The 㴫ýReport: Welcome Back!

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Welcome Back!

We hope you’ve enjoyed a relaxing summer. Whether you’re a 㴫ýnewbie or a 㴫ýpro,㴫ýSites is here to welcome you to a new school year. Our staff has been busy over the summer making updates and adding to our platforms. Check out what we’ve been up to below!

㴫ýAds

ܰ platform underwent a complete overhaul not only to improve its look, but also its functionality. Here are a few things you should know:

  • 㴫ýAd spaces are no longer rotational. Only one ad will display in a space at a time, ensuring the ad is seen by every site visitor. Because of this,we have increased the 㴫ýAd listing prices for you by default. We highly recommend visiting the 㴫ýAds tab in your site’s dashboard to check your ad prices and adjust them if needed.

  • While you’re there, you’ll notice the 㴫ýAds interface got a little makeover. Its look is updated, but options to activate ad spaces, set prices, and upload your own filler images remain the same.

  • , which is where advertisers can upload ads and purchase available ad spaces, received the bulk of the updates. These include an updated interface, a new Ad Manager portal, and an updated purchasing system.

Learn more about our free 㴫ýAds program (including how to opt in) .

Live Coverage

We’ve added a new tool to our  bundle called . It allows users to cover an event via a story and add live updates to it as they unfold – think game coverage, school board meetings, breaking news, etc.

By default, updates will be added chronologically, but users can pin important updates to the top of the story, as well as add bylines and media to each update and customize its design.

Click to see a sample of a Live Coverage story in action.

The Live Coverage tool is available with the 㴫ýSite Booster add-on, which includes several other interactive tools like ,,, and more. If you don’t currently subscribe but want to join in on the fun, order the Site Booster here.

Announcements

If you have a  (scrolling news ticker) on the top of your site,you likely have set it to display “Breaking News” headlines.

If so, we’ve made a bit of a change. Now, instead of being called “Breaking News,” we’re calling these “Announcements.” The process for adding and updating them is the exact same – just visit the tab labeled “Announcements” in your 㴫ýDashboard.

If this doesn’t sound familiar to you, but you’d like to add a Marquee to your site,check out  to learn more.

ADA Compliance

We regularly check our sites for ADA compliance. As a result of our most recent checks, our developers implemented a handful of necessary changes – mostly small things you probably won’t notice.

While we can make sure the site’s defaults are all ADA compliant, it’s up to you to ensure your content and design choices maintain that compliance. We’ll discuss this more in a future 㴫ýReport, but in the meantime, you can  to check.

Awards

We know some of you are itching to submit to our ԻDistinguished Sites badge programs, and we promise you won’t have to wait much longer! Best of 㴫ýwill open for submissions on Monday, Sept. 16, with the rest of the Distinguished Sites badges set to open on Monday, Oct. 7. We’ll be sure to send out reminders prior to the opening dates.

Webinars

Starting next week, we’ll be hosting  twice daily. Webinar topics will vary weekly and will cover everything involved in using SNO’s suite of services – from content basics to design tools to add-on features.

Click to sign up for next week’s sessions, and keep an eye on your site’s dashboard for future sessions. Registration is required.