Web Masters Quick Start Guide
for your USA Dance web site development
Welcome! Here’s a short guide to help you get some content on your website. We’ll take you through step-by-step, and you’ll see how simple it is to let the world know what your chapter is doing.
Login and Tools Menu
Go to and enter your username and password.
Click on the blue Services tab at the top of the page.
Click on the Manage Services link on the right side of the page. You will see the yellow Tools Menu on the left. Everything you do starts here at the tools menu. You’re now ready to go!
Website Setup
Click onWebsite, which is the last item in the Tools Menu. The menu will expand.
1.Click onWebsite Setup to enter your chapter’s contact information.
Title: This is the name of your chapter.
Description: Add a short description of your chapter.
Email, Address, Phone numbers: This will appear on your website. Put in enough information so that people can contact someone at your chapter. Only provide necessary information, as this will be available to anyone who comes to your website.
Save: Be sure to save your information by clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the page.
2.Click on Home Page to enter information that visitors can see when they first come to your website.
Photo: Add a photo and caption.
Photo credit: If necessary, add a credit.
Page content: Add some text that welcomes visitors to your site.
Save: Be sure to save your information by clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the page.
3.Click on About Us Pageto give your website visitors a chance to get to know you a little better.
Photo: Add a photo and caption.
Photo credit: If necessary, add a credit.
Page content: Add some text that tells visitors who you are and what you do. Maybe add your mission statement.
Save: Be sure to save your information by clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the page.
4.The Calendar Pageis divided into three sections: Introduction, Categories, and Listings.
HOW IT WORKS:
INTRODUCTION should be VERY light... Something like:
"WELCOME to our calendar page. Here you will find our local chapter activities, regional chapter activities to we promote for our 'neighboring chapters', local events and opportunities from the dance studio, instructors and other supporters of USA Dance"
THEN, use the “Categories” to ‘articulate' those "groupings" just defined above. Only do ones that you plan to do!
THEN use the “Listings” tool to identify the specifics for each activity you are promoting.
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THEN Review, edit, Review, edit, Add Photo, Review.
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THEN, once it is exactly how you want it, "SHARE IT" with AccessDance Network for additional marketing exposure.
DO IT!
Click on Introduction: Add some introductory text that will appear above your calendar.
Save: Be sure to save your information by clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the page.
Click on Categories. If you have an activity that just does not fit into an existing category, you can click on Categories and create a new one that does fit. Click on Add new calendar category.
Name: This is the name of your new category. It is what your user sees on your home page under the Calendar selection when it is expanded
Synopsis: A short description of the category.
Page Content: Add a description of the category; the user will see this.
Activity Photo: This is where you might add a photo associated with the category.
Status: Select whether the category is active.
Save: Be sure to save your information by clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the page.
Click on Listings: This is where you list your dance information. Click on Add New Activity.
Activity Details: There are several pieces of information you need to provide, so let’s break it down:
Name: This is what is displayed on your Home page under Upcoming Activities and creates a hyper link to that activity.
Synopsis: A short description of the activity. The user sees the synopsis after selecting the listing from the calendar.
Start date and End date: The date your activity starts and ends. This allows you to display an activity that goes on for more that just one day. Perhaps you are having a weekend workshop for several days.
Time: What time the activity starts.
Taught By: Displays the instructor for this activity.
Location: Where the activity will be held.
Cost: Cost of activity.
Activity Type: Choose whether it is an event or a class.
Page Content: Add a description of the activity.
PDF: This is where you insert any PDF associated with the activity like a related flyer!
Activity Photo: This is where you might add a photo associated with the activity.
Display On: Choose the day of the week that this activity takes place. If you are using a range of dates, the activity will show up each week on that day(s).
Categories: Select a category for the activity. Categories are used to “Group” similar listings like “Dances”, “Classes”, “Workshops”, “Special Events” and/or “Board Meetings”
Status: Select whether it’s active.
Save: Be sure to save your information by clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the page.
Delete: To delete a listing under Name click on the Listing you want to delete when the work page displays scroll to the Delete selection and Delete you will be asked for confirmation of this action if you select yes then the information is deleted and can not be recovered you will need to Re-Create the Listing again
Promote – To prevent ‘accidental promotion’ before you are ready, this feature is only available to you when you edit an existing listing.
Do you want to promote this on AccessDance Network: Once you add an event or class, click the title again to edit it. Once you are sure it is ready for promotion, Check the ‘promote this..’ box. You can then share your activity with the entire AccessDance network, allowing for greater advertisement for your activity than just your own site.
Congratulations! You are now able to add an activity to your calendar!
The remaining website items (articles of interest, photos, videos, local resources, and contact us) work similarly to the calendar section described above and have the same three sections: introduction, categories, and listings.
Getting your calendar ready is the most important task as, without events, you have no experiences to share with your members and community. Classes are frequently next in a chapter’s activities as they allow you to network with area instructors and build cash flow.
Once you have your activities on your calendar. The next tools are to promote and educate the public before and after the activities.
Articles of Interest: Try adding a press release to promote upcoming elections or to announce a new board member. Articles can be group into categories like “Board minutes”, “Press Releases”, “Discounts and Benefits”, and many more..
Photos: Add photos of your last chapter dance or a recent workshop. You can divide your photos into separate categories: January 2012 or Valentine’s Day, for example.
Videos: Add YouTube videos that are dance related.
Local Resources: Use Local Resource to identify the area instructors with which your chapter holds classes and workshops. Use categories like “Area Instructors”, “Other USA Dance Chapters”, “Local Dance Opportunities” to identify places to go dancing that may be listed on your calendar as well.
Contact Us: Contact Us is a full page to identify additional contact information you may want to provide to the public. It uses ‘contact forms’ to protect the email addresses of your board members.
Introduction: List your board members. Perhaps add a group photo and links.
Listings: List the contact information. You can add a new contact category for each board member who is available for public contact and/or perhaps you have a dance team; you could create a contact category for the team.
Working with the AccessDance Network
Displaying your chapter information on your own website is nice but how much nicer will it be to display information once on your website and have that information displayed on another larger site? AccessDance provides the way!
Directory Listing
SHOWCASE:
Now click on Directory Listing on the tools menu. It has four sections.
Showcase Editor: This is used to promote your chapter throughout the AccessDance Network.
“Showcase Editor” lets you edit the information about your chapter and how to contact your main point of contact. This information is displayed on the AccessDance Network. Contact Information displays a form used to contact the chapter along with other information.
Service Area: This is a list of towns that your chapter should handle; this list of towns is based on the zip code that you entered in your contact information. AccessDance extends your marketing reach around this point by adding surrounding cities to make up a population base of roughly 1 million people. This is considered your chapter’s "Service Area" and you will be listed as a nearby provider if a person looking in a city matches your Service Area city list outside of your featured city. You would not want a request for dance lessons in Florida if you’re in Pennsylvania!
Dance Definer:The Dance Definer is a quick way to define how your business services the dance market. AccessDance uses this definition to help promote your information to the right target audience. Check all the boxes that apply to your chapter.
Directory Summaries: Based on the check boxes you choose using the "Dance Definer" tool, you can create a more 'targeted' summary of your business for each selection made. AccessDance will then any of these more refined summaries instead of your 'general summary' found on your "Showcase Editor" when displaying your business in our directories.
Enhanced Marketing
Enhance Marketing is about adding more detailed content for the visitors using AccessDance to locate information about dance in your community. You can either publish information here separately, or edit information you “share” from your website.
Enhanced Marketing: Contains six sections
Articles of Interest: Manage Articles
Used to submit Articles to your showcase or edit the Articles you ‘shared” from your “Articles of Interest” on your website.
Activities: Manage Events
Used to manage your Events you “shared” from your calendar
Activities: Manage Classes
Used to manage classes workshops events from your “shared” calendar
Photos: Manage Photos
Used to manage your shared photos
Videos: Manage videos
Used to manage your shared videos
Dance Requests
AccessDance gets several requests from people who have gone to the Internet looking for dance activities and lessons. It uses the Dance Requests section to filter those requests to a chapter that can help the requester.
At Large: Click on “At Large” on the tools menu to read how this works.
Direct: This is a direct request to your chapter for help in finding dance lessons.
As a chapter you now have the ability to interact with the requester by email or by phone to answer questions. This will help you build your chapter!
EXAMPLES
Try visiting some of your ‘sister chapters’ to see what they are doing with the same tools you have.
At time of this printing, there were 20 chapter’s using this service. Feel free to ask for an updated list.
SUPPORT!
This is a lot of information to process. Start small and work your way up into all the different tools available to publish, promote and engage with your community.
Dance Notions staff is available to walk you through any tool or show you ways to get more out of the tools. Call them anytime to 541-681-4078 or email
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