Getting Assistance
THE BEST VIDEO TUTORIALS OF HOW TO DO BUSINESS OVER THE INTERNET AND BUILD YOUR WEBSITE STEP BY STEP
HOW TO CREATE AND BUILD A WEBSITE
AND EARN MONEY FROM HOME
Tutorials for Beginners
Learning Made Easy
All Tutorials FREE
All Rights Reserved © TaDahWEB, LLC 2009
If you encounter any questions while using the Homestead SiteBuilder software to build your website you can call one of Homestead support team representatives at
1-(800) 710-1998 - available from 8AM - 5PM Pacific Standard Time or
Log into your account at Homestead's website and open up a help ticket and you should receive a response within a 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do I change the design I chose for my website?
You can easily change the overall design you have chosen for your site by logging into your website account.
Important notes!
By choosing a new website design, your current site pages and files, including customized text and images, will be deleted.
The website design that you choose will be applied to your entire site; you cannot choose different designs for different pages. If you'd like to do this, we recommend building each page yourself, and not using the designs in our gallery!
If you want to make changes to your site without changing the entire design, you should just use SiteBuilder or SiteBuilder Lite. Choosing a new website design is more of a reset to your site, rather than maintenance and updating.
To change the design for your site, follow these instructions:
1. Log in to your website account.
- If you have multiple sites in your account, select the correct website from the dropdown menu.2. Click the 'Choose a different Website Design' link.
- This is located in the 'Enhance your site' section, near the bottom of your Welcome page.3. A warning page will appear after clicking the 'Choose a different Website Design' link.
- Click the 'Cancel' button to return to the Welcome page, without modifying or deleting your existing files.- Click the 'Browse Gallery' button to browse through the Design Gallery. You can browse the Design Gallery without altering your site. This is simply a preliminary warning.4. Search or browse the Design Gallery, then select the website design you would like to use.
5. A read-only version of the design will load in your browser window.
- If you don't like the design you chose, click the 'Back to Gallery' link in the upper left-hand corner if you would like to continue browsing designs.- If you like the design and want to use it, click the 'Choose this Design' button in the upper right-hand corner.6. You will see another warning screen at this point.
- Selecting 'Choose Design' will permanently delete the pages, files, and changes that you had previously made on your site.- Selecting 'Cancel' will return you to the Welcome page of your website account, without modifying or deleting your existing files.- The new website design will overwrite your previous site, and you can begin using your new design! - all information in this section is regarding the SiteBuilder software
How do I edit a Text Element?
Here's how to edit a Text Element:
1. Launch SiteBuilder or SiteBuilder Lite.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Select the Text Element that you would like to update.
4. Click on the text in the Element to bring up the 'I-beam' cursor.
5. Customize your Text Element by adjusting the text and Element properties.
Notes:
Text Elements cannot be rotated.
How do I remove a link?
Most Elements in SiteBuilder can have links added to them. When you add a hyperlink to an Element, a visitor to your site will be able to click on that Element and be directed to a new page, file, or location on your page.
Here's how to link Elements in SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click on the existing Element with the link.
- If editing a Text Element, highlight the portion of text that will carry the link.4. Click 'Link'.
- This button has an icon that looks like a chain, and can be found on the second toolbar from the top in SiteBuilder.5. Click 'Remove Link' at the bottom of the Link window.
- If you are using the older version of SiteBuilder (the one with the red color scheme), click 'Remove Link', then click on 'OK' to return to the SiteBuilder.6. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
If you are using SiteBuilder Lite, please use these instructions:
1. Log in to your website account and launch SiteBuilder Lite.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click on the existing Element with the link.
- If editing a Text Element, highlight the portion of text that will carry the link.4. Click 'Links to' in the upper left toolbar.
- When a Text or Image Element is selected in SiteBuilder Lite, a toolbar with formatting options will appear in the upper left.- 'Links to' is usually the last button in this toolbar.5. Click 'Remove Link' at the bottom of the Link window.
6.Save the page to publish and see your changes.
Can I change the color of my hyperlinks?
You can change the colors of your links with SiteBuilder. Here's how:
1. Log in to SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the 'Page Info' button.
- Page Info has an icon that looks like a lower-case "i", and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder.- Clicking this button will make the Properties Editor display the Page Properties.4. Customize your link colors with the Properties Editor on the right.
- Link Color: This will be the color of any linked text on your page.- Followed Link Color: This will be the color of any visited linked text on your page.5. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
What are layers, and how do I move Elements forward and backward on my page?
Layers are a cool feature that typically aren't available with standard HTML. Standard HTML does not permit overlapping objects, but SiteBuilder uses a special form of HTML that lets you layer Elements on pages. This means you can put a Text Element over an imported image or a Rectangle Element, for example.
You can use the "Layer" button in SiteBuilder to bring a selected Element forward one layer. So if you added some text, then created a rectangle, you could click the Layer button to bring the Text Element in front of the Rectangle Element!
Here's how to layer Elements in SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you want to edit.
3. Click on the Element of which you would like to adjust the layer.
- If you cannot locate the Element, you can use the Element Selector.- The Element Selector is a drop-down menu located in the upper-right hand corner of SiteBuilder, and will either have 'Select All' or an Element name in it.- The Element may be hidden behind another Element, but the selection box will still appear.4. Click 'Format' in the topmost toobar.
5. Move your mouse over 'Element Order' in the submenu.
6. Select your desired layer option fold-out menu.
- Bring to Front: Moves the selected Element to the very front layer of the page.- Send to Back: Moves the selected Element to the very back layer of the page.- Bring Forward: Moves the selected Element forward one layer.- Send Backward: Moves the selected Element back one layer- Save and publish the page to see your changes.Can I delete files from my website account with SiteBuilder?
You can use the File Manager in SiteBuilder to delete files from your website account. Here's how:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Click 'View' in the topmost toolbar.
3. Select 'File Manager' from the menu that appears.
4. In the File Manager, select the file(s) or folder(s) that you want to delete.
5. Click the 'Delete' button, near the top of the screen.
6. Click the 'Yes' button to confirm the deletion.
If you are using the older version of SiteBuilder (the one with the red color scheme), please use these instructions:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Click 'Site Mgr' in the topmost toolbar.
3. Click the 'Files' tab.
4. Select the file(s) or folder(s) that you want to delete.
5. Click the 'Delete' button, near the top of the Pages and Files Manager.
6.Click the 'OK' button to confirm the deletion.
Can I have my links open in a new window?
SiteBuilder's standard Link editor allows you to create a link that either opens in the current browser window or opens in a separate browser window. Here's how:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Add a new Element or click on the existing Element to which you want to add the link.
- If adding to a Text Element, highlight the portion of text that will carry the link.4. Click 'Link'.
- This button has an icon that looks like a chain, and can be found on the second toolbar from the top in SiteBuilder.5. Enter your link destination in the top section of the 'Edit Link' window.
6. Under 'How to you want the link to open?', click to enable 'In another browser window'.
7. Click 'OK'.
8. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
It is possible to make create a default setting for all the links on your page. Here's how:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the 'Page Info' button.
- Page Info has an icon that looks like a lower-case "i", and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder. Clicking this button will make the Properties Editor display the Page Properties.4. Click the radio button next to the desired default link option.
- Now the selected setting will show up in the 'Edit Link' dialog box for all the links you create on this page. You can manually change the setting for individual links as desired.Can I copy text from another document and add it to my SiteBuilder pages?
If you have text in another document that you would like to add to your pages, you can copy it to a Text Element.
First, you'll need to copy the text:
1. Open the document with the text that you want to copy.
2. Highlight the text you want to copy.
- You can highlight text by clicking and dragging your mouse over the selection.3. Copy the selected text to your computer's clipboard.
- You can copy with Ctrl+C.- You can also right-click on the highlighted text, then select 'Copy' from the menu that appears.- You can click on Edit in the topmost toolbar, and select 'Copy' from the menu that appears.Now that you have the text copied, you can add it to a Text Element in either SiteBuilder or SiteBuilder Lite.
To copy text to your pages with SiteBuilder or SiteBuilder Lite:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Add a new Text Element or click on an existing Text Element.
- To add a new Text Element, click on the 'Text' Element icon.- In SiteBuilder Lite, this is called 'Add Text'.- This has an icon that looks like an upper-case 'T', and can be found in the fourth toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder.- It can also be found in the Content Element category.4. Click once on the text in the Text Element bring up the 'I-beam' text cursor.
5. Highlight the section of text you want to replace, if applicable.
6. Paste the text from your computer's clipboard.
- You can paste with Ctrl+V.- You can also right-click on the highlighted text, then select 'Paste' from the menu that appears.- You can click on Edit in the topmost toolbar, and select 'Paste' from the menu that appears.7. Save and publish your page to see your changes.
How do I add new pages to my website?
You can quickly add a new page to your website using either SiteBuilder or SiteBuilder Lite, choosing either to start from scratch or to use one of the pre-made pages from your chosen design.
Here's how to add a new page using SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Click the 'New Page' button.
- New Page has an icon that looks like a rectangle, and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder.3. Customize the initial style for your new page.
- If you are using one of our website designs: - Choose 'white page (start from scratch)' from the menu to begin with a completely blank page.
- Enter a name for your page in the 'Page Title' field.- Click to enable the 'Add this page to my site's navigation' checkbox if you would like to add this new page to your site navigation menu.- If you did not choose one of our website designs:- Use My Last Style: Selects the last style chosen for your site.- Choose another Style: Allows you to browse and choose a new style for your page.- Start with Blank Page- Enter a name for your page in the 'Page Title' field.4. Click the 'OK' button.
Here's how to add a new page using SiteBuilder Lite:
1. Log in to your website account and launch SiteBuilder Lite.
2. Click the 'New Page' button.
- New Page has an icon that looks like a rectangle, and can be found in the upper right-hand corner of SiteBuilder Lite.- This button is not available if you are not using one of our website designs. You can update and change existing pages, but you cannot create new pages through SiteBuilder Lite unless a design from our Design Gallery is being used.3. Customize the initial style for your new page.
- Choose a page style from the website design chosen for your site.- Enter a name for your page in the 'Name this page' field.4. Click the 'New' button.
How do I change my page title?
The display title of a web page is the title which appears in the shaded bar along the top of the browser window. This is also known as the "title tag", and web browsers usually display it in the title bar. Search engines often pay attention to the words used in a page's title.
Here's how to change the display title of your web page with SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Enter your new page title in the 'Page Title' field in the Properties Editor.
- The Properties Editor is located on the right-hand side of the screen, and displays the properties of the page or Element you have selected.- If the Properties Editor is not visible, if might be hidden. - Click on 'View' in the top toolbar, select 'Properties Editor' from the menu that appears, and then select 'Show Properties Editor'.4. Save and publish your page to see your changes.
Here's how to change the display title of your web page with SiteBuilder Lite:
1. Log in to your website account and launch SiteBuilder Lite.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the 'Page Info' button.
4. Enter your new page title in the 'Page Title' field of the Page Info window.
5. Click the 'Submit' button.
6. Save your page to see your changes.
Notes:
The default display title for a page is the name of the page. If you create a page and name it "maps", the page title will default to "maps".
Search engines will index pages intermittently and on their own schedules, so changing the title of a page will not be reflected by the search engines immediately. It may take some time for this change to register in their indices.
Can I set my web pages to always be centered when viewed?
To center your Elements for all screen resolutions, please try the following:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the 'Page Info' button.
- Page Info has an icon that looks like a lower-case "i", and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder.- Clicking this button will make the Properties Editor display the Page Properties.4. Click the 'Advanced' tab in the Properties Editor.
- The Properties Editor is located on the right-hand side of SiteBuilder.- The Advanced tab is the third of three tabs in the Properties Editor.5. Click to enable the 'Center Contents on Page' checkbox.
6. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
Notes:
We've found that this feature works on almost all new and updated browsers, but there may be a few that ignore this centering option. You may want to make sure that your pages aren't too wide, just in case.
Why does it take so long for sound to play on my web page?
For a sound file to play from your website, it must be downloaded to the viewer's computer. The longer the length of the sound, the larger the sound file size. The larger the file size, the longer it will take to download. For example, an mp3 file for a four minute song can be a 4MB file. Any file over 500K will require additional time to download depending on the internet connection (56K, Cable/DSL).
When a MP3 file has been completely downloaded to your computer, it can be played using the desired sound player.
If you wish to use MP3 files for songs, we suggest posting only 30 second excerpts of the song for download. You may wish to post a note with instructions on how to download the file using the mouse's right click button and the 'Save As' function.
Notes:
Unfortunately we do not currently host or support streaming media files.
Which image formats can I use with SiteBuilder?
SiteBuilder currently supports GIF and JPEG image types, because these two file types are very common, do a great job of remaining small in size while retaining good image quality, and it's pretty much guaranteed that any web browser will be able to view them.
So, if your images are in a different format, you'll need to change the format to either GIF or JPG/JPEG. The easiest way to do this is to use a graphics program such as Microsoft Paint. Another graphics program that works just as well is a freeware program found at www.irfanview.com. Once you have your program of choice, here's how to convert the image:
1. Open the image file in the graphics program.
2. Click the 'File' menu and select 'Save As'. (The 'Save As' dialog box will appear.)
3. Use the drop-down menu to change the 'Save as Type' to GIF or JPG/JPEG. (You may keep the - same file name, if desired.)
- same file name, if desired.)4. Click the 'Save' button.
That's all there is to it! Now you can import your GIF or JPG/JPEG image file to your website.
Please make sure that the files you are trying to upload do not have any spaces (e.g. 'my file.jpg') in the filename. The file name can only have numbers, letters, and underscores (e.g. 'my_files.jpg).
Can I make copies of my SiteBuilder pages?
You can duplicate an entire page using the Save As option. Here's how:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to copy.
3. Click 'File' in the topmost toolbar.
4. Click 'Save As' from the menu that appears.
5. Type in a new name for the copy of this page.
6. Click the 'OK' button.
Notes:
When you create a copy of an existing page using this method, the new copy will not retain any information you may have stored in interactive Elements such as your Hit Counter or Guest Book.
What operating system does SiteBuilder work on?
The downloadable SiteBuilder application is designed to run on Windows machines. SiteBuilder uses Java (specifically, the Microsoft 'dialect' of Java) for many functions. So, even though other non-Windows operating systems (such as MacOS, Unix, or Linux) may use Java or a variant of Java, their Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and their Java libraries may not be the same or support the same functions.
There are currently no plans to create a cross-platform version of SiteBuilder, although we are developing a version of SiteBuilder that uses the .NET platform, and we hope to be able to release it soon.
The online version of SiteBuilder (SiteBuilder Lite) has no such Java requirement, so it can be used on different operating systems. While not as robust as the downloadable SiteBuilder, SiteBuilder Lite offers an alternative for quick and simple updates, and for users who are not using Windows-based operating systems.
To install and use SiteBuilder, you need to meet the following system requirements:
Intel® Pentium® II (or equivalent)
Microsoft® Windows® 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP, Vista or Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit)
64MB of RAM
20MB of available hard-disk space
Internet connection (28.8kbps)
Web browser - Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, Netscape 6.0 or later, or Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or later
For optimal performance, we recommend the following:
Intel® Pentium® III (or equivalent)
Microsoft® Windows® ME or later (32- or 64-bit)
256MB of RAM or greater
30MB of available hard-disk space or greater
Internet connection (56kbps or faster)
Web browser - Internet Explorer 6.0 or later versions
To use SiteBuilder Lite, your computer must have:
Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, Netscape Navigator 7.1, or Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or later
Internet connection of 28Kbps or faster
Can I add a YouTube video to my webpage?
We do offer a YouTube Element in SiteBuilder. You can add as many YouTube videos to your web page as you like, let your visitors play videos on your site. There's no more directing them to a different page... just cut and paste a link, and you're done!
First, get the URL for the YouTube video you're like to add.
1. Go to http://www.youtube.com.
2. Load the page for the desired video.
3. Copy the URL, either by copying the address that appears in the address bar of your browser, or by copying the address that appears in the video information box on the right, next to "URL".
by copying the address that appears in the video information box on the right, next to "URL". If the address that appears in your browser's address bar is "http://www.youtube.com ", or if you do not see the desired video playing on the YouTube page you are viewing, please click through to view the desired video.
to view the desired video.This URL should be for the video, not for the main YouTube page or a YouTube search results page.
Next, add the YouTube Element to your webpage.
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page to which you would like to add the Element.
3. Click the Content Element category.
4. Select 'YouTube Video' from the menu that appears.
5. Click and drag the Element to position it on your page.
6. Customize your YouTube Video Element with the Properties Editor on the right.
- YouTube URL: Paste the URL that you collected earlier into this field.- Play Automatically- Include Related Videos- Appearance- Show Border7. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
Notes:
If you are using the older version of SiteBuilder (the one with the red color scheme), this Element is unavailable. If you'd like to use this Element, please upgrade to the latest version of SiteBuilder.
How do I add a map and directions in SiteBuilder?
SiteBuilder offers a mapping Element through MapQuest, allowing you to post a map of a specific location on your pages, in addition to providing driving directions to that location. There are two separate MapQuest Elements; MapQuest Maps and MapQuest Driving Directions.
Here's how you can add a MapQuest Maps Element to your page:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the Information Element category.
4. Select 'MapQuest Map' from the menu that appears.
- A placeholder for the Element will appear in the Page Editor. There is sample text in the placeholder; this will not appear on your published page.5. Click and drag the Element to position it on your page.
6. Customize your MapQuest Map Element with the Properties Editor on the right.
- Company Name- Business Address- City- State- Zip Code- Country: MapQuest only services the United States.- Style - Size- Display Address- Font Color- Background7. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
Here's how you can add a MapQuest Driving Directions Element to your page:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the Information Element category.
4. Select 'MapQuest Directions' from the menu that appears.
- A placeholder for the Element will appear in the Page Editor. - There is sample text in the placeholder; this will not appear on your published page.5. Click and drag the Element to position it on your page.
6. Customize your MapQuest Directions Element with the Properties Editor on the right.
- Number and Street- City- State- Zip Code- Country: MapQuest only services the United States.- Style7. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
Notes:
MapQuest currently only works for United States addresses.
If you need to delete this Element, simply open the page in SiteBuilder, select the Element, and press the Delete button.
How do I copy an Element from one page to another in my website?
The SiteBuilder allows you to easily copy Elements from one Web page to another using the standard Copy/Paste functions on your computer.
First, copy the original Elements:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page with the Elements that you want to copy.
3. Select the Element that you want to copy.
- To select multiple Elements: Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard. Click on each Element that you want to select.
- To select every Element on the page: Click 'Edit' in the topmost toolbar. Select 'Select All' from the menu that appears.4. Copy the Elements.
- Press Ctrl+C to copy the selected Elements. Do not close SiteBuilder after copying the Elements. Doing so will clear the copied Elements from your clipboard.Next, paste the Elements onto the new page.
1. Open the page to which you want to add the copied Elements.
2. Paste the Elements.
- Press Ctrl+V to paste the copied Elements.3. Reposition the copied Elements on your new page, as needed.
4. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
Notes:
When you copy Elements, any links that were associated with the originals will carry over for the copies.
If you copy Guest Book and Hit Counter Elements, their contents/stats will NOT appear in the copy.
Elements cannot be copied between websites, only from pages in the same website.
How do I publish my web pages once I'm ready?
Once you're ready to publish your work, you can just use the 'Publish' button in SiteBuilder. If you haven't saved your work yet, you'll be prompted to before publishing.
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you want to publish.
3. Click the 'Publish' button.
- This has an icon that looks like a globe, and is located in the second toolbar from the top in SiteBuilder.4. Choose which pages to publish.
- This Page: Publishes the currently viewed page.- Entire Site: Publishes every page and file in your website.- Cancel: Returns to the SiteBuilder Page Editor.- View this page after publishing: Launches a web browser to show the published page.How can I decrease the file size of my images in SiteBuilder?
SiteBuilder has an Optimize Tool that can decrease the file size of your images while retaining optimized quality. To optimize an image:
1. Do one of the following to import the image:
- drag the image directly into the File Manager- use the 'Import' button in the toolbar of the File Manager.- use the Add an Image Element in the Page Editor.2. Open a new or existing page in SiteBuilder. (This should be the page where you want the image to appear.)
to appear.)3. Use the Add an Image Element to place the image on the page and resize with your mouse.
4. Click the 'Optimize' button in the toolbar. A dialog appears asking whether you wish to create a new version of the image or overwrite the existing image.
5. Select an option and click [OK].
- Save as new image: Select this option to preserve your original image in your site and create a new optimized version of the image.- Overwrite existing image: Select this option to overwrite the original image in your site and save only one optimized version.- Save the page.Note:
If image quality is very important to your site, you may wish to use a professional image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop which will allow you greater control over the balance between image quality and file size.
Can I add a sound file to my web page?
Here's how to add an imported sound file to your web page:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page to which you would like to add the Element.
3. Click the Content Element category.
4. Select 'Sound File' from the menu that appears.
5. Once the Browse dialog window appears, locate the sound file which you would like to use.
- If you have already imported the sound file, select it from the list and click the 'OK' button.- If you have the sound file on your computer, click the 'Your Computer' button in the upper right- hand corner and locate the file. - Once found, click on the file and click the 'Open' button.6. Click and drag the Element to position it on your page.
7. Customize your Add a Sound File Element with the Properties Editor on the right.
- Play Automatically- Repeat Continuously- Hide Sound Player8. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
What are meta tags, and how do I add them to my web page?
Metatags enable you to put special key words at the top of the code for your page which search engines use to classify your site.
Here's how to add metatags to your web pages:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you want to edit.
3. Select the 'Page Info' button.
- Page Info has an icon that looks like a lower-case "i", and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder.- Selecting this button will make the Properties Editor display the Page Properties.4. Select the 'Meta Tags' tab.
5. Customize the Meta Tags fields.
- Description- KeywordsNotes:
The Page Description is usually 1 or 2 sentences long. Punctuation is allowed.
A comma and a single space should follow each key word you enter (for example: portraits, weddings, ...).
Use single quotes to enclose multiple-word key words (for example: 'professional photography').
Try to be as specific as possible in listing your metatags.
Remember that you are competing with many other sites listed under similar topics in the search engine.
For example, if you are attempting to publicize your fabric shop, list the various types of fabrics offered especially the more unusual ones--as well as the location of the shop. This will be much more effective than just using the single keyword 'fabrics'.
Best of luck on spreading the word about your site!
How do I create a new site?
Here's how to create a new site in your website account:
1. Log in to your website account.
2. Click the 'Advanced' link.
3. Click the 'Start a new site' link located under the Website Management category.
- The Website Management section is located on the right-hand side of the Advanced Features screen.- 'Start a new site' is the third of five options in the Website Management box.4. Choose a name for your site and click the 'Add this site' button.
- You can now launch SiteBuilder and work on your new site from scratch, or you can click the 'Create your site' link to visit our Design Gallery and choose a design from which to start your new site.Note:
If your account package only includes one site and you have already created that site, you cannot add additional sites until you upgrade your page.
.
What's the difference between 'Save' and 'Publish'?
When you click 'Save' in SiteBuilder, your work is saved to your computer's hard drive. Since the offline SiteBuilder resides on your local computer, 'save' means the same thing it does with a word processor or graphics program: it ensures that your work is saved on your computer's hard-drive.
When you click 'Publish', your saved pages and files are transferred to our servers, which in turn makes them available on the Web. You must be connected to the Internet when you publish, in order to allow for the transfer to our servers. Once you publish your pages, they should be immediately visible online; however, some Internet Service Providers (ISP) can take a bit longer to refresh their caches.
If you are concerned about others viewing your published pages before they are finished, please note the following:
If your index page does not link to the unfinished page, and you do not announce the web address to others, it is unlikely that visitors will locate the page 'by accident' because they will need the exact url for the page. When the page is finished, you can announce and link to the page from your index page.
Another option is to password-protect the unfinished page. Visitors will be prompted to enter a password to view the page online. When the page is finished, you can remove the password.
How do I change the footer on my website design?
Most of our website designs come with a copyright footer at the bottom. Here's how to change the appearance of that footer:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the 'Page Info' button.
- Page Info has an icon that looks like a lower-case "i", and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder. Clicking this button will make the Properties Editor display the Page Properties.4. Customize your footer with the Properties Editor on the right.
- Style- Add Copyright- Copyright By: If you are not using a design from Homestead's Design Gallery, the copyright options will not be available.5. Save and publish your page to see your changes.
If you don't want the copyright footer to appear at the bottom of your website design, please follow these instructions to remove it:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the 'Page Info' button.
- Page Info has an icon that looks like a lower-case "i", and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder. Clicking this button will make the Properties Editor display the Page Properties.4. In the Properties Editor on the right, select 'No Footer' from the Style drop-down menu.
5. Save and publish your page to see your changes.
Notes:
You will need to make these changes to each page individually; this will not change or remove the footer on all of your pages at once. You cannot alter the footer with SiteBuilder Lite.
Should I resize my images before or after importing them?
Definitely before importing them to your web page! When large images are imported to a web page and then reduced to a smaller size with SiteBuilder, it can cause the following problems:
Slow loading of the web page and files.
Distortion of the image file.
For the faster load times on your website, you should keep your image file sizes less than 100KB whenever possible. You can use a graphics program to resize and resave large images before importing them with SiteBuilder. If you don't already have one, we often recommend the free IrfanView program, which you may obtain at a number of download sites, including www.download.com.
Resizing large images in SiteBuilder doesn't actually change the image file sizes, or keep the correct image proportions. When an image is resized in SiteBuilder, the original image is stretched or shrunk by the web browser into the height and width dimensions specified. This stretching or shrinking of the image by the browser can cause the image to appear distorted. To prevent a web browser from doing this, you should always resize and resave your images to the preferred height and width dimensions before importing them into SiteBuilder.
Here's how to determine the image file size in your website account:
1. Log in to your website account.
- If you have multiple sites in your account, select the correct website from the dropdown menu.2. Click 'Advanced' in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click 'Page & File Manager' in the submenu that appears.
4. Click to enable the checkbox next to the image in question.
5. Click the 'Get Info' button in the Page and File Manager.
6. View the image size under 'Size'.
7.Click the 'OK' button when done.
Can I change the length and width of my web page?
You can adjust the width of your page by using the Page Properties menu in the SiteBuilder. (The default width of your page is 800 pixels.)
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Click the 'Page Info' button.
- Page Info has an icon that looks like a lower-case "i", and can be found in the second toolbar from the top of SiteBuilder.- Clicking this button will make the Properties Editor display the Page Properties.4. Customize your page width with the Properties Editor on the right.
5. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
You can determine the height of your published web pages with the placement of the Element that is furthest from the top edge of your page. Thus, simply moving the lowest Elements on your page will automatically adjust the height of your page for you.
For example, if you placed an Element so that its top edge is 1300 pixels from the top of your page, and the Element itself has a height of 200 pixels, the total height or your page would be 1500 pixels (1300+200).
If you drag this lowest Element up or down, the total height of the page will be automatically adjusted accordingly.
To make your page shorter, simply find the lowest Element on your page, and drag it until it's higher up on the page. SiteBuilder will only make the page as long as the lowest Element on the page.
If you would like to size your page to specific dimensions, here are instructions on how to activate the 'ruler' functionality in the SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Click 'View' in the topmost toolbar.
- If you're using the older version of SiteBuilder, click 'Page' in the topmost toolbar instead.3. Select 'Show Rulers' from the submenu.
Notes:
There's technically no limit to the length and width your page can be, although for design and usability purposes, you'll probably want to avoid making it too long. These instructions do not apply for Storefront users. The length of your web page depends on where the bottom Element is placed.
To make your page shorter, find the Element at the bottom of your page, and drag it up with your mouse.
To make your page longer, find the bottom Element and drag it down.
How do I add links in SiteBuilder?
Most Elements in SiteBuilder can have links added to them. When you add a hyperlink to an Element, a visitor to your site will be able to click on that Element and be directed to a new page, file, or location on your page.
Here's how to link Elements in SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page that you want to edit.
3. Add a new Element or click on the existing Element to which you want to add the link.
- If adding to a Text Element, highlight the portion of text that will carry the link.4. Click 'Link'.
- This button has an icon that looks like a chain, and can be found on the second toolbar from the top in SiteBuilder.- SiteBuilder will show a message if the Element you have selected cannot be linked.5. Customize the Link.
- Existing Page or File: Links the Element to a page or file that already exists in your account. You can also click 'Browse' followed by 'Your Computer' to import a new file to your account. URL (Web Address): Links the Element to a URL that you enter.- Email Address: Adds an email address as a link, opening the visitor's default email client. Another Area on this page('anchor link'): Moves the focus of the page to a different section of the same page when clicked.6. Choose how you want the link to open.
- In the current browser window- In another browser window7. Click 'OK'.
8. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
If you are using SiteBuilder Lite, please use these instructions:
1. Log in to your website account and launch SiteBuilder Lite.
2. Open the page that you would like to edit.
3. Add a new Element or click on the existing Element to which you want to add the link.
- If adding to a Text Element, highlight the portion of text that will carry the link. SiteBuilder Lite can add link information to Text and Image Elements.4. Click 'Links to' in the upper left toolbar.
- When a Text or Image Element is selected in SiteBuilder Lite, a toolbar with formatting options will appear in the upper left.- 'Links to' is usually the last button in this toolbar.5. Customize the Link.
- Existing Page or File: Links the Element to a page or file that already exists in your account.- URL (Web Address): Links the Element to a URL that you enter.- Email Address: Adds an email address as a link, opening the visitor's default email client.6. Choose how you want the link to open.
- In the current browser window- In another browser window7. Click 'OK'.
8. Save the page to publish and see your changes.
How do I delete a page or file from my website account?
You can delete pages or files from your website account at any time. Keep in mind that once you delete a page or file from your website account while connected to the Internet using SiteBuilder, it is deleted permanently from our servers. So, please make sure that you are selecting the intended files before deleting!
To delete pages or files from your account with the Page and File Manager:
1. Log in to your website account.
- If you have multiple sites in your account, select the correct website from the dropdown menu.2. Click 'Advanced' in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click the 'Page & File Manager' link in the submenu.
4. Click to enable the checkbox for the page or file that you want to delete.
5. Click the 'Delete' button in the Page and File Manager toolbar.
6. Confirm the deletion.
- Click the 'OK' button to delete the page or file.- Click the 'Cancel' button to return to the Page and File Manager.To delete page or files from your account in SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
- If you have multiple sites in your account, select the correct website from the dropdown menu.2. Click 'View' in the topmost toolbar.
3. Select 'File Manager' from the menu that appears.
3. Select the page or file that you want to delete.
4. Click the 'Delete' button in the SiteBuilder toolbar.
5. Confirm the deletion.
- Click the 'Yes' button to delete the page or file.- Click the 'No' button to return to the File Manager.To delete pages from your site with SiteBuilder Lite:
1. Log in to your website account and launch SiteBuilder Lite.
2. Click the 'Delete' button in the SiteBuilder Lite Toolbar.
3. Click to enable the radio button for the page that you want to delete.
- Note that you cannot delete files; only pages can be deleted using SiteBuilder Lite.4. Click the 'Delete' button in lower right-hand corner.
5. Confirm the deletion.
- Click the 'Yes' button to delete the page.- Click the 'No' button to return to the File Manager.Note:
You cannot delete either the 'index' or the 'siteerror404' pages with SiteBuilder Lite. You can delete these pages with the downloadable SiteBuilder application or from the Page and File Manager in your website account.
If you are using the older version of SiteBuilder (the one with the red color scheme), SiteBuilder Lite is not available. If you'd like to use SiteBuilder Lite, please upgrade to the latest version of SiteBuilder.
Which web browsers can I use with this service? Is there a browser that works best with SiteBuilder?
In order to use the SiteBuilder, you must at least have Internet Explorer 5, Netscape Navigator 6, or Mozilla Firefox 1.0 (or higher). If you feel comfortable doing so (and your computer has at least 64 MB of RAM), we highly recommend that you download a more powerful Web browser.
SiteBuilder was originally designed to use the Internet Explorer (IE) browser, so if you are using another browser as your default, you may experience problems loading or previewing pages through SiteBuilder. If this is the case, it's a good idea to set up Internet Explorer as your default browser. This will ensure that IE will launch each time you click the 'Preview' button in SiteBuilder, and you'll have much better viewing results if IE is your default browser.
To set up Internet Explorer as your default browser:
1. Launch Internet Explorer.
2. Click 'Internet Options' in the 'Tools' menu. (A dialog box should appear.)
3. Click the 'Programs' tab.
4. Check the box that says 'Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser.'
You can download the recommended versions of these browsers from the following websites:
Internet Explorer 7.0
Internet Explorer 6.0
Internet Explorer 5.5:
Netscape Navigator download archive:
Mozilla Firefox:
Are there other fonts available other than the ones shown in SiteBuilder?
The fonts that we've made available in SiteBuilder were selected because they are considered to be standard to most, if not all personal computers. Every time someone visits your website, their computer has a folder of fonts to help display the website's text. If you are using a font on your website that is not installed on a visitor's computer, then the text will appear in the visitor's designated default font.
However, if you don't find the font you need, there are a couple of ways you can incorporate different fonts into your web pages:
1. You can use the Insert HTML Element to use different fonts in your web pages. If you are familiar with HTML, you can use the tag within an Insert HTML Element. You can find helpful information at the following links:
2. You can take screen shots of the text that you wish to put on your web pages, convert the images into .jpg or .gif format, and import them into your website. This process requires access to graphics software such as Adobe Photoshop. If you do choose to go this route, you can download free fonts from the following links:
Notes:
The viewer of the page must have the font installed on their machine for the text on the page to appear correctly.
None of the above links are official partners, and we haven’t done any extensive testing of what they have to offer. We have visited the websites and it all looks good, but keep in mind that use of their tools and services must be undertaken at your own risk.
Can I link my web log to my Intuit/Homestead Website with SiteBuilder?
With the SiteBuilder, you can add a Blog Element to your pages. This Blog Element will act as a 'reader', allowing your web page to display the most recent entries to your online weblog. While we do not provide a weblog service, this is a convenient way to integrate your existing online journal with your website.
Using the Blog Element requires you to obtain the 'feed' address information for your weblog, but once you have done this, it is a simple matter to customize your Blog Element. The RSS feed is a URL that you can add to your Blog Element, and can be obtained from the help files of your current weblog service.
Once you have added the Blog Element to one of your web pages, you can customize it using the Properties Editor in the SiteBuilder. You can position it on your page, determine the display fonts, and choose to have up to the 10 most recent entries to your blog displayed on your page.
To add the Blog Element with SiteBuilder:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page you would like to edit.
3. Click the Communication Element category.
4. Select 'Blog Feed' from the menu that appears.
5. Click and drag the Element to position it on your page.
6. Customize your Blog Element with the Properties Editor on the right.
- Site Feed URL: Enter the Site Feed URL for your weblog. If you do not have this information, please contact the administrators of your online weblog, or consult their help files.
- Number of Entries: Enter the number of entries that you would like to appear in the Blog - Header Style- Body Style7. Save and publish the page to see your changes.
To edit the Blog Element with SiteBuilder Lite:
1. Log in to your website account and launch SiteBuilder Lite.
2. Open the page you would like to edit.
3. Click on the Blog Element.
4. Customize your Blog Element with the Edit Blog Feed window.
-Site Feed URL: Enter the Site Feed URL for your weblog. If you do not have this information, please contact the administrators of your online weblog, or consult their help files.- Number of Entries: Enter the number of entries that you would like to appear in the Blog Element. The most recent entries within this range will appear in your Blog Element.5. Click the 'OK' button.
6. Click the 'Save' button to save and publish your page.
Notes:
The Blog Element is NOT a online weblog or journal by itself. It allows you to feature recent entries from your weblog on your website. You may want to provide a link to your Blog's web address on your page if you would like visitors to be able to view your entire journal.
At this time, the Blog Element supports RSS and Atom feeds only. SiteBuilder Lite can be used to edit the Blog Element only; to add, move, or remove Blog Elements, SiteBuilder must be used.
Do I need to install the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine? I already have Sun Java installed.
SiteBuilder will only work specifically with the Microsoft version of the Java VM. Please follow the instructions below to make sure your computer has only the Microsoft Java VM enabled.
Here's what to do:
1. Launch Internet Explorer.
2. Click the 'Tools' menu in the top toolbar.
3. Select 'Internet Options' from the drop-down menu.
4. Click the 'Advanced' tab.
5. UNCHECK the box next to 'Use Java...' under the 'Java (Sun)' heading.
6. Check the box next to 'JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled (requires restart)' under the 'Microsoft VM' heading.
'Microsoft VM' heading.7. Check the box next to 'Java logging enabled'.
8. Click the 'OK' button.
9. Close Internet Explorer.
10. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Why do I need an 'index' page?
If someone types your web address in their browser without specifying which page they'd like to go to, they will be taken to your index page. This is because the name 'index' is a standard Internet convention for designating the default home page of a site. If you don't have an index page, then your visitors won't be able to see your site when they go to your web address!
So, if you've already built the first page that you want visitors to see, and it's not named 'index', you'll need to save it with that name. There might already be a page named 'index' in your website, especially if you've used one of our website designs. If that's the case, delete your current 'index' page and then save your preferred default page as 'index'. From then on, that will be the new home page for your website.
Please remember that if you create a copy of an existing page using this method, the new copy will not retain any information you may have stored in interactive Elements, such as your Hit Counter or Guest Book.
To copy a page as your new 'index' page:
1. Launch SiteBuilder.
2. Open the page to be copied.
3. Click the 'File' menu and select 'Save As'.
4. Save the page as: index.
- You will now have two versions of the same page, one under the original name and one under the name of 'index'.
the name of 'index'.5. You may wish to delete the original version of the homepage to avoid confusion.
6.Save and publish your new index page to see your changes.
How do I import files from my computer to my website account?
Before you use an outside file of any kind as part of your website, it's necessary to import that file into the directory for that site so that it's accessible when you want to add it to your page.
It's possible to import files from within the SiteBuilder during the actual page-building process. But many members prefer to get everything imported in advance to save the trouble of having to browse for files when they're in the process of creating their pages.
You can import files individually to your site directory using the Page & File Manager. We have combined the Page & File Manager into one page for more convenient access.
Here's how to import files individually using the Page & File Manager:
1. Log in to your website account.
- If you have multiple sites in your account, select the correct website from the dropdown menu.2. Click 'Advanced' in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click 'Page & File Manager' in the submenu that appears.
4. Click the 'Import' button in the Page and File Manager toolbar.
5. Click the 'Browse' button.
6. In the 'Files of Type' drop-down box, choose 'All Files'.
7. Locate the file on your computer that you want to import.
8. Double-click the file you wish to import.
9. Click 'OK'.
10. Repeat the process until you've imported all the desired files into your site's list.
Element. The most recent entries within this range will appear in your Blog Element.
