Mac SEO Blog

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

Adobe recently announce the immediate discontinuation of their website building software Muse its the last feature update released on March 26th 2018. If you currently use Muse you will no doubt be considering alternative website building products before support for Muse ends in May 2019 [Updated: Support now ends on March 26th 2020].

EverWeb has been recommended as a replacement for Muse by HostingAdvice.com

“The go-to site-building solution for fans of iWeb and Adobe Muse, the EverWeb drag-and-drop website builder creates cleaner, faster, and more compatible websites than the discontinued platforms. EverWeb offers an intuitive platform that makes web development accessible to a wider audience by offering extensive features, support, and resources in the familiar macOS interface.”

About EverWeb

Ever web is a drag and drop website builder for the Mac. EverWeb is NOT sold as a subscription. You get to keep the version you purchase (plus any upgrades you are entitled to while your account is active) for life. You will never lose access to the software you purchased if you decide not to renew your plan. Follow the link for more information about purchasing EverWeb and FAQ’s.

EverWeb is installed locally to your hard disk which has the advantage of no lag when developing your website. EverWeb is designed to be easy to use whilst making complex features simple to implement without having to resort to coding. You can use fully customizable Theme Templates to develop your site, or start with a blank template if you are redeveloping your existing site from scratch.

We have already had many Muse users enquiring about EverWeb and how the two products compare. Whilst it is always difficult to directly compare products, the list below gives you some indication of the features that EverWeb and Muse have in common.

EverWeb and Muse: Comparable Features

Whilst no means an exhaustive list, these are some of the major features that EverWeb and Muse have in common. Inevitably there will be features that are in Muse that are not available in EverWeb, and vice versa. In such instances, there may be alternatives or workarounds available. Please refer to the ‘Resources to Help’ section below for help here. We also recommend downloading the free trial version of EverWeb so you can experiment to see what is possible.

• Drag and drop, no coding needed to build your website.
• You can publish your site to your own hosting provider or to EverWeb’s own hosting (recommended).
• Support for hyperlinks and mouse normal, rollover and mouse down states.
• Support for page anchors (known as Scroll Position in EverWeb).
• Built in widgets for E-Commerce, Image gallery, Image Slider, Facebook, Navigation Menus, RSS feeds, Contact FormsPayPal, YouTube and many more. Third Party Widgets are also available.
• E-Commerce features built in with our robust PayPal Widget.
• Fully featured integrated Blogging Environment.
• WordPress blog post import.
• HTML code can be injected at page and site level if required.
• Built In Contact Forms with built in controls for customization.
• Auto generated desktop, mobile and responsive  Navigation Menu widget.
• Fast Loading Times.
• Ability to Attach Files.
• Spell Checker.
• Secure Websites Support Available with EverWeb+Hostng Accounts.
• Built In Animation features.
• 64-Bit App.
• Website files can be published to a folder on the local hard disk.
• Built in Preview.
• Stock Photos library with over 500,000 free to use images.
• Built in SEO together with our SEO for EverWeb video course.

Try EverWeb for Free

EverWeb is free to try. You can download the trial version at the EverWeb website. The trial version is fully functional so you can develop your website immediately. The only restriction with the trial version is that you cannot publish to your local hard disk or to the Internet. EverWeb comes complete with built in help with a downloadable user manual and help videos throughout the product wherever you see the ‘?’ symbol displayed.

Resources To Help

There are plenty of resources to help you discover more about EverWeb. This blog has lots of information about EverWeb’s features and how to use them. There is also the EverWeb website itself which contains lots of information and video tutorials, our YouTube Channel and our Discussion Forum.

If you have any questions about EverWeb, please let us know. We’re always happy to help.

EverWeb on Social Media

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

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

As the saying goes, time is money. However, time is something we can never get back, so working efficiently is one way we can reclaim valuable time! Why take the long route when you can achieve what you want quickly and effortlessly by taking the short route? EverWeb has some great ways to shorten your website development time so you can have more time for yourself…

1. Short Cut Keys

We all use them, but are you taking advantage of all that is there? Learning the shortcut keys for functions that you often perform with a mouse or via a menu can be a great time saver. You will find the shortcut keys displayed on the Menubar in EverWeb. There are a couple of other shortcut keys that are not on the Menubar which are also helpful:

Distance to Object: Select an object, then hold down the Option (Alt) key and mouse to another object to see the distance between the two.

Moving Objects: Checkout Tip 6 below on  using the Cmd+Shift short cut key.

Moving Obscured Objects: Use the Cmd+Option shortcut keys.

For more information on moving objects, take a look at our New Ways to Move and Resize Objects in EverWeb 2.1 blog post.

2. Secondary Clicking

A secondary click is a two finger tap on the mouse or trackpad. It’s one of the best time savers in EverWeb as when you secondary click, you get a context sensitive list of menu options. So, for example, you will no longer need to go the menu Arrange-> Move to Back when you can just secondary click on the object you want to send to back instead.

3. Remember to Backup

The ultimate time saver if your project file gets damaged or you need to roll back to a previous version of your project. Use the shortcut key Cmd+. (Period) to access the EverWeb-> Preferences menu then click on the Backup tab to implement your backup program. Do not forget to also backup your computer itself to an external backup device on a daily, or even hourly, basis depending on your usage.

4. Add The Website URL when Publishing to Folder

This was one of the small additions introduced in EverWeb version 2.5. Adding in your website URL in to the Folder Location section when publishing to a Folder via Site Publishing Settings will make the published files accurately reflect your website. This is very useful if you publish on your local disk for testing purposes.

5. Use The ‘+’ Button to Add a Master Page

There are a number of different way to create a Master Page in EverWeb. The ‘+’ button is located to the right of the Master Page dropdown in the Master Page section of the Inspector Window. The button saves you having to mouse across to the Web Page List or to the Navigation Menu to create a new Master Page.

6. Easily Move Objects on Your Page Using Cmd+Shift Keys

This key combination is a great time saver when you need to create space on your page by moving objects below the currently selected object down the page en masse. Simply hold the Cmd+Shift keys down, then drag the selected object up or down the page. Everything beneath the selected object moves at the same time. When using this feature, remember that any objects that are on the same level as the selected object are not be moved.

7. Delete Unused Assets

If your Project file performance is slowing, try deleting any unused assets that you no longer need but are still in the Assets List. To do this, select the Assets tab in the Inspector Window. Just below the Assets search bar is an  up/down arrow symbol on the right hand side, opposite the word ‘Assets’. Click on this symbol and select ‘Find Unused Assets’ from the submenu. When the search is complete you can delete the assets that are no longer needed. As your Project file becomes smaller it should work more efficiently.

8. Preview without Using Preview

When working on your web pages you may want to get an idea of how the page looks. If you are working on a large Project file, using Preview may take too much time as, by necessity, it processes all of the Project’s pages when generating  the Preview. Instead, if you just want a ‘quick look’ at how the page will look, try Presentation Mode instead (Cmd+period shortcut key toggle). Presentation Mode is located on the Window menu. The feature strips out all of the UI elements of EverWeb. When using Presentation Mode, if you want to turn off the page layout, use the Window->Hide Layout menu option. If you have hyperlinks indicators visible you can hide these using the EverWeb=> Preferences=> General-> Show Hyperlinks Indicator checkbox.

Remember that if you are using Presentation Mode you are still working with the live Editor Window, so use with caution!

9. Setup Default Styles

This is an easy one to miss when you first start your Project and just want to crack on with creating your site! Set your Default Styles as soon as you can. Use the Format-> Default Styles menu to define the default look of your text font, size and color, the default color for your shape objects and shape strokes and the defaults used for hyperlinked objects in normal, mouse over and mouse down states. If you set up these defaults immediately, you will save much time and work later on!

10. Other Available Resources

There are lots of resources available for EverWeb users such as this blog, our Facebook page, YouTube channel and  EverWeb Knowledgeable articles that are available from the Support tab on the EverWeb website. Finally, there is the EverWeb Discussion Forum and our Support service if you have a question or need help and support.

If you have your own tip about productivity in EverWeb, why not share it with the community below in the Comments Section?

EverWeb on Social Media

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

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

This week four years ago we launched EverWeb version 1.0 to the world. It’s been a great journey so far and we couldn’t have done it without your help, support, loyalty and feedback! Thank You!

Since our last anniversary, we’ve been busier than ever, adding many new features and refinements to EverWeb that you, the EverWeb community, asked for. Here are just some of the highlights from our third year…

Blogging

Undoubtedly the most requested feature for inclusion in EverWeb, blogging debuted in November 2016. EverWeb’s fully fledged blogging environment retains the look and feel that iWeb users are familiar with whilst adding some great features: A choice of Comment Engine (Facebook Comments or Disqus), easy  iWeb and WordPress blog post importing, an RSS Subscribe button, Master Page support and much more… Check out the full details in our Introducing EverWeb version 2.0: Blogging Comes to EverWeb feature.

Animations

Our new Animation Engine put style, and  fun, into your website pages when EverWeb version 2.2 was released back in April. Over 16 great animation effects were introduced in a typically easy to use EverWeb way through the Shapes tab. Animations are great way to draw your visitors attention to where you want them to focus on your page. Find out more on how to use this feature in our Create Great Animation Effects with EverWeb! feature.

Site Shield Addon & End To End Data Encryption

This is one of EverWeb’s most important feature additions ever. If you have an EverWeb+Hosting account,  Site Shield Addon is a great way of end to end encrypting your website. Great for privacy, great for security. For your visitors, financial transaction and personal data becomes more secure with Site Shield Addon. There’s also the bonus of better Search Engine Page Rankings as Google and other search engine providers rank secure (HTTPS) websites higher in their search results than non-secure websites. For your website visitors, the lock symbol in the search bar alone adds reassurance when visiting your site!

If you have 10GB or higher EverWeb+Hosting account, Site Shield Addon is free. For those with a 2GB, you can easily purchase Site Shield Addon through your EverWeb Client Area.

Faster Publishing

With every version of EverWeb we always aim to improve the speed and performance of the product, especially important if you are publishing large Projects. We’ve also regulary optimize the code that’s generated so your website will load faster for your users and be more responsive too. Look out for more news about faster publishing in the near future with the upcoming EverWeb version 2.6!

64-Bit EverWeb

EverWeb became a 64 -Bit product with the release of version 2.5. This is an important step, warranted by Apple’s drive to 64-Bit computing, both on macOS and iOS, over the last year. The move to 64-Bit also helps us take advantage of technology so that we can give you larger EverWeb Project files, better performance and more amazing features in the future.

Importantly, we haven’t forgotten our users whose Macs are not 64-Bit capable. There’s 32-Bit version of EverWeb just for you.

SEO Improvements with Language Localization

In addition to the Site Shield Addon in EverWeb version 2.4, we also introduced a new option for Language Localization. This option improves your website’s SEO for better search engine ranking results by using language localization to better serve visitors searching the web with more relevant search results.

Language localization can be applied in EverWeb either globally to your whole website, globally but with specific pages overridden to use specific local language settings or just on an ad-hoc page by page basis.

Language Localization is a great way to improve your website’s SEO and is great for multilingual websites or websites that target different geographic markets.

Keyboard Shortcuts, Widgets and More…

There are many more ways in which we’ve improved EverWeb over the year: Shortcut keys to help improve your workflow, new and updated widgets, an improved Preview function,  better RSS functionality, distance to object and much more!

What’s Next…

It’s been an exciting twelve months, but we’re not finished yet! EverWeb version 2.6 is on the horizon and packs lots of new and updated features to enjoy. We also have lots of exciting things planned for the next twelve months so stay tuned as there’s a lot of great stuff to look forward to!

This is also a great time for us to get your feedback on EverWeb! What do you want us to add to the product, change or improve? What can we do better and how can we better serve you? Let us know in the Comments section below, we are here to help and look forward as always to your feedback!

EverWeb on Social Media

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

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

EverWeb 2.4’s new Language Localization feature improves your website’s SEO for better search engine ranking results by using language localization to better serve visitors searching the web with more relevant search results.

You can apply language localization in EverWeb in three ways:

1. Globally, to your whole website;
2. Globally with specific pages overridden to use specific local language settings;
3. Only specific pages localized. No global language localization set.

To illustrate how these settings are applied we will use an example of  a farming company based in the United Kingdom which has set up their own website in EverWeb. At present, the website is designed to serve only customers in the United Kingdom. As such, we can set the language in EverWeb at the global, website level only so that search engine results are focused more towards serving potential UK customers only.

Setting Language Localization for the Whole Website

To set the language localization for the website as a whole:

1. First go to the Site Publishing Settings in the Project file, using the File-> Edit Publishing Settings menu or by clicking on the name of the website in the Web Page List.
2. In the Head/Footer section is an option for ‘Language’. Click on the drop down where you will see a whole host of languages. In this example, scroll down to ‘English’, or just press ‘E’ on your keyboard to take you to the start of the section of languages beginning with ‘E’.
3. As there are many countries where English is spoken it is important for SEO to select the setting that best suits your situation. In this example, as my website serves only customers in the United Kingdom, ‘English (United Kingdom)’ is the most suitable option. If my website was designed to serve only customers in the US, I would select ‘English (United States)’.
4. To apply the Language localization setting, publish the website. It is recommended to publish the whole website using the File -> Publish Entire Site menu option.
5. If your website is not tied to a particular geographic location, e.g. you have a global website shopping website, you can still specify a language localization at the global level e.g. if my farming company only sells products via the Internet, I could set the Language setting in Site Publishing Settings to just ‘English’ without any country specified.

Overriding the Global Language

Imagine that the farming company has grown and now sells its products two other countries: The Netherlands and New Zealand. To accommodate this growth, extra web pages have been created in the Project file in the Dutch language to target the market in The Netherlands. To help better search engine ranking results in the Dutch market, I can apply EverWeb’s Language localization setting specifically to better serve the Dutch market:

1. First select one of the pages used for the Dutch market and make sure that the Page tab is selected in the Inspector Window.
2. Next go to the ‘Language’ drop down in the Page Details section.
3. Select ‘Dutch (The Netherlands)’.
4. This setting will now override the global Language setting of English (United Kingdom) that we set up earlier so that search engine results will better target the Dutch market.
5. Publish the website to apply the changes.

For my customers in New Zealand, the written language is still English, but if I make pages specifically for my New Zealand customers, I can ‘language localize’ these pages by selecting ‘English (New Zealand)’ on a page by page basis in the same way I have sone for my Dutch customers.

Language Localization For Specific Pages Only

EverWeb’s Language Localization feature can be set just on a page by page basis without a ‘global’ language localization being specified in Site Publishing Settings. There may be specific instances where you may want to use this option. Generally, though, you will usually use the one of the first two options described above.

Watch The Video Walkthrough

If you would like to see EverWeb’s Language Localization feature in action, check out our Language Localization for Better SEO video on our YouTube channel.

As always we would love to hear from you if you have any comments, suggestions or feedback. 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

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw