Church Website Best Practices - Entries tagged "Church Media" Your Church Media: Widgets
What is a Widget?
 A widget is a “chunk” of HTML code which commands content to display on a page. The great thing about a widget is you don’t have to know anything about HTML or writing code to utilize it. You just plug in your information and the Web site embeds content for you.
What Can I Embed?
With widgets you can embed (click the links for examples):
Blogs
Post entries from any of your ministry website's blogs on any page.
Blog entries posted on a website's homepage
News and Events
Add a widget to your homepage to display your website's latest news and events. Or add a widget to a page or blog entry listing a specific ministry's news and events.
News and events embedded into a website's homepage
Photo Galleries
Show off your ministry website's photos on any page with a gallery slide show.
Photo gallery embedded in a news item on our demo website
Products
Embed your site's products (CDs, T-shirts, DVDs, etc.) inside news items or blog entries.
Products embedded in a blog entry on our demo website
Flickr Slideshows
Incorporate your Flickr photos, sets, and collections into your iMinistries website.
Flickr slideshows embedded in a ministry website page
Twitter Feeds
Display your most recent tweets in an ad and show it site-wide. Or embed it in any page. You can limit the number of tweets shown and add a custom heading ("Pastor Dave's Tweets").
Twitter feed embedded in an ad on a ministry website's homepage
Interactive Google Maps
Enter your ministry location's address to add a Google map on any page (About Us, Contact Us, Ministry Information). Users can zoom in and out and get directions to and from this location, making it easier for visitors to find you.
Interactive Google map embedded into a ministry website's "Service Times & Directions" page
YouTube and Vimeo Videos
Gone are the days of pasting embed codes into your HTML editor. With widgets, just paste your ministry video's ID (found in your URL) and embed vidoes on any page. You control the size of your video, making it possible to embed them into ads.
Vimeo videos embedded into a ministry website's "Videos" page
MP3 Players
Turn any page into a jukebox, a spot for your latest sermons, or a host for your new Podcast. Just upload your MP3 file through Content Administration and paste its URL into this widget and add anywhere.
MP3s embedded into a ministry website page
How do I use the Widget Feature on my iMinistries Site?
You can embed widgets on any page that uses an Editor (news, events, blog entries, pages, ministry descriptions, ads, etc.). Here are the steps to adding a widget:
- Create or edit the desired page or item.
- Click on the widget button in the editor toolbar.
- Select the type of widget you want to embed.
- Fill in your information, choose your preferences, upload any files (MP3), and click Add.
- Save your page or item. To preview the widget, click on the green arrow next to the item in Administration.
 Free Trial
We believe the best way to describe our tools is for you to try them out yourself. We offer a 15-day free trial account which will give you a few days to use all of the features available to our paying clients. There's no risk and no obligation. Who knows, you might even enjoy the new control you have over your very own website.
Create Your Free Trial Account
MORE INFORMATION ON WIDGETS
"Web widget" – Wikipedia.org
Widgets in Action – iMinistries.org
 Your Church Media: VideoThe modern website visitor is one with a short attention span. They want information, and they want it immediately. They want news, and they want it the second it occurs. And the less effort they have to put forth, the better.
Video is a great medium for spreading information, giving updates, and sharing stories. It engages the viewer without requiring anything on their end but the ability to push "play" and watch. Video combines the power of images with the authority of audio.
 Embedding Video with YouTube and Vimeo
The best way to add
streaming video content to your website is by uploading it to
to a video hosting site like YouTube or Vimeo and embedding it into your desired page. Each video posted on these sites displays an embedding code. By copying this code and pasting it onto your site, you can add video to any page.
Even easier, you can add your video by using our Widget feature. Just edit or create your page, click the Widget button, type in your video's location, and add.
YouTube or Vimeo?
Even though YouTube is more popular, we suggest using Vimeo to host your ministry's videos. Why?
- YouTube limits uploading videos 10 minutes or less (unless you pay extra). Vimeo only limits you in amount of Mb of video uploaded per week.
- Vimeo allows you to choose the videos your video links to. YouTube gives you the option to turn off the links, but only on the embedded video. The video on YouTube still displays links to random videos (some may have inappropriate content).
- Vimeo allows you to password protect your videos to limit its viewability.
- With Vimeo, you can limit which sites can embed your videos, limiting them from being posted on other sites.
- You can create "Channels" for your Vimeo videos for better organization.
- Your Vimeo videos or channels can be grouped into a slide show or badge widget for easy access to your video library.
Free Trial
We believe the best way to describe our tools is for you to try them out yourself. We offer a 15-day free trial account which will give you a few days to use all of the features available to our paying clients. There's no risk and no obligation. Who knows, you might even enjoy the new control you have over your very own website.
Create Your Free Trial Account
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ADDING VIDEO
Vimeo Basics - Vimeo.com
"Upload a Video" Tutorial - Vimeo.com
YouTube Help Center - YouTube.com
"Embedding Video" Tutorial - iMinistries Support Video
 Your Church Media: PodcastingIn this communication age, it is important to utilize as many ways as possible to reach your audience. In a previous blog entry, we explained how to find your audience and your writing voice. Through Podcasting your sermons and lessons, you can use your actual voice to reach a wider audience.
What Is a Podcast?
 Podcasting is a standardized way to distribute audio files to Internet users, for downloading and listening offline (through a program like iTunes) or listening from a host site online. Podcasting is done by placing files on a
Web server and using an RSS feed to describe each file. On your
iMinistries site, podcasting is simplified using the Blog functionality. A Podcast on your site is a blog entry with an audio file embedded within the entry. Since all blogs on
your site automatically offer an RSS feed, your blog becomes a Podcast
when you add audio files to the entry.
This all sounds more complicated than it really is. On an iMinistries site, all you have to do is create a blog, add entries, and upload your audio file with each entry.
Creating a Podcast
- Create a Blog (see How to Create a Blog)
- Create a Blog Entry
- Upload an mp3 file as an enclosure by browsing to the file on your computer.
- Visit the blog page (you can use the open
 to get to the blog page when you are on the actual Blog Entry page).
- Locate and click the RSS Feed link. It looks like a larger version of this :
 .
If you don't see it on your page, you haven't add the RSS Feed panel to your Blog.
- Your browser should show some XML code (language used to
communicate your Podcast). Find the URL in the address bar of your
browser. This is the address of your Podcast.
After adding your audio file to a blog entry, you can add your sermon or lesson to the iTunes directory to reach even more people. Those visiting the iTunes Store can search and download your Podcast without visiting your site.
 Adding Your Podcast to iTunes Podcast Directory
- If you have iTunes installed, you may simply follow this link and skip to step 5.
- Open iTunes (if you do not have it installed already, visit Apple's website for a free download)
- Visit iTunes Music Store
- Click Podcasts
- Click Submit a Podcast
- Paste your the address of your podcast into the box and follow all the steps
MORE INFO/HELP ON PODCASTING
How Do I Create A Podcast? - iMinistries Help System
Making a Podcast - Apple.com
FAQs: For Podcast Makers - Apple.com
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