Long Time No Blog

Hello Everyone,

I apologise for the length of time that has passed since my last blog. 

Google Sites Directory

Get your google site added to the unofficial Google Sites Directory. Together we can make this the biggest directory of Google Sites in the universe! Benefits to you are people looking for google sites examples hit on your site which increases your visit and visitors. 

www.gsitesdirectory.com

Get Help With Your Google Site

Get help from google sites top contributors including me, just ask us a question in the sites forum or contact us directly.

http://www.siteshelp.co.uk

or 

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/sites

Inspiration

For inspiration check out a google website designers website here.

http://www.bekwud.com/

Media Player Problems (With Google Sites)

If you need a hand with your media player woes .... you need Mori!

Here is his site ... take a peek https://sites.google.com/site/mori79/html-gadgets/media-players

Post your working media player site pages to the comments of this post so we can see your working versions! :)

Beckystar x

Help! My Site Has Been Disabled!

Hello Everyone,

I know it is frustrating fro you ... take a breath ...

disabled google site

If you site has been disabled and you GENUINELY have not violated the terms, simply click on the appeak form and fill it out, it takes seconds.

However, what follows then does not take seconds, it can take a while for your site to be reenabled.

If you have violated the terms .... sorry .... but tough luck.

Here is more info about diabled sites from my fellow TC Phil
http://sitesguide.pjrprojects.co.uk/google-sites/about/sitesdisabledowneraccount

If you have had your google site disabled and it has not been reenabled contact me direct with your website / google site address.

Bye for now :)

Beckystar x

Map Your Google Site To Your Custom Domain Name

Hello everyone,

Congratulations on creating your google site! Now you are ready to mask it if you so choose to, to a domain name you have purchased. 

For example, you would like your sites.google.com/site/mygooglesite to appear when people visit www.mysite.com

You can find out how to do this through the google sites help centre documentation however these instructions are not as easy to follow as steegle.com 's comprehensive guide.

If you need help I can just do it for you! I can provide you with a service for a small fee, you add me as an owner to your site, I log into your site / apps and map it for you, when you are happy you then remove me as an owner. 

It is always easier to do it correctly the first time than try and unravel errors in mapping the site.

I am a google sites top contributor so you can rest assured you are in safe hands. Contact me becky@siteshelp.co.uk

Good luck people!

Loves x

Subscribe To Page Changes Or Site Changes Within Your Google Site

If you would like to subscribe to a page change click on MORE > Subscribe to page changes > You will then get a little pop up saying you will be notified of changes to this page.


If you would like to subscribe to site changes click on MORE > Subscribe to site changes > You will then get a little pop up saying you will be notified of changes to this site.

The notifications will be sent to the email address related to the google account which is logged into the site at the time.

I hope this helps you . . . if you get stuck here are some images to guide you!

Select MORE >

Click on SUBSCRIBE TO PAGE CHANGES >

See the little pop up message (peachy colour background) confirming you will be notified of the changes

Alternatively select SUBSCRIBE TO SITE CHANGES

See the little pop up message (peachy colour background) confirming you will be notified of the changes

Regards, Beckystar, Top Contributor of Google Sites

Get Metatag Page Descriptions for Google Sites Created in Apps

Happy Monday all!

Ok, do not fret you can get metatags in google sites created in Apps, however you may not see the page descriptions box when you click on more > page settings.

If this is the case then you need to log into your apps account and make a simple chanage.

Go to google.com/apps and log into your apps account in 'domin management' mode.

Click on domain settings, the click the radar button readinig Rapid release.

All you are doing is giving google the green light to add features rapidly as they shoot along.

Enjoy labelling all those pesky pages won't you ...

B x
www.siteshelp.co.uk

Google Sites Indulgence

For examples, ideas, inspiration or pure google sites indulgence here is a google sites directory.

Together we can make this the biggest google sites directory.

Add yours today.

Just fill out the form.

Please note that this directory is not affiliated with google and is not responsible for the content in any of the sites listed in the directory. If you are the owner of a site on the directory and you would like it to be removed please email office@webprincess.co.uk requesting to remove the site.

New Feature Alert! Upload multiple files

One you have all been waiting for ...

Now google sites allows you to upload multiple files and this is how you do it!

Navigate to your google site > navigate to the page where you want to upload the multiple files > do not press edit, just click on the add files button near the bottom of the page ....

Then hold down ctrl and click on all the files you would like to upload ....

Then release the ctrl key > click on "open" ....

And then you are done!

This is the result ....

Enjoy! B x

New Feature Alert! HTML Box Gadget

Howdy peeps,

Good news! You can now insert html using google sites new HTML, CSS, Java Script gadget.

Please bear in mind however that some scripts will not work, as I discovered this morning when I unsuccessfully added a twitter gadget (which is mainly js).... this apparently due to the code being tidied up by google's sweeping brush, however lets hope in time more complex code will be allowed ....

Even with this little hold back the tool is certainly handy and this is how you use it ....

Navigate to your chosen page > click on edit > where you would the html box to be > click on insert > select the html gadget from the list > add your chosen html and save

Screenshot of html gadget box containing code

Here is the result ...

Enjoy! B x

How to create a form for use in google sites

Contact forms are so important! And it is simple to integrate them with your google site.

Get that client engaging with you whilst they are on the page! Don't loose sales ...
Get a discussion going! Be interactive.
Get a guest book! Memories for a special occasion

1) Is use google docs - create a form and insert it on your page. All the responses are recorded in excel so it is easy to monitor data, get a notification when someone fills in the form by email and here is how to do it. Here is a form in action ....

2) Is use wufoo, my favourite .... here is one of their forms in action, and you auto get an email notification.

3) Is ...very cool, here is an example, it even publishes your responses in a pretty excellent way too ... and here is how to do it

Any problems just shout, you know where I am.

Enjoy!

B x

Reminder - Set up your Google Site for mobile phone viewing

Although this feature has been out for a while I thought I would remind you, if you have not yet done so to  "switch on" mobile viewing for your google site.

It's really easy to do.

Click on more actions > manage >general > scroll down until you see the "automatically adjust site to mobile phones" check box, tick the box by clicking on it > remember to save your changes

Now reach for your moby and take a peek how your site looks! I think sites with the horizontal navigation look best on a smart or android phone.

I have seen sites that look better as desktop mode, but it all depends on your site.....

Let me know how you get on.

B :)

A word about giving view permissions

When giving view permissions I have some advice for you before you go ahead.

Each user would need a google account.

They don't need a gmail email just a google account.

Therefore you could create a google account using your aol email for example.

Any easier option would be to consider making the site "only available to those with a link" instead.

Click on share > click on the drop down menu > select only those with the link.

Don't forget to save your changes.

B x

Delete is a dirty word!

I had an experience where i deleted a site which was mapped to a custom domain and really struggles to reuse the domain ... Silly Beckystar!

Anyway ... Now soft delete has been introduced it's not that bad. If you delete and change your mind you can restore the deleted site.

Tip! Don't delete make your site private instead > hit the 'share' button > change the site from public to private. This will at least be an archive and an ideal way to restore or use the content if require.

Ok, back to the original inspiration for this post ... How To Delete Your Site!

Hit the more action button > click on manage site > click on general in the side bar > scroll half way down, blink and you'll miss it ... Hot the delete button. You can recoverthr site up to 30 days after the delete but after 30 days the site will disappear into the ether forever and you will not be able to reuse the name either.

I hope this info's useful.

... while you're here why not add your website to the unofficial google sites directory? It's free and takes seconds!


B ;)

NEW! Unofficial google sites directory

Add Your Site - It's FREE!

Happy Tuesday!

I just put together a little treat for you ... an unofficial google sites directory! Check it out here!

It's easy to get your site added to the directory whilst you are they, it might even help you get some eyeballs on your site!

Add a facebook like button - it is easy!

Go on, go the whole hog and insert a facebook like button by generating one on this site - it is really easy!

TIP! you need to uncheck the send button

TIP! you need to add http:// to the beginning of your url

When you have generated the code click on iframe

Copy the code and insert it on your google site

Insert > more gadgets > search for iframe > paste the code in and customise the width and height. 

TIP! The width and height are written in the code so easy for you to find!

Let me know how you get on. see the like button working here

B x

Prolific Blogger

Just a note to let you know i'm not a prolific blogger, honest! I just transfered my posts from elsewhere hence why the dates are all clumped together!

See you again soon.

B x

SEO, Get your website found in google searches

1) Submit your sites and urls using webmaster tools. Just hit this -> Submit URLs to Google with Fetch as Googlebot
2) Submit a site map to webmaster tools. Just hit this -> Submit a sitemap It takes a short time, it's easy to do and will make a MASSIVE difference to your sites visibility.
3) redirect your naked domain name - check out Redirect Your Naked Domain Using wwwizer

Check out this SEO guide written just for google sites here:

SEO Guide by steegle

Get to webmaster tools here:

Webmaster Tools

Be warned however if you have a custom domain eg yoursite.com make sure you submit that to the index not your sites.google.com/site/yoursite url or your GS url might be riding higher than your custom domain!

There's no magic wand but with time and effort you'll get the visitors you need.

Google Analytics allows you to actually check your progress. Get it here:

Google Analytics

Adwords is a great way to advertising your website too. buy adwords here:

Adwords - Pay Per Click Advertising

Also keep your site's content kept fresh by getting an announcements page:

Like a blog, an announcement page display posts you create. you could use it as a news page, to record meeting notes and agendas, as an online journal or just to keep your site users wanting to come back for more .... I can't stress how important it is to post, just once a week .... To get hits why wouldn't you?

B x

Ps - Let me know how you get on.

Site name already in use

Hello,

There are a number of reasons, here is one.

You can not reuse the name of a previously deleted site ... Something you need to think about if you ever decided to delete a site.

However maybe it would be great to buy a www.domainname.com

You can then your google site with it.

Then it really doesn't matter what your google site url is.

Alternatively you could create a similar name.

Eg if your site name was ...
Sites.google.com/yoursitename

Create this name instead ...
Sites.google.com/yoursitename2012

Let me know how you get on?

B x

Edit the side bar

This is a good post for beginners.

To edit the side bar:

Ok. When looking at your website in edit mode you can simply click on edit side bar under the actual side bar! Simple as that.

Another way to edit the side bar is:

More > manage > site layout > you can edit the side bar from there.

Let me know how you get on.

B x

Suggestions...

Evening all,

If you have any items you would like me to cover in my blog let me know by commenting below ;))