Other Options for Home Page
Contents
Build Your Home Page Help & Strategies
Other Options for Home Page
The following options are just that... options. Use them to...
- include the Socialize It! button bar on your home page
- include your home page in your RSS feed and on your Blog It! page
- include a footer on your home page
- choose a right column for your home page (if you activated this option)
- open a window under your home page when it loads
- update your RSS feed and your Blog It! page when you edit your home page.
Include the Socialize It! Button Bar on Your Home Page?
If you have not yet set up Socialize It! on your site, you will not see this option on the Edit Your SiteBuilder Home Page tool page. Full details are available in the Help & Strategies for Socialize It!.
- Click on No to remove the button bar from the home page.
- Click on Yes to add the button bar to the home page.
By default, when you activate Socialize It!, all your pages have the button bar added to the bottom of the page. If you do not want it to appear on your home page, click on the No button.
If you later decide to add the button bar to the home page, click on the Yes button.
Tips
- You can override your global Socialize It! setting for the home page, if you wish. Your other pages will not be affected.
- Choosing "Yes" will add the button bar below the body copy and the Table of Contents (if you chose to display it), and just above the footer.
Include the Home Page in Your RSS/Blog It! Feed?
If you have not yet set up RSS/Blog It! on your site, you will not see this option on the Edit Your SiteBuilder Home Page tool page. Full details are available in the Help & Strategies for RSS/Blog It!.
- Make sure that you've created an RSS feed first.
- Click on Yes to add the home page to your RSS feed and Blog It! page.
- Click on No if you do not want the home page added.
For now, though, here's a short summary...
- RSS/Blog It! converts your most recently created or modified Web pages into "items" and publishes an RSS feed. That, in itself, is enough to distribute your content to folks around the world.
- You can take your content distribution to the next level by turning that RSS feed into a visible TIER 2 Web page on your Web site. We call this "site-blogging."
Tip
- RSS/Blog It! leverages your time and efforts. It's a convenient way to attract new visitors to your site. It also makes it easier for return visitors to find your most recent content additions.
Include Your Footer on the Home Page?
- Click on Yes to place your footer on the home page.
- Click on No to leave it off.
If you have not yet set up the Footer for your site, you will not see this option on the Edit Your SiteBuilder Home Page tool page. Full details are available in the Help & Strategies for Footer.
When you set up Footer, if you chose to have it appear on all pages, then the default for the home page will be Yes. Turn off the footer by clicking on No. If, instead, you chose to have it not appear on all pages, then the default for the home page is No. Click on Yes to turn the footer on.
Tip
- Choosing "Yes" will add your footer below the body copy and the Table of Contents (if you chose to display it).
Choose a Right Column
- Choose a right column from the menu.
- Click on Build It! to rebuild the home page with the right column.
The Choose a Right Column option appears only if you selected the 3 column design for your template in the Look and Feel Selector.
If you don't see the Choose a Right Column option here, return to the Look and Feel Selector (in the All Pages section of Site Central) and choose the 3 column design.
You can change which Right Column appears on your home page by clicking on the menu and selecting the column you want.
The default column (if you created one with that name) will be used if you don't select another column. If you didn't create a default column, and don't select another one here, then the right column will have no content in it.
If you want the home page to have its own unique column, return to Site Central and click on the Add/Manage Right Columns button to create the new right column.
Pop Open a Page Under the Home Page?
- From the drop-down menu, select the page that you wish to open under your home page.
- If you do not want a page to pop-open, leave the drop-down selected to No Pop Under Page.
A Web page that opens under another page as it loads (i.e., a "pop-under") creates a different reaction in surfers. Some people don't mind pop-unders at all, while others use pop-up blockers to prevent their presentation.
Unfortunately, this means that a certain percentage of visitors to your site may not see your pop-under. That said, it's still a good idea to put one of your important pages in front of your visitors (via a pop-under), and intercept them as they leave your site. This page may be enough to redirect their attention back to your site.
Note: This will only work if your visitors are not blocking pop-ups (and pop-unders).
Important Note: If you plan to use Google AdSense, check the Terms of Service to ensure that you can have ads on your site. Also, you cannot have ads on the pop-under page.
Tips
- Use a pop-under to encourage a subscription to your opt-in e-zine, or to introduce visitors to your Blog It! content, or to expose people to a special promotion, etc.
- Don't worry about irritating a visitor unnecessarily. SBI! automatically sets a special 24 hour cookie on your visitor to prevent a pop-under from happening more than once per day.
Update Your RSS/Blog It! Feed?
- Click the checkbox to have your RSS/Blog It! feed updated when you build this page.
- If you do not want your feed updated, leave the checkbox unchecked.
Check this box if you are making changes to page content and you want your home page to "jump" to the top of your RSS/Blog It! feed (i.e., become the first item).
However, if you are simply making a small change (e.g., correcting a spelling mistake) and do not want to disturb your feed's order, leave this checkbox unchecked. SBI! will not update your feed.