Labor Pains Notwithstanding, We Launch the New Site

The redesign and launch of a website can be a rather harrowing yet equally rewarding experience. It’s been both for those of us at diningoutwithrobbalon.

We decided quite some time ago that a redo of our original website, built in 2000, was long overdue. Computer screen resolutions were smaller by default back then, we had literally no idea about website design, and the result was a somewhat clunky site with good content but rather limited navigational possibilities. So we enlisted the services of several local IT professionals with specialties in graphic design and content management systems. The design part went smoothly. We liked the sleek, modern look of the new site and the enhanced functionality of the pull-down menus. The content management aspects proved to be much more challenging. And then we began to realize just how much content we had on the site as we started transferring the various reviews, articles, and news entries. The transfer took far more time than we anticipated.

But finally we had things about ready to go with the exception of a glitch with the pull-down menus. As we were working on that, RJ called me to say he couldn’t access the admin account on the old site. Seems that the company hosting the site had decided to shut down their operation. They had sent us a letter that I assumed to be an invoice. So it sat unopened on my desk for a week (bad idea!). So there we were, last Monday afternoon, with the old website not operating along with the email addresses associated with it inoperative. We had no choice but to move up the launch of the new website design.

RJ moved into battle mode, going through all the protocols necessary to get the new version of the website up and functioning. Because of his diligence and persistence, we were down for less than 24 hours. But the new site still had the pull-down issues. And some broken links. Enter my brilliant son-in-law John. A software engineer by trade and a mean Scrabble player, he jumped in and with some of his deft keystrokes, fixed most of the major problems. We’re still wrestling with the Mystery Photo issue and a few minor copy issues, but by and large, the site is functional. We’ll have all the Cuisine articles that our readers enjoy (Pizza Wars, Year in Review, Fascinating People etc.) back up in a few days and the Events section will be likewise updated.

We didn’t plan on it going down like this, but then who ever does? We’re really pleased with the new search engine and the ease of navigation. Oh yeah, and the header picture of me eating pasta at Botticelli’s has to go. It’s from my pre weight-loss days. But that being said, onward and upward.

My profound thanks go to my longtime associate RJ Gacutan (tech wizard supreme and great guy) and of course to John Taylor for his last-minute heroics. I also want to thank all the great local restaurants that provide me with endless sources of content and of course our readers, without whom this site would be an impossibility.

So tell us what you think of the new design by emailing info@diningoutwithrobbalon.com or click this link.