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Unleash the Creative Potential of the Sidebar
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To be successful, a site should first be easy to navigate. The problem of form vs. function can be amicably resolved using a simple yet powerfully versatile element: the sidebar.
A sidebar includes buttons and/or text that appear on either side (generally the left) of the page. The purpose of the sidebar is to allow the user greater mobility and access to any particular section of your site at any given time. They are so widely used that it has almost become expected on every web page. In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a successful web site that doesn't have a sidebar of some kind. Do you know how to implement this important element within EZ-NetTools™? Let's look at some examples, and then let's see how we can create similar effects within the Tools.
An Example:
To get us started, let's examine the makeup of the sidebar on the left of this screen. It's a good looking addition to the site and is incredibly simple to implement. It consists of two different types of blocks in EZ-PageBuilder. The first button, "Headlines," is in a Button Bar block in PageBuilder.
This simple graphic was created in Ulead's PhotoImpact 5.0, although it could be made in any graphic editor capable of creating GIFs. The Web Master merely created the button, uploaded it using EZ-FileManager, and put it on the site using a ButtonBar block from within PageBuilder which was set to go in the side.
After that, the Web Master put in a Bulleted Text block with the "circle" bullet chosen and set it to go in the sidebar. From there, he just needed to fill in the text, insert the links and submit it. Then the process was repeated several times to achieve the effect. The beige background color can be selected in More Options. For more detailed information on how to use the sidebar, please see the article in the Tech Support Web Site.
Want other ideas? You are only limited by your own imagination and the level of expertise that you achieve with your particular graphic software. The combinations which EZ-NetTools™ will allow you are practically limitless. For example, within More Options, you can select how much space you wish to appear between each element in the sidebar, the background color of the sidebar, the sidebar's width, and whether it appears next to or below the header/footer from Global Information. Let's look at some examples.
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Example 1: LDSImports.com
This creative user designed his header to look as though it were part of the sidebar. It is set for 0 space between fields, under header, and next to footer. The "swoosh" at the bottom is just a last graphic set in the ButtonBar block with no link. As an added touch, the user created two buttons for each category: pulled out and pushed in. This gives visitors a clear idea of what department they are in.
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Example 2: TylerRunAutoSales.com
Alan, an EZ-NetTools™ reseller, took a slightly different approach. He used a ButtonBar block for the top and bottom images in his sidebar and used the ButtonBuilder block for the actual buttons. Again, by integrating the background color of the sidebar with the header, it gives his site a unique and comfortable look and feel. This time the sidebar is set for next to header and footer. Great work Alan!
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Example 3: MSNBC.com
This is a big budget website from one of the most progressive Internet news services - MSNBC. This page wasn't made in EZ-NetTools™, but it easily could have been! Let's examine it. For one, it is in a 600 pixel table width, just like the Tools. This ensures that it will be viewed properly under any screen resolution. And how about that fancy header/sidebar combination? Has this article given you enough information to be able to come up with something like that? We hope so! Good luck!
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For more instruction on implementing the sidebar in your site, please call Tech Support at (208)356-6887.
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