GENERAL FAQS Return to top
How do I put my website onto the internet?
Your website is already publically available on the internet, all around the world! With Talkspot, your website is automatically available on the internet upon sign up.
When will my website show up on Google?
Your new Talkspot website is now accessible from the internet – but only for those that have your exact website address. Your current site is set to "no index" which means it will not be found by the various search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo unless you take the following steps:
1) Login to your website
2) Go to the ADMIN pull down menu
3) Select SEARCH ENGINE TOOLS
4) Select WEBSITE NAME AND KEYWORDS
5) Select ALLOW ALL SEARCH ENGINES TO INDEX
6) Click SAVE
What if I don’t have time to build my own site? Is there an inexpensive way to get it built for me?
We can help you there too! Talkspot’s Experts, our team of professional website consultants, can build your initial website and fill it with your content. We build you a professional website, and then show you how to easily maintain it. For more information, visit our "Services" section.
Do I need my own server?
Absolutely not! Your site runs on our servers. There are no extra charges to pay. You do not need a hosting center. Your website will exist on our servers, which are professionally hosted at a world class facility. This is a powerful reason for you to place your website on Talkspot. Not all webservers and data centers are the same.
Will there be advertising on my website?
- Only if you put it there. You site is your site. We will not sell any advertising.
- Some people have opted to put advertising on their own site. Talkspot does not encourage this, but recognize some of our webmasters have benefitted from this. As a result, we allow it, but offer no support for it.
WEBSITE NAME OR DOMAIN NAME FAQS Return to top
What is my website name or URL?
If you are using the Talkspot Free product your website name or URL will be something like www.yourwebsitename.talkspot.com or if you have upgraded to our other plans you can create a custom domain name like www.yourwebsitename.com.
How much is a Custom Domain name?
For just $10 a month you can upgrade your free website and choose a custom domain name. With that subscription you also get the ability to add email addresses, our Search Engine Tools, Email Marketing Suite, our Ecommerce Tools and many more advanced widgets.
What if I want to take my Domain name elsewhere?
You can, Talkspot charges $35 one-time fee for this service. Contact us and we will be happy to help you.
How long is my Domain Name mine?
Your domain name is yours as long as you are an upgraded account holder. If your account lapses, there is a good possibility that you will lose your domain name. This is beyond Talkspot’s control.
EDITTING YOUR WEBSITE FAQS – Pages, Images, Menus and More Return to top
How do I change a page on my site?
- Log in to your website from the bottom of any webpage.
- Go to the "My Pages" tab from the main menu and locate the page you want to change.
- Clicking [Edit] on any widget will allow you to make changes.
How do I change the name of my page?
- Select the page you want to change.
- Go to the "Page Options>Page Name" tab from the main menu.
- A pop up will appear, highlight the page name, change it, and select [Save].
How do I change an image on my website?
- Locate the image you want to change.
- Click the [Edit] link and a new page will appear.
- Locate and select the [Replace this picture] link.
- You will be asked to upload a new image or select from a previously uploaded image.
- Select which one and follow the remaining prompts.
Why can’t I upload this file?
- We support over 40 different formats, but there might be a few we don’t get to. If you have an issue, don’t be afraid to email the file to support@talkspot.com and we’ll see if we can’t help you.
- What will not upload – and we will not upload without a separate approval and QA process –would any executable (.exe) file. If you need to distribute an .exe file we will work with you, but will need to confirm that the file is not malicious and/or in violation of an owners copyright.
I uploaded an image and the image widget or gallery widget will not let me use it.
Was the file a PDF format? (Check your original file and look at the three letter file extension.) PDF’s are not really images and cannot be easily resized. PDFs can, in some cases, be transferred to other formats.
I uploaded an animated GIF and it won’t animate on screen.
Animated GIFs are not very forgiving files. If you try to add effects like rounded edges or feathering, they will stop animating. This isn’t, unfortunately, something we can do anything about. Use them as uploaded if you want them to animate.
Does Talkspot.com offer me copyright security?
- Yes! Use our watermarking tool to watermark your images so no one can use them.
How do I edit my Menu?
- Locate a "Menu Widget" from any page of your website.
- Click the top right hand [Edit] command.
- Choose from the variety of menu edit options and follow the online prompts.
How do I change my menu appearance?
Talkspot has a variety of ways to change the appearance of a menu. You can select from over 30 different design options built in to each menu widget. Or you can choose to [Create] your own design, where you can control the color and size of the buttons and text.
Can I change the direction of my menu?
Within the Menu Widget Talkspot allows you to choose from the following menu directions: horizontal, vertical or automatic. Automatic will adjust the menu for you depending upon your page layout and content.
How do I rename a menu item?
- Locate a "Menu Widget" from any page of your website.
- Click the top right hand [Edit] command.
- Choose the [Organize] your Menu command.
- Choose the [Rename] a page commend.
- Select the page you would like to rename from the menu and click it.
- Enter the new name in the box below and select [Save].
How do I remove a menu item?
- Locate a "Menu Widget" from any page of your website.
- Click the top right hand [Edit] command.
- Choose the [Organize] your Menu command.
- Choose the [Remove] a page From Menu commend.
- Select the page you would like to remove from the menu and click it.
- Select [Save] to continue.
How do I move an item from one place to another on my menu?
- Locate a "Menu Widget" from any page of your website.
- Click the top right hand [Edit] command.
- Choose the [Organize] your Menu command.
- Choose the [Move] item on Menu commend.
- Select the page you would like to move to a new location and click.
- Select page to add from the drop down menu.
- Click menu list to the left of where of you would like the page to appear on your menu.
- Select [Save] to continue.
Can I create a Custom Menus?
- Locate a "Menu Widget" from any page of your website.
- Click the top right hand [Edit] command.
- Choose the [Create] your own design command.
- You can then choose your own fonts, font size, background color, text color, and color when selected.
- Clicking [Save] to make changes.
Can I add sub-menus to my menu?
- Locate a "Menu Widget" from any page of your website.
- Click the top right hand [Edit] command.
- Choose the [Organize] your Menu command.
- Choose the [Add] a page as Sub-menu command.
- Select the menu item you’d like to ass a sub-menu to.
- Select the page from the list.
- Note: the menu will appear on both the main and sub-menu.
- To remove it from the main menu, click [Remove] and select the item from the main menu display.
ADDING ADDITIONAL WIDGET FAQS Return to top
How do I add something new to my website?
- Locate the "Widget" tab from the menu at the top of the page.
- Click it, and locate the type of widget you want to add.
- The new widget will be added to the top of the page and outlined in yellow.
- Click it and drag it to any docking zone outlined in black dots.
How do I add a video to my site?
All videos should first be added to YouTube, and then added to your Talkspot website. Go to www.youtube.com and upload your video, then return to your Talkspot site. After adding the "Video Widget" to your site, locate the [Edit] button on the right side of the widget and follow the on-screen instructions.
How do I add a Form to my site?
You can add forms, polls and surveys to your site using the Poll Widget. Go to the main menu and under widgets locate and click "Poll". Drag it to a large docking zone on the web page and click [Edit] from the right hand corner and begin adding questions.
How do I create a Link on my site?
Using a Text Widget in [Edit] mode highlight the word or words you want to use as a link and select the "Insert/Edit Link" button from the second row and insert the URL in the box provided.
Watch a video on 'How to Make a Text Link"
Is my information private?
At Talkspot we give you a way to restrict access to all, or portions of your website. Look for the "Admin>Security" tab from the top menu and follow the on-screen prompts.
COLOR THEMES AND TEMPLATES FAQS Return to top
How do I change my websites color scheme?
You can change your site's entire color scheme in just a few seconds. At the top of your website locate the "Layout>Swap Site Colors" and a drop down will appear will all color options. Experiment with the different options. Pick one you like. If you don't see something you like, let us know. We add new themes regularly. And, if you are very particular about what you want, also let us know. We have a custom design group that can very inexpensively give you exactly what you seek.
I don't like the design I first picked, are there other designs to choose from?
You can change your site's entire layout from the top of your website locate the "Layout>Swap Site Layout" and browse through the variety of website design layouts.
What do I do if I already own my own domain name? Can I use it and will I be charged? Return to top
You can use an existing name and swap it to your TalkSpot system. However, this will involve a manual process.
Aside from your monthly or yearly subscription to TalkSpot, you will not incur any additional charges for a single instance of a domain name swap, per site.
IMPORTANT: If you are switching your site from a current site with email you will need to contact us before making the DNS change with your registrar. If you switch your DNS information before contacting us you will experience an interruption with both your email and your site.
EMAIL: If you have emails accounts associated with your domain name you will need to set up your email accounts before making the change if you plan on TalkSpot hosting your domain email. You will also want to download all the emails from your other account if you still want access to them. You will lose POP and/or IMAP access once the DNS switch is made.
We can set up your master email account and set your domain to accept your site before you you make the DNS switch. This will allow you to access and set up your email accounts. Once the DNS switch does take effect, your emails will be directed to the proper accounts.
o make the change, you will need to set your DNS servers to:
- ns1.maximumasp.com
- ns2.maximumasp.com
If your registrar requires the domain name servers IP addresses they are:
- IP for ns1.maximumasp.com is: 216.128.31.5
- IP for ns2.maximumasp.com is: 216.128.31.6
You may need to contact the company that you originally purchased the domain name from to learn how to do this. The process is different for each company. We do not change this information for you.
Once you are ready to point your domain to your TalkSpot account you will need to send an email to support@talkspot.com with the domain name you are directing toward us, and you need to include the name of your existing TalkSpot site. One you submitted your request you will need to wait 24-48 hours before changing your registrar information.
For more information check out:
- http://rshweb.com/dns.html
- http://www.mydiscountdomains.com/dns.htm