1.5.1 SITE STUDIO

SiteStudio is a template-based web site creation tool we offer to customers seeking quick and easy deployment of a website. It is available with Gold Plan and higher and can be accessed through the SiteBuilder section of SiteControl. Before you can make use of SiteStudio, you need to make sure that you have already set the password for your default account. If you have not, then this can be done within the Account Manager.

When you login to SiteStudio, you can begin working on a new site or if you have already started working on one, you can pick up where you left off. If you choose to start over, then you are prompted to select the category your site falls under: personal site or small business. Most categories have common layouts and page templates, but there are some features which are specific one category.

• Global Edit Menu
• Page Edit Menu
• View
• Edit
• Settings
  • Page Title
  • Button Text
  • File Name
  • Colors
• Add a Page
• Site Map
• Order Pages
• Site Settings
  • Web site color & style
  • Global settings
  • Site theme/effects
  • Load/Save website
  • Start Over

Global Edit Menu

SiteStudio contains a control bar across the top of the page. On the left side of the control bar are two commands: to publish your site and to logout. In the center of the control bar are four different options: Add a Page, Site Map, Order Pages, and Site Settings.

Note: When available, use the navigation buttons inside the browser window. For some pages, your browser’s Back and Forward buttons will not work correctly. If a page fails to load or does not reflect last changes, click your browser’s Reload or Refresh button to update the page.

Page Edit Menu

When you are working on a page, then you will see three tabs on the top right, just below the control bar. These are View, Edit, and Settings. You can use these to make changes to the particular page you are on.

View

This allows you to view the current page as it will appear online.

Edit

This tab allows you to work on the content of that page. The fields here change depending upon which page template is selected.

Settings

You can modify the various settings for the page you selected.

• Page Title

  Page title is the text that will show at the top of the browser when this page is accessed. In this field, you can replace the default information with any page title you choose.

• Button Text

  This is the text that will show up on your site’s menu on other pages. You can have this be the same as the page title, or you can use something different.

• File Name

  This is the name the actual file will take on the server. You should make sure to only use letters and numbers, and not have any spaces or punctuation.

• Colors

  SiteStudio allows you to change the color palette for every site’s page. The default HTML codes for the colors are given. If you are not familiar with these, then you can click the icon to access a Color Picker. You can then select the color you like. You are able to change the color for the background, text, and links. You should make sure that the background color is not too similar to that of the text and links, as it would otherwise be hard to read the text.

Aside from View, Edit, and Settings, there is also a tab on the top left named Delete. This allows you to delete the page currently accessed.

Add a Page

SiteStudio offers templates for a wide variety of different pages that you can add to your site. SiteStudio also supports basic html tags, so you can create links, have page breaks, etc.

Listed below are the available page templates and what category they are available with

Splash Screen

This is the home page that welcomes visitors and contains links to all other pages. To configure Splash Screen, fill out the Splash Page form: The main parameter that determines the look of your home page. Site Studio offers several Splash Screen templates (themes). Choose one and you can change it any time in the future. The current version of Site Studio does not provide immediate preview, so it is recommended to configure it after you configure all other parameters (see instructions below in this section).

• Logo image: Splash Screen templates are designed to include a welcome image. You can select a picture that is stored on your hard disk or has been already uploaded to your gallery. To include a picture click the "Select Image" button and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Page Title: This is the text that will show up on the welcome page in big letters. This would usually be either the name of your site or a welcome sentence.
• Lock Splash Settings: By default, Splash Screen is not affected by the global color settings for your site. Here, you can allow Site Studio to modify Splash Screen properties by checking "No" radio button in the Lock Splash Settings field.
• As you finish, click the Next button to save your settings. The View tab will open for preview. How do you like your welcome page?

Okay, now let us look back at the themes. Click the Edit tab and select a different theme, then go to the bottom of the page and click Next. Try other themes to choose the best one.

Important: your site will be published only after you press the Publish link on the menu bar, in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

About

The About page is often used to provide the following information:

• The purpose of the site
• The owner of the site (a person or company)
• Any other relevant data

Enter your text into the boxes provided. The paragraph headings are optional. SiteStudio also allows you to include a picture into the About page. This can be a picture of yourself (for a personal site), your working team (for a company), a logo or any other relevant image. To include a picture, click on the Select Image button, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

After you add an image, its thumbnail will be shown in the form, as well as a Remove Image button. You can remove any imaged you added at any time. After you have made all the changes you would like to your About page, click on the Next button to save your settings, and you will brought to the View tab so that you can see the completed page.

Firm Profile

This page allows you to enter information describing your company. You can enter an introductory paragraph for that page, and then add different paragraphs. You add these paragraphs in the Profile Text Organizer. For each paragraph, you can add a header, an image, and text. You can also determine the layout of each individual paragraph.

Contact Us

With the Contact Us page, you are able to obtain feedback from your visitors and provide them with an easy means of reaching you. You are asked for information such as the address, phone number, email address, etc. You can also include a location map if you wish.

Resume

With this page, you can easily post your resume online. It provides an easy-to-use wizard that allows you to manipulate the data you would like to include into your resume.

As the first step, you will see seven boxes with suggested section headings, each with an Add button on its right. Click the Add button to enter data into the relevant section. A new form will appear. Fill it out and press Next to return to the main Resume page. The information you entered will show in the box; also, Edit and Delete buttons will be added. Click Edit to change contents of the box, and Delete to clear the contents. Follow this instruction for every section you want to include into your resume.

Note: In the Experience section form, you will have an in-built form for job duties. The instructions are exactly the same as above.

Attention: Make sure you don’t add empty forms! They will be included into your resume, too. You can preview your resume at any moment by clicking the View tab. Your changes will NOT be lost. At the end, however, don’t forget to confirm the changes by pressing the Next button!

Now that you see your resume in a complete form, you may see how to make it more visually appealing. Click the Settings tab to change color, font or style.

While viewing your resume you may decide to change the order of some paragraphs. It's simple and fast.

Click the Order Elements link to re-order your paragraphs. A new window will appear.

• In the box, click to highlight the name of the item you want to move;
• Use the up and down buttons to move the selected item up or down the list;
• Click the Next button to save changes and return to the Resume Edit page.

Links

Part of expressing yourself through a web page is including links to your favorite web sites. The links you choose to include on your page can communicate your interests and hobbies. If your goal is a company site, think of resources related to your field or industry. A carefully designed collection of related links can make your site a good launching place and will help you promote your site - and business.

• Header Text: The text that shows at the top of the Links page as a header. It usually details the page title or serves as a header to the introductory paragraph.
• Paragraph: The introductory paragraph to the Links page.
• Columns of Links to Display: Links can be organized into multiple columns.
• Add button is used to create a new Link category.
• To keep your links organized, SiteStudio places new entries into categories. To add a category or links to your Links page: Click the Add button. 
  • Enter the name of the category;
  • Click Add (Add Link);
  • Fill in the fields (Site title and Site URL), than click Next to continue;
  • To add link - click Add;
  • To make some changes - click Edit;
  • To delete link - click Remove;
  • Click Next when finished.
  • To edit an existing category:
  • Click Edit button;
  • Edit the name of the category;
  • Click Add to include a new link;
  • Click Next to save changes.

To delete an existing category, click Delete button. Warning: All links contained in this category will be permanently deleted!

Custom Table Page

Custom page table is a page with any data organized in a table format. To create a table, fill out the form:

- Border: 

Enter a numerical value representing the width of grids in pixels. To hide grids, leave the field empty or enter 0.

- Width:

Table width can be indicated in pixels or in percent of the page width. To enter width in percent, put the "%" symbol after the numerical value.

- Cell Padding:

Distance from text to border, both vertical and horizontal.

- Align:

Aligns the table on the page.

- Resize:

Enter the number of rows and columns for your table and press Resize button before clicking Next.

Note: If you input an incompatible set of parameters, Site Studio will optimize conflicts in these data.

Site Map

This page shows the structure of your site. It is generated automatically and does not allow editing. However, you can configure its settings, just like any other page.

Photo Album

For a personal site a photo gallery may become the central element with photos of yourself, your friends, your family, your art works, postcards, etc. For a production or service company, it may be used to advertise your products or services.

To create a photo album, fill out the fields in the form as the first step:

- Title:

The text that shows at the top of the menu bar.

- Select numbers of pictures per page:

Mind the size of your pictures. It is recommended that all your pictures fit one screen. Follow the simple rule: the bigger the image size, the fewer pictures per page.

- Enter the number of columns:

Change this parameter depending on whether your images have a horizontal or a vertical layout.

In the next step, add images to the Photo Album:

- Click Add. A new form will appear;

- Fill in the picture title and the date in any format;

- Click the Select Image button. You will be brought to the Upload Images page. Follow on-screen instructions to add a new image.

- Add details. This may be a description of the place or names of people in the picture.

- Click the Next button to proceed.

To change or remove images use the buttons under the Image.

To add more images to your album click Add and repeat the steps above.

Your Own HTML

This tool contains a simple HTML editor allowing you to create web pages based on your own HTML script. However, it is recommended that you create your files in specialized html editors. To upload a file from your hard drive, click the Upload File button at the bottom of the page.

When uploading your own HTML page, try to avoid non-Latin characters, spaces, underlines, commas, dots, hyphens, etc. It is recommended that your file name only includes letters of Latin alphabet and numbers.

Fun Page (Humor)

Fun page template helps you organize your fun topics. To add an item, click the Add button for the appropriate category and fill out the form that appears.

To add pictures to your Fun Page:

- Click Add in the in the Add Funny Pictures box. A new form will appear.

- Enter the name of the picture.

- Click the Select Image button. You will be brought to the Upload Images page. Follow on-screen instructions to add the new image.

- Add text. This may be any comment to the new image.

- Click the Next button to proceed.

- Click the View tab to see the page preview.

- Click the Edit tab to continue editing the page.

To change or remove images or texts, use the Edit and Delete buttons on the left of the picture or text.

To add more images to your album click Add and repeat the steps above.

To change the order of the jokes, images or stories, click the Order Items button in the appropriate form. A new form will appear. Follow on-screen instructions to change the order of the items in the topic.

Survey Form

This template will help you develop a custom online questionnaire. Use it to research public opinion or to get feedback from your customers.

To generate a questionnaire, fill out the form:

Page Title:

Page title is the text that will show at the top of the menu bar. For convenience, it duplicates the same field in the Settings tab. In this field, you can change SiteStudio default name from "Survey" to, say, "Questionnaire" or "Feedback".

Button Text:

This is the text that will show up on the global site menu among other page names. It may be the same as the Page Title, or you can give it a different name.

E-mail To:

Here, enter the address where you want the survey results e-mailed. It can be the Webmaster’s (i.e. your) address as well as any other address you specify.

Questions:

To add a question, click the Add button on the right. A new form appears. Checking "Yes" in the Is The Answer Required field marks the survey question with a red asterisk. The survey will not be accepted from a visitor if one or more asterisked questions remain unanswered. The Question Type determines the format of the suggested answer. Carefully fill out this form and click the Next button to proceed.

On Successful Submission of the Form:

Here, enter the text you want the visitor to see after the form has been accepted.

On Error Submission of the Form:

Here, enter the text you want the visitor to see after the form has been rejected or an error occurred.

Click the Next button to generate the questionnaire.

Generic Page

The Generic Page template has been designed to enable fast and simple creation of custom pages that do not fall into any other categories. You can choose how to lay out your images and text depending on your tastes, needs and circumstances.

- Marquee:

This is a scrolling area of text. To add a marquee, click Add link. A marquee form will appear. Enter the text you want to scroll, width and height in pixels, scrolling speed, horizontal page alignment and vertical screen position, and the font style. Press the Submit button to proceed.

- Number of Columns:

Multiple columns for the whole page can be combined with individual paragraph design.

- Choose Title For this Page:

Page title is the text that will show at the top of the menu bar. For convenience, it repeats the same field in the Settings tab.

- Choose Link Text: This text will show on other pages as a hyperlink to this page.

- Edit Paragraphs: You can add, delete and edit only individual paragraphs, including headers, body texts, images and image titles. All elements are optional!

To add or edit paragraphs:

- Click Add or Edit. A new form will appear.

- Select paragraph layout by sliding you mouse over the buttons at the bottom of the page and clicking one of them.

- Enter Paragraph Header;

- Click the Select Image button to add a picture;

- Enter Paragraph Text;

- Click Next to preview.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you find yourself often answering the same questions over and over from your customers, then you can setup a FAQ page which answers those questions. That way, your visitors can find this information and do not need to wait upon a response from you for it. You can enter the questions and answers that your visitors ask you. You are also able to change the order of the question/answer sets to suit your needs.

News and Events

With this page you can enter a page to displays news. You have the option of entering an introductory paragraph. When you have a news item to add, then you are prompted for two separate pieces of information: the date and the description. If you have more than one news item, then you can select their order. To move one, you need to select and highlight one, and then use the up and down buttons.

Career/Jobs

You can advertise any job openings on your site with this page. You can first enter an introductory paragraph, perhaps about the company’s workplace atmosphere. You can then enter the open positions. For each separate job opening you can enter the position name, the job requirements, and the contact email address for that opening. If you have more than one opening available then you are also able to change the order in which they are displayed. To do this, you would need to select the position entry and highlight it, and then move it using the up and down buttons.

Services

You can list the services offered by your company. You are able to add some introductory information, and then list the services offered. You can change the order of the services by selecting the service you wish to move, and then using the up and down arrows to place it where you want it to be.

Genealogical Tree

Your family page includes two major blocks of information, one about the whole family, and the other about its individual representatives.

To provide general family information enter the following fields:

- Title:

It could be as generic as "My Family" or as specific as "The Simpsons Family Tree".

- Header Text:

give some introductory information about your family.

- Family Portrait:

Click the Select Image button to add a picture from your computer.

To provide information about individual family representatives:

- click the Add button. A Family Member form will appear.

- Fill out the form. (Note: The date format does not matter). It is recommended to start your Family Tree with the ancestors.

Warning: Clicking the Delete tab will remove the whole Family Tree Page, not a family member page! To remove individual persons from the family tree, click Next in the Family Member form to return to the Family Tree form and click the Delete button on the left of the person’s name.

On the Family Tree central page you can see the general family genealogy information.

To view individual family member’s page, click this person’s name. To return to the general family page, click Back to Family Tree at the bottom.

Calendar

The calendar is used to list events such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

- Date: this information can be entered in any format.

- Headline: what is the occasion? E.g.: “Big family picnic”.

- Text: any additional comments you may wish to add, such as “everyone bring something besides potato salad”.

- Type: the color in which the record of the event will appear. The usual appears in green, important in blue, and alert in red.

ICQ Contact Center

If you extensively use ICQ, you will find this form of messaging the most convenient.

To add the ICQ Contact Center page, fill out the fields:

- ICQ Number:

Your active ICQ number to which the messages will be directed. You can copy it from your ICQ View/Change My Details window.

- Subject:

Every message directed to you by a visitor of your site will have this subject included. A good name for the Subject would be something like “Sent From My Site”.

- Online Indicator Type:

Your ICQ-message page contains an online indicator that shows your current status (e.g. online or offline). You can choose here how you want it to look.

- Status Indicator Description:

The text that appears next to the online indicator. You can change the default text if you wish.

Driving Directions

This is a powerful tool for visitors to get the driving directions to any address in North America that you specify. For a personal site, this can be your home or hangout. For a business site, show the location of your restaurant, store (supermarket) or a service center.

To create the page, enter the details of the destination address and press the Next button to preview.

To change any information, click the Edit tab.

Catalog

With this template, you can display items for sale in your catalog. You can determine such things as how many items to display per page. For each item, you can assign a name, a description, and an image. You can also choose the layout of each particular item that you add to your catalog.

E-Store (Amazon.Com Web Store)

To create your online bookstore, do the following steps:

1. Sign up.

You need to sign up to become an Amazon.com associate. Click here to sign up or here to find more about the associate program.

2.Fill out the form

- Associates ID:

After you subscribe with the associate program, you will be assigned an associate ID. Enter it into this field.

- Create Your Sales List:

enter the names, prices, and descriptions of the books you want to sell. Then press Next to preview.

Mobile Pager

Configuring mobile messaging with SiteStudio is as simple as entering the phone or pager number, selecting the service type and provider and clicking the Next button.

External Page

This page is especially useful if you have a part of your site created outside of SiteStudio. For example, if you have a store you have created with another program, then you can integrate it into your website. You can enter the URL of the page you would like to link to, and then enter the name of the button which connects to that page. In the example of the store, you can enter the URL to your store (such as http://mydomain.com/mystore) and then have the link named Store.

Site Map

Here you can see a list of the pages which your web site consists of. You are given the same options as when you view a particular page: View, Edit, Settings, and Delete. You can select these options for any of the pages listed.

Order Pages

Here you are presented with a list of the pages included in your site. You can change the order in which the pages are listed. To do this, select the page name so that it becomes highlighted. While it is highlighted, you can click on the up and down buttons to move the item up or down the list. The first page on your website is automatically set as the index page. You need to click on the Next button to save the changes.

Site Settings

The Site Settings determine the settings for your entire website. Here, you have many different options.

Change Web site color & style

Change global settings

Select site theme/effects

Load/save Web site

Start Over

Refresh images

Web site color & style

When you first setup your account, you are prompted to select a layout and colors. If you later decide that you would like to use a different one, then you can choose a new layout or color scheme with this option.

Global settings

The information here is also asked for when you first setup your site. This includes fields for things such as your name, email address, and other relevant information.

In the Search Engine Keywords box enter the words or word combinations that distinguish your site from all other sites on the Internet. They will be helpful when somebody tries to find your site with a search engine. You should use words that would be most characteristic of your site.

In the Search Engine Description box enter a short description of your site, like an answer to the question: What is it about? If an internet user finds your site via a search engine, this description will show right under the site name.

Site theme/effects

With this option you can add special themes and special effects to your website. You can add logos, snowflakes, and much more.

Falling Things

There are four different falling things images available. You can also specify how many of the falling things you would like included. This can go from 1 to 15.

- Snow Flakes: the snowflakes fall and flutter down the page

- Snow Borders: the same action, just a different design of snowflake

- Leaves: the same action, but with leaves

- Angels: again, the same action, but with angels with trumpets

Fade-in effects

You can add a curtain to segue from one page to the next.

Cursor trails

You can have objects trail the cursor and follow it around your site. You can select text, which would be your domain name, or a colorful tail to follow the cursor.

Logo Branding

With this, you can add a specific logo to your site. You can specify where you would like to have it located, as well as how long it should remain there. You can also enter text which would appear when the cursor stops over the Logo image.

Load/Save website

You can save up to five different versions of your site. Make sure the names you enter reflect the changes between versions.

Attention: Before retrieving a previously saved website, you should make sure to save your work. If you don’t save the current version, then you will lose it. SiteStudio can work with only one site at a time.

Warning: Choosing to start over will delete ALL PREVIOUSLY SAVED SITES. You will not be able to retrieve them later.

Note: Saving your site does not publish it. To publish your site, you need to click the publish link at the left side of the control panel.

Start Over

You can remove all the pages and files that you have saved, and start designing your site from scratch. Use this option only if you are sure that you do not want to have the old site any more. There is no way to go back once you remove the files. This includes all previously saved sites.