Themes
The first thing to do when building a website is to choose a THEME, which will determine the site's general layout and fonts.
We can change the theme at any time easily, (I change the Takethelake.org theme each year), but a new theme may require unexpected tweaking. The theme will dictate the size and color of the fonts used for the headings, text and buttons, but we can tweak them. |
Font Styles
Anywhere on the site - except for captions and form fields - we can change selected text:
- Text can be Boldface
- Text can be Italicized
- Text can be Underlined
- Text can be Enlarged
- Text can be Reduced
- Text color can be changed
- Text can be in Bulleted Lists (like this one) or Numbered
Text can be Centered, like this, or Right Justified
Links
Any text (except captions) or any photograph can be made into a LINK that will send user to:
Most links can be made to open in the same browser window or a new one. |
Click the image at left
to visit Takethelake.org, for example. |
Partner Page
We can have a password-protected page that only our committee members, and others we choose, can access and share communication. I use one at Takethelake.org to share a venue map and a final schedule for all events and volunteers.
Blog Page
The Blog Page is usually the Main Page, though not always, and we can have more than one.
On the Blog Page, we can update the website easily by creating a new blog post.
A new post can be as simple as a few written paragraphs and a headline, or it can include a photograph, video or map, to name the most common features.
Each new blog post is placed above the previous one, so newest posts appear, date-stamped, at the top of the page.
When a post is made, the site can automatically update our Facebook page.
Posts can be created and uploaded from mobile devices (See "Mobile Uploader App")
On the Blog Page, we can update the website easily by creating a new blog post.
A new post can be as simple as a few written paragraphs and a headline, or it can include a photograph, video or map, to name the most common features.
Each new blog post is placed above the previous one, so newest posts appear, date-stamped, at the top of the page.
When a post is made, the site can automatically update our Facebook page.
Posts can be created and uploaded from mobile devices (See "Mobile Uploader App")
Mobile Uploader App
Search Boxes
We can place a SEARCH BOX anywhere on our site so people can search our site.
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Buttons
BUTTONS are helpful, and we can either use the generic ones offered by Weebly (below, left) or use JPG files to make our own (below, right)
We can control the color and shape of buttons in THEMES, but not very much.
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Maps
We can place MAPS anywhere on the site, to locate fitness centers, perhaps?
I believe we will be limited to only one marker per map.
I believe we will be limited to only one marker per map.
Translator (Embed Code)
In addition to the "Drag and Drop" features Weebly offers us, we can also EMBED html code.
We can use this code for many things. An example at right is a Google TRANSLATOR for this page. We will place one of these on every page where translation is needed. |
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Calendar (Embed Code)
We can also embed a Calendar. At right is a Google Calendar.
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Horizontal Lines
The lines you see above and below are HORIZONTAL RULES that can be used to separate things.
Slideshows
We can place a SLIDESHOW, shown at right anywhere on our site, in many sizes.
In SLIDESHOWs, we can control things like:
The large photos at the tops of our pages can be made into slide shows, though without all of the functions shown above. |
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Photo Galleries
Or on pages where we have room, we can place a PHOTO GALLERY.
On GALLERIES, we can control things like:
- Captions
- Cropping
- Borders
Users can click on any photo for an enlargement. The enlargement will be (to a point) as large as the file we provide, and in the example below, I have provided small images.
Videos
We can place VIDEOS anywhere on our site, using YouTube certainly, or maybe upload videos into our own player.
User Response Forms
We can invite input from our users with SURVEYS, such as the one shown at right, with options including these:
Responses will be sent to one or more email addresses and they can all be viewed through our interface. We can also download all responses to an Excel file. |
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Documents
It is possible to embed a variety of DOCUMENTS anywhere on the site. At right, I have a multi-page PDF of a users manual.
I can check into what other formats we can post. |
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Polls
We can set up polls, but they are offered through a third party (Poll Daddy) and I haven't worked with them yet.
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Mobile Version
Social Networks
We can place a group of Social Network icons anywhere on our site, and on our Blog page, we can do a little more with Flickr and Linked In.
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Forums
I have not used these yet, so I can't detail their features and faults, but we could use them to help people form walking groups, cycling clubs, etc.?
ALSO . . .
Weebly offers a few more features.
TABLET EDITING - Can edit site (not blog page) from iPad or other tablet
AUDIO FILE that will play like a video
FLASH Animation
COMMERCE (extra cost)
TABLET EDITING - Can edit site (not blog page) from iPad or other tablet
AUDIO FILE that will play like a video
FLASH Animation
COMMERCE (extra cost)