SocialGO Owners

Dear Network Owners,

We recently launched the much anticipated 'Layout Manager'; an advanced system that gives you, our network owners, a vast degree of control over your network's pages. The system is brand new, and, as such, requires feedback as to what you feel you need from it. We appreciate any and all feedback on the system - and we certainly appreciate your interest!

The Layout Manager has been designed to allow maximum flexibility with the minimum amount of fuss and confusion. This is a very fine line to walk, and certain design decisions have been made to make the network lives of our owners easier to manage.

Here is a list of the most commonly asked questions regarding the Zones and Widgets:


Why am I not able to resize the zones on the default pages?

The SocialGO display pages have been created with a specific purpose in mind; this and the fact that some specific HTML does not scale well unfortunately limits the zone re-size capability on our default pages. Enabling re-sizing on all pages would mean that certain widgets would not display correctly, and you, the network owner, would need a way to modify the html for your specific requirements. This is one of the items we are looking for feedback on.

Why can't I move Widget X into Zone Y?

Due to the nature of HTML, certain widgets will not display correctly when placed in a zone that is a) too small or b) too large for its specific display requirements. That being said, all widgets can be re-ordered within the zone that they are in as well as be disabled, so, if you dont like it where it is, you are able to disable it or change its position in the list.

After those 2 limitations, the Layout manager gives you vast control over your custom pages and, with the following powerful tools, provides you with a new horizon of customisation:


Custom HTML Text-Boxes

The Custom HTML text-boxes allow you to add all kinds of html & 3rd party media almost anywhere on your site.

The feature allows you to copy and paste valid html of your own creation or from 3rd parties and use it within your network. Everything from video embedding, javascript, images, mp3 players, scrollers, tickers to Google Gadgets can be placed here.

Limitations: 7 per page. Due to the high security and page load time-risk, and the fact that the more Javascript you add to a page the slower it will load, you are currently only able to place 7 Custom HTML Text-Boxes.

Required Tech Level: Basic-Advanced. This widget is incredibly powerful and as such will allow you to be as advanced as you like; however, if you're a more basic user you can simply use it to paste in videos, music, or even custom announcements, tips, and advice.

Security risk: Low-High. This depends on what you paste into the widget, as some javascript is malicious by nature and could cause problems for you and your users.


iFrames

The iFrame Widget allows you to link in an entire 3rd party website (that allows iFrame linkage) which can then be navigated from within your network.

The website that you select to load in the iframe will load in its entirety; after your main network page has loaded, bear in mind that it will also load in the 3rd party website's javascript.

Limitations: One per page. Overuse of 3rd party sites and the nature of iFrames may cause your page to load more slowly; therefore, only one is allowed per page.

Required Tech Level: Moderate. Selecting the right website to embed in your site can be a challenge; if you don't need to, then you probably shouldn't overuse this widget.

Security risk: Moderate. This depends on the 3rd party site that you link to. We advise that you ONLY link to sites that you have direct control over or are on face-to-face speaking terms with the owner.


RSS Feed Widget

The RSS Feed Widget allows you load in a 3rd party RSS feed and display it in almost any zone; you can even customise the HTML used to display the items in the list.

Requires a valid RSS feed URL.

Limitations: 2 Per Page. As the lists can be quite long (depending on how many items you choose to display) only 2 are allowed per page.

Required Tech Level: Low. Simply enter a valid RSS feed URL and select the number of items you want to show. More advanced users can modify the default html used to display each list item, thus giving you an unprecedented degree of control over your lists

Security risk: Low.

Static SocialGO.com widgets

Some of the default widgets can be customised - you can tell this by clicking on a widget; if the "Edit Widget" button becomes available, you will be able to modify some aspect of that widget's properties.


Coming Soon: The Widget Store

We are currently hard at work developing the SocialGO.com Widget Store - this is very tightly integrated with your site, and, as such, provides developers with the power and flexibility to create the features that are most often requested.

Such tight integration with your site means that developers can seamlessly build extensions, addons, and even full-on applications that integrate so tightly with SocialGO.com that they appear to be (and in fact are) part of your network and not merely appended on.

This is a tough requirement and requires much testing and design. We're proud to say that SocialGO.com and the team at WidgetLaboratory are developing an initial batch of widgets to get you started, with many more widgets to follow as they pass testing and integration requirements.

The updates are plentiful in this week's release - we're thrilled to announce network owners and users will see a noticeable to great improvement in a number of areas:

• Ical Export has been fixed in the Events section.
• A text limit has been implemented in text fields to avoid your entered text from being truncated.
• The Birthday widget will now display the current day's birthdays as well.
• You can now view all of a group's events no matter how long the list.
• Your network will now resolve at / without redirecting to your custom homepage - this means you can authenticate Google Webmaster Tools, and it also helps with CEO.
• The Message All Members function has been increased to one message per day.
• Custom CSS (head code) has been extended to the quick-help page so your styles will apply there.
• Numerous Layout Manager issues have been fixed.

Next week's updates are set to include:

• The ability to disable all stylesheets on your network - this applies to both the structure and colors.
• The ability to move the sidebar from the left hand side to the right hand side.
• An updated news section.

We offer our gratitude to all our users whose feedback has been invaluable to the improvement of the SocialGO Network. If you notice any discrepancies or have a suggestion on how to improve upon something, please email us at support@socialgo.com, and we’ll investigate the issue as soon as possible.

The improvements will continue to grow with each new deploy. Stay tuned for The Widget Store - your one-stop shop for all the widgets you may need to amplify, enhance, and personalize your network - coming to you in the near future!

SocialGO Launches Layout Manager

SocialGO would like to announce the launch of the 'Layout Manager', giving anyone and everyone developer-like customization opportunities without writing a single line of code!

 
 

SocialGO.com has now launched it's eagerly awaited 'Layout Manager'. This powerful new feature combines infinite customization possibilities with drag and drop simplicity. It also eliminates the need for any special programming skills, allowing virtually anyone to build an advanced and unique social network with no prior experience. 

SocialGO founder Alex Halliday said, “Social Networking has become a part of most people’s daily lives. This has created an ever-increasing interest in hosted solutions by groups who wish to operate their own dedicated network, rather than being part of one of the larger general networks.

Since every niche wants a unique look and feel, features and rules, our Layout Manager allows for infinite customization, without the need to hire an expensive developer or designer. This is a tremendous advantage over other hosted solutions, most of which simply provide a ‘one look fits all’ template, rather than delivering power and control into the hands of the network creator.”

How Layout Manager Works

The Layout Manager (see below) using simple "point & click" allows you to break every page in your site down into nine distinct "Zones" that can be moved, deleted, modified or added to. Each Zone can be broken down into one column, two column or three column and you can vary the width of each column. 

Each Zone can be broken down into one column, two column or three column and you can vary the width of each column.

Within each Zone, you can drag and drop various modules, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, I-Frame, Feature Elements, and 3rd Party Widgets.

Layout Manager allows you to create an unlimited number of additional custom pages within your SocialGO network site, plus unlimited sub-pages. Each of these pages can be set to varying degrees of visibility between the public, logged-in members, paid subscribers, or moderators. And finally every page and sub-page can be renamed and re-ordered as you wish.

 

Layout Manager is available on SocialGO Premium and Concierge Plans. 
You'll find the Layout Manager in your Admin Centre at http://my.socialgo.com by simply clicking on the 'Layout Manager' block. 

If you are on the SocialGO FREE or Starter Packages and would like to use the Layout Manager, simply go to your admin Centre at http://my.socialgo.com and click the 'Change My Plan' option, from where you'll be able to upgrade to the Premium Plan from just $24.99 per month.

SocialGo Websites – What is SEO?



Natural Search accounts for over 60% of search traffic

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results.


SocialGo Websites – Research

Keyword Research
Target the right terms for your country’s market:
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
Other publicly available tools for keyword stats include “Keyword Discovery” and “Wordtracker”.

Analyse Competitors
There is ALWAYS a reason sites are ranked where they are -
find out what they are going for (terminology on site, references off of the site).


SocialGo Websites – Site configuration

Domain Name
Premium Users can benefit from their own domain.
Can choose a keyword relevant domain name.
“Link strength” is all yours, site can be submitted to more directories, etc.

Site Configuration
Control Panels allow users to name navigation tabs and customise various aspects of the page.
Use free tools such as Google Webmasters and Google Analytics.
SocialGo sites are built with indexation in mind (CSS usage)
URL optimisation (discussed later).

SocialGo Websites – On Site Optimisation





SocialGo Websites – Content Optimisation

The right level of content
Not just about using the right keywords, but not overdoing it.
General theme to your site (and towards your site).

Navigation and Integration
Tabs of your site (make each page unique, add custom tabbed content related to your theme).
Connecting discussions and blogs, linking within your own site.
Making some or all content public (more visitors can result in other ways of generating income, such as adsense or “members only” content).

SocialGo is currently working on making your websites more customisable and “SEO friendly” – along with additional opportunities to be more visible online, via channels such as a user site directory.

But its not just about optimising content on your own site


SocialGo Websites – Link Building

Key component in Search Algorithms
Part of the “pagerank” theory, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank
Quality of links, not just quantity.
Relevance of links to your site (similar sector, anchor text, etc.).
Can be maximised for users who have their own domain name.

Types of Link Building
Directories (Dmoz, Botw, Yahoo . . . And a wide range of others).
Blog directories such as Blogcatalog.
Write content outside the site (Press releases, Articles that mention your site).
Network with other sites in your niche, be active on blogs and forums in your sector.
Find out who links to your competitors, look for trigger sites that can index your domain, too.


SocialGo Websites – Integration

Share content with your friends
Integrate with Social Networking (StumbleUpon, Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc.).
Connect from your old sites (if available).
Working on maintaining forwarding when URL’s are updated.

Folder and page structure amends (e.g: URLs such as members/profile/1/blog-view/blog_101.htm – are not ideal for SEO, but we are working on ways to make user sites more SEO friendly by default, while maintaining server efficiency).

Already underway to some extent
“Magazine” URL’s are keyword related based on article name (still tweaking scripts such as advanced character replacement though).
Title tags on Groups start with individual group section first (example)
Looking at setting your root page to a domain default, alowing forums to have unique title parameters carried over, AND many other tweaks to come!


SocialGo Websites – Ongoing SEO

Long Term Strategy
Algorithms constantly evolve.
Other sites enter the ring.
A preference for sites that consistently add content and link strength (new sites may initially struggle).

Our Approach
We are continuously looking at ways of optimising our website for users.
Our own site has started to become more visible for target keyterms.
We also analyse returns in PPC, as both campaigns can compliment each other.

If you want to improve the volume and quality of traffic to your site via search engines, then join Will, Alex, and special guest Niall this Thursday, April 23 at 6 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. EST, 11:00 a.m. PDT) to learn how.

Niall, an expert in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), will join us live from New York to exclusively give SocialGO owners invaluable advice and instruction on how to optimize website traffic through search engines and various other avenues. Feel free to ask any questions relevant to the topic during the Q&A portion of the workshop.

To register for upcoming workshops, please click this link and submit your details. If you're interested in participating in this workshop, please email workshops@socialgo.com to reserve a spot.

As always, we look forward to seeing you there!

Due to the recent launch of the Layout Manager and, subsequently, the many queries that have resulted from this, we have changed tomorrow's (Wednesday, April 15) workshop theme to 'Introduction to The Layout Manager'. The time of the workshop has been changed to 4:30 p.m. GMT (11:30 a.m. EST, 8:30 a.m. PDT). Join Will & Alex for a comprehensive introductory workshop which will cover everything you may need to know about the Layout Manager, from launching it to maximizing its creative benefits for your network. The previously scheduled workshops will remain but with their dates pushed back to the following weeks.

Don't forget to visit this link to sign up for information on future workshops, and please email workshops@socialgo.com should you be interested in attending this one.

We hope to see you there!

Okay, so the Easter present we slipped into your admin centre when you weren't watching was the Layout Manager and wow have we had some feedback from everyone playing with their new toy in the last 24 hours.  Thanks for all the compliments, suggestions and odd bug report.  Keep it coming!

There are a few known bugs that we are working on and they will be fixed soon. If their is anything you discover thats needs to be looked at, tell us right away on support@socialgo.com.

Now with great freedom comes great responsibility.  You can now do some super crazy things with your networks , but you can also get yourself into a pickle if you're not careful.  If you do, don't worry as help is not far away. Spence (a.k.a. the Evil Genius) over at Widget Laboratory is particularly expert at getting owners out of these pickles (the Lab worked very closely with us througout the Layout Manager development and knows it back to front).  So drop Spence a message if you need de-pickling on help@widgetlaboratory.com.  

We have also created a new topic in the forum for the Layout Manager, which should build into a great repository of ideas and advice.  Also, there is a Layout Manager section in this blog where you can watch videos and read tutorials.

Enjoy
Stivi

Courtesy of the EvilGenius over at WidgetLaboratory, we present you with a comprehensive video explaining the functionality of the new Admin Toolbar. In the video, Spence will illustrate its ease of use and how to stylize the toolbar to blend nicely with your page.

It's going to be a busy holiday weekend here at SocialGO and the WidgetLaboratory, and we appreciate the time you will take to try out this feature - feel free to provide us with your valued feedback!

Have a safe holiday, everyone, and here's to the success of your networks and future launches!

Note - To change the color of Background, Underline, and Text of your Admin Toolbar, use the following (change colors to suit your taste):

ul#admin-bar-navigation {
background-color:#FFFFFF !important;
border-bottom:2px solid #222222 !important;
}
ul#admin-bar-navigation li a {
color:#222222 !important;
}

Today's release includes a new tool for admin's only. The "Admin Toolbar" shows when you are logged into a network that you own, your users do not see it...ever!.

At the moment it only includes links to your admin center but we are looking to use it as a way to give people more control over their networks.

We will shortly be adding an option to hide it and additional functionality as well to keep you better informed.



The easter bunny has come early - today's release also includes a much anticipated feature which you will find in the admin system. Full blog post on this coming Tuesday.... Please report any issues you find with it to support@socialgo.com. The WidgetLaboratory guys will be around this weekend as well to help you as well at www.widgetlaboratory.com

More details coming soon.......

Last night, Charles Delamain, the SocialGO/Bright Things COO was killed in a traffic accident. He was a valued member of the team, a dear friend and a devoted family man and his contribution will be sorely missed. 

The entire SocialGO team send our deep condolences to his family and friends. 

Dominic Wheatley, CEO commented: ‘Charles was a dear friend whom I had known since we were at school. He loved life and lived it to the full. Charles was courageous, loyal and gifted. He excelled at so many things – as a soldier, husband, father, businessman and friend to so many. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and our thoughts and prayers go to his family. ‘

Rest in peace.