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When most people hear the words ‘website maintenance’ the response will typically be along the lines of “Tomorrow”, “I’m too busy”, “I’ll do it later” or something similar! Yes, it can be a dry subject, but it can be a very positive experience for both you and your website visitors. Here are some tips to help inspire you to do a bit of maintenance on your EverWeb created website from time to time!

1. Update EverWeb To the Latest Version. The first action to take when talking about website maintenance is to download the latest version of EverWeb. Apart from new and updated features, there are always bug fixes and optimizations included in each release.
2. Republish Your Website. In every release of EverWeb we look at getting code even more efficient! This applies to both the EverWeb app itself, and to the code that gets generated when you publish your website. For example, in EverWeb 3.3 the app itself should run faster and be more responsive. If you publish your entire site using the File-> Publish Entire Site menu option, you should also find that your web pages load quicker and are more responsive in use. In a Google Page Analysis, you should see page load speeds improve by 50% from EverWeb 3.2 to 3.3.
3. Reduce the Size of Your Project File I. If your website has assets that are not used, and that you are never going to use, in your Project File, why not delete them? Deleting unused asset will reduce the size of the Project File so that it will be quicker to load when opened, and also faster to work with when opened. Click on the Settings Cog in the Assets tab and choose ‘Find Unused Assets’ from the contextual menu and follow the instructions.
4. Reduce the Size of Your Project File II. Whist the Assets tab is open, why not check to see if you have any unnecessarily large image file assets in your Project. Large image files will drag down page load speeds and that is not good for your visitor experience. You should replace any large files with more web friendly versions e.g. if you have a large .PNG file, you could replace it with a JPG file which takes up less space. Reducing the size of large image files will improve your page load times in browsers, and will also reduce the size of your Project File.
5. Use EverWeb’s BackUp Feature. Backing up your project file is something that you should always do. Sometimes this will be included in your computer’s backup (if you don’t back up your computer, please try to on a regular basis!) The EverWeb Backup process will allow you to backup your project files on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. EverWeb can also keep either 1. 5, 10, 20 or 100 backup copies. To setup your Backup, go to the EverWeb-> Preferences menu and select the BackUp option.
6. Reclaim Some Disk Space. Like many apps, EverWeb generates cache files whilst you are using the app which are deleted when you quit. There are some instances such as when publishing or previewing, that these cache files are kept in order to help speed and performance. You can delete these cache files if you want e.g. if you have old, or abandoned Projects that are no longer on your computer, you can remove the cache files. You can also delete any unwanted Backup files that you may have. To delete these files, go to the EverWeb-> Preferences menu and choose the Backup tab. Click on the Manage Cache Files button and follow the instructions to remove the files that you no longer need.
7. Out with the Old… EverWeb is constantly adding new and improved features to make your website development easier and quicker. This may mean that over time some of the features in your website may benefit from being replaced by such new or updated features. A good example of this is the PayPal widget. Before EverWeb 2.8, you would have to insert your product image, product description and PayPal widget as separate objects then align them. This is now no longer necessary as from EverWeb 2.8 there are now product image and description fields built directly in to the PayPal widget.
8. Check your SEO. Over time you may find that the direction of your business changes. If this happens, you may want to double check that your website’s SEO is not outdated. It is easy to update the contents of your page, but often it is easy to overlook its SEO. If you need an SEO refresher, checkout the SEO for EverWeb Video Course.
9. Update Your Website’s Content. Updating your website’s content should be something that is done on a regular basis. It is a good way to show existing and potential customers that you are still in business. Websites that are not regularly updated, or are not updated at all, give the impression that they are not invested in their visitors and so potential and existing clients have a greater tendency to click away from such sites. Updating your website’s home page and blog on a regular basis may help retain and even grow your business.
10. Do Your Documentation! The last way to maintain your website is to document it. Even if it is bare-bones documentation, something is better than nothing. Think about the essentials that you need to document e.g. the style of your website (fonts, colors etc), your website links, the STMP Settings details of your Contact Form Advanced widget and so on. You may find that even noting down the very basics may one day pay off, saving you time, effort and frustration!

If you are goal oriented about website maintenance, you may find that you can maintain and grow your existing business. A little effort can reap rewards!

If you have a website maintenance tip of your own, please let us know in the Comments section below!

The Responsive Row widget is a key resource for anyone building a responsive website in EverWeb. The full width widget is like a ‘bucket’ in that you can drag and drop other widgets, TextBoxes, shapes and images in to it. This is ideal for situations where you want to use widgets that are not full width capable, such as the PayPal widget, or when you want to combine different objects together in one row.

When the Responsive Row widget debuted in EverWeb 2.8, it was easy to see the widget as ubiquitous. However, since its inception, responsive website building in EverWeb itself has evolved as its feature set has expanded as have many of EverWeb’s widgets capabilities. So, is the Responsive Row widget still the Swiss army knife of responsive web design in EverWeb that it used to be? That is a difficult question to answer. Looking back over some of my early responsive website designs has given me some insight in to how things have changed and how it is possible to update already built websites to be more code efficient and easier to manage and maintain. Additionally, this new knowledge is also advantageous when building new websites as you will be able to do this more efficiently, creatively and in less time than before.

Where The Responsive Row Widget May No Longer Be Necessary…

Since EverWeb 2.8 there have been many feature additions and updates to EverWeb that make the reliance on the Responsive Row widget less than when it was introduced. Here are common things that we used to do, but can now do in a better way!

• Navigation Menu Widget

When supporting customers we often find that the Navigation Menu widget has been placed inside of a Responsive Row widget when it does not need to be. If you want full width navigation, just drag and drop the Navigation Menu widget on to your responsive page. It will automatically be a full width object on the page so will automatically scale to the size of the page. Use the Responsive section of the Widget Settings to set responsive specific options for the navigation.

• Background Colors

Initially, EverWeb’s full width widgets did not have the capability of a background fill color (except for the Navigation Menu widget) or image so had to be placed within a Responsive Row widget. That changed in EverWeb 3.0 so now you can add the full width widget of your choice and set its background color or image using the Shape Option tab’s Fill options.

• Combining Objects

When starting out with responsive design, one of the most common things that many users want is to combine text with images. It is easy to use a Responsive Row widget to do this. Just add a Responsive Row widget to the page then add TextBox and images in to it. This is a perfectly valid solution, however, you will need to make sure that your text and images are narrow enough to fit on all devices. The smallest iPhone, for example, is the iPhone SE which has a width of 320 pixels. If you have set margins on your page, then you may find that you only have a usable page width of about 280 pixels. This is fine for an iPhone SE but on a desktop computer you may have a lot of white space on either side of your text and images.

A better alternative may be to use a FlexBox widget instead. You can add the image and text as separate embedded objects. This will enable you to set each object’s minimum and maximum width so that they scale properly on all devices. No more problems with too much white space and scaling issues. Use the Spacing option to add spacing between each embedded object. This option also pads the objects in the widget so you have less need to add margins.

• Margins

Often a Responsive Row widget is used to add top and bottom margins to objects when it is actually not necessary. Here are a couple of examples:

The Navigation Menu widget: This widget has padding and spacing options in its Widget Settings to help frame the navigation properly within the widget. You can also set the background color of the widget too by checking the ‘Use Background Color’ option.

Text Boxes: It is easy to use the enter key to add a top and bottom margin to your full width text, but it is not always necessary. Instead, delete these extra carriage returns and go to the Text Inspector. Use the Insert Margin option to create top and bottom padding as needed.

• Widget Alternatives

Sometimes you may find that you have to experiment a little to get the right solution e.g. when using a combination of text, images and buttons should you be looking at the FlexBox or Text Section widget? you may need to experiment to find out!

When reviewing one of my first responsive websites I found that I had used a Responsive Row widget with four images all of the same size embedded in it. I suddenly thought that I could, in fact, use the Responsive Image Gallery instead. I set the background color of the widget and my added in my images which now scale to any device instead of being stuck at 200px x 200px. The Gallery Padding option added an all round margin and the minimum and maximum width options ensures that the images always size and scale correctly without a lot of white space showing on larger devices!

When You Should Use The Responsive Row Widget

There are, of course, times when the Responsive Row widget is still going to be the ideal choice! For example, when using Fixed Width widgets such as the PayPal, Audio and FaceBook widgets, or when placing social media buttons on your page.

The Responsive Row widget is also a must if you are using EverWeb’s Show on Device feature or when you need to combine objects in to one row in a way that precludes the use of either the FlexBox and Text Section widgets.

There may also be times when the best way to create padding, or a margin, on your page is to use the Responsive Row. You may even find that there are times when using Set Shape as Scroll Position is more beneficial in a Responsive Row widget than in another object.

There are many ways in which you can forego using the Responsive Row widget. Doing so can make your web page easier to manage, more streamlined and less prone to faults and mistakes. However, with web design there is usually more than one answer to overcoming design issues, it’s just knowing where to look, a bit of experimenting and some out of the box thinking!

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter

Instagram

We’re delighted to introduce EverWeb 3.2 with more Contact Form Advanced widget features, giving you our most flexible and versatile contact form ever! There is also a new scroll position anchor feature for fixed and responsive pages, Master Page enhancements, pagination options for the Image Gallery Widget and much more!

The full list of what is new and updated is below as well as our ‘What’s New in EverWeb 3.2‘ video. Enjoy!

For a complete list of what’s new, improved and fixed, as well as how to upgrade to the new version, please see below!

Which Version of EverWeb is For You?

EverWeb is available in the following versions:

• If you are running OS X 10.10 or macOS Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave or Catalina, EverWeb version 3.2 is available for you.
• If you are running OS X 10.7 – 10.9 (Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks) EverWeb 3.1 is available for you.
• If you are running OS X 10.6 EverWeb version 2.5.2 is available for you.

When updating to EverWeb 3.2, the update process will automatically download the correct version of EverWeb for your operating system.

The EverWeb 3.2 Video

We’ve highlighted the main features of the release of EverWeb in our ‘What’s New in EverWeb 3.2‘ video. See below for the full release notes.

EverWeb 3.2 Includes…

[NEW] Contact forms can now send a confirmation email to the website visitor. The message is customizable and can include variables based on what the visitor has entered in the form. The default confirmation email includes an example. You can use any form control variable. This feature requires the Contact Forms Enhanced Addon and reCaptcha SPAM protection.

[NEW] Contact forms can forward the visitor to any page on your website after the form has been submitted.

[NEW] Contact forms can remove the “branding” in the submission emails (i.e. the links that ask you to upgrade or login to your account to download file uploads). This features requires the Contact Forms Enhanced Addon but it does not have to be selected in the Inspector or used in the form.

[NEW] Blog posts now include the ability to customize the previous/next post links at the bottom of the blog posts widget.

[NEW] Draft blog posts can now be sorted.

[NEW] You can now set an anchor name from Shape Options-> Scroll Position in the Inspector Window. Any object can be an anchor that you can link to in the Hyperlinks tab.

[NEW] You can set an anchor on any object using the Scroll Position Toolbar.

[NEW] The new Insert-> Set Selected Shape to Scroll Position… menu option can be used in both Fixed Width and Responsive page layouts.

[UPDATED] The Insert-> Scroll Position menu has been renamed to Inert-> Insert Fixed Scroll Position for clarity.

[NEW] Preferences-> Backup-> Manage EverWeb Cache option. EverWeb may have left over published cache and preview cache. You can now easily delete these cache files.

[NEW] Master Pages can be dragged in to the regular page list. This will create a copy of the Master page in the regular Web Page List.

[NEW] If you select a Master Page, all pages in the Web Page List that use that Master Page will be highlighted.

[NEW] The Image Gallery Widget now has pagination at the top, bottom and top and bottom.

[NEW] The Image Gallery Widget now includes similar styling options to the blog pagination feature.

[IMPROVED] Content area separators are now thicker so you can better see them between each section of the page.

[IMPROVED] If your project file has only one page in it, you are not allowed to delete that page as a project file must always contain at least one page.

[IMPROVED] More FTP failure error messages have been added.

[FIX] There was a social media image bug if you had a subdirectory included in the URL field. This has been fixed

[FIX] Various internal bug fixes.

[FIX] Fixes to enable the loading of some damaged projects.

[FIX] Issues where opening projects moved from other computers could lead to a ‘Cannot Connect to Network’ error message.

[FIX] PayPal widget issues causing generic PayPal error message to be displayed when the widget is used.

[FIX] When scrollbars are set to always be showing the Widgets tab list would jump from 3 to 2 columns.

[FIX] The Video Widget on responsive pages was not working properly after clicking the ‘Full Screen’ button then returning to regular size.

[FIX] Fixes for shadow not working correctly for rotated objects in fixed and responsive pages.

The following list of improvements and maintenance fixes were introduced in EverWeb versions 3.1.5 thru 3.1.7 and are incorporated in EverWeb version 3.2:

EverWeb versions 3.1.6 & 3.1.7

• [FIX] Fixes an issue where the page color remained red (unpublished) in the Web Page List after a website has been published
• [FIX] Fixes aContact Form submission issue experienced by some customers
• [FIX] Fixes a rare crash when opening a project file
• [FIX] Fixes issues when scrolling in the Inspector

EverWeb version 3.1.5

• [IMPROVED] Significant improvements to Responsive websites on older browsers
• [IMPROVED] Significant improvements to importing iWeb blogs
• [IMPROVED] Fixed Width blog post page improvements when using background colors
• [IMPROVED] Internal improvements for better compatibility with macOS Catalina
• [IMPROVED] Improvements to Google Fonts and blog posts
• [FIX] Fixed issues with some widgets using background images that were broken in EverWeb 3.1
• [FIX] Undo after making a change to a widget under Inspector->Widget Settings updates the widget properly and the Inspector
• [FIX] Fixes an issue for macOS Catalina users not being able to drag multiple files from the Assets list at a one time
• [FIX] Fixes for rollover underline for hyperlinks
• [FIX] Text Section widget fixes when placed within a responsive row
• [FIX] Simple Contact form can have letters with accents in labels
• [FIX] Fixed an issue with full width Contact Form Advanced Widget

How To Update To EverWeb 3.2

You can easily update EverWeb by either:

1. Launching EverWeb then going to the EverWeb menu at the top of the screen and selecting ‘Check for Update’ or by
2. Downloading EverWeb from the EverWeb website.

After downloading EverWeb, double click on the EVERWEB.DMG file. A window will open. Drag the EverWeb icon on to the Applications folder icon. Once the file has been copied, you can close the installation window, delete the .DMG file and eject the EverWeb disk on the desktop by dragging it to the Trashcan.

Remember, you won’t lose any previous data when updating as your website project files are stored elsewhere on your computer.

The update is free for EverWeb + Hosting users and EverWeb Standalone users who are within their 1 year of free upgrades and support period.

You can easily check your EverWeb Standalone free update period from EverWeb’s Preferences window or from your client area.

If you have passed your one year of free EverWeb updates, you can purchase 1 more year of upgrades and support from your client area.

You can easily re-download earlier versions of EverWeb from your client area if you are not ready to purchase an additional year of updates and support.

Login to your client area and go to the ‘Manage Product’ page. On the left of this page, select ‘Downloads’ and choose the version of EverWeb that you need.

More Information About EverWeb

For more information about the new version of EverWeb, please check out the following resources:

• The EverWeb website which has up to the moment information in it’s new blogging section
• New EverWeb videos on YouTube
• The EverWeb User Manual in EverWeb’s Help-> User Manual menu
• The EverWeb Discussion Forum

If you can’t find what you need, or have any other questions, comments or feedback please let us know. We’re happy to help.

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter

Instagram

The spread of COVID-19 across the world has left the world reeling. Many people are now working from home as a result of the necessary restrictions that have been put in place by governments across the world. For many small businesses and self employed entrepreneurs, the financial consequences are possibly devastating.

There are many challenges ahead. How can you make best use of your time at home and keep your business viable?

These simple questions may have complicated answers, but with more people staying at home, the Internet is being frequented more than ever! So now may be the perfect time to develop, or update, your website project to get the word out to the world that your business is alive and kicking!

Team EverWeb Is Here For You!

As always Team EverWeb is here for you! Our 24 x 7 x 365 (ok, 366 this year!) remains in place to help if you need it. Please remember that to use our technical support you will need a current EverWeb support and product update license.

Alternatively, there is also the EverWeb Discussion Forum that you can use if you have any questions, or if you need to know how to do something specific in EverWeb, or have feature requests for the product.

In addition, there is also the EverWeb YouTube channel with hundreds of video tutorials and this blog, as well as those by third parties, such as All About iWeb, which should help you find what you need!

So, how can you make your website the most visible it can be on the Internet for your customers to see and interact with or to purchase from? Here are some tips to get you started…

Invest in Your Website’s SEO!

If you have not tuned your website for Search Engine Optimization, now may be the time to do so! You use SEO to help improve your Search Engine Ranking Page results. The better your SEO, the better chance of your website being higher up the page when potential customers are searching the Internet for goods and services.

The SEO for EverWeb Video Course takes you though the whole process so that your website is as optimized as it can be! There’s no magic involved in SEO and it does not cost any money to implement it either! Just some of your own time.

Your E-Commerce Store Needs You!

If your website includes an online store, now may be a good time to refresh its content and look. If you have a PayPal account, EverWeb’s PayPal widget takes the strain away from adding products to your site. You can now directly add in product images and descriptions from within the widget. You can also use your own button images, or styled text buttons, to get the perfect look for your website.

Remember that your customers do not need to have a PayPal account to be able to pay through PayPal. It may be worth mentioning this in your website that PayPal is just the payment provider, and that the customer does not have to have a PayPal account to purchase goods and services from you.

Although EverWeb supports PayPal, there are other E-Commerce stores and platforms that are also supported, such as E-Junkie, ECWID and Shopify. If there is an E-Commerce platform that you need supporting, please let us know in the Comments Section below.

Keeping Your Customers Updated!

Customer contact is especially important at this time for a number of reasons. First, you want your customers to know that you are still in business, second that your business is taking precautions over the Corona virus, and third, you can effectively update your clients on the products and services that you offer. Your products and services may be subject to change due to the current business trading environment, so alerting your customers as to what is available (and when), and to any possible alternatives, is a proactive step to take.

Maintaining contact with your clients is also important so that your business is not overwhelmed by customers asking questions. You may need to consider altering your home page, or adding a specific page or blog to your site to keep your customers up todate.

The Power of Contact Forms!

EverWeb’s Contact Form Advanced widget is the perfect way to for customers to contact you. The widget is highly customizable so that your contact form blends in perfectly with your website design. If you are using EverWeb 3.0 or higher, you can also purchase our Contact Forms Enhanced addon. This is the perfect companion to the Contact Form Advanced widget in that it allows you to store all contact form submission data in one safe, secure place in your EverWeb Client Area. The database of contact form submissions can be downloaded on a per form basis which will allow you to create an email address list. You could then use this list in e.g. MailChimp to email out to your clients your latest business news and updates.

Keep Your Social Media Options Optimal!

Keeping the communication between your business and your customers is paramount at this time. Remember to include the social media widgets and buttons that are relevant to your business in your website. Social media is a great way to communicate quickly and effectively. EverWeb includes FaceBook Like, FaceBook Page Timeline, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo and YouTube widgets in the product with third party widgets also available for other social media platforms. There are also a range of social media buttons that you can use as well from EverWeb’s Insert menu.

If you have any of tips that you think might help other EverWeb users during these difficult times, please use the Comments Section below! Thanks!

Safe safe and well.

Team EverWeb

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter

Instagram

Responsive Web Design is a great way to build a website in EverWeb that is consistent across all devices. You only need to design one page which will adapt to all device types. You no longer need to develop and maintain separate mobile pages in your website. The trade off, though, is that you have to put more care and attention in to your page design than you might have done before.

When developing your website, it may be easier to think of designing pages for use on desktop computers rather than designing pages for mobile devices. This makes sense, as it may be easier to take objects out of your design as you shrink the page down towards mobile device sizes, rather than adding objects in to the page as you upscale from a mobile page towards a desktop page size.

This design approach is generally fine, but can cause some problems when viewing your page on a mobile device. You may find that the page scrolls horizontally beyond the right hand margin of the mobile device creating a gap to the right of the page.

What Causes The Page to Drift Horizontally?

Ideally, the page should fit the horizontal dimensions of all devices it is displayed upon. The basic problem is that on a mobile device, a desktop page width is being used so the page does not behave in a responsive manner. There are a couple of easy ways to solve this problem which we will come to later, but first, it is important to discuss how the problem is caused in the first place.

Factoring In Minimum Device Width

One important factor to be aware of when designing responsive pages is the width of the smallest device that you are designing for. Typically the smallest device type that your website will be displayed upon will be an iPhone SE. The iPhone SE has a horizontal display width of 320 pixels so when designing your pages consider this value as it will help make your pages fit perfectly on the vast majority of devices, both mobile and desktop.

You usually do not need to consider maximum page width, unless you have objects that are too widely spaced out on the page. Our blog, ‘Using Content Maximum Width‘ delves in to this in more detail as does our video, Content Maximum Width, on YouTube.

When adding full width objects to the page, you do not need to consider minimum device width as such objects automatically scale to the available screen width. However, in some instances, you may need to check that the ‘Full Width’ checkbox is still checked in the Metrics Inspector. The ‘Full Width’ checkbox can become unchecked when using the Responsive Row widget. For example, when adding a full width widget inside the Responsive Row widget (e.g. a Text Section, FlexBox or Navigation Menu widget), be careful to make sure that the ‘Full width’ checkbox is still checked if you still want the object to be full width.

Usually, you do not need to add full width objects in to a Responsive Row widget, but there may be specific instances where you may want to do this.

If the object inside the Responsive Row widget is not at full width, it will actually be a fixed width object instead. So, for example, if you have a FlexBox widget that is 1000 pixels wide, on an iPhone SE you will be able to scroll 1000 pixels horizontally across the page.

To solve this issue, either check the Full Width checkbox in the Metrics Inspector to make the object full width or reduce the width of the FlexBox widget down to 320 pixels or less.

Minimum Design Width For Different Device Types

You may be thinking that objects on your page are now limited to a 320 pixel maximum width. Actually, this is not the case as some widgets will automatically scale content according to the device the page is being viewed upon.

The FlexBox and Text Section widgets are good examples of automatic scaling. For example, in the Widget Settings of the FlexBox widget, set Minimum Width, Default Width and Maximum Width values to ‘100%’ for images. This will scale the image properly on all device types. That is all you need to do!

Using Show On Device For Different Device Types

If you are not using widgets such as those mentioned above, you may need an alternative method to make sure that objects appear at the right size on all device types. This is where ‘Show On Device’ in the Metrics Inspector is very useful. For example, you have an image inside a Responsive Row widget that you want to display properly on all device types. Select the image and make it 300 pixels wide in the Metrics Inspector and check ‘Show on Mobile’ in the ‘Responsive’ section. Uncheck the other three Show on Device options. The image will probably disappear as it is only visible on mobile devices. You can see the image outline by using the Window-> Show Hidden Objects menu. Also, if you reduce the width of the Editor window enough the image will appear.

Add the same image from the Assets List into the Responsive Row widget. This time make it 600 pixels wide. In the ‘Responsive’ section of the Metrics Inspector check ‘Show on Tablet’ and uncheck the other three options. Again the image may disappear but you will see its outline displayed if you have the ‘Show Hidden Objects’ menu option set on.

Finally, add the same image a third time and make it e.g. 775 pixels wide. Check ‘Show on Desktop’ and ‘Show on Wide Desktop’. Uncheck the other two options.

When you preview the page, you will notice that as you shrink the size of the browser window, the image in the Responsive Row will be fit properly for all device sizes, i.e. 300 pixels wide on a mobile device, 600 pixels wide on a Tablet and 775 pixels wide on desktop and wide desktop devices.

Testing Your Responsive Pages

When finished, it is recommended that you preview the page in Safari’s Responsive Design Mode. Safari has possibly the best responsive design browser feature. To enable it in Safari, go to the Safari-> Preferences menu. Click on the Advanced button then check the ‘Show Develop menu in menu bar’ box. Close the Preferences dialog box. You will now see the ‘Develop’ menu in Safari’s menu bar. Use the Develop-> Enter Responsive Design Mode menu option to test your website’s pages against different device types.

Responsive Design can be challenging, but with a bit of thought and creativity, problems such as horizontal page drift can be easily resolved.

If you have a comment or question about this blog post, please let us know in the Comments Section below!

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

If you are not yet using EverWeb’s Master Pages in your website, you could be missing out in many ways…

Master pages are perfect for setting standard page layout defaults for your website’s pages such as content and footer height and page and browser background colors. Any settings and objects you add to a Master Page will be inherited by any regular page it is attached to. You can also include objects that you want to see on every page of your site such as company logos, navigation menus and copyright text.

If your website is not using EverWeb’s Master Pages, there are many reasons why you’re missing out…

1. Easy to Add: Master Pages are quick and easy to add, just click on the New Master Page button. If you cannot see the button, drag the splitter bar down to reveal the blue area. You can also add a Master Page by using the ‘+’ button in the Page Settings tab or use the File, New Master Page menu option. Adding a Master Page works in the same way as adding a regular page to your site except that the Master Page is added to the blue Master Page area. When adding a Master Page to your site, you can base it on any Theme Template you want or create your own Master Page using the Blank, or Blank Responsive, Theme Template.
2. Easy to Use: You work on a Master Page in the Editor Window in the same as you do when working with a regular page. Adjust settings and add, edit and delete objects in exactly the same way.
3. Easier to Correct Mistakes and Errors: When you add a Master Page to a regular page, the master page objects can only be edited by editing the Master Page itself. Master Page objects are displayed on regular pages with a black page symbol in their top right hand corner. If a Master Page object needs to be moved on the page for example, just edit the Master Page and the change will automatically appear on any regular pages that the Master Page is attached to.
4. Saves Time: As a Master Page acts like a template, it makes setting up and customizing regular pages a lot quicker. Attaching a Master Page to a regular page saves you having to set up the page again and again. You will also save time maintaining and updating your site in the future. For example, if I want to change the page background color of my site at a later date, I just change the page background color in the Master Page and any regular page using the Master Page will automatically be updated with the change.
5. Better Website Design Consistency: You may have noticed some websites where objects that should be in the same place on each page seem to move slightly when you change pages That’s because the objects have not been added to the exact same place on each page. Using a Master Page eliminates this problem as you only need to add such objects once to the Master page. These objects will then appear exactly in the same place on each regular page. Having a consistent website design looks great and adds to your site’s credibility and professionalism.
6. Master Pages can be used in multiple scenarios: You can create Master Pages for different scenarios and purposes such as creating Master Pages for different groups of pages e.g. one Master Page for each department in a business. You can also use Master Pages in different page layouts e.g. in fixed width page layouts you could use one Master Page for desktop devices and one for mobile devices. You can even create a Master Page to give your blog a unique identity! The possibilities are almost endless!

Master Pages are a valuable tool for anyone building their own website, even if it is a relatively small site. Save time and effort both now and in the future maintenance of your site!

If you have any comments about this post, please let us know in the Comments Section below. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Video Walkthrough…

You can also catch up with using Master Pages in our YouTube video walk through!

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

The previous blog posts in this series have explained in detail how to prepare and build a responsive website in EverWeb, adding a blog to your responsive website and how to convert an existing fixed width website in to a responsive one.

When developing a responsive website, one crucial element you must bear in mind at all times is the testing of your page design. One of the most difficult development tasks is making sure that the responsive page you have created looks great on any device, from mobile to wide desktop and everything else in between.

Fortunately, EverWeb takes most of the hard work out of this process as the responsive page layout scales appropriately for all browser widths. From a design perspective you will still need to check that the page has the correct margins at any browser width, that objects on the page are always spaced appropriately, both horizontally and vertically and that images and other media display consistently at all times.

 

Fine Tuning Your Responsive Page Design

EverWeb includes some useful tools to help fine tune your page design:

Margins: You can set the left and right margins of a full width object in the Metrics Inspector. In EverWeb version 2.9 you can also set the maximum width of a full width object so that it does not appear too strung out on desktop or wide desktop devices. For a Responsive Row widget, look for the ‘Content Maximum Width’ setting is in its Widget Settings.

Padding Options: Many of EverWeb’s widgets include padding options that help space objects so that they display better in relation to other objects on any browser. Remember that Padding options usually add vertical and horizontal spacing to the selected object.

Hidden Objects: EverWeb 2.9 recently introduced a new feature where you can hide objects so that they only display when you want them to. The ‘Show on Device’ option is available in the Metrics Inspector. Use the View menu to Show or Hide Hidden Objects on the page and secondary click in the Editor Window to quickly select any hidden object on the page using the ‘Hidden Objects’ menu option.

Breakpoints: You can override EverWeb’s own default page breakpoints and define your own instead. The Breakpoints options can be found below Show on Device in the Metrics Inspector.

Editor Window: You can always quickly see how your page will look at any browser width by reducing the width of the right hand side of the EverWeb app itself. As you do this, the Editor Window will automatically adjust giving you an idea of how the page scales. You can also use the Window-> Presentation Mode (or Cmd+period key) menu option toggle to hide the EverWeb User Interface if you want. remember when using Presentation Mode that you are still viewing the page in the Editor Window so the page can still be edited.

 

Previewing Your Website

Although you can quickly see how your page will look using the above mentioned options in EverWeb, it is usually better to Preview your site before publishing so that the page can be tested in different browsers. Some browsers include responsive options so you can test how your page will look on various device types or browser widths.

Apple’s Safari browser, for example, offers a Responsive Design Mode so you can see how your page will look on an iPhone SE, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPad and Mac computer. To use Safari’s Responsive mode go to the Safari-> Preferences menu. Click on the Advanced tab and check the box ‘Show Develop menu in menu bar’. The ‘Developer’ menu will appear in Safari’s navigation menu bar. To use the responsive mode, select Develop-> Enter Responsive Design Mode. You can view the device you want to view the page on in either portrait or landscape mode. Just click on the iPhone or iPad icon  at the top of the widow to toggle the view.

Apple also offers the Simulator app as part of its Xcode app. You can download Xcode if you have signed up to access Apples Developer Program but bear in mind that the download is about 4.5GB. The Xcode app is free of charge to set up. Once you have downloaded Xcode you can install Simulator on your hard disk. Simulator does exactly that, it simulates Apple hardware environments such as Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro etc. For the purposes of testing your website, Simulator is probably overkill unless you are an app developer. Using Responsive options provided natively by web browser software is usually the preferable route as it is quicker and easier than using Simulator.

 

Publishing Your Website

Once you have finished testing the pages of your website, hit the Publish button! When finished remember to to test that all the pages work correctly, that all menus, buttons and other links function properly and that other features such as contact forms, shopping carts are also working as they should.

 

If you have any questions or comments about this series, please let us know in the Comments Section, we’re happy to help!

 

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

We are delighted to announce the availability of EverWeb version 2.9 which adds a host  of great new features for designing responsive websites. Highlights include, show/hide objects according to device type, breakpoints, maximum width options for the Responsive Row widget and for full width objects and rulers along the top and left margins of the EverWeb UI. For a complete list of what’s new, improved and fixed, as well as how to upgrade to the new version, please see below!

 

EverWeb 2.9 Versions….

EverWeb version 2.9 is available in two versions:

• OS X/macOS 10.10 and higher (64-Bit): Yosemite, El Capitan,  Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave
• OS X 10.7 – 10.9 (32-Bit):  Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks

If you are running OS X 10.6, EverWeb version 2.5.2 is available for you.

 

When updating to EverWeb version 2.9, the update process will automatically download the correct version of EverWeb for your macOS.

 

EverWeb version 2.9 Includes…

[NEW] Set a maximum width for full width objects from the Metrics Inspector

[NEW] Show or hide objects on your website for mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers

[NEW] Option to Show/Hide Hidden Objects in the Window menu

[NEW] Secondary click now includes a Hidden Objects menu option to allow you to  select hidden objects at any time.

[NEW] EverWeb allows you to set Breakpoints per device type: mobile, tablet and desktop

[NEW] Option to Show/Hide Breakpoints in the Window menu

[NEW] Link to files, such as PDFs, and open links in New Windows for all widgets that provide linking options

[NEW] Responsive Rows have an option to limit the width of the content within them

[NEW] Show/Hide Rulers option in the Windows menu lets you see rulers on the left hand side and on top of the Editor Window

[NEW] Specify a custom CSS class for any object for advanced scripting options

[NEW] The PayPal widget’s ‘Product Description’ field can now have ordered or unordered lists

[NEW] The Text Section widget buttons now have an ‘Open In New Window’ link option

[NEW] The Text Section widget can have numbered or bulleted lists

[IMPROVED] FlexBox and Text Section widgets have been optimized

[FIX] Responsive Image Gallery captions and fade options now works properly in slide show mode

[FIX] Dragging widgets and images within Responsive Rows properly highlights, and removes the highlight indicator, so knows when an object will be embedded in the Responsive Row Widget

[FIX] Fixed a crash that could occur when downloading new templates

[FIX] Fixed a crash that could occur when switching pages

[FIX] Fixed issues with auto updating EverWeb

 

How To Update To EverWeb version 2.9

You can easily update to EverWeb version 2.9 by

1. Launching EverWeb then going to the EverWeb menu at the top of the screen and selecting ‘Check for Update’ or by
2. Downloading EverWeb from the EverWeb website.

Remember, you won’t lose any previous data when updating since your website project files are stored elsewhere on your computer.

EverWeb version 2.9 is free for EverWeb + Hosting users and EverWeb Standalone users who are within their 1 year of free upgrades and support period.

You can easily check your EverWeb Standalone free upgrade period from EverWeb’s Preferences window or your client area.

If you have passed your one year of free EverWeb upgrades, you can purchase 1 more year of upgrades and support from your client area.

You can easily re-download earlier versions of EverWeb from your client area if you are not ready to purchase an additional year of upgrades and support.

Login to your client area and go to the ‘Manage Product’ page. On the left of this page, select ‘Downloads’ and choose the version of EverWeb that you need, either the OS X 10.6 version, or OS X 10.7 and later, version.

 

More Information About EverWeb version 2.9

For more information about the new version of EverWeb, please check out the following resources:

• The updated EverWeb website which has up to the moment information in it’s new blogging section
• New EverWeb videos on YouTube
• The EverWeb User Manual in EverWeb’s Help-> User Manual menu
• The EverWeb Discussion Forum

 

If you can’t find what you need, or have any other questions, comments or feedback please let us know. We’re happy to help.

 

EverWeb version 2.9 Video Walkthrough

Find out more about the new release of EverWeb in our What’s New in EverWeb version 2.9 video.

 

 

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

Creating your first website is an exciting experience and EverWeb’s drag and drop approach makes it very easy to build yourself a website that is unique in a very short space of time. Designing and building web pages can also be a learning experience. You may find that your web pages change and mature over time as you develop your goals and ideas. You will also find that technology and the tools you use to create your website will also grow and evolve. EverWeb, for example, is often updated regularly bringing with it a wealth of new features that can be added easily to your website.

When creating your website there will always be good practices to follow and mistakes to avoid. Here are 8 tips to help you avoid common mistakes that we can all make when developing our websites….

 

1. Always Create A Mobile Website

With the proliferation of mobile phones over the last 10 years, creating a mobile site in EverWeb is essential. Creating a mobile website is advantageous as most of our browsing today is performed on mobile devices. The other key reason for putting mobile first is that Google prioritizes mobile websites in its Search Engine Results Page (SERP) rankings over desktop devices.

 

2. Pay Attention to SEO!

Prioritizing your mobile website over your desktop website design immediately boosts your website’s SERP rankings with Google. EverWeb itself also has built in tools to give you an extra edge in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and SERP rankings. For example, EverWeb’s Language Localization settings will help your SEO and can focus your website towards your local target market or audience. EverWeb’s Page Settings tab in the Inspector Window can also help using fields such as Web Page Title and Web Page Description completed with text and keywords that improve your SEO and  get your website higher in page rankings. Check out our SEO for EverWeb Video Course for full details on getting the best possible SEO for your website

 

3. Always Create Fresh, Up To Date, Website Content

Adding great content to your website is key to attracting new visitors and retaining those who have already found you. Good content is effective in retaining and growing your website’s audience.

Websites that have static and out of date content fail to attract new visitors or retain those who have already visited.  Websites whose latest content is more than a a few months old give the impression that either they are out of business or have nothing new and fresh to offer their target audience. Quick, regular, quality updates to your website are key to keeping and growing your audience.

 

4. Start Blogging!

If you have not done so already, creating a blog can be incredibly useful. A blog can keep your website up to date IF you create high quality content on a regular basis. Blogging is also good for your SEO as Google and other search engines like to crawl websites for new, original content. The key words here are ‘original content’. Search engines are smart and will down you for putting out content that you have put out before, such as copying and pasting paragraphs from an old blog post in to a new one just to get the post out! It is actually better not to post than to post in this way.

Whilst blogging can be advantageous there are negatives as well, so you have to decide if blogging is the right choice for you and for your website. If you choose to blog, you may have to also moderate comments that may come as a result of your posts. You also need to keep ideas flowing and find the time to create posts on a regular basis. So weigh up your choices and if you decide to start blogging plan your posts well in advance.

EverWeb’s blogging feature is a great way to create blog posts. And look out for the upcoming EverWeb 2.8 release which will have some more useful tools to make your blogging even easier!

 

5. Effective Website Navigation

Finding your way around a website is key to the your visitor’s experience and your website navigation should reflects this. Most websites use a menubar for desktop devices and a Hamburger Icon menu for mobile devices. You can implement both of these menu styles using EverWeb’s Navigation Menu widget.  These navigation menu styles are what most people are familiar with. If you do not want to use navigation menus, make sure that it is still easy for your visitors to identify how to get from page to page (and back!) in yuor website. Often test driving your design amongst family and friends is a good way to find out what works and what does not. Remember to be open to constructive criticism as there are many different levels of Internet user out there and what may be easy for you to understand may completely baffle others!

 

6. Clean, Easy Website Design

A lean and clean design will help your visitors be immediately comfortable using, and exploring your website right from the ‘landing’ (Home) page. A website  with plenty of white space and effective imagery on its pages will create an effective, efficient user experience. Sometimes in web design it is easy to prioritise form over function, but bear in mind that no matter how great your design is, can you visitors actually find their way around it easily?

 

7. Sending Out The Right Message!

Within your design, you will want your website to convey a message, goal or intention. This message should be clear and simple. Websites that are cluttered and have too many messages, or mixed messages, will discourage visitors from exploring your website further. A Home page with a simple straightforward message is best as it will focus your visitors on what your website offers.

 

8. Calls To Action and Contact Forms

Many websites have a target or goal. This can be to sell products and services, market products, collect email addresses, promote a cause or event and so on. This is where you will want your ‘Call To Action’ to be front and center. A Call To Action is the term used to get your visitor to take the next step, e.g. to sign up for a newsletter or webinar, to enter a promotion, to get a free e-book, get money off a next purchase and so on.

Call To Actions are typically a button on your page and the message in the button should be simple, clear and effective e.g. ‘Sign Up’, ‘Download’, ‘Subscribe Now!’ etc. The words used in the button are typically action oriented.

If you are using EverWeb’s Contact Form Advanced widget, make sure that it is easily visible and not buried deep down the page. The form itself should, typically, be quick, easy and simple to complete with as few fields as possible. Most of us don’t want to fill in endless details!

 

By using the above tips you should be able to avoid many of the most common website design mistakes people make when making their own website. It is always a learning experience designing a website, so get to know your audience and always test drive your website before going live. Get feedback on what works and what does not work so that your website gets off to a great start!

 

If you have a tip on website design that you would like to share with us, please let us know in the Comments Section below. We would love to hear from you!

 

EverWeb on Social Media

You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

 

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is often important in website development as a good SEO implementation makes for better Search Engine Results Page (SERP) rankings. In EverWeb, these SEO features are “baked in” making it easy to add SEO to your website. Find how to effectively implement SEO in your website in our SEO for EverWeb Video Course.

The video course covers SEO implementation throughout EverWeb, but how can this be applied to any blog you create for your website? Read on to find out how…

 

Content Is King

When talking about blogging and SEO, the most important topic is content! Content is king as it is the key to better SEO and SERP rankings. Always remember never sacrifice content for the sake of SEO and page rankings. Blog posts that just target SEO and SERP rankings will ultimately result in less visitors to your blog and website. Your blog content is very important in this respect as outlined below.

 

How Long Should a Post Be?

This is one area that always causes debate, both from an author’s perspective and from an SEO perspective. Generally the consensus is that blog posts should be at least 300 words long. For SEO, longer articles are better, however, if your post is too long you may dissuade people from reading it. Again, the consensus seems to be that between 750 and 1100 words is ideal although this is not set in stone. For longer blog posts consider splitting the post in to two or more parts. Add links to previous and next posts in the series in the post. Relevant links within your posts to referenced, credible sources is also good for your SEO. Finally, do not forget to include one to two keywords per 1000 words in your text. Our SEO video course has more details on how to find appropriate, effective keywords to use.

 

Create New Content Regularly

For better SEO, try posting on regular basis. Your readers are more likely to come back as your site is ‘live’ and if you post regularly e.g. every Tuesday, your readership will be more inclinded to visit your site every Tuesday. Remember though, never create content just because you feel olbligated to do so and always make sure your content has something to say. Planning your posts in advance is the best strategy!

The other advantage of posting content regularly is that Google and other search engines will crawl your website and blog more often. If your website is not updated regularly your page rankings may be negatively impacted.

 

Create Original, High Quality Content

Google and other search engines rank posts higher if they are original and of high quality. Original, high quality posts are also good for your website’s readership who will appreciate that you have put thought and effort in to what you are writing about.

If you plagiarise content from others this can negatively impact your SERP rankings and could also get you sued. If you quote from someone else’s work, always acknowledge the author and provide a link to the source. Check out the blog post ‘Create Your First Blog Post in EverWeb 2.0!‘ for some useful pointers on this subject.

 

Structure Your Blog Posts

Your blog post should always have a proper title. When you hit the ‘New Post’ button in EverWeb’s blog post editor window, edit the default title to make one relevant to the post. The title should include one or two keywords and be 60 characters or less if possible as this is better for SEO.

When writing the blog post itself, it should be focused with only one message or idea. In this blog post, for example, the focus is on how to achieve better SEO/SERP rankings in your blog posts.

SEO and Images

When adding images to your post the same SEO rules apply as they do when you add images to regular pages in your site. The image filename should say something about what the image is. If possible name the image file before dragging and dropping it in to EverWeb. If you have already imported images that use just a camera generated name, edit the filename in the Assets List.

When you add an image to your post in the Blog Post Editor window the Image Toolbar is displayed when the image is selected. Click on the ‘i’ icon for Alt Text, add your descriptive text and press Enter to finish. Adding Alt Text is useful for those who are visually impaired. It also replaces the image itself if it cannot be displayed and may benefit your SEO. Always make sure that the Alt Text describes what the image file is about.

As mentioned before, the file name should describe what the image is before being added to the Assets List if at all possible.

Blog Main, Archive and Post Page Settings

If you have not done so already, remember to complete the Page Settings for the Blog Main, Blog Posts and Archive Pages using the Inspector Window as these input fields are also used for SEO purposes. As mentioned previously, the SEO for EverWeb video course has all the details you need to add effective keywords to your Page Settings fields.

 

With some thought and planning you can have effective SEO in your blog posts as well as in the regular pages of your site.

 

As always please let us know if you have any comments and questions. We’re happy to help. You can also find EverWeb on the following social media platforms:

 

EverWeb on Social Media

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw