Anatomy of a WordPress page

IDX Blogger is based off of the WordPress platform which provides a very clean, elegant way to manage a blog and a website.  IDX Blogger adds onto WordPress to include the special mapping features as well as the HomeQuest integration features.  Follow along below to see the different pieces of a WordPress page and how they work together to form your IDX Blogger agent website.

1) The Header:  Your IDX Blogger header is automatically created by the template and will always appear at the top of every page.  The header includes information pulled from your HomeQuest contact information (Click here to see how to change your Contact Info).  If you change your HomeQuest contact information, your websites will reflect the new information automatically.  The header color and background color are determined by your “Theme” (Click here to see how to change your IDX Blogger theme).  The header is not customizable unless a Custom Header is ordered.

2) The Navigation Bar:  The navigation bar is the horizontal list of links that appears below the header of each page.  The navigation bar lists each page in your IDX Blogger system (unless the page has been hidden).  The links in the navigation bar are used by your website visitors to get to the different pages in your site.

3) The page content:  The page content is where the bulk of your information will be displayed.  Ultimately, the header, sidebar, and navigation bar are only supporting actors to this star role.  The page content is the star of the show because this is where the relevent information exists, while the header is only for aesthetics and contact information, and the sidebar contains only widgets.

4) The Sidebar:  The sidebar of your IDX Blogger site is where the widgets will appear.  Widgets are great for displaying little “accessory information” tidbits.  This can include things like your agent profile, logo, agency information and logo, as well as other useful items like a mortgage calculator or a list of your recent blog posts.  Click here to see all articles on widgets.

Note: The widget sidebar does not appear at all on pages with a map.  This includes the Search Listings map, the Blog Posts map, and the Daily Email signup map.  The special mapping functionality requires the use of the entire page, so the sidebar is not shown.

Managing Site Navigation

Each link in the navigation header of your website represents a page in your WordPress site.  In order to keep a clean header, you may “hide” pages from the navigation bar.  A hidden page is still fully functional, and you can link to it, but it will not appear as a link in the top bar.  The Site Navigation panel also allows you to drag and drop reorder the pages that appear in your navigation bar of links up top.  Follow the instructions below to hide a page from your navigation.  Please note that the same set of instructions can be used to “unhide” a page.

Step 1: From the “Manage” menu, select “Site Navigation”.

Step 2: Hover your mouse over the small arrows ( >> ) next to the page that you wish to hide.  The hide link will automatically appear.  Click the link and the page name will become partially transparent.  Click the “Update” button to apply these changes to your website.

The page has now been hidden from the navigation bar and will no longer appear.

Custom Header Sneak Peak

Good morning IDX Bloggers!  Just wanted to give you a sneak peak at the custom header service we have been working on, you can check it out (and even pre order yours!) at the custom headers page.

This is a truly unique service only available to HomeQuest subscribers and will be exclusive for IDX Blog users only. Completely custom, 1 off design for your IDX Blog site including full CSS and web styling at an incredibly affordable rate. Starting at just $500!

Head on over to the custom headers page and take a look what we have in store! Any requests can be sent directly from the contact us page

Custom Headers and Beyond

At the beginning of February We’ll be adding a new product to our IDX Blogger lineup – Custom header design. Take a look at our current theme library and imagine the possibilities. Our in house designers will transform the look and feel of your IDX Blogger site for a one time fee. 

This new service will be on a first come first serve basis, Keep an eye on this blog for the official announcement and get working on any ideas you would like for your new custom header!!

On a side note, We’re working hard on the feedback and wish list’s we’ve been given so far, some exciting things to look out for include:

• The ability to rename your widget titles
• The ability to set your map extent and zoom level
• An updated dashboard / RSS 
• New widgets!!!