HomeQuest

Tyler on Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Here are some tips to help you keep your HomeQuest IDX Plugin fit and functioning in the best way possible.

Please note that if you have your site hosted with us you do not need to worry about these items.  We have already done them for you.

Caching:

The HomeQuest IDX uses caching to speed up its actions by storing several things from Google and HomeQuest on your local WordPress installation.  Inside of the HQ IDX plugin directory is a “cache” folder.  Make sure that the cache folder has write permissions.

Themes:

You can use almost any modern template with the HomeQuest IDX, but please be aware of the following to help you choose the best fitting theme.  The map takes up as much room as it can without forcing the user to scroll down.  This means that  if you have a tall header, your map will be pushed down and will be smaller.  This means that people using small laptops will not have too much room on their map to move around.    Use a template that does not have a huge header for the best results.  Your mileage may vary with different themes, but most modern themes will look great with the plugin.  We also have several Page Templates available to help with integration with your site.

Page Templates:

A Page Template makes a page look or act differently depending on the one that is used.  The standard WordPress template is used if you are just going to have a page of content.  However, the HomeQuest IDX map needs a special page template installed in order to let your site know not to include the widget sidebars.  This must be done because the IDX map should be fullscreen left to right to be useful and easy.  You don’t want a squished skinny little map that nobody can see or use.  The map_template.php file in the HQ IDX plugin directory can be copied to your current theme’s directory in order to add our HomeQuest Map Template to your WordPress system.