What's the best way forward??

[KatrinaD]

I'm trying to sort out the design of my home page but it's clearly not going as I planned . I'd really like some advice as to how I should go about setting it up.

Currently, my home page is a brochure page. Within that, I'm trying to 'visually' split it up into 3 areas:

area 1 to be a short write up about the site's products;
area 2 to display a flash movie;
area 3 to displays some of the main products.

By using a brochure page, I can only add fragments and not sections or sub-sections. This causes a problem as I can't split the information into the 3 areas mentioned above.

My question is (finally) how can I achieve the above? I've tried deleting the brochure page but then I just get the products/sections which don't help me achieve the above!!!

What do I do? Please help!!!!

Thanks in advance

[TraceyG]

Hi Katrina,

You have two options when designing a home page. One is to design the page outside of Actinic using another package such as Dreamweaver. Then you can set it up as you like it. Our Advanced User Guide will give you details of how to create the links to take a customer directly to a product.

Alternatively, as you have seen, you can use fragments to create areas on the home page within Actinic. So you could have one fragment for your 'short write up about the site's products', one fragment 'to display a flash movie' and then other fragments that link to products/sections in the site (using the Link tab). Or, you can use the 'Best Sellers' feature to display your best selling products on the home page (Marketing | Best Sellers).

I guess the question is how you want these areas to be laid out on your home page. I don't think I can help any further until I know exactly what you want to achieve.

[KatrinaD]

Tracey

Thanks for getting back. I'd like to split the screen into three parts - I guess the layout could best be described like half the shape of a singles tennis court. In one box I'd like a flash movie, in the second box a write-up of our products and the third box to display some selected products.

Can I achieve this using fragments?

Thanks for you help.

[TraceyG]

Hi Katrina,

Is it something like my mockup image (attached) that you would like?

[jont]

I would be inclined to use 1 text only fragment. The order depending on if you are serving or receiving on the court

The fragment needs to be split vertically into 2 with text and a flash movie .... simply float the flash movie using CSS and the text will flow to the side.

The products can then be laid out as Tracey suggests using the homepage Best Sellers / New Arrivals layouts etc

There is a section in the AUG about fragments and spanning layouts etc which may be of use.

[KatrinaD]

Thanks jont. I'll have a read up of it and give it a go....watch this space!!!!!

[KatrinaD]

Hi Katrina,

Is it something like my mockup image (attached) that you would like?

Tracey

That's a funny looking tennis court!!!! Not quite what I had in mind. I'll have a little dig around in the AUG and report back if I get stuck. Thanks for taking the time for looking into this problem.

[jont]

Will not be able to watch Wimbledon in the same way every again now

[TraceyG]

Hi Katrina,

That's a funny looking tennis court!!!!

Sorry, I don't play or watch tennis, so I'm obviously thinking of the wrong thing.