It can't get any easier than this! Here's our quick start guide to using the online web designer, along with some tips and tricks.

Here's a shot of the first screen you will see the first time you use the program:

Notice there are five steps to completing your site. Really there are only Four Steps since you can skip step one as it defaults to the place you want to be unless you are only going to make a blog or photo gallery. For your first step then all you need to do is click number two DESIGN.

Here is the screen shot you will see when you go to step two DESIGN:

This is where you will decide what type of web site template design you want to use. To your top left is a drop down box titled "Category". Notice that it defaults to "Personal". Click on it and you will see all of the different categories that are available.

There are over 500 templates in the system and we add new ones periodically. Yur browser will only show so many per page and you will have to click on additional pages for that category in order to see all the templates for a category. If there are additional pages you can see the button at the lower left of your screen for more pages. Browse them all until you find one you like. If you click on one it will update the review window on your left for a better look.

You can also click the "Preview" button to see it in a bigger window. In fact you can Preview the website from any place in the system which is helpful when you are in design mode.

Notice along the top right is a choice called "color schemes". You can chose one of three different color schemes for your website.

Just below that are choices for different banners.

Tip and Trick: Just below Banners is a field to browse and upload. If it is greyed out the template you have highlighted does not allow you to customize the banner. If it is not greyed out you can customize and upload your own banner. However it needs to be an acceptable size for the template, usually about 1131 wide by 300 high. If it is too large when you upload it you will get an error message but you have to watch for the message as it will appear just below the Adtastic Hosting banner at the top left.

Below banners is Menu Styles and you have three choices as to the type of menu style you want.

Below menu styles is the default logo for the template you have chosen. Note that you can upload your own logo!

Important to note also that just below logo are three lines, Site title, subtitle and footer message. Be certain to personalize those to your own need. You can also use basic html such as line breaks, bolding and so forth if you choose.

You can go to step three at anytime by pressing the next button in the lower right (may have to scroll down to see it) or "Pages" at the top right (may have to scroll up to see it).

Here is the screen you will see at step three called PAGES:

Here you select the pages for your website. You can modify and change these selections anytime you want so don't worry you won't be locked in to anything you choose. Notice the first section to your left called "Page Sets". The default is "Personal Page" and that is the selection showing here. On the right the section called "Your Page Structure" is the selection of pages your site currently has. In the center the section called "Standard Pages" is the set of pages that are standard for the current page set. Since most people are building a business web site the Business page set is probably what they want. When you select the Business Page Set you will see pages more conducive to a standard busines web site. Those will also now be shown in the Standard Pages section in the center but will not automatically rewrite the "Your Site Structure" to the right. You'll have to do that yourself and its easy.

Simply click to check any of the pages under "Your Site Structure" that you want to remove. Then you'll see a small arrow pointing to the left just below them and clicking it will send them back. By checking any of the "Standard Pages" in the center and then clicking the arrow then pointing to the right you will automatically send that page to the menu called "Your Site Structure." And if you highlight the page by clicking on it you notice you can now move it up or down on the menu as well as change its name.

You'll notice in the center column some "Special Pages" as well. One of them is a blank page called "common page". Another is a Blog, an Image Gallery, a File Download page for people to be able to download a file you want them to be able to download, the Eshop (Shopping Cart), Flash Intro (If you want a Flash Intro for your site), Forum, Guestbook and a registration page if you want people to be able to register on your site. Clicking on one of them will check it then you can send it over to "Your Site Structure". Once there you will be able to change its page name if you choose and then from the edit menu you can also customize it easily.

 Here is the screen you will see at step 4 called EDIT:

Here is where you will edit your pages quickly and easily. Notice that once the page loads you have a nice text editor. You can add links to the page, pictures or graphics, customize your text and much more. If you are not sure what something on the text editor does just hold your mouse over it and a tooltip will popup. On the left is your site map, or menu of pages. You'll notice on this example the Home page is highlighted as that is the page currently shown. By clicking on any of the page links on the sitemap you will be taken to that page for editing. You can go back and forth easily at any time.

Just below the site map is page title. If you change this it will update your site menu accordingly because this is the name used for the site menu. Below page title is "Page file name". It has been highlighted in this demonstration to point out to you one of our tips. This is the name of the html file as will be shown in the browser. The default is page1, page 2, page 3, etc. We recommend you change this file name to something that more closely represents what the page is about. This will also be more search engine friendly. You cannot use spaces but you can use hyphens - and downscores _ . For example, let us say you have a page about free services. You might change the page name to free-services. By putting the hyphen in between rather than saying freeservices as one word it becomes more search engine friendly as the search engines will read it as two words and have a better understanding of what the page name is representing.

You also have some information you can provide in the boxes called Page Keywords and Page Description. These will write themselves into the background code and be available for search engines. With the page keywords you have to use the format, word, word, word, word. Meaning a word or phrase then a comma, then a word or phrase, then a comma, etc. Just use the primary keywords for the page and don't use words like and, for, the, of and so forth as they have no value in search engine language.

In page description whatever you write is generally what will be used by the search engines to describe that page in its search menu.

Notice the box on the lower left called "Show this page in site map". If you uncheck this box your page wil no longer show up on the website or the sitemap but will be saved for further editing.

Here is the page you will see at step five called PUBLISH:

This page as seen here is the trial site demo publish page. When you have a regular site the page will look slightly different because you will have a "Publish" button you can press. When you do publish a site you will be amazed at how quickly it publishes live to your site! If you are practicing with a trial site be certain you enter your email address in the specified box so you will get an email from the system with a link you can go to and continue playing around with the site you have created. Otherwise it will be lost and you won't be able to find it again unless you contact us directly. The trial site is active for seven days then it must either be converted to a regular site by us or it will automatically delete.

Some hints and tricks:

You can move back and forth from one step to any other step at anytime. You can make changes from any of the steps at anytime. For example, you can choose one template today and make it live on your site then decide to choose a different tomorrow and make it live on your site and all of your page text will remain the same.

You can move forward or back in the system anytime by clicking the "next"  or the "back" button in the lower right of the screen (you might have to scroll down to see it) or by clicking any of the five steps at the top right of the screen.

Anything you do can be saved but will not be published live to your website until you go to step five and click the Publish button. However it will not be saved if you simply exit out of your browser. To save your work you must click to another page or section of the program which will cause a box to pop up asking if you want to save the changes. Once you say yes it will be saved for future editing even if you do not publish.

If you look at the EDIT step screen shot above you will see on the right some buttons called "Modules" This is where you can set up an area map (such as on your contact me page so people know how to find your business), a feedback module (This is what you use to make a contact me form or other type of form), an RSS Reader (This sets up sections of your site for people to pull into their RSS Reader), a Script Module (This is where you will paste any java or html or flash type scripts you want to add to the site), and a Voting module (maybe you want people to vote on a subject and you want to tally and collect the votes).

To use any of the modules simply drag and drop it where you want it on the page! Then you will have features to be able to edit it.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to use our help file its very friendly or to ask us we are friendly too and support is free!

And don't be afraid to play around with the program and get used to its features. And if you would prefer us to create the site for you so you can then edit and modify it on an as needed basis simply let us know. We offer a low cost service to create the site and get it up and running for you.

This site was created using the program!