We receive a number of requests from users everyday asking for help customizing the Share link on their ShortStack apps.  The process is much like the Links Widget, but there are a few differences to keep in mind.

.share_link{
border: solid 1px #000000; /* border color, size, and line style */
background:#dd0000; /* background color of the Share link */
font-family: arial, sans-serif; /* font-family determines the web-safe font used for the link name */
color:#ffffff; /* color of the text in the Share link */
font-size: 14px; /* size of the text in the Share link */
border-radius: 3px; /* creates rounded corners, for a more button-like look.  The larger the number, the more rounded the corners.  If you don’t want rounded corners, change the border-radius to 0px */
padding:5px; /* amount of space between the text and the border of the button */
}

You can even change the color of the button when you hover over the Share link, here’s the CSS:

.share_link:hover{
background:#000000; /* background color of the Share link when you hover over it */
}

You can change the Hex Values, pixel dimensions, border styles, and the font-family to suit your tab.  As always, here are a few great references to help you customize:

Hex Value Guide:  http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_colorsfull.asp
Guide to web-safe fonts:  http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_websafe_fonts.asp.

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Want to use an image to create a patterned background on your tab? Create a repeating background by adding the following CSS to your CSS Editor:

Want to spice up your form fields a bit?  Try changing the border color!  It’s easy, just drop the following CSS into your CSS Editor and choose the color you’d like to use:

Are you using a pop-up to display something on a ShortStack tab? You can use the CSS below to change the color of the border around the pop-up so it better suits your tab!

/*Border color in pop-up*/
.boxy-wrapper{
background-color:#00FF00;
}

Yes, the Hex Value in this code is for bright green, and that color probably isn’t for everybody. You can change the color by updating the Hex Value.  For example, if you wanted a red border, the CSS would look like this:

/*Border color in pop-up*/
.boxy-wrapper{
background-color:#FF0000;
}

Check out this Hex Value guide from w3schools.com:http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_colorsfull.asp to find the Hex Value associated with the color you want to use.

In this, the second of my “from the CEO” articles, I’d like to discuss what happens when we receive a feature request from a user. We take each feature request very seriously because – believe it or not – ShortStack itself was born out of feature requests, and 100 percent of our development and features come from feature requests. Moreover, it’s our job to build a useful product, not just a product we think people should use. So here’s a rundown of the types of requests we get, how we treat each request, and the path that request has to take to become a reality.

A large portion of the requests we receive are for features ShortStack already has; the user simply doesn’t know the feature exists. This is a good and bad problem to have. It’s great to be able to say, “today’s your lucky day,” but that also means that there’s at least some aspect of our software that’s confusing. And that’s the difficult balancing act we have to walk for our software; we want to be both powerful and intuitive. However, when you try to do both, the more advanced options can be lost on users. That means it’s our responsibility to make our user interface more intuitive, and we’re constantly looking for ways to do exactly that.

When we get a large number of requests coming from numerous different users all asking for the same feature, we know it’s one that would be popular and necessary. For example, refer-a-friend type contests have been requested by nearly everyone. We know it’ll be popular, and it’s in the works. But it’s also a feature that requires lots of time and testing. The problem then becomes allocating the required developer resources. Since we’re a small team, we’re always prioritizing and re-prioritizing what we’re working on. During the time the dev team has been working on refer-a-friend contests, Facebook has made some major changes, which has forced the devs to go back and change the new feature as well. And that’s what delays us a lot. We’ll get really close on a feature, but then Facebook changes, and then we have to go back and make changes.

Occasionally we’ll get a request that just so happens to be in line with what we’re already working on, or it’s something we’ve been thinking about, and the request solidifies the fact that it’s a feature we need to release. If we we’re already thinking about it and we’re getting requests for it, then a lot of times we’ll see those released in a very short period of time; sometimes four to 24 hours. The Twitter Widget is a great example. Originally the widget didn’t have the ability to sort Tweet timestamp by time zone, so the dates of tweets weren’t displaying correctly. We got a request, and we realized that the widget needed that capability, so we moved on it right away.

Then there’s the tiniest percentage of requests that fall into one of two categories: the request is either so obscure that only one person would benefit from it, or it’s scammy, and wouldn’t be right for us to pursue. In the case of the isolated feature request that could be beneficial to one user, we try to be upfront and tell them it’s not a feature we’ll be developing. But we also try to help figure out a workaround, or try to think up some custom coding that would at least in part satisfy the request. In the case of the scammy requests, however, we simply tell the user it isn’t a feature that’s right for ShortStack, Facebook, or an unsuspecting Facebook user. A good example of this is the common request to get all this personal information from contest entrants with the Allow Prompt. Our response is that if someone is entering your contest, they want to win. They might not want to be on your mailing list, and they certainly don’t want their information sold or compromised. Sometimes those people get mad, and that’s good. They don’t have to use ShortStack, because ShortStack isn’t for “get rich quick” schemes or sending out email blasts to users.

As you can see, we treat all feature requests seriously. But a user reading this article might ask, “I requested a feature six months ago and you said it was a good idea, so where is it?” And I understand your frustration. The fact is, in this business, priorities change constantly. If we’re working on a feature and Facebook rolls out a change, that feature can go from being priority no. 1 to being of least concern. At the same time, we try to flag requests so we can respond to users to tell them if we will or won’t release it. That’s a difficult task, which is why it’s important that you Like our Facebook Page so you can stay up to date on the new features we release daily.

If we say it’s on our roadmap, or we can’t get to it yet, we’re being completely truthful. One of the great things about being small is that we can move quickly; the bad thing being that we can only do so many things at once. But rest assured, we are listening – your requests never fall on deaf ears. It may take a little while longer than you’d like, or even we’d like, but we’re listening.

The difference between live entries and test entries when using our Custom Form and promotion widgets has been a cause of confusion for some. If you’re a user who has run a contest you may remember a time when you were trying to submit entries for your fans to vote on and then wondering why these entries weren’t appearing in the live preview.

We’ve taken some steps to make it not only easier to host a contest, but easier to know whether your entries are in “live” or “test” mode.

There is a new “Data Mode” setting located next to the Tab Width checkbox above the Live Preview in the Tab Designer. Checking this box switches the Custom Form and all Promotion widgets (Promotion, Voting and Entry Count) to use live data. Unchecking the box will switch everything to test data.

We’ve removed the previous “show live entries” setting which was located in the settings of the Voting Widget.

Now, when you submit a form in the Live Preview, an alert will appear reminding you which data mode you are in. This alert can be removed by clicking it, or it will disappear on its own after a few seconds.

So who will benefit most from this change?

Users who are wanting to run a contest where they don’t want fans to submit entries but they themselves want to submit entries for fans to vote on. Setting up a promotion with pre-defined entries used to require users to install a tab and submit entries from the live tab. With this new setting, that is no longer necessary. Simply checking the “Live” Data Mode enables users to upload live entries in their Live Preview within ShortStack.

Enjoy this new feature, and as always if you have any questions shoot us a support ticket and we’d be happy to help you out! http://shortstacksupport.com 

Want to change the background color, size, font, shape or link color of  your links when using the Links Widget? It’s not as hard as it seems! Use this bit of CSS to create a more customized appearance:

.ss_links a{
border: solid 4px #ff0000; /* border designates the border color, size, and line style */
background:#000000; /* this controls the background color of the link */
font-family: arial, sans-serif; /* font-family determines the web-safe font used for the link name */
color:#ffffff; /* color controls the color of the text in the links widget */
font-size: 14px; /* font-size determines the size of the text in the links widget */
border-radius: 10px; /* border-radius helps to create rounded corners, for a more button-like look.  The larger the number, the more rounded the corners.  If you don’t want rounded corners, change the border-radius to 0px */
}

You can even change the color of the button when you hover over the link, here’s the CSS:

.ss_links a:hover{
background:#585858; /* this controls the background color of the link when you hover over it */
}

You can change the Hex Values, pixel dimensions, border styles, and the font-family to suit your tab.  Here are a few great references to help you customize:

Hex Value Guide:  http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_colorsfull.asp
Guide to web-safe fonts:  http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_websafe_fonts.asp.

We recently added some enhancements and new features to ShortStack which we have outlined below. Enjoy these new features and if you come across any questions shoot us a support ticket at http://shortstacksupport.com

810px Templates Now Available

ShortStack now offers 21 templates to help you get started with designing for Timeline. These templates are a little different from our past templates in that they provide a guide on how to build multiple column apps and fully utilize the 810px width.

Facebook ID Field

For a while now, we’ve been hearing feedback from our users on a function that limits repeat entries when hosting a contest. The Facebook ID field does just that. The Facebook ID field has been added to the Form Designer to serve one main purpose: to limit repeat entries from the same person. As a side benefit, it also enables a View My Entries button in the Voting Widget.

You can learn all about the Facebook ID field here: http://help.shortstackapp.com/main-menu/mastering-shortstack/promotions-guide/#UnderstandingtheFacebookIDField

Make a Template Feature Has Moved

The “Make a Template” feature has been removed from the Tab Manager and can now be found in the Tab Designer. You can find the “Make a Template” feature in the Tab Designer under the “settings” drop-down next to the app name. There is also a new “Make a Copy of Tab” feature. This feature is especially useful if you need to test some changes to an app. With the “Make a Copy of Tab” feature, you can test your changes with a copy of the app and not risk altering the original app.

ShortStack Supports Integrating Custom Forms and Promos with MailChimp and Highrise

We’ve always had an integration with MailChimp but what this new enhancement means is that when a Custom Form or Promotion is submitted, the user can be automatically subscribed to a MailChimp newsletter or added as a new contact to Highrise. You can look for the new “integrations” icon when viewing Forms & Promos. You’ll also find an integration button next to View Entries when you are in the Form Designer. Check out this help doc for more information on setting up a form or promotion with one of these integrations: http://help.shortstackapp.com/main-menu/reference/forms-promos/form-integrations/

It’s been said and soon it will be done, all Facebook pages will be changed over to the new Timeline layout on March 30.  With this change comes excitement, fear and opportunity. In times likes these, agencies can step into the spotlight and really shine for their clients by keeping them calm, collected and educated on what Timeline for pages can mean for their business.

Here are some steps to follow when preparing your clients for Timeline:

1. Warn your clients that change is coming
Even though there have been hundreds of stories and announcements via Facebook, media outlets and third party platforms that Timeline is coming, there is always that client that won’t believe it until it happens. Being less than two weeks out from the official change, now is the time to let your clients know that their page will be changing, no matter how much they may or may not want it to.

Reach out to your client informing them of the change, while reminding them that everything is going to continue to function as expected even if they don’t do much preparation. They should hear about the changes from a trusted source, such as their agency, versus outside sources.

2. Bring yourself up to speed on Timeline
The best thing you can do for your client is to be an expert at Timeline. They will be looking to you for advice, tips and education on the new layout. Do your research and you’ll look like a rockstar.

Make sure that your company’s page has been changed over to Timeline and is using all of its features. If a client sees you successfully using Timeline, they’ll have an easier time transitioning their own Facebook page and you’ll be able to answer their questions.

Check out this site as an easy and quick resource to learning the features of Timeline: Timeline features

3. Console your clients
Change can be tough, especially a change that affects a major source of communication between businesses and their target audience, such as Facebook. Let your clients know that this is a change for the better and shed light on some of the abilities that are offered through Timeline that were not offered before, such as adding milestones.

The milestone feature gives businesses the opportunity to add depth to their social media presence, talk about where their business began, highlight important dates and reach their fans on a personal level.

Additional features include the large cover photo featured at the top of the page, allowing businesses to highlight their brand with an intriguing image that pulls the user in. Pinned and highlighted posts are a great way to show off a custom app or feature something that is of particular interest to fans.

4. Discuss the benefits of Timeline
People can talk all day long about how great the new Timeline layout is, but take some extra time to really educate your clients on the benefits that the change brings.  New features such as the cover photo open doors for creativity. As previously mentioned, pinning and highlighting posts will be crucial in spreading the word about milestones and apps.

When explaining the benefits of Timeline make sure to include the guidelines, such as the ones that go along with the cover photo. You can find those guidelines here.

In addition, make sure to include the changes your clients are going to see, such as the elimination of default landing apps. Many people fear this is the end of Facebook for businesses when really it is just the beginning. Businesses can be more creative and feature more content on their custom apps since the workspace size has increased to 810 pixels. With the width changes, apps are close to as wide as a general website, making the possibilities with design endless. Apps are more important than ever seeing as they will add variety to a business page and attract fans that will stay on that Facebook page and engage with posts.  The last thing your clients should do is abandon apps because they feel they are no longer visible. The fact that fans now have to make an effort to click through to an app rather than landing on it, brings dedicated and true fans to a business page. Educate your clients on how to attract their fans to their apps and assist them in providing great content for those apps.

5. Encourage your clients to try out Timeline before March 30
Facebook gives a grace period for a reason and that grace period should be taken advantage of. Encourage your clients to start adjusting their page to fit Timeline as soon as possible. This way they can run their ideas and questions by you before publishing and can make the switch ahead of the deadline while maintaining their social strategy.

This is a great opportunity to do some spring cleaning on a Facebook page, take a look at what’s been working and not working and try some new things.

Don’t like the default color of the field labels (name, email address etc) in your Custom Form or Promotion on your ShortStack application? It’s an easy change if you know the CSS needed.  Just add this line of CSS to your CSS Editor within your Tab Designer: