WebsiteCreator Support Documentation

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The first step in creating a website in WebsiteCreator is to pick a category. After that, you narrow your choices by specifying a subcategory. You can choose from over 100 consumer-specific templates and over 350 business templates.

Contents

Category

How to Choose

Select the category from the column on the left which best describes your business. Subcategories will appear in the right column. If you feel your business does not fall within any of the proposed choices, or if you would like to set up a personal website click on neutral presentation or personal homepage. In the next step you will be presented with a site to view and complete.

Company Website

To take advantage of the huge potentials offered by the Internet, every company should present itself, its products and its services in the most professional manner possible.

The different branches we have identified should allow you to build a website with a concept that meets the expectations of your future customers. In the next few pages, we propose a site map drawn up with your specific business needs in mind. Of course, you are free to adapt the proposed templates, even after publication, to adjust them to your requirements.

Personal Homepage

Whether you need your web page to advertise your CV, share your holiday photographs with family and friends, or show your wedding to friends worldwide, choose from our many site designs for a modern and attractive website!

Design

Choose a Design

After you have chosen a category and a sub-category, the next step is to choose a pre-design template that best reflects your business. The set of pre-design templates are on the left column. If none of the options appeal to you, you can choose to view all designs. Choose a design on the left and you will be able to preview a full version of it on the right.

Choose a Color

When clicking on the Color link located in the left column, the style you choose will be shown in different colors. Choose a color scheme that best represents your company. Try choosing a color scheme that matches your company logo. It will be easier for your customers to recognize your company. The background color you choose is crucial. As a general rule, lighter colors, like pastel shades, should be used for the background, allowing your text or pictures to stand out.

Choose a Main Graphic

The term Main graphic relates to any picture or logo that is visible throughout your site. The image gallery offers you a wide range of choices allowing you to express your style with a personal touch.

Design Details

Select Text and Background Colors

The Text color section lets you choose a color for your text. Give priority to the legibility of the text. When using a light background, choose a darker font color, and conversely, so as to create a contrast between text and background. The selected color will be applied throughout your site.

Select a Type of Button

Some designs let you choose from different kinds of buttons. Select the button you feel is most adapted to the style of your site. You can change your selection at any later stage.

Select a Font Type

The font types proposed are fully supported by any browser, and particularly adapted to your design. Your choice must not be based on taste alone but must also contribute to the clarity of your page: make sure the font type matches your headings and buttons. All the fonts presented here have been tested and approved by customers.

Insert Your Logo

Click on Logo/Image on the left column if you want to upload your own company logo. To incorporate your logo into your chosen design, upload it directly from your computer. In the Logo/Image upload dialog box, click on browse, select the path to your logo, fill in the fields of the dialog box, and then click on Next. The size of the logo will automatically adjust to the design selected.

NOTE: Your logo can only be in GIF or JPG format. The file must be a .gif, .jpg or .jpeg file.

Insert your Name or Company Name

All you need to do is type your name or company name just as you would like it to appear. Click on Apply to insert it into your chosen site design.

If you feel adding your name/ company name is not necessary, leave the field empty or use it to write your company motto or slogan.

Site Navigation

Define a Site Tree

The fourth step in WebsiteCreator involves defining a navigation structure for your website. In other words, you need to create the sitemap for your site. The sitemap reflects the tree of your site, that is the organization and the way the different sections relate to one another. Each section and sub-section represents a page of your site.

Take a look at the two suggested columns of page titles as a starting point to organize your site map. They are laid out ideally for a site such as yours. Of course, you can always modify the order as well as the contents of the sitemap.

You can modify the sitemap by clicking on the corresponding page titles on either of the two columns and it will add that page to the Your selection section. If you wish to select only some of the proposed sections or sub-sections, you can do so by clicking on the chosen sections directly. It is also possible to create a section or sub-section by creating a new page.

The name of each section must be carefully chosen and is fundamental as it gives the visitor an immediate snapshot of what is to be found on the site. From a section to a sub-section, you go from general to more specific. The deeper the visitor goes into your site, the more specific and detailed the information. Also bear in mind that a visitor reads the site from top to bottom. The sections should be organized accordingly. You can define the elements of the contents of each section in the next step of WebsiteCreator.

View and Organize File Tree

The Your selection column displays the sections and sub-sections as they are selected. The control buttons located to the left of this column allows you to define their level as main section or sub-section and also to insert, delete or rename them. The instructions below will explain this in more detail.

Create a New Main Section

The Create new page option can be used at any time. It allows you to create a section and the sub-page contents. Just click on Create new page. A new section will appear in the Your Pages section.

Create a Sub-section

To create a sub-section, first create a section as explained above. Then make it a sub-section by clicking the Change level button.

Organize your Sections and Sub-sections

The One position up and One position down buttons allow you to arrange sections and sub-sections vertically making them appear in the order that you want.

Rename a Section

Click on the section or sub-section to be renamed and enter the new name where prompted.

Convert a sub-section into a main section

Select the sub-section to be converted, and then click on the Change level button.

Delete a main section or sub-section

Click the section or sub-section to be deleted, and then click on Delete menu item. Click Yes when prompted.

Adding & Editing Content (Text / Images)

Mode and Rulers

Stage 5 is the editing stage where you will be asked to enter your text, pictures, and other content elements. All new elements are to be typed in directly in the navigation window. The navigation window is the WYSIWYG editor. This acronym stands for What You See Is What You Get.

The navigation window can either be in Edit or Preview mode. To switch modes, you can either click on Edit mode or Preview mode from the File menu, click on the icons located on the task bar, or you can also use the shortcut keys F8 (Preview mode) or F9 (Edit mode).

By default, the selected page appears in Edit mode. Only this mode allows you to modify text or image elements.

Finally, to help you with the layout of your page, you can use rulers in order to separate your paragraphs or tables. To enable this function, select the Options menu, and then select Paragraph rulers or Table rulers.

Full Screen

The Full Screen mode lets you have a larger overview of the different elements used to compose your page.

You will find the Full Screen option in the WebsiteCreator menu bar, under the File menu. Enabling this option will hide the menu bars and upper icons and maximizes the editing area.

Preview

Use the Preview mode to view the site just as a visitor would see it. Proof read the contents and verify the links. Ensure that you present a flawless website to your visitors.

The Preview mode can be viewed in the same editing window or in a different window. If you click on File and then Preview in new window this will open a new window. Selecting Preview mode (F8) in the File menu lets you view the page in the current window of WebsiteCreator.

In the Preview mode (F8), the Menu bar and the Tool bar do not offer any editing options. To add new content or change existing content, you have to go back to Edit mode.

Formatting and Page Setup

The content editing tool is easy-to-use. You can create paragraphs, tables, or lists, and add pictures to any of your web pages. The paragraphs, tables, and lists are building blocks of your web page.

When creating a paragraph for instance, you will need to create it either above or below another paragraph. The same applies to tables or lists.

In Step 3: Customizing Your Website, you defined the size and font type of your text and headings. Now, you have the ability to choose a pre-defined style. From the Paragraph menu, choose Change layout and you will be able to choose from 3 different styles for your paragraph - Standard text, Heading, and Second Heading.

For tables or lists, the text is the Standard text by default. However, you can still edit the font style for distinct words by making them italic or bold.

Create, edit, or delete paragraphs

To create a new paragraph, click on the Paragraph menu and then choose either New paragraph below or New paragraph above. You can then shift your paragraph up or down using the Move paragraph up or Move paragraph down functions.

You can also delete a paragraph using the Delete paragraph function. You can also change the layout of the paragraph by selecting Change layout.

Create, edit and delete tables

Tables are useful to position or align text or pictures. For instance, let's say you want to write some text and lay them out in columns just like in the newspapers. The way to do that is to create a table with several columns and insert your text or pictures in the table.

The tables will not be visible to your visitors. These tables appear only when you are editing in order to help you build your web page. If you want the grid lines of the tables to be visible to your visitors, you can turn them on or off via the options menu during editing.

You can create a table using New table above or New table below. This will create a table with 2 rows and 2 columns. Shift your paragraph up or down using the Move table up or Move table down functions. You can also delete a table by selecting Delete table.

You can create new rows or columns using the functions available in the Table menu. Make sure you select a position in the table, and that you specify where you want the new row or column to be created. For instance, you can create a row above or below an existing row. You can create a column to the left or to the right of an existing column.

Create, edit, and delete lists

Creating a list means creating an indented bullet point followed by some text.

You can create a list with the function New list above or New list below. You can convert a list into a paragraph or vice versa using List on/off. Shift the list by selecting Move list up or Move list down. Delete the list by selecting Delete list. Within each list, you can insert, move around or delete bullets using Move list item up, Move list item down or Delete list item.

Import text

If you already have some text ready in text format (.txt) and you wish to use it, you can import it to WebsiteCreator. Using your mouse cursor, highlight the text that you want to import. Then, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and press C simultaneously. Then, in WebsiteCreator, place the mouse cursor where you want the text to be inserted, and then hold down the CTRL key and press V simultaneously. The text will be placed to the left of the cursor. You have just imported your text.

Create Hyperlinks

This is what you want to achieve. A visitor to your site clicks on an isolated word, a full paragraph, or a picture, and you want this action to take him to a specific part of your site, or any other website, a mailbox or a download dialog box. You need to create a hyperlink linking from this word, text or picture.

If you just want to create an internal link, select the text you want to use as link, then click on Edit in the menu bar, and then select Link. A dialog box will open. Select Internal. A map of your site will appear. Click the page title you want the link to link to. The corresponding path appears in the address field of the dialog box. Click OK. Your link is now created.

For your visitors to be taken from your website to another site, or a file to download, click the External link in the Link dialog box. Then, type the full address of the hyperlink in the URL field (for instance http://www.superbhosting.net). Click OK.

If you wish to redirect the visitor to an email interface for them to write to a specific email address (for instance info@company.com), select External and enter mailto: followed by the email address the visitor will be able to send a message to (for instance mailto:info@company.com).

Just as text, images can also serve as hyperlinks. In Edit mode, select the picture and then click on the Link icon in the menu bar.

Images

Open the media database

To select and edit pictures and add them to your site, select Media from the menu bar. You can access the media database by selecting File from the menu, and then Media database. The media database will open every time you add or replace a picture.

Upload pictures to the media database

First, save the pictures you wish to use on your site in the media database. Only .GIF and JPG formats are supported, thus the name of your file must be picturename.gif, picturename.jpg or picturename.jpeg. If your pictures are not in GIF or JPG format, you must first convert them using photo editing software (such as Adobe Photoshop). If your pictures appear too large on the screen, a prompt will ask you to reduce them. Pictures should not be wider than the text column.

You can also ZIP your pictures. The ZIP archive will automatically be unzipped when saved to your media database.

To upload a picture, open the folder containing the picture or create a new folder. In the Common tasks menu, select Upload image. Click on Browse to view the content of your local folders. Select the file to upload and click OK. The name of the picture will remain the same as the local file. Note that it is possible to rename a picture after you have uploaded it to the media database. However, it is not possible to rename a file when uploading if it is part of a larger ZIP file. It is possible to rename the file after the file has been uploaded. To do this, select the image from the media database and then click Rename image from the Image tasks menu.

Image tasks in the media database

To delete an image
Once the image is in the media database, to delete images from the database, click on Delete image from the Image tasks menu. Deleting an image from your media database does not delete it from your site. The image remains on the site. To delete an image from your site, refer to the steps above.

Sorting images
To sort and classify your pictures, you can create several folders and allocate a theme to each of them. You can also create sub-folders within folders so as to create a tree structure. To create a new folder, click on Create folder from the Common tasks menu.

Edit picture

In the media database, it is also possible to edit your pictures. Click on the picture that you want to edit. This will select it. In the Image tasks section, select Start image editor. This will start a session where you can edit your selected image.

At anytime, you can cancel the last action applied by clicking Undo in the File menu. Clicking Revert will cancel all changes since the last save. The Save image function saves all changes. Save image as allows you to save the file under a different name and therefore create a new picture file. The image editor presents the following features:

  • Grayscale - Transforms a color photograph into a black and white photograph (reduce the palette to 256 shades of grey).
  • Tinting - Allows you to reduce the color range of a picture to a selected color. The Old tint for instance gives your picture the sepia color of an old picture.
  • Invert - All colors are reverted. Revert twice and you'll go back to the original picture.
  • Brightness and contrast - Sharpens or reduces a picture's contrast and brightness. The higher the number, the brighter and more contrasted the photograph.
  • Red eyes (beta) - The pupils of people looking at a camera lens are often red. The Red eyes function allows you to tint red pupils. Place the pointer on the pupils, and click.
  • Emboss - Creates a 3-D impression.
  • Blur - Enables you to soften sharp contours by reducing the contrast between different points in the picture.
  • Sharpen - Increases contrast between different points in the picture, making edges sharper.
  • Find Edges - Makes a sketch of the objects / people in the picture by selecting their contours.
  • Image size - Enables you to enlarge or scale down a picture. Size is given in pixels. You can modify the width or height of a picture. The Keep aspect ratio option enables you to reduce or increase height and width proportionally.
  • Crop - Cuts part of the picture according to your specifications
  • Rotate - Rotates a picture by 90, 180 or 270 degrees.
  • Mirror - Reflects the picture along a vertical or horizontal axis.
  • Restore - Restores the picture after the Cancel/Undo function has been used.

Insert Pictures

You can insert pictures in any standard paragraph or a table cell. However you cannot insert pictures in headings and lists.

In Edit mode, select the page where you want the image to be inserted. Place your cursor where you want to insert the picture. If you don't want to insert the picture in an existing paragraph but in a new one, create a new paragraph. Then from the Media menu, select Insert image. The media database opens. Open the folder containing your image, select the image to insert by clicking Insert image. If the image you want to use is not yet in the media database, you must upload it first. Then click on Insert image. The media database then closes.

Once an image is inserted, you can shift it left or right. To do this, click on the picture, then choose Image properties in the Media menu. In the Image Properties dialog box, select left or right in the Alignment option. If you click on Cancel, the image will not be shifted.

All that is left for you to do is decide on a caption that will appear as a speech bubble on the inserted picture. Visitors with a text-only browser will see this caption.

To add a caption to an image, select the picture, and in the Media menu, click on Image properties. In the Image Properties dialog box, enter a short description in the Alternative text field. Click OK to confirm. If you do not want to make changes at this time, click Cancel.

Replace/delete images from your site

To replace or delete an image, make sure you are in Edit mode, and in the Media menu, click on Replace image or Remove image.

NOTE: Deleting an image from your site will not delete it from your media database.

If you have selected Replace image, the media database opens and prompts you to choose the new picture. For the full image insertion procedure, please refer to the procedures above.

Feedback Form

This form allows visitors to your site to contact you and send queries, requests for quotes etc. It also enables you to better know your customers and visitors.

To create a feedback form, go to the page where you want the form to be inserted. Make sure you are in Edit mode. In the menu bar, click Extras and then Insert form. In the new window, make the following changes:

  1. Specify the email address you want the form to send the information to. Click Next.
  2. Check the desired control boxes that will define the fields in your form. The name and email address are predefined fields that appear by default. Click Next.
  3. Enter the text of your choice. This is the message that visitors will see after they submit the form. Confirm by clicking OK.


You can view and test the form only after it is online. You can edit the reply message just like any other page. In the File menu, click Open, and then select the page placed immediately after the form page. This page can be edited in the same way as any other page.

You can of course also modify or delete the feedback form at any time. To do this, go to the Options menu, and select the sub-menu Modify feedback form or Remove feedback form. Click OK to confirm.

Voting

If you have set up a survey in the Extras menu, you can incorporate this as a module in the content area of any page you wish. To do this, select the menu option Extras from the menu bar and then click on Insert voting. You can insert a maximum of one survey per page. You can insert the same survey in several pages. If the same survey is used in several pages as in this case, the submitted votes are combined into one result. You can remove the survey again by selecting Delete voting.

Site Options / Customization

HTML Title

The HTML title is the piece of text that appears in the (usually-blue) title bar in the top left corner of the visitor's web browser. To enter the title of a page, click on Title/Favicon under the Settings menu and enter a brief description of your web page in the Title field.

NOTE: Your HTML title can only be seen in Preview in new window mode.

Create metatags

Meta-tags are used by search engines to reference your site, but visitors cannot see them. Metatags are usually placed between 2 tags called <HEAD> and </HEAD>. Search engines will look for key-words, descriptions etc. between these 2 tags.

The more precise and complete your metatags, the easier for search engines to reference your site. To create metatags, click on SEO Options and then enter a complete the list of keywords for your website in the Keywords field. You can also enter a brief description of your website in the Description field. Click Save to confirm.

Flash Introduction

A Flash introduction is a piece of animation using Adobe Flash technology. This allows you to create a moving sequence composed of different elements about your business for a more attractive and professional-looking site. If you wish to use a Flash intro, select Flash intro in the Settings section, and in the corresponding window, check the Activate checkbox.

A series of Flash intros will be listed as thumbnails. From the choices offered, choose the design you want to use. The color will automatically adapt to your site design and color. Enter a header and slogan, or your company objectives when prompted to do so. For the text to be taken into account, click Save.

Counter

In order to monitor in real time the number of visitors to your site, you can use a counter. This counter is free to use, and can be installed in a single click. You need to check the Activate checkbox, select a design, and then select the number of digits for your counter. Then click on Apply. The counter will appear on your website the next time you publish your site. To make your counter invisible, select the design Hidden Counter. Make sure you select the number of digits. You can view the count via your WebsiteCreator interface.

Guestbook

For your visitors to give their opinion about your site or service, you can open a guestbook, adapted to the design of your site.

NOTE: The guestbook function is only available in the Consumer Edition of WebsiteCreator.


To enable your guestbook, click on Activate guestbook. This will create 2 pages in your site structure, one for letting your visitors enter their comments, and another one that opens your guestbook for viewing. You have the ability to add comments to your visitors' guestbook entry or delete them.

You can rename the guestbook and determine its place and level as a section or subsection in your site map if you go back to Step 4: Defining the Navigation.

Poll

Depending on which version of WebsiteCreator you have, you may or may not have the Poll feature. To insert a poll in your site, go back to step 5 of WebsiteCreator and select the Extras menu, and then click on Insert poll.

The common tasks linked to a poll are carried out in step 6 under Options, in the Poll section. You can set up as many polls as you like.

Select Install new poll. Delete the sample text and enter your own question. Similarly for the reply choices, specify one reply per field. The visitor must have at least two replies to choose from. You can add as many replies as you like by pressing the Add further options. To delete a reply option, click the Delete button next to the last reply created.

NOTE: Reply options cannot be modified once the poll is online. To delete a reply, you would need to delete the whole poll, and then set up a new one.


A poll is active by default. Once the poll is closed, the visitor can no longer vote. A graph will be generated illustrating the results of the poll. You can activate, reactivate, or close a poll by clicking the Active/ended option.

NOTE: You do not need to delete the whole webpage if you want to delete a poll.

Forum Administration

Depending on which version of WebsiteCreator you have, you may or may not have the Forum feature. To set up a new discussion forum, click the Forum section, and then Open new forum. Enter a name for the forum. Your forum can be inserted into any page of your site as a ready-to-use component.

As owner of the site, it is your responsibility to manage and update your forum. Via the site editing tool, you can read a message, reply to it or delete it using the appropriate icons.

Any new message constitutes the starting point to a thread. If the first message of a thread is deleted, the whole subsequent thread is deleted too. This principle applies to any replies that would have generated further comments or replies.

Forums can be deactivated or deleted. When the forum is deactivated, the Activate box is unchecked. However, the forum is has not yet been deleted and it is still possible to manage it. As long as it has not been reactivated, it is no longer visible on the site. By clicking on the trash icon called Delete forum, you will delete the forum permanently from the site and from the site editing tool.

Use of the Forum

From the list of forums, select the forum you wish to edit and click Edit forum. You will see a list of all the posts. To go back to the list of forums, click select forum. To write a new message, click New thread. A form will open.

Enter your name and email address as well as a Subject. Make sure the subject you enter is as precise and tale-telling as possible as it will show in all the subsequent messages. Type the text of your message in the text box. Once you click Reply, the message will be added to your forum. All new messages immediately appear online. You can start the procedure at any point by clicking Overview.

All the new posts and replies in the forum can be viewed and replied to via the online assistant. In the list of posts of a selected forum, click on the desired reply. The full post or reply is shown. By clicking the relevant link, you can reply to or delete a post or its reply. A click on Overview will take you back to the full list of posts and replies. If you click on Use a quote, the post or reply you're replying to is added below your reply.

Photo Album

Photo albums can serve professional or personal purposes. Businesses can use a photo album as a product gallery, or to introduce their team or company premises. Individuals can use a photo album to share pictures with family and friends, and share holidays, weddings. All photo albums share the same structure. Thumbnails of the photographs are presented in a gallery. To enlarge a specific picture, just click on it. Photo albums can be open by clicking on Photo album.

Set up, edit or delete a photo album

In Step 6: Adding Options, select Photo album. Then, to create a photo album, click Set up a photo album. To delete an album, select the album and click on Delete at the bottom of the page. When creating or editing a photo album, you will be taken through the different configuration steps.

Finish, Next, Cancel and Back

There are four icons at the bottom of your screen. To confirm, infirm, or stop the choices made, click Next, Back or Finish.

  • Finish - To finish the configuration of your album and launch the album creation process. This can take some time depending on how large your album is. This icon is active only if you have given a name to your album. To name a photo album, click Properties.
  • Next - To confirm your selection and proceed to the next step.
  • Back - To confirm your selection and go back to the previous configuration step.
  • Cancel - To quit the configuration process. This will not save your changes.

Choose a design for your photo album

Once in your photo album, you can configure it in several stages. In the design stage, select your preferred designs by scrolling up and down the available designs. To enlarge a design, left click Design and select it. To enlarge a specific picture, click the picture. Make sure your photo album remains consistent with the design of your website.

Select images

The Select images section enables you to decide which images will appear in your photo album. To do so, select the pictures from your media database. To add an image to your album, click on the desired picture. It will automatically be added to your album. If you wish to insert images not yet in your album, follow the following procedure:

  1. Select the folder you want to upload the picture to.
  2. Click Upload image.
  3. Click Browse to view the contents of your hard-drive and other supported image files.
  4. Select an image.
  5. Enter a name for the picture in the Name field.
  6. Click Upload.
  7. Click to add the selected picture to your album.

Sort images

The Select images link enables you to modify the sequence of images in the album. Left-click on the picture you wish to move. The name of the picture appears in bold characters. Move the selected picture up or down by clicking on the corresponding button.

Delete pictures from an album

The Select images link enables you to delete images from a photo album. Left-click on the picture you wish to delete. The name of the image appears in bold. Click Delete or on the trash icon. This will delete the photograph from your photo album, but not from your media database.

Add a caption

The Captions stage allows you to associate a text description below your images. You can add a caption to each individual picture.

Name of the photo album

In the Properties menu, give a name to your album. This name appears in the navigation bar. It can be modified in Step 4: Defining the Navigation. However, note that it will no longer be possible to modify its name in the Properties menu. Therefore, if you have modified the name in Step 4: Defining the Navigation, the previous name will still appear in the Properties menu.

Step 4: Defining the Navigation lets you modify the name because the name of your photo album corresponds to a page in your site. You can therefore rename it and also choose its place and depth in the site tree.

Password protection

If you wish to reserve access to your most confidential images to a selected group of visitors, you can password protect your images. Specify a password and activate the protection by checking the square box. The warning is a short text that prompts your visitors to provide the password.

NOTE: The password protects only the access to your photo album. The other pages remain freely accessible.

Edit the photo album at a later stage

You can edit your photo album at any time and you can change the design, the images, or their caption. You can also edit the photo album just like any other page in Step 5: Editing Your Content of Web Site Creator. For instance, you can add a title or an introduction.

Your photo album in the site map

Regardless of the number of images you select, a page is created for each image in Site Map and also in the navigation bar. In Step 4: Defining the Navigation, you have the ability to change the location of the photo album and rename it as it appears in the navigation bar.

News Ticker

The News Ticker option allows you to insert a scrolling marquee on your homepage. Use it to draw visitors' attention to your new products or latest promotions.

To use the News Ticker feature, enter your message after clicking the News ticker section. As a general rule, the shorter the text, the more effective the message. Punctuation marks should not be neglected. To preview the changes, click Apply. The preview will show the text as it would appear on your site, provided you activate the scrolling marquee. For the scrolling marquee to show on your homepage, click Use a scrolling marquee and check the Preview option in the dialog box. Then click on Apply. To hide the scrolling marquee, uncheck the box in the dialog box. Click Apply to save the changes.

You have the ability to change the text message at any time. You can modify the text even though the scrolling marquee is activated. When you do, the modified text will replace the current text as soon as you click on Apply. In this case, you do not need to republish. If on the other hand, the News Ticker function is disabled, you will need to activate it again and republish your site in order for the modified text to appear.

Feedback form

This form allows your site visitors to contact you and send queries, requests for quotes, etc. Using a form enables you to better know your customers and visitors. To create a feedback form, go to the page where you want the form to be inserted, in Step 5: Editing Your Content, and switch to Edit mode. In the menu bar, click Options and then Insert feedback form. In the new window, make the following changes:

  1. Specify the email address that you want to receive replies at. Click Next.
  2. Check the desired control boxes that will define the fields in your form. The name and email address are predefined fields that appear by default. Click Next.
  3. Enter a brief message of your choice. This is the message that will be returned to visitors after they have completed the form. Confirm by clicking OK.


The form can only be viewed and tested once the site is online. You can edit the reply message just like any other page in Step 5: Editing Your Content. To do this, go to File, click Open, and then select the page placed immediately after the form page. This page can be edited in the same way as any other page.

You can also modify or delete the feedback form at any time. To do this, go to the Options menu, and then select the sub-menu Modify feedback form or Remove feedback form. Click OK to confirm.

Map

The route planner is an application that can be used to provide your customers with directions to your office or shop, while respecting copyright map isuues. The route planner provides two maps: a detailed map of the area surrounding your premises, and a more general map.

To use the route planner, you must first configure the map function. You must define the address and the scale of the map. To do this, in Step 6: Adding Options, click Route Planner in the left menu. Click the blue link Activate route planner option. Enter the address you would like to use the route planner for, and choose a country from the list. Click on Next. The system will check to see if the address you entered is valid. If it is, a general overview is immediately generated. If the address is unclear, you will be prompted to enter more information in order to clarify.

Route planners take into account motorways and major surrounding roads of the address entered. You can modify the map by indicating another neighboring city. When you do, the scale of the route planner will generate a new map to show the new city. If you are satisfied with the result, click Save.

Once the route planner is activated, you can insert the route planner into your site. Click on the Activate route planner option. This option is available as soon as you have finished the set up and clicked on Save. You can also access it via the Route planner option in the navigation bar left of the screen.

When you activate your route planner, a page called Route planner is immediately added to your site. You can rename or move this page in Step 4: Defining the Navigation. The page contains some pre-defined text that can be modified in Step 5: Editing Your Content. For instance, you can add to your route planner a written description of the itinerary. You can also print out the route planner but you must deactivate the route planner option first. To do this in Step 6: Adding Options, click Route Planner, and then click on the blue link Deactivate route planner.

Driving Directions

Driving Directions is a mapping tool that can be used to provide information to your customers about how to get to your business or office. In order to use the Driving Directions, this application must first be configured by specifying the address.

In Step 6: Adding Options, click on Driving Directions in the menu to the left. Now, click on the blue link Configure Driving Directions. Define the address for which the route is to be calculated and select the country from the corresponding list. Now, click on Save. The system will then check to see whether or not this address is valid. If the there are similar addresses, the system will list all possible matches. Select the appropriate address from the list.

Once you have configured the Driving Directions, you can incorporate this into your website. To do this, click on Activate. This option only becomes visible once you have configured the Driving Directions. When you activate the Driving Directions, the page How to find us is inserted into your website. You can rename or move this page in Step 4: Defining the Navigation. The page How to find us contains standard texts that you can edit in Step 5: Editing Your Content. You can remove the Driving Directions from your website by clicking on Driving Directions in Step 6: Adding Options and then click on the blue link Deactivate.

Shop

When you select the shop function, you add an extra page to your website that contains a list of items. Visitors to your website have the option of placing these items into their shopping cart of your shop and then submitting their order. As the owner of the shop, the order will be sent to you via e-mail. The person ordering your products will receive an e-mail confirmation listing the products that he or she has ordered.

Set up a Shop

To set up a shop on your website, follow these steps:

  1. Click on Shop under Step 6: Adding Options.
  2. A form containing various input fields will appear. The fields Name, Description, E-mail and General terms and conditions must be filled in. Otherwise, it is not possible to set up the shop.
  3. Specify the type of payment. To do this, click on the corresponding checkbox.
  4. Save your settings by clicking on Save.


NOTE: You can change the settings of your shop at any time. If your shop has already been activated, the changes are effective immediately. In other words, you do not need to re-publish your website.

Insert or remove shop within website

If you create a shop as your homepage, then it will be set as the homepage of your website. To insert or remove the shop within your website, follow these steps:

  1. Click on Shop under Step 6: Adding Options.
  2. Select the empty checkbox Activated.
  3. If you save the new setting Activated, a new page entitled Shop will be added to your website in the homepage tool.
  4. The shop will be visible to your visitors after you re-publish your website.


NOTE: If you deactivate the shop, it will be removed from your website. However, the shop itself and the product lists remains intact. It is only after you re-publish your website that the shop will no longer be visible to your website visitors.

Products into the shop

To add a new product to your product list, follow these steps:

  1. Click on Shop under Step 6: Adding Options.
  2. Click on Product list at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Click on New product.
  4. A form containing various input fields for a product will appear. The fields Product description, Short description, Price and VAT must be filled in. The system will automatically calculate the net or gross prices.
  5. The article number is automatically assigned by the system but can be changed if desired.
  6. You can add a longer description and an image with a caption if you want. Any images you add to the shop will automatically be scaled to fit the page.
  7. Save your settings by clicking on Save.

Edit Products

You can change a description, price, or image for a product within your product list:

  1. Click on Shop and then Product list under Step 6: Adding Options.
  2. Select the product from the product list by clicking on the corresponding entry in the list. The currently selected product is highlighted in a different color.
  3. Click on Edit.
  4. An input form containing information about this product will appear. You can make all necessary changes here.
  5. Once you click on Save, your changes will be visible to your website visitors immediately - provided your shop has been activated and published. It is not necessary to re-publish the website.
  6. Click on Previous or Next to scroll through all products.

Deactivate or delete products

You can delete a product from the product list entirely by following these steps:

  1. Click on Shop and then on Product list under Step 6: Adding Options.
  2. Select the product from the product list.
  3. Now, click on Delete.
  4. The product is immediately deleted from your shop as well as from the published website. For this reason, it is not necessary for you to publish the website again.


You can also remove a product from your shop temporarily:

  1. Click on Shop and then on Product list under Step 6: Adding Options.
  2. In the list entry of the product that you would like to deactivate, click on the Activated checkbox to remove the checkmark.
  3. If you click on Save, your changes will be visible to your website visitors immediately provided your shop has been activated and published. It is not necessary for you to re-publish the website.

Product sequence

You can change the order of products in your shop by following these steps:

  1. Click on Shop and then on Product list under Step 6: Adding Options.
  2. From the product list, select the product that you would like to move.
  3. Now click on the arrow pointing up or down to move the product in the corresponding direction.
  4. If you click on Save, the new sequence is immediately visible to visitors of your website - provided your shop has been activated and published. It is not necessary to publish the website again.

Preview prior to publication

In order to review your shop prior to publication, you can view the page containing the shop under Step 5: Editing Your Content in the editor preview. You can also add more text in the editor. The standard page name is Shop. You can change this name under Step 4: Defining the Navigation.

Database Module

Export table as CSV file

The table that you would like to add to your homepage must be available as a CSV file.

NOTE: Every standard database and spreadsheet can be exported as a CSV file.

If you are working with an Excel spreadsheet, follow these steps:

  1. In Excel, select the menu option Save as and then
  2. Select file type CSV from the corresponding selection field.
  3. Save the CSV file to a local storage medium, usually on the hard disk.

Original table requirements

Please be sure that each column contains only the same type of information. When exporting a table, it does not make a difference whether or not column headers are included in the first line.

Insert table in homepage

Each new table adds one more page to your website. To add a table, follow these steps:

  1. In Step 6: Adding Options, click on Database Module.
  2. Now, click on Create new table.
  3. Click on Search to search for the CSV file in your local directories.
  4. Select the CSV file and then click on Open.
  5. You can now assign a name to your table. The table name will also be used as the name of the page that you are now adding to your website.
  6. Start importing the table by clicking on the Upload button.
  7. A preview of how your table will be imported is then displayed. If your table does not contain column headings, activate the corresponding optional field.
  8. Select Cancel or Continue to continue with the importing process.
  9. Define the column headings that are to be used as headers on your page.
  10. Click on Finish to add the table as a new page in your website. The new page has the table name assigned.


If empty columns appear following the import, check the original table to see if there are any extra columns that may contain empty spaces.

Edit table attributes

The table width is always predefined within your design. If the table is wider than the allowed space due to the number and width of its columns, a horizontal scroll bar is inserted. To define the column width, proceed as follows:

  1. In Step 6: Adding Options, select Database Module. An overview of all tables you have created is then displayed.
  2. Click on the symbol Edit table attributes next to the name of the desired table.
  3. Enter the corresponding width for columns that are to have a fixed width and activate the Line break checkbox.
  4. You can always see how the results will look in the preview.
  5. Once the table in the preview corresponds to your requirements, click on Save.


To hide the columns, follow these steps:

  1. Deactivate the checkbox Display for a column.
  2. Click on Save.

Edit or delete page with table

You can edit a page containing a table in the editor in Step 5: Editing Your Content and add text or images. You can change the name of the page in Step 4: Defining the Navigation. If you would like to delete the table, it will be removed immediately from the corresponding page within your published website. To delete a table, follow these steps:

  1. In Step 6: Adding Options, select Database Module. An overview of all tables you have created is then displayed.
  2. Click on the symbol Delete next to the name of the table you would like to delete.

Tables on the published website

If you insert a table and thus a new page, it will only be displayed after the website is published again. Visitors to your homepage can search through the table and sort information per column. If the search yields several hits, the results are displayed in table form. These search results can also be sorted as well.

Publishing Your Site

Launch the upload

If you feel your homepage can go online, then publish it! Move to Step 7: Publishing Your Site and simply hit the Publish button. You can view your web site immediately upon publication. Your data is stored automatically and you can exit WebsiteCreator by closing the browser window.

The next time you change the content or the design of your web site, you have to publish it again using WebsiteCreator. Only after publishing your website, you will see the new content or design.

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