FAQ
Plumb Social FAQs
How is a WordPress Website different from a regular Website?
Can I use my Plumb Social site as a traditional Website?
Can I use my own domain name?
Do I own my site?
What if I already have a Website?
What if I already have a blog?
What if I already have a Facebook, MySpace, or any of the other accounts you mention?
What is the process for setting up all of my accounts?
Will my profiles and pages contain any content when they first launch?
How will I know how to maintain my accounts?
If I decide to leave Plumb Social, will I lose my Flickr, Facebook, or the other accounts that were set up for me?
What happens to my site if I leave Plumb Social?
How much space am I allowed to use in my site? Can I get more?
Can I add additional pages to my account?
Can you set up an email account for me?
Do I need to use a Webmaster to maintain my site?
How much extra if I want Plumb Social to update my accounts or post my blog entries for me?
Do I have to pay a yearly fee on each of these accounts?
How often do I need to update my accounts?
How safe is Plumb Social from virus attacks or hackers?
How do I keep spammers off my site?
What if my site is compromised by hackers or spammers?
How do I get statistics on the hits on my site?
Will my blog be listed in blog directories?
How long does it take to set up my account?
Can I allow more than one person to use my site?
Can I have my own widgets and badges on my site?
What happens if my site goes down?
When Plumb Social adds new features, will my existing Plumb Social site be updated to include these?
Can I change or update the information displayed on my profiles in Facebook, etc. that Plumb Social entered for me?
Who can I contact for additional help with my Plumb Social account if problems arise following the launch of my site?
How is a WordPress Website different from a regular Website?
A WordPress Website is a regular Website, except that it has a built-in blog and is what we call “widget ready.” This means that it is easy to integrate other Social Web tools and technologies. There are also many plugins (enhancements to the functionality of the site) available for the WordPress platform that make it very powerful and flexible. Learn more about using WordPress as a CMS here.
Can I use my Plumb Social site as a traditional Website?
Yes. We can add pages for you on your Plumb Social site, just like a regular Website. We can actually build a very powerful and user-friendly site for you to maintain yourself.
Yes. We can help you point your domain name to your Plumb Social account.
Yes. Even though we will host your site and maintain it, it is yours to take wherever you want. We can even help you transfer it.
What if I already have a Website?
If you already have a Website, you can add a link on your Website to your Plumb Social site that can serve as your blog and as a “social media portal” to your entire Social Web presence.
What if I already have a blog?
That is not a problem. We can feed your blog entries into your Plumb Social blog, as well as into your other accounts.
What if I already have a Facebook, LinkedIn, or any of the other accounts you mention?
That is not a problem. We will just use your existing accounts to integrate all of your information. But you will need to provide us with your account information so we can access the accounts, of course.
What is the process for setting up all of my accounts?
We try to make the process as painless as possible. Once you choose a theme, we will customize it with your own header image and colors. Then, we will have you fill out a series of questions using an online survey. This information will be what we need to set up all your accounts and the rest of your site for you. We will then create all of your accounts and integrate them. Once we are finished, we will provide you with all the account information as well as instructions on how to do the upkeep.
Will my profiles and pages contain any content when they first launch?
Yes. When the Plumb Social team sets up your accounts and your blog site, they will post a few blog entries about your business, book, or service using information that you provide to us; a few images and/or clips in your Flickr and/or YouTube accounts; and a couple entries into your Ping.fm account. This way your accounts will be populated while you have a chance to learn how to use them.
How will I know how to maintain my accounts?
Once your accounts and your site are set up, we will send you a document with all of your account information, as well as instructions on how to maintain them.
If I decide to leave Plumb Social, will I lose my Flickr, Facebook, or the other accounts that were set up for me?
No. We set these accounts up in your name, so they are yours to do what you please with at any time.
What happens to my site if I leave Plumb Social?
If you no longer wish for us to host your site, we will keep it up for 30 days after you cancel your account to allow you to move anything you want to keep, or to transfer your blog entries to another service. We can also help you transfer your site.
How much space am I allowed to use in my site? Can I get more?
You get 10 megabytes of space to start. If you need more space, please contact us.
Can I add additional pages to my account?
Yes. We prefer to add pages for you, however, for security reasons. Just let us know what you want on the page, and we will add it for you. If the content requires the use of a plugin or Java script, we will need to test it for security first.
Can you set up an email account for me?
We automatically set up a Yahoo! email account for you when sign on for the service. This is so that you will have a central place where all of your Plumb Social business can be taken care of.
Do I need to use a Webmaster to maintain my site?
No. The purpose of Plumb Social is to make the process of getting a presence on the Social Web as easy as possible for you. Once your site and all of your accounts are in place, we will send you instructions on how to maintain them. At minimum, all you will need to do is type blog entries and click “publish.”
How much extra if I want Plumb Social to update my accounts or post my blog entries for me?
We charge $30 an hour to add content or blog posts to your account. Our professionals can get a lot of work done in just one hour. For more advanced changes to your account, like installing approved plugins or widgets, we charge $85 an hour.
Do I have to pay a yearly fee on each of these accounts?
No. All of your social accounts are free. There may be add-on or “pro” versions of them that you can add later, but the accounts we set up for you are only from free sources.
How often do I need to update my accounts?
It is best to keep your content as dynamic as possible. At minimum, try to post blog entries once a week, Ping.fm entries three times a week, and images, events, and video clips as soon as they become available.
How safe is Plumb Social from virus attacks or hackers?
We take security seriously at Plumb Social. That is why we only allow you to post blog entries and approve comments and nothing else. Hackers will attack vulnerable java script and other types of code, so we do not allow anyone but our team to place such things on any of our sites. These strict controls are what will keep everyone’s site as safe as possible from attack. We also keep your version of WordPress and all plugins up to date, so that any known security risks are not a threat. Plumb Social also runs scans on the full site to check for threats.
How do I keep spammers off my site?
By default, we will set your account up so that each new comment will need to be approved by you before it will appear on your site.
What if my site is compromised by hackers or spammers?
We can restore your site from backups if something catastrophic happens.
How do I get statistics on the hits on my site?
We are working on integrating that into the service. In the meantime, you can request a report directly from us.
Will my blog be listed in blog directories?
We use WordPress as a platform for your blog, so each time you post a blog entry, all of the main blog directories are informed. However, you should still “claim” your blog in Technorati and other blogging directories.
How long does it take to set up my account?
Once you have provided us with all of the information to set up your accounts, and you have decided on a theme for your site, it will only take one to two weeks to have your accounts active and integrated.
Can I allow more than one person to use my site?
Yes, you can request additional usernames and passwords if you require them.
Can I have my own widgets and badges on my site?
Yes, but we prefer to place them on your site for you, since we want to insure they are not a security risk to you or other Plumb Social clients.
What happens if my site goes down?
Please contact us if there is a problem viewing your site, and we will remedy the problem as soon as we can.
When Plumb Social adds new features, will my existing Plumb Social site be updated to include these?
Yes. We will be adding new features and improving on existing features regularly, and want every Plumb Social client to benefit.
Can I change or update the information displayed on my profiles in Facebook, etc. that Plumb Social entered for me?
Yes. The accounts are yours, so please change them as you see fit. You may even want to change the usernames and passwords if you know for certain that you will not want the Plumb Social team to maintain them for you.
Who can I contact for additional help with my Plumb Social account if problems arise following the launch of my site?
Contact deltina@socialmediapower.com with any questions.
