Goal: Custom Widget colors, text and rounded corners:

Solution: Add the following CSS to Child Theme stylesheet.

PageLines Essential Training Your First Section

More PageLines Framework 2.0 tutorials are available on their PageLines YouTube channel

Goal: Add a custom Sidebar to Home page’s “Content” (not Template) area so any Widget can be added.

WordPress framework: PageLines Framework 2.0.1

Solution: Copy one of the Sidebar sections and customize it to fit in the Content area of the Home page template. We’ll copy “Full Width Sidebar” [...]]]>

Goal: Add a custom Sidebar to Home page’s “Content” (not Template) area so any Widget can be added.

WordPress framework: PageLines Framework 2.0.1

Solution: Copy one of the Sidebar sections and customize it to fit in the Content area of the Home page template. We’ll copy “Full Width Sidebar” and turn it into a new Sidebar called “Home Page Knowledge Center Sidebar.”

Copy: wp-content/themes/pagelines/sections/sb_fullwidth

To: wp-content/themes/pagelines-template-theme/sections/

Open: wp-content/themes/pagelines-template-theme/sections/sb_fullwidth/sections.php

CHANGE:

<?php
/*
Section: Full Width Sidebar
Author: PageLines
Author URI: http://www.pagelines.com
Description: Shows full width widgetized sidebar.
Class Name: FullWidthSidebar
Edition: pro
Workswith: templates, footer, morefoot
*/

class FullWidthSidebar extends PageLinesSection {

function section_persistent() {
$setup = pagelines_standard_sidebar($this->name, $this->settings['description']);
register_sidebar($setup);

}

function section_template() {
pagelines_draw_sidebar($this->id, $this->name);
}

}

TO:

<?php
/*
Section: Home Page Knowledge Center Sidebar
Author: PageLines + Reid Walley modification http://designparc.com/
Author URI: http://www.pagelines.com
Description: Home page Knowledge Center sidebar.
Class Name: HomePageKnowledgeCenterSidebar
Edition: pro
Workswith: main
*/

class HomePageKnowledgeCenterSidebar extends PageLinesSection {

function section_persistent() {
$setup = pagelines_standard_sidebar($this->name, $this->settings['description']);
register_sidebar($setup);

}

function section_template() {
pagelines_draw_sidebar($this->id, $this->name);
}

}

Finally: Go to Site admin > PageLines > Store > Sections > Child tab and click Refresh Store.

New Sidebar called Home Page Knowledge Center Sidebar is now available in Site admin > Appearance > Widgets section.

Problem: I can’t change the color of the text in the navigation using CSS. It’s way too confusing, and the SuckerFish nav CSS seems to always override my custom CSS. And there’s no way to change the color of nav text in the admin. Ugh!

Note per the PageLines [...]]]>

Problem: I can’t change the color of the text in the navigation using CSS. It’s way too confusing, and the SuckerFish nav CSS seems to always override my custom CSS. And there’s no way to change the color of nav text in the admin. Ugh!

Note per the PageLines Forum: PageLines Framework 2.0′s Color Controls for navigation aren’t [in the admin] anymore. Custom CSS will be needed to change them.

Solution (Source: rangelone, PageLines moderator): The following code is not specific to your site and provided for informative purposes only, to provide an example of several different elements for the menu. Look through it and you’ll see how colors are changed. I’d also suggest you get Firebug for Firefox to help you find each element. The colors should be changed if you use any of this, to suit your needs.

/* NAV BACKGROUND AND BORDER UNDER NAV */
.navigation_wrap {
    border-bottom: 1px solid #bcbcbc !important;
    background-color: #e8ecef !important;
}

/* TO CHANGE THE COLOR OF THE NAV TEXT AND BACKGROUND (NO HOVER) */
.main-nav li a {
    background-color: #e8ecef !important;
    color: #3f95c7 !important;
}

/* TO CHANGE THE COLOR OF THE NAV TEXT AND BACKGROUND ON HOVER */
.main-nav li a:hover {
    background-color: #ffffff !important;
    color: #ff9c00 !important;
}

/* TO MAKE THE ACTIVE MENU APPEAR LIKE THE REST */
.main-nav .current-menu-item a, .main-nav .current-menu-item ul li a:hover {
    background-color: #ffffff !important;
    color: #ff9c00 !important;
}

.main-nav .current-menu-item ul li a {
    background-color: #e8ecef !important;
    color: #3f95c7 !important;
}

“The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to [...]]]>

Google cares about the quality of the links pointing “to” your site! On the other hand, Google’s not a big fan of excessive link exchanging (“Link to me and I’ll link to you”) methods.

“The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content… It is not only the number of links you have pointing to your site that matters, but also the quality and relevance of those links. Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice.”

(Source: Google Webmaster Tools: Link schemes*)

Real-world example: ReidWalley.com gets consistent organic ranking on Google’s first page for “life coach sacramento.” No link exchange or reciprocal link methods were ever used – just posting quality content and linking to (voting for) awesome sites.

Vote for what’s awesome: Good-quality content and linking to (voting for) other quality sites are 2 ways to become a quality resource. And good-quality resources are worth linking to. If your site is valuable then other quality sites will consider linking to you. But your site must be “worth” linking to.

I always receive “link to me and I’ll link to you” emails from link exchange companies. Most of them are crap and not even relevant to my industry or category. If I think your site’s content is awesome then I’ll link to it – without asking you to return the favor.

If I vote for you on The Voice or American Idol, I don’t ask for a reciprocal vote. If you’re awesome, I’ll vote for you.

*Full Link schemes article from Google Webmaster Tools:

Your site’s ranking in Google search results is partly based on analysis of those sites that link to you. The quantity, quality, and relevance of links count towards your rating. The sites that link to you can provide context about the subject matter of your site, and can indicate its quality and popularity. However, some webmasters engage in link exchange schemes and build partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking, disregarding the quality of the links, the sources, and the long-term impact it will have on their sites. This is in violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and can negatively impact your site’s ranking in search results. Examples of link schemes can include:

• Links intended to manipulate PageRank
• Links to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web
• Excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging (“Link to me and I’ll link to you.”)
• Buying or selling links that pass PageRank is in violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines

The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can quickly gain popularity in the Internet community. The more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it. Before making any single decision, you should ask yourself the question: Is this going to be beneficial for my page’s visitors?

It is not only the number of links you have pointing to your site that matters, but also the quality and relevance of those links. Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice, and the buzzing blogger community can be an excellent place to generate interest.

Hillary Schieve, Owner

“These new loyalty cards [for 2012] are all the rage, Reid! Our customers keep asking for more swag with this design!! Your are a Genius!!!”

Hillary Schieve, Owner
Plato’s Closet, Reno
Oct 28, 2011

Order these beautiful loyalty cards for your store – New for 2012

A powerful Photoshop-like CSS gradient editor from ColorZilla.

1. A visual list of HTML Hex code colors with associated matching color options. Awesome for any Website design arsenal. Example: GoldenRod HTML Hex Code + Matching Colors

2. Wikipedia is also another great source for finding HEX and [...]]]>

1. A visual list of HTML Hex code colors with associated matching color options. Awesome for any Website design arsenal. Example: GoldenRod HTML Hex Code + Matching Colors

2. Wikipedia is also another great source for finding HEX and RGB color names. Example: Yellow

“Got the shipment [of new loyalty cards for 2012], they look great! Thanks again!”

Elyse Maurer, Manager
Plato’s Closet, Spokane
December 2011