Mac SEO Blog

If you are new to EverWeb, perhaps you need some help with installation or setting up your first website project. If you have used EverWeb for a while, you may want some help to better understand one of EverWeb’s many features. You may have a question on how best to achieve your website design goal. Maybe you have a technical issue that you cannot resolve on your own.

The problem with most questions is where to find the answer. Fortunately EverWeb has many ways in which you can get the help you need to quickly answer whatever question or issue you have. Below is a roundup of the available resources that can help you out!

The EverWeb User Manual

The EverWeb User Manual is a great place to start if you’re new to EverWeb as it explains in detail the EverWeb User Interface and how to create your first website. There is plenty of information on how to add and edit web pages using long standing and new EverWeb features right through to publishing your website on the Internet.

The EverWeb User Manual is usually updated with each point release so it is always up to date with any new or improved product features. You can access the EverWeb User Manual right from the Projects Window when you launch EverWeb or at any time from the Help-> EverWeb Manual menu option.

EverWeb Video Tutorials

Tutorial videos are really useful as they guide you through features and functions of EverWeb more easily and quickly than in written form. You can also pause the video at any time if you need a break.

You can access EverWeb’s tutorial videos directly from EverWeb’s Projects Window by clicking on the ‘Learn how to use EverWeb’ button. When you click on the button, you will be taken to the EverWeb Video Training Library that contains over 80 video tutorials.

There are hundreds of other EverWeb video tutorials available on YouTube. Videos are added throughout the month so subscribe to our EverWeb channel to stay updated!

The EverWeb Discussion Forum

The EverWeb Discussion Forum is the place where you can ask your EverWeb related questions to other members of the EverWeb community. Categories include ‘Feature Requests’ if you have an idea  for features you would like to suggest for inclusion in a future release of EverWeb, a ‘How Do I…?’ section where you can ask questions about how to achieve your design goals, a ‘Bug Report’ section where you can log any problems that you think are a bug in the product, and a ‘General Discussion’ section for anything that does not fit in to other categories!

There are two other useful categories in the Forum, the first is the ‘Announcements’ section which posts news about new product releases, beta test products and other important EverWeb related news. The ‘Third Party Products and Announcements’ section is where third party providers announce their own third party products e.g. widgets, Theme Templates, books on EverWeb etc.

The EverWeb Discussion Forum can also be accessed from your EverWeb Client Area using the Support-> Discussion Forum menu option, from within EverWeb itself using Help-> Discussion Forum menu option or via the EverWeb website.

Help Icon Within EverWeb

One of the useful Help features in EverWeb can be found directly next to many features within the product itself. The Help Icon, represented by a question mark within a circle, when clicked upon will take you directly to a tutorial video relating to the feature in question.

The Help icon is a quick and useful way to get pertinent information and help on the feature you need to know about.

The EverWeb Application Website

EverWeb’s own website serves as a great starting point for those looking to purchase EverWeb as it outlines all of the major features that can be found in the product. The website is also useful if you have already purchased EverWeb and need support or to find other EverWeb related resources. The Resources and Support menu conveniently group together everything you may need.

The EverWeb website also has its own blog with news on our latest product releases, and sometimes a sneak preview or two!

The EverWeb Knowledgebase

One of the features of the EverWeb website’s Support menu worth a special mention is the Knowledgebase option. Here you will find many useful technical and step by step ‘how to do’ articles. Just enter your search term in the Search box, or drill down using one of the listed categories. Knowledgebase articles are regularly added and updated on the website.

EverWeb Customer Support

Last but not least is EverWeb’s own Technical Support which is available if you have an active Everweb account. If you have a current EverWeb+Hosting plan you also have access to telephone technical support 24/7 on 1-888-500-2901.

This Blog

All EverWeb users have access to this blog and its extensive history of articles all about EverWeb. But if there is a topic that you think we should be writing about, or that you need more information about please let us know in the Comments Section below. What would help you build an even better website with EverWeb? We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

EverWeb on Social Media

And finally, you can always find EverWeb on the following social media platforms.

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

For the most part, our main form of input into our computing devices is either through the keyboard, mouse, stylus or finger depending on the device we are using at the time. Your Mac, however, also gives you another option: Speech. You can use your Mac’s own built in Dictation application to use Speech as an alternative method of text input into apps such as EverWeb.

Why Use Dictation?

Dictation is often used by those who have problems with mobility. It is also a good alternative for those who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or other forms of repetitive strain Injury (RSI) that affect the hands, wrist, forearm, upper arm and even shoulder areas.

Using dictation may also be advantageous if you just want a break from keyboard work, if you are a slow typist or just want to capture free flow thinking on your computer, such as when writing a blog post and you want a free flow of spoken thoughts instantly translated into text straight away.

Using Dictation is remarkably easy and accurate. There are also some great shortcuts that can be used to help you rely more on your voice rather than on the keyboard.

Setting Up Dictation On Your Mac

Using Dictation is actually a feature of your macOS and is enabled in your Mac’s System Preferences. You can choose to use Standard Dictation or Enhanced Dictation. The Enhanced version allows you to use dictation even when you are working offline and also included live feedback as you speak. The other difference with Enhanced Dictation over Standard Dictation is that it will take up 422MB of your local hard disk space. If this is not an issue for you, it is recommend that you use Enhanced Dictation as it offers you more flexibility and freedom.

To install Dictation on your computer:

1. Open System Preferences. You can quickly do this by pressing Cmd+Spacebar to activate a Spotlight Search. Start typing ‘System Preferences’ in the search box. As you type, your macOS will refine your ‘Top Hits’. When you see System Preferences listed, double click on it to launch.
2. In System Preferences, double click on the ‘Accessibility’ icon.
3. Scroll down the list in the left hand side column until you reach the section ‘Interacting’. The first option listed is for ‘Dictation’.
4. Once you have selected ‘Dictation’ the panel on the right will show you various options, most of which are at present greyed out. Double click on the ‘Open Dictation Preferences…’ button.
5. On the next screen you will see that Dictation is currently set to off. Click on the ‘On’ radio button to set dictation on. Notice also that Enhanced Dictation is automatically applied by default. If you do not want this, uncheck the ‘Enhanced Dictation’ checkbox.
6. If you have kept the defaults unchanged, Enhanced Dictation will now be downloaded to your computer.
7. If you wish, change the Language and default Shortcut Keys to activate dictation using the appropriate settings.
8. Once Enhanced Dictation has downloaded and installed on your computer, dictation is ready to use and you can close System Preferences.

Using Dictation in EverWeb

Now that your macOS’s diction feature has been installed you can use it in EverWeb and in many other applications on your computer that support this feature.

To use dictation in EverWeb:

1. Go to a page in your project file, or to the Blog Post Editor Window of a blog post that you want to dictate.
2. If you want to add text on to a regular page, either add a new TextBox or click in an existing TextBox. If you are dictating text in to a blog post, place the mouse cursor at the point in the Blog Post Editor Window where you want to start dictating.
3. Press the ‘Fn’ key twice quickly to start Dictation. Alternatively use the Edit-> Start Dictation menu option. You will see a microphone displayed. As you speak the volume level in the microphone will go up and down accordingly. As you speak, you will see your speech translated in to text.
4. When you are finished, press the ‘Fn’ key once to end dictation or use the Edit-> Stop Dictation menu command.

Tips on Using Dictation

When you use Dictation, it will more accurately translate your speech in to text the more you use the feature. So if at first the speech translation is not too accurate, persevere a little so that your macOS gets to know your voice better over time.

There are also a number of shortcuts available if you make mistakes when dictating that will save you having to use the keyboard, for example, if you want to finish a sentence with a period (‘.’) just say ‘Period’. If you then decide that you did not want to finish the sentence, say ‘Delete’ and the cursor will backspace over the last character.

There are many other shortcuts available from this ‘Use your voice to enter text on your Mac‘ Apple Support Document.

Finally, don’t forget that dictation can be used in many other applications on your Mac. If an application supports dictation, you will find the feature listed on the application’s Edit menu.

EverWeb on Social Media

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

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

Working in The Cloud is an increasingly popular option for many of us today. In a world where we are more ‘mobile’ than ever, the need to be able to work and access our data and information wherever we are has become increasingly important, for some a necessity.

Cloud based services offer free or cost effective solutions to help us stay connected to our data wherever we are in the world. The addition benefit of these services is that they also provide automatic data backups so we don’t even have to worry about keeping copies ourselves if we don’t want to. We do however recommended that you keep local backups of your data just in case of emergencies.

There are other advantage of Cloud based services is that they take the strain off local our storage devices, especially mobile phones and laptops. It is also very easy to share files with others across the Internet – almost instantaneously. However, Clouds based services also come with some disadvantages, the most obvious being that they require a connection to the Internet. If you have a slow connection, this can affect your productivity. There are also concerns about data privacy so check the T’s and C’s of any Cloud service provider (even if it is free) before signing up and storing your data. Also be aware of data synching requirements across your devices as well so that what you see on one device matches what you see on all your other Cloud connected devices.

You can use Cloud based services to store and access your EverWeb project files as this may be advantageous if you often work in different environments e.g. on a laptop and desktop. You probably do not want to have to copy your EverWeb Project file from one machine to the other every time you switch computer. Working in The Cloud gives you a great solution and the following tips should help you get the best out of the experience with little or no hassle or frustration.

Working with the EverWeb App

You can access and use EverWeb’s Project files stored in The Cloud but the EverWeb application itself must be only installed locally on your computer. The EverWeb app does not have file locking and sharing capabilities and is not a network app. As such only install the EverWeb application in in the Applications folder of your local  computer!

Adding EverWeb Project Files To The Cloud

You can move EverWeb Project files to The Cloud by using the following steps:

1. It is recommended that you first create a folder in your Cloud drive named after your Project file.
2. Once you have created a folder in The Cloud, launch EverWeb if you have not done so already.
3. On the Projects Window click on the up/down arrows to the right of the Project you want to move.
4. Select ‘Show File On Disk’ from the menu. This will take you to the location of the Project file on your local hard disk.
5. The file name will appear as a long series of letters and numbers with a .EW file extension. The name you usually see on the Projects Window is in fact an ‘alias’ for the real file name that is stored on your computer.
6. Move the selected file to the folder you created on your Cloud drive.
7. Once you have moved the Project file, go back to EverWeb and close the app.

Working with Project Files in The Cloud

Once you have moved the Project file in to your Cloud drive, remember to take in to consideration the following:

1. It is recommended that EverWeb’s Backup and Auto Save features are enabled. A local copy of the project file can be stored using EverWeb’s backup function in the EverWeb-> Preferences-> Backup menu for extra safety and security.
2. When you next launch EverWeb after moving your Project file to The Cloud, you will no longer see it listed in the Projects Window. Instead,  use the File-> Open menu option and navigate to the Cloud location of your Project file and select it from there. Alternatively, double click on the Project file in your Cloud drive to launch EverWeb and open the Project simultaneously.
3. When you move a file from your local hard drive to The Cloud, EverWeb’s Project list will only be updated with this change when you quit EverWeb and relaunch it.
4. When working on two different computers, remember to save your project file and exit EverWeb on the first computer before starting to work on the Project on the second computer. If you don’t do this you may inadvertently overwrite your work with an older copy.
5. Beware of Cloud drive synching lag. Make sure that your Cloud service has successfully saved and synched the Project file on one computer before opening the Project file on a different computer. Usually you will see a circle displayed to the right of your Cloud drive service in Finder when saving and synching are taking place. The empty circle will gradually fill until complete. When the circle disappears you know that the save and synch are finished.
6. If you use Google Fonts in your Project file, make sure that the fonts used are installed on both computers you are using.
7. If you use third party widgets, these will also need to be installed on both computers. Check with your third party supplier to make sure they are happy for you to do this.
8. Check your EverWeb-> Preferences settings (including log in details!) and Format-> Default Styles menu match up for both copies of EverWeb that you have installed.

Working with EverWeb Project files in The Cloud adds great mobility and flexibility to working with EverWeb, just bear in mind that you need to remember some of the caveats and potential pitfalls of doing so.

EverWeb on Social Media

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

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

Each year Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference (WWDC) spawns new beta releases of Apple’s iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.  WWDC is also the time of year that highlights the need for backing up our operating systems and data on a regular basic. With EverWeb, backing up your Project files is always a good idea. Backing up the data on your computer should be something you do regularly, but you can also use EverWeb’s backup tools to create multiple backups of your Project files that you can rollback to if ever you need to. Here’s how…

EverWeb’s Backup and Auto Save Preferences

Backing Up Your EverWeb Project Files

To use EverWeb’s Backup feature you will need EverWeb version 1.8 or higher.

1. To backup your Project files, first launch EverWeb.
2. In the EverWeb-> Preferences menu select the ‘Backup’ tab. (See figure above)
3. Checking the ‘Enable Auto Save’ box automatically saves your Project file at regular intervals as you work in the Project. It is recommended that you check this box so that if, for example, your computer goes down due to a power cut, you will only lose the last few keystrokes of work.
4. To enable the backing up of your project files, check the ‘Enable Automatic Backups’ box. Any Project files you may have will be backed up when you next open it.
5. Enter the ‘Backup Location’ by clicking the ‘Select’ button. Navigate to your desired backup location. This can be either on a local hard disk, a network drive or in the Cloud using services such as Apple iCloud Drive, Google Cloud, Dropbox etc.
6. Select the ‘Number of backup copies to keep’. This is especially useful if you are trying something out that does not work and so need to rollback your Project file a few versions to undo the changes you have made. You can select to keep 1, 5, 10, 20 or 50 backup copies.
7. Use the ‘Backup Schedule’ to choose whether you want to backup daily, weekly or monthly.

You have now set up your backup schedule and can exit EverWeb’s Preferences.

‘On The Fly’ Backups

If ever you want to backup a single Project file ‘on the fly’ you can do so easily from the Projects Window.

1. Click the up/down arrow to the right of the Project file you want to backup.
2. Select ‘Backup’ from the menu.

Restoring A Backup

If you need to restore a backup of your Project, use the instructions below. Note that if you have deleted the Project file, you cannot restore it as deleting the Project will also delete the backups as well. Your only recourse in this situation is to go to your computer or cloud backup. To restore a Project file that you have backed up:

1. First go to the Projects Window
2. Click on the up/down arrows to the right of the Project file that you want to restore
3. Select ‘Restore from backup…’ from the menu
4. You will see a list of backup Project files displayed. Select the backup of your choice then click on the ‘Select’ button to restore the file.
5. You will see a warning message that restoring the project will overwrite the existing file. You can click ‘Restore Backup Project’ or you can ‘Cancel’ at this stage.
6. To use the restored project file just double click on the Project file name as usual to open the project.

Creating a backup schedule and setting Auto Save on just takes a few steps and is something that every EverWeb user should do to safeguard their project from any potential mishap.

EverWeb on Social Media

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

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

Google’s recent announcement that the next release of its Chrome web browser would highlight non-secure websites is due to come in to effect on July 1, 2018. The change coming to Chrome version 68 makes this an ideal time to consider upgrading your website from a non-secure HTTP site to an end to end data encrypted HTTP site. Our blog post Google Chrome To Highlight Non-Secure Websites from July explains the background to the changes and how you can easily upgrade your EverWeb built website. Below is our Q&A on EverWeb’s Site Shield Addon

Q. What is EverWeb Site Shield Addon?

A. EverWeb Site Shield Addon enables end to end data encryption of your website data, right from EverWeb’s Hosting Server to your website visitor’s browser window.

Q. What version of EverWeb do I need to be able to use Site Shield Addon?

A. EverWeb version 2.3 or higher supports Site Shield Addon. If you are using a version of EverWeb prior to version 2.3 and have a current Support and Updates plan, use the EverWeb-> Check for Update… menu with EverWeb to update your version of EverWeb to the latest version. If you do not have a current Support and Updates plan, you can purchase this through your EverWeb Client Area.

Q. Is Site Shield Addon the same as an SSL Certificate?

Secure websites use HTTPS and this is enabled through an SSL Certificate. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and it creates an encrypted connection that establishes trust in data transfer between web browser and web server. Site Shield Addon is EverWeb’s branding for the SSL Certificate including EverWeb’s exclusive easy HTTPS implementation from directly within the product at just the click of a button.

Q. Do I need an EverWeb+Hosting Account to be able to use Site Shield Addon?

A. Yes, Site Shield Addon requires an EverWeb+Hosting account.

Q. Can I still use Site Shield Addon with my own Hosting Provider?

A. Site Shield Addon is only available if you have an EverWeb+Hosting account. If you have your own hosting provider, you will need to work with them to obtain an SSL Certificate and to set up HTTPS for your website. Please refer to our post Google Chrome To Highlight Non-Secure Websites from July for more information.

Q. How do I get Site Shield Addon?

A. If you have an EverWeb+Hosting account will be able to access Site Shield Addon. If you have a an EverWeb+Hosting 10GB or higher account, Site Shield Addon is absolutely free.

If you have an EverWeb+Hosting 2GB account you can purchase Site Shield Addon through your EverWeb Client Area.

Q. How much does Site Shield Addon Cost?

A. If you have a EverWeb+Hosting 10GB or higher account, Site Shield Addon is absolutely free. For EverWeb+Hosting 2GB accounts, Site Shield Addon costs $29.95 USD per year. In both instances there are no additional costs involved in upgrading your website from HTTP to secure HTTPS.

Q. Why do I see a Grey/Black Padlock and not a Green Padlock when I have Upgraded to HTTPS?

A. When using HTTPS, you usually see a padlock displayed to the left of the website URL in the browser search bar. You may have noticed that the padlock on some websites is dark grey or black but on other other websites it is green. For all intents and purposes, there is no difference as both indicate that the website is secure. The difference in color indicates that encryption has been implemented technically in different ways.

Q. What happens if I have HTTP references in my website links in EverWeb? Do I need to change these?

A. It is not necessary to change these references, but it is better to do so as this will ensure data encryption.

Q. I checked the box ‘HTTPS Secure URLs’ and published my website, but don’t see the Padlock displayed.

A. If you do not see the padlock displayed in the browser search bar when viewing your website, check the URL in the search box of your browser. You should see that your URL starts with HTTPS. If not make sure that you publish your entire site using the File-> Publish Entire Site menu option.

If you still do not see the padlock, it  is possible that there is not a secure link to an image, widget, fonts or other object on the page. You may need to remove objects one by one to test to see which object is causing the problem. If you are tech savvy, you can use the ‘Inspect Element’ of Safari’s Developer menu to locate the problem (or your browser’s equivalent of this tool.) If you have inserted any code directly in to the page (using the HTML Snippet widget) or in the Page or Site Settings using the Header/Footer Code sections, this may also be the cause of the problem. Try removing any code you may have inserted and test again.

Q. If I have more than one website can I use Site Shield Addon for all of these as well?

Yes, if you have more than one website under your EverWeb website domain, you can use the HTTPS Secure URLs checkbox in Site Publishing Settings for all of your websites.

If you have a question about EverWeb Site Shield Addon, please let us know in the Comments Section below.

EverWeb on Social Media

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw

On July 1, 2018 Google is set to release version 68 of its popular Chrome web browser. The new version of Chrome will mark all HTTP websites as ‘non secure’ in a move to make for a more secure Internet. This new security measure will affect all Chrome browser users. Websites using HTTPS are not affected as they are already secure through end to end data encrypted. In addition to Google’s new security measures in Chrome 68, the new version of the browser offers improved performance and other features not available for HTTP only websites.

EverWeb Standalone (Software Only) Accounts

EverWeb on Social Media

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

The PayPal widget is perhaps one of EverWeb’s most feature rich widgets. As you may know, PayPal has over 203 million active user accounts and over 16 million merchant accounts active in 200+ markets worldwide. PayPal can be used even if you do not have a PayPal account as it accepts popular credit and debit cards from sources such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

EverWeb’s PayPal widget is ideal for facilitating e-commerce on your website without having to use code. Once you have signed up for a PayPal business account and have been authorised to use its e-commerce system, you can do many PayPal tasks within EverWeb just by using the PayPal widget.

The New PayPal Widget Donate Button

The latest update to the PayPal widget came with EverWeb version 2.6 when it gained updated button styles for the ‘Add to Cart’, ‘Buy Now’ and ‘View Shopping Cart’ icons. EverWeb also added in PayPal’s Donate button so that it is easy for you to help visitors give money to worthy causes.

The Donate button works in the same way as the Buy Now button in that it sends the donation funds to your PayPal account. Also be aware the usual fees for Credit Card transactions apply, although you can apply for discounted rates if you are a registered charity. Check out your local PayPal site for more information about how PayPal transaction fees apply in your country and for localized information relating to PayPal and registered charities and non-profit organisations.

Using the New Donate Button

The new Donate button works in the same way as the Buy Now button. To use the Donate button:

1. Add the PayPal widget to your page and move it to where you want it located on the page.
2. In the PayPal Widget Settings, enter the email address that corresponds to your PayPal account. You can set up different email addresses linked to your Merchant ID so e.g. you can set up an email address for donations. In this way, any donation transactions will be notified to the donations email address.To add an email address to your PayPal account, log in to your PayPal account and click on the Profile settings cog. Add a new email address to your PayPal account by clicking ‘Update’ in the Email section of the screen and completing the required fields. Once set up you can use this email address in the Email Address field of the PayPal widget.
3. Next set the Button Type to ‘Donate’. You can select the Button Sub Type as either ‘Product’ or ‘Service’.
4. In the Item Name field enter a name that reflects that this is a donation.
5. The following field, ‘Item ID’ is a key field that you must fill in. If you do not, then transaction will not work at all. It does not matter what kind of Item ID you use here but the field must be completed e.g. you could simply use the word ‘DONATION’.
6. As this is a donation, the Price field can be left blank if you want the donator to enter in their own amount when they click on the Donate button. You can also enter in a set amount in the field if you want.
7. Complete the currency that the donation is to be made in and also complete the ‘Country’ field appropriately.
8. As the donation will be made online, you do not have to complete any shipping information.
9. You may need to check with your local tax authorities to see if donations are liable to tax or not. Complete the ‘Tax Rate (%)’ as required.
10. It is recommended to select ‘Open shopping cart in new tab’ so that a new window is opened for the transaction.
11. Leave the ‘Show quantity field’ unchecked as the user will likely be making only one donation.
12. Use the Add button in Product Options/Prices to create set different levels of donation amounts. If you want donators to enter in their own amount, or you want just one set amount donation, do not add any Product Options/Prices. As in Step 6 above, in these instances leave the Price field blank (for donators to enter their own amount) or add an amount in the Price field for a set amount donation.
13. For the name of the Product Option you may want to include the currency symbol of the donation currency e.g. $15.00, €15,00, ¥100 etc. Also remember when filling in the donation amount in the prices part of the field to use the decimal period (full stop) or decimal comma as appropriate. If you use the wrong separator the transaction will fail.
14. In the Product Options section of the widgets add an ‘Option Label’ if required if you have added any Product Options/Prices.
15. If you want to use your own custom button instead of the default PayPal Donate button, use the new Custom Button section of the widget. EverWeb’s Stock Photos feature has many free ‘Donate’ buttons available to use. Check ‘Use Custom Button Image’ to activate the options. Select your own Custom Image using the ‘Choose…’ button. Optionally you can change the size of the button using the Height and Width options.
16. To complete your donation button, add a ‘Thank You page’ and a ‘Cancelled Page’ to your site.
17. When you have added these pages to your site, link each page to the Thank You Page and Cancelled Page dropdown menus in the Additional Options section of the PayPal widget. If the transaction is successful, when returning from PayPal, the Thank You page will be displayed. If  unsuccessful, the Cancelled Page is shown instead.
18. To return successfully from PayPal back to your website, remember to set up the ‘return’ mechanism in PayPal. In your PayPal account, go to your Profile and select ‘Profile and Settings’. Select ‘My Selling Tools’ from the list on the left side of the screen. In the ‘Selling Online’ options, set ‘Website Preferences’ to ‘Return customers to my website after they’ve payed with PayPal’.

Your widget is now set up. Remember to test your page and Donate button to make sure that the PayPal transaction completes successfully and that the return to your website pages also work correctly.

EverWeb on Social Media

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

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

Since the release of the Contact Form Advanced widget in EverWeb version 2.0, the widget has consistently added new features and functionality. In EverWeb version 2.7 we have added additional features based on feedback from the EverWeb community.

New Header and Description Controls

The Contact Form Advanced widget now gives you the ability to add sections to your form, using three new control types: Header 1, Header 2 and Description.

Header controls are ideal for adding titles and subtitles to your form, enabling you to easily create sections. For example, you may want to use the Header 1 control as the form title and use multiple Header 2 controls as section headings in the form.

The Description control can be used to add descriptive text to the form e.g. what the purpose of the form is, when the form needs to be completed by, what the special competition prize is and so on.

The New Control Instructions/Tip Field

The new Control Instructions/Tip section of the widget allows you to enter in instructions relating to the control that is currently selected in the Form Controls list. For example, you may have a Checkbox control in your form, so your ‘Instructions’ may be to inform the person filling in the field that they can check more than one box if they want.

Using the New Controls

The new Form Controls work in the same way as the other Contact Form controls. Use the Add button in the Form Control section of the widget to add a new control.

The form control label will be the text used for the Header or Description in the form. As headings or descriptions can be long, it is advisable to set Edit-> Spelling-> Show Spelling  on to capture any spelling mistakes if you are typing directly in to the Control.

Form Control Font and Styling Options

The new Fonts and Styles section of the widget allows you to change the font and style of the three new controls and also for the Control Instruction/Tip field.

Click on the Fonts button to the right of the Control you want to style. The Fonts Panel will appear so you can apply the styling choices you want. This can include the font style, font weight, color and font size. The Contact Form will update automatically as you make your styling changes.

Remember that if you have more than one Form Control of the same Control Type in your form (e.g. Header 2) any styling changes you make to the Control Type will be applied to all Form Controls using that particular Control Type.

More Options for the Submit Button

The Submit button can now be left aligned, right aligned or centered within the Contact Form.

You can now also use your own button images by checking the ‘Use Custom Image Button’ checkbox. Once this box is checked, you can add your own custom images as the Submit button for normal, mouse over and mouse down states. The width and height of the custom image can be adjusted using the new Width and Height fields.

Video Walkthrough

We also have a YouTube video of the New Features of EverWeb’s Contact Form Advanced Widget to enjoy.

EverWeb on Social Media

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

Facebook

Google+

Flipboard

YouTube

Twitter handle @ragesw