This document is designed to assist website owners in getting to know the basics of a SmartSpace website and helping them develop it into an even better website.
Many people think of the publication of a website as the end of a sometimes long process. However, I tend to think of it as just the end of the beginning of your website's development.
If you adopt this mindset when owning a website, your website will be better in a few months time than it is now.
The SmartSpace Concept
Smartspace is a website platform used by graphic designers to produce powerful, but individual websites. A Smartspace website subscription provides the following:
- Hosting of your website,
- Tools to be able to manage and develop the website,
- Systems to be able to grow your business using the website,
- Email facilities to adequately cover normal business needs,
- Top quality support to ensure that you get the most out of your website.
(Please note that graphic elements of your website are normally the responsibility of your graphic designer.)
Using Your Site
To manage your website, you need to be logged in on your website.
- Navigate to your website or a bookmarked administration page.
- Click on the "Log In" link in the small SmartSpace tab at the top of the page and process your login details (if the login form does not appear on the page).
- When you are logged in, the "Manage" link will also appear next to the login link if you click the "S" tab again.
- If you login on the SmartSpacehq website you will need to click Log Out > My Connections to navigate to your site.
- Please note that your login details are universal for Smartspace, so that they will apply to any Smartspace website.
- They will provide the appropriate access depending on the website your are visiting
General Navagation Principles
There are four Interfaces for website management:
- Control Panel;
- Controls settings, e-Store, Products, Communications & Bookings,
- Content Manager;
- Controls written content and images and website framework.,
- This page always opens in a new tab or window
- Database Manager;
- Controls people including Memberships, Groups & general customer database,
- Global Site Details;
- Records Domain & email access and other site information.
In each interface there is;
- Left Menu;
- A left menu with headings of the items available on that page in a clickable grey bar (action bar).
- Click the action bar to expose a submenu of the available links under that item. (Open bar turns green.)
- All of these menus may be open or closed at any one time.
- Page Body;
- Quick Link TABs to important links for that Interface,
- The body of the page contains the selected elements (via the left menu or the top TABs),
- These pages use a grey bar system similar to the menu items - Click the grey bar to open that section.
- Help Tab
- Click the help tab to view relevant help documents for that area
- Please note that at present some pages do not have relevent help pages listed
Each interface will contain one of three styles of operation;
- Categories containing listings linked to an Action Menu;
- Open a category, click a listing to activate the Action Menu,
- e.g. Content, Images & Groups.
- Categories containing listings linked to Elements;
- Click on the link to show all the sub elements of an Element,
- Click on the sub element bar to manage that sub element,
- e.g. Products, Membership.
- Lists of settings;
- Click on the Settings bar to manage that setting.
Control Panel
Website Control, Status and Configuration
Please note, that if you navigate using TABS, the matching Left Menu section iwll open as well
Many basic elements of your website are managed in the Control Panel.
To get to the Control Panel go to Manage > Control Panel.
Under the Settings TAB (exposes Access Menu) find access to:
- Trader Details;
- The settings here are used for a range of basic website services,
- Naming of the website (not Domain),
- Business Name and contact details,
- Postal or street address,
- If a map is being used, a mailing address can be overridden by entering a street address in the Maps area of General Trader Settings.
- Contact email address for Contact Form.
- General Trader Settings;
- This is the main configuration form for the website. Some important settings are;
- Payment Settings;
- If you want to receive money or record payments through the website, these settings must be completed. Read more here.
- Product Settings:
- Communication Settings;
- If you want to send bulk emails, these settings must be completed. Read more here.
- Custom Contact Form - create and manage you custom forms
- Manage/PayLicense Fees;
- This gives the current status of your website account
- You can make subscription payments from here.
- You can upgrade your subscription from here
The Prices TAB (exposes Products/Prices menu) links to:
- Payment Settings (see above);
- Prices and Price Codes,
- If any of your website services have prices, you need to set up your price codes in this area,
- Prices need to be managed on a time basis, so ensure your prices are always current.
- Product lisitngs and details (if you have the e-store module)
- Add manage products and product categories
- Add and manage Brands
The Staff TAB links to the Staff Manager:
- If you don't have the Staff Module, access Staff functions via the Access Menu > Manage Staff/Access.
- The Staff Manager is the tool by which you grant backend access to your website to authorised individuals.
- Add staff members;
- Current customers or those in your database,
- Add new individuals and record as staff,
- Edit existing staff members.
The Communications TAB (Exposes Communications menu) section provides links to;
- Bulk email submission form,
- Check the status of previously sent emails,
- Export lists of individuals for other purposes.
- Create and manage Custom Contact Forms
Help Files
Help files can be found on all backend pages of the website. The complete list of help files can be accessed from the help link in the SmartSpace bar at the top of the page.
The Help Tab link on all backend pages should expose all relevant help files and videos related to the topic that you are viewing.
Content Manager
Create and Manage Content - Signified by the Red Content Manager bar above the left menu.
To get to the Content Manager, click, Manage > Content Manager. (Please note, only available to those subscribed to the Content Module.)
In the Content Manager you can:
- Manage your website content;
- Edit current content,
- Create new content pages,
- Create and manage content categories,
- Configure user created content categories to determine how content in those categories will appear,
- Manage image albums,
- Upload images and files,
- Manage a wide range of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) elements.
- Manage Website Frameworks;
- Select which framework to use,
- Position your content within that framework,
- Create, manage and configure your main menu,
- Add standard images to various parts of your website,
- Manage extra features sometimes available to the website framework.
- Content Configuration;
- Set content preferences (which determines, to some extent, how your site will appear to visitors),
- Manage Gallery settings.
Please note that the Content Manager always opens in a new Browser Tab, or Window, depending on how you have your browser set up. That is, your current Tab or Window does not change, you may have to switch to the new Tab or Window which is now showing the Content Manager.
Here are some important help files related to this subject;
SEO and Your Website
Creating and Managing Content
Managing Frameworks
Database Manager
Manage and Communicate with Customers/Clients/Members
To get to the Database Manager, go to Manage > Database Manager
The Database Manager has an Individual View and a Global View;
Individual View;
- Add Client/Member details,
- Allow Client/Member to add their own details online,
- View current memberships or Groups for that Client/Member,
- Add a new Client/Member.
Global View;
- View a list of Memberships and/or Groups available,
- Add new Group Categories & Group Division Lists
- Set Client/Member preferences with respect to their business relationship with you,
- Communicate with those Clients/Members on an individualised basis,
Global Reports;
- Get filtered reports from the database,
- Save custom reports.
System Selections;
- Configure the Database Settings,
- Create custom lists,
- Create custom surveys to gather information,
- Upload images.
Please note that you can configure the Database Manager to open in a number of ways. Check the help file in the Systems Selections Tab for more information.
If other modules are selected, a range of other services are available in the Database Manager.
Here are some important help files on this subject;
Configure Database Manager
Register a New Customer
Manage Reports
Using Bulk Email
Global Site Details
Keep Track of Passwords and Other Related Information
You can view and manage details of website and email access in the Global Site Details area.
Get there by going to Manage > Global Site Details.
Both SmartSpace staff and all your staff who have website access of 5 (including the website manager) have access to this area. Either you or your graphic designer will have provided the initial data which was input into this area.
It contains information that you should be aware of:
- Your initial preferences for Domain Name System (DNS) settings.
- Access details for your Domain Name and registrar.
- Email address details including all logins.
- Other access details specific to your website.
Note: All these details are purely text files. They do not connect in any way with actual settings saved in other parts of the SmartSpace system.
If you change access details to your domain name or email address, please also record these changes in the Global Site Details record for future reference.
This is a secure encrypted area. Third parties should not be able to easily see data that is downloaded from these pages.
