Best Practices
Here are a few best practices for implementation and placement.
- Choosing the type of widget: Image or Text
- General Placement Guidelines
- Best place to place an Image Badge
- Best place to place a Text Link
Return to Top ↑1. Choosing either an Image Badge or a text link.
Choosing between an Image Badge or a Text link largely depends on your site's layout and design. If you have access to directly modify the code of your site, using a Text link and placing it near your search is the best way to go. Typically, people will put it in line with their search box, or near the "submit" button for their search, similar to how a lot of sites handle thier "advanced search" link. (see #4. Best place to place a Text Link for more details)
if you don't have access to modify the page code directly (as is the case with hosted blogs or CMS systems) using an Image Badge would be the best placement. The best placement for an image badge is high on the page, typically near the top right (near the search box itself). Second best placement would be on the left hand column (if you have one), near the top of the column (see #3. Best place to place an Image Badge for more details)
Return to Top ↑2. General Placement Guidlines
The ideal location of your Addoursearch Widget is close to your site's internal search form. If you have access to modify the code, a text link under or near the "submit button" is best. If you don't have access to modify the page code, we've included a basic image map to the right that will demonstrate the best locations for highest visibility and best chances of your visitor installing your search.
Return to Top ↑3. Best place to place an image badge.
If you're using a hosted Content Management System or blog system and don't have direct access to your site's code, an image badge would work best for this type of situation. Typically you want to place an image badge near the top of the page and on the right hand side of the page. Another good location to place your badge would be in line or around your social bookmark buttons (addthis, Digg, del.icio.us, Buzz Up, etc).
Return to Top ↑4. Best place to place a Text Link.
Adding a text links is by far the most unubtrousive and customizable way to add an Addoursearch widget. The best place to locate a text link is in-line, above, or below your existing search field. The placement of this link would be similar to an "advanced search" type of link as seen next to the Google search input.
Another advantage of the custom links is the ability to customize the link to your site's CSS or design. We've left the CSS of the text link out, so it will follow you're sites standard CSS link style.
(Hint: You can also create your own customized image badge, by simply replacing the text in the link with an image element, located on your server. Please note that custom badge images must be hosted and sourced by you.)