Navigation Bar

[PaulI]

Hi Peeps

I'm very new to Actinic so sorry to ask what you may consider to be pretty basic questions.
I've built a couple of websites already so am familiar with HTML and am trying to get my head around the beast called 'Actinic' and build a one off site for my company.
I've been trying to modify the Navigation Bar, but in the end have decided to replace it and hard code hyper-links to Brochure Pages & home page. I've also removed the 'Yahoo Script' (smart design) that appears in the 'top section list in a box' once again hard coding to Section Pages using custom side boxes. The site map seems to be listing all the pages OK. I understand that Brochure Pages are not indexed on the Site Map so can only assume that they will be missed by the spiders.
I've posted on the trial sever at:

http://trials.actinic.com/trials/trial49706/

If I could just get a heads up from the Pro's out there regarding my hyper-linking. It's just that I come over all tentative when removing blocks of Actinic code, I think, it must be there for a reason.......

Also, will the spiders follow my custom links to the brochure pages?
As 'content is king' I cannot quite understand why brochure pages are not indexed as standard.

Many thanks to the forum contributors, especially the big players, as I have picked up lots of useful advice since starting this one off project......I must be mad!
Actinic V8/V9 is an awesome and sometimes frustrating piece of software that I would wholeheartedly recommend......yep I have finally flipped!

Go easy & thanks in advance,

Paul I

[jont]

Welcome to the forum Paul.

Brochure pages can get added to the site map - these is a thread on here about it and think it is in the Advanced User Guide (download from the main Actinic website). They will still be index but as you know the spiders like links to them so adding to the site map or link from the main outer layout will help things along.

Direct hard code linking to sections etc is fine. So long as you don't break the link everything will work. The only downside is the manual maintenance should you add more sections and pages at a later date - otherwise if the HTML is fine then you will be OK and may marginally benefit in terms of SEO

[PaulI]

Hi Jonty

Thanks for the welcome and quick reply.
I understand what you mean regarding more maintenance, however
am I correct in understanding that the hard links in the Nav Bar or Side Boxes will automatically be included in any new sections/pages as they are situated in the 'outer design' which remains constant?

[jont]

Yes - the pages are all built up around various templates with the main navigation usually sitting in the outer layout - each new page or section you add will base itself on the default outer layout including your hard coded links.

As a tip it is often worth changing the brochure pages to use the product page outer layout - this saves on future maintenance. In the library find the section for "web page outer layout" and double click on the "brochurelayout" .. the one with a pink "c" next to it.,.. in the values tab ensure your product page "works best with" is in the right hand column.

Then apply this under Design | Themes | Advanced config | page layouts .. set the brochure page layout to the same as the product layouts (the one not appended with "brochure").. to overcome a bug go into Settings | Site Options | Layout and find the "brochure" sub-group ... from the drop down select the same layout again (it may show correctly but we need to refresh the blighter) and then apply and OK out.

You then have the same outer layout for the products as well as the brochure pages.

[PaulI]

Will do Jonty, thanks again.