the login to my BANS site?
Thank you,
John
Hi Mark,
I’m attempting to install the sitemap and have gone to cpanel to edit the frontcontrol.php file and when I go to search for the string:
function getMainPageParent(){
I get an error message saying that the string cannot be found.
I have also done a manual search through the file and can’t see it either.
Can you please advise how to move forward.
I am building a v2.0 epn bans store.
Thanks
Shelley
@ Shelley -
Thanks for commenting… Try searching for the shortened version, or just: getMainPageParent
If you use an html editor like Dreamweaver or some other html editor that shows line numbers, it is around line #1490
Mark
Thanks Mark.
Had to use a html editor couldn’t find it in notepad.
All updated now and working perfectly.
Thanks
Shelley
What exactly does “link to the Sitemap page” in the checklist mean?
@ Steven -
When I say “Link to your Sitemap” page, it is talking about getting an INBOUND link to your sitemap page.
Having your sitemap found early is a quick way to speed up the index process.
Mark
Oh OK… Do you wait until you finish your site first before you do that?
@Mark
Interesting one that Mark. I haven’t submitted my sitemap to any directories yet as I outsource to submitedge. Looks like I ought to make the effort. Should I just include that link in blog posts or is there a more effective way?
Hi Mark
I was following along with your brilliant series quite well untill i had to lay of for a couple of weeks due to major surgery, now i am back up & running but confused my site is showing at position 2 & 3 for some reason and one entry is the sitemap but i can only get to this page by putting in cheap-car-uk so i don`t think i have done everything correct so if you have the time could you advise where i have gone wrong?
Kind Regards Ken