Overview of Our Tools

 
Navigation/Page Builder
This is the main component of our online web page building tool. It enables the site administrator to build sections and sub-pages. All of our school sites have been built using this page building tool. It also allows individual images to be added to the page's template (so you can put a tennis photo on the tennis page, etc.). Custom text and image content is managed using a simple online WYSIWYG editor.

Additionally, the Navigation/Page Builder tool allows a page to be built that links to any other page in the site or linked to a file such as a pdf file. We (Redstick) normally set up our client's initial navigation and pages, and look to them to provide the text and image content of each page.

Homepage Manager
The homepage manager allows you to add text and images to the home page. In addition to having news in the form of the automatic "feature story" and most recent news listings, you can add images and text with links. This is helpful for adding seasonal greetings, images and links to events in the calendar such as annual giving drives, and features you wish to remain on the home page for extended periods of time.

Calendar
Our powerful calendar tool allows your school to create multiple calendars, each with unique categories. The online calendar allows events to include a date, location, contact, description, photo, link (web address) and file (for uploading pdf files/agendas/minutes, etc). Calendars can be viewed in multiple ways. Users can view all categories or select a single category (i.e. varsity football) and further customize the view by day, week, month, or annual event list. Each event has a detail page that is printer-friendly and allows the user to request an e-mail reminder. Users can also search for events by keyword.

News
The news tool allows the site administrator(s) to add news items to the home page and sub sections of the site. News items display in date order (newest to oldest) on a news archives page as well, sorted by year (current year displays by default). Each news item consists of a title, date, text, inset image, gallery of images, display on home page (y/n), a link (for external link to a newspaper, etc), or associated PDF file. Categories of news items can be placed on any page in the site and the administrator has control over how many news items appear before linking the users to "more news…".

Photo Galleries
The photo gallery tool allows for an infinite number of images to be uploaded by category. Each "gallery" consists of a title, date of posting, images, and captions. Galleries are viewed with the first eight images appearing and a link to "more…" where all associated images are displayed. Our automatic image resizer handles creating a representative "thumbnail image" to allow the user to view a smaller version of an image. When the user clicks on an image, a small "pop-up" window appears allowing the user to scroll forward and backwards through the images in the gallery. Captions appear beneath the image in the gallery and as "alternate text", visible by placing the mouse pointer over the image in the main gallery display. Individual gallery entries and entire categories of galleries can be linked to from any page in the site.

Newsletter
The HTML newsletter tool is an interactive application which allows the site administrator to add text and images to an e-mail template that is sent out as an HTML e-mail to subscribers. Newsletters are archived by date so that visitors to the web site can see what they might have missed. Initially, we assist in importing any addresses that you may have and future additions will be handled via a simple online sign up process. Users can opt-out of the newsletter subscription at any time. It is also possible to create multiple newsletters and have each newsletter address its own subscriber list. A subscriber list can be manually managed like the one mentioned above, or it can pull from an online database of addresses that interfaces with an external source (i.e. an alumni newsletter which uses an periodically imported file or an internal newsletter which e-mails all faculty members in the staff tool with a valid e-mail address).

Links Tool
A link library is maintained by adding links by category in our simple online tool. Administrators can add, edit and delete categories of links. Links include a name/title, URL (web link), custom priority (to allow for custom sorting), a description and an option to "hide link". Categories of links can be listed on any page of the site making it very easy to direct users to additional relevant resources.

Class Tool
The class tool allows each teacher to have a subsection where they can easily post information. The basic setup provisions a class "home page" which includes an automatic link to the teacher's bio and contact information in the staff directory and allows the teacher to post text and images to their main page. Each teacher has a file upload tool to upload permission slips, class notes, outlines, assignments and more.

 
Staff Directory
The staff listing tool lists personnel by category as well as alphabetically. Each staff member's database record includes name, title/position, e-mail address, phone number/extension (if available) , short bio, and a photo. Users can find staff by last name (an a-z list is provided) or by category. When a user's name is clicked on, a detail page will appear detailing the staff person and providing a link to "return to staff listings". Categories of staff members can be listed on any page of the site and a custom sort order can be assigned so people can be listed in an order other than alphabetical.

File Repository
The file repository is a tool that is used by site administrators to upload files to the web server for the purpose of linking to them in e-mail newsletters or pages within the site. A simple form-based tool allows the files to be placed in categories for future reference without the use of traditional file transfer software (no FTP necessary).

Handbook
The handbook manager allows the site administrator to build an online version of the school handbook, complete with a linked table of contents. Categories and pages can be added as necessary. Page and sections can be moved up or down in order of priority by simply clicking an up or down arrow next to an item in the admin tool.

Media File Repository
This tool allows audio, video and presentation files to be added to the site. The tool accepts Windows Media files, MP3s, PowerPoint Presentations and more.

Alumni Database
The online alumni tool will allow students to find classmates by name, year of graduation, state and city. It also allows the alumni administrator to send HTML e-mails to groups. An online contact form allows students to e-mail the alumni administrator updated contact information for inclusion in the school's alumni database. We (Redstick) coordinate with your alumni administrator to facilitate periodic exports to easily upload to the web server for posting (avoiding security issues with the live in-house database and transmitting financial data). The alumni section of the site is password protected and allows the site administrator to add alumni news, lists of "lost alumni", photos from reunions, and more.

FAQs Tool
This tool allows the site administrator to post frequently asked questions and their respective answers by category. Categories of FAQs can be posted to any page of the site. This is useful for Admissions FAQs, Alumni FAQs, Aftercare FAQs, College Planning FAQs, etc.

Sitemap Tool
This tool automatically creates a page with hierarchical links to all sections and subpages so users can easily see a "birds-eye view" of the sites content.

Contact Form Manager
This tool allows the site administrator to easily change e-mail address of the person (or group of persons) that the site's main online contact form is directed to.

Administrative User Manager
This tool allows you to add, edit and delete users who can edit the web site. Users can have "super admin" access to edit all aspects of the site or can be limited to edit privileges for individual tools.

Site-wide Image Rotator
This tool allows the site administrator to add images to a pool of images that randomly display throughout the site on content pages that do not have a specific image applied. The image appears in a predefined place on each page.

Simple Donations Tool
This simple application securely accepts credit cards and transfers the information to someone who will run them through a manual scanner in the school's accounting office. This tool requires manual editing every time you want to add or change an item and will have no database-editing "features" other than providing a sale option, accepting the card information, and e-mailing the person responsible for "fulfilling" the order and allowing them to log in and view the information for processing. This is a good option if you only need to accept donations.

E-Commerce Store
This e-commerce option can grow with your organization and allows you to have a full-featured program to add categories, products, donation items, registration items, product options, securely monitor orders, mark them as fulfilled, and more. It is the best option if you foresee adding products or additional items for sale in the future. It will be much easier and more economical to develop and implement this e-commerce option now than to use the first simpler option (above) and have to add a second full featured store later. A full featured store requires a third-party licensing fee and requires us to customize it to match your site's template, and requires separate training of your accounting staff in its use. This option also depends on the electronic gateway your bank utilizes.