Banner

1. Requirements

2. Overview Banner Manager

3. Add file banner

4. Add script banner

5. Banner conditions

6. Edit banner

7. Delete banner

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With the SITEFORUM Banner Manager you can place and manage banner ads. Depending on your memory capacity you can upload unlimited numbers of banners to different positions, so-called spots. You also have the ability to integrate Shockwave-Flash-Banners (.swf files) and Java-Script-Banners (.js files) in your portal.

1. Requirements

For the positioning of banners you have to define spots in your MasterDesign first. These spots match with the positions of the banner rotations and are called up "design attribute" with placeholders in the Master Design.

To create a banner design attribute, please log in as "Portal Master" or "Banner Manager."

1. Click the button Portal Manager to get to the administrative area.
2. Then click Tools & Administration > Design & Layout.
3. In the navigation on the left on the bottom click Design attributes.
4. Click the tab Add design attribute.
5. Click the link Banner.
6. Enter in the field Name a name for the position, e.g. "Top."
   Advice: In this case you work with the placeholder "$designAttribute:Top" in the MasterDesign.
7. Leave the area Standard value empty.
8. Activate the option Active to activate the attribute.
9. Click the button Save when ready.

The new attribute is shown in the list.

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2. Overview Banner Manager

To get an overview of existing banners and spots, please log in as "Portal Master" or "Banner Manager."

1. Click the button Portal Manager to get to the administrative area.
2. Then click Tools & Administration > Banner.

You get the following table:

• Status Shows the status of the banner, green = Banner is active, yellow = Banner is inactive, red = Banner timed out
  By clicking the colored circle you can change the status.
• Banner name Shows the name of the banner.
  By clicking the name the banner is shown.
• Time frame Shows the time frame from when until when the banner is active.
• Clicked/Shown Shows how often the banner was clicked or shown. Depending on the success a colored bar is shown.
• Click-Expiration Shows how often the banner still can be clicked.
• Show-Expiration Shows how often the banner still can be shown.
• Conditions By clicking the icon you get to the element conditions. Here you can define that a certain banner is shown, e.g. in the Online Shop only, q.v. 5. Banner conditions.
• Edit By clicking the icon you get to the editing mode.
• Delete By clicking the icon you can delete the banner.

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3. Add file banner

Advice: The banner has to exist already. You only place the banner in the Banner Manager.

To add a file banner, please log in as "Portal Master" or "Banner Manager."

1. Click the button Portal Manager to get to the administrative area.
2. Then click Tools & Administration > Banners.
3. Click the tab Add file banner.
4. Choose in the area File the banner file (*.gif or *.jpg).
   
   1. Click the button Browse.
      Another window opens up.
   2. Choose the desired file.
   3. Click the button Open in the new window.
      The new window closes.
5. Enter in the field Banner name a name.
   Advice: Leave the field empty to use the file name as the banner name.
6. Enter in the area URL to call the Internet address, which should open if a user clicks the banner. You can use the Link Generator if you want to link inside your portal. Here you find details to the Link Generator Support Website & CMS > Story Manager.
   Advice: The entry of the address is necessary with banners of the formats *.gif and *.jpg.
7. From the selection box External URL choose the type of the link:
   • External URL to link to an external Internet address.
   • Link to story to link to a story.
   • Link to menu to link to a menu.
   • Link to catalog to link to a catalog in the online shop.
   • Link to product to link to a product in the online shop.
   • Link to folder (DMS) to link to a folder in the Document Management System.
   • Link to document (DMS) to link to a Document in the Document Management System.
   • Link to forum to link to a forum.
   • Link to form to link to a form.
   • Link to conference to link to a conference.
   • Link to poll to link to a poll.
8. From the selection box below, choose in which window the address should open:
   • _blank opens the link in a new window.
   • _self opens the link in the same window.
   • _parent opens the link in the next higher frameset (necessary in framesets only).
   • _top opens the link in the highest frameset (necessary in framesets only).
9. Choose in the area Spot from the selection box the created spot.
   Advice: You can assign several banners to one spot; the change happens randomly in the spot area.
10. Enter in the field Expiration count (show) the number how often the banner should be shown. Leave the field empty if the banner should be shown unlimited.
11. Enter in the field Expiration count (click) the number how often the banner should be clicked. Leave the field empty if the banner should be clicked unlimited.
12. Choose in the area Start date from the selection boxes Month, Day and Year the start date of the banner.
13. Choose in the area Expiration date from the selection boxes Month, Day and Year the end date of the banner.
14. Click the button Save when ready.

The banner files are saved in the portal root "/portals/yourportal/banner."

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4. Add script banner

Advice: The banner has to exist already. You only place the banner in the Banner Manager.

To add a script banner, please log in as "Portal Master" or "Banner Manager."

1. Click the button Portal Manager to get to the administrative area.
2. Then click Tools & Administration > Banner.
3. Click the tab Add script banner.
4. Enter in the field Banner name a name.
5. Enter in the area URL to call the Internet address, which should open if a user clicks the banner.
6. Enter in the field Script code the script code.
7. Choose in the area Spot from the selection box the created spot.
   Advice: You can assign several banners to one spot; the change happens randomly in the spot area.
8. Enter in the field Expiration count (show) the number how often the banner should be shown. Leave the field empty if the banner should be shown unlimited.
9. Enter in the field Expiration count (click) the number how often the banner should be clicked. Leave the field empty if the banner should be clicked unlimited.
10. Choose in the area Start date from the selection boxes Month, Day and Year the start date of the banner.
11. Choose in the area Expiration date from the selection boxes Month, Day and Year the end date of the banner.
12. Click the button Save when ready.

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5. Banner conditions

If you assign several banners to one spot then they are shown randomly. Additionally to restrictions like time range, show counter and click counter you can define individual conditions when a banner should be shown, like in which application, in which menu or in which language.

To view conditions, please log in as "Portal Master" or "Banner Manager."

1. Click the button Portal Manager to get to the administrative area.
2. Then click Tools & Administration > Banner.
3. Choose a banner whose conditions you want to view.
4. Click the icon Conditions.

You get to the element conditions of the design attributes in the Design Manager where you can add conditions, q.v. Support Tools & Administration > Design attribute.

Advice: You can add several conditions to one banner element. Please pay attention to a reasonable chaining of conditions as well as to an integration of the placeholder of the design attribute in the MasterDesign.

Alternative banner

You can set a standard banner in case no conditions occur. To do this, click on the link "Details" next to the design attribute and select a standard value. This alternative banner will then be displayed when no condition has occurred. Please note the timeframe of the alternative banner.

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6. Edit banner

To edit a banner, please log in as "Portal Master" or "Banner Manager."

1. Click the button Portal Manager to get to the administrative area.
2. Then click Tools & Administration > Banner.
3. Choose a banner whose conditions you want to edit.
4. Click the icon Edit.
5. Do the desired changes, q.v. 3. Add file banner or 4. Add script banner.
6. Click the button Save when ready.

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7. Delete banner

To delete a banner, please log in as "Portal Master" or "Banner Manager."

1. Click the button Portal Manager to get to the administrative area.
2. Then click Tools & Administration > Banner.
3. Choose a banner whose conditions you want to delete.
4. Click the icon Delete.
5. Confirm the erasing procedure by clicking the button OK.

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