We love your comments!
Your response to the blog has been great! We started it to give you a window into what we’re doing at Homestead to make our products serve you better. Equally important to us is that the blog gives you the chance to comment on the changes and let us know what you think of them.
We read every one of your comments, and get a lot of great ideas from them. I’m happy to say that many of those product ideas are already in the pipeline, and that you’ll be reading about them very soon! Since a lot of you are making suggestions that are similar to what others are saying, we’ll try to address them in posts that will be informative for everyone.
Thanks again for visiting, and please let us know what we can do to make your Homestead experience even better!
June 22, 2007 at 10:36 pm
I would love to see more fonts but even more important is to possibly see drop down style subnavigation menus PRETTY PLEASE? The ability to upload more than one item at a time would also be nice, but when I do have to load more than one item I just go into my homestead folder on the hard drive (searched around till i found the right folder for that particular site) and then I just drag them all into that folder on my hard drive, then when I start sitebuilder it does a big import and they are there to use, figured others may benefit from that…
Overall though, I am very happy with Homestead and hope to see more additions soon!
June 25, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I sure would like to see the ability to create tables.
I publish directories and stats. Now, I have to use a lot of multiple columns. Not even tabs will line numbers up correctly.
Any plans for a table tool?
June 26, 2007 at 11:33 am
Great colors, easy to the eyes and the new links are nice BUT…..
HAVING THE PHONE NUMBER RIGHT THERE IS AWSOME !
June 26, 2007 at 12:38 pm
I would love to see a feature that allows you to publish a page on a certain date in the future, such as some site builders have. It would be a start date and perhaps an end date (ddmmyy:hhmmss) to allow me to build my weekly site in advance and start it on a certain day. This would be useful when I am traveling and away on the date that the new page needs to appear.
June 26, 2007 at 9:35 pm
I would love the ability to create forms with prostores. I own an invitation store and I would like my customers to enter their info on the item description pages.
June 26, 2007 at 9:54 pm
The tiny number of comments your customers are leaving are probably a good indication of just how exciting people are finding the change from brown to blue. It IS an improvement, and it IS long overdue, but it is not very exciting.
I agree with the people who have commented on the previous thread about the graphic elements that are available in Sitebuilder. I think they have been very diplomatic and reserved. Frankly, with few exceptions, the current selection looks very dated, old-fashioned, and unsophisticated, especially the ones labeled ’sophisticated’. They hearken back to the early days of the Web.
Mr. Kitch claims that Homestead is very successful with vast numbers of users, so surely you have the resources to hire a top-flight graphic designer to add whole new suites of buttons, graphics, and templates. If Homestead wants to attract new users (and keep me), it’s time to start catching up with the rest of the Web.
June 27, 2007 at 3:49 am
I have been using Homestead since it was $7.99 for unlimited pages & sites. I curently have 15 sites designed with Homstead and as teh other poster mentioned MANY of the templates look dated. I would love these two types of templates:
1. a Blog looking template
2. a Portal looking template
Other than that - with Homestead’s ease, I am able to create a new website from scratch in like 2-days….overall I am happy but please get some new templates.
June 27, 2007 at 8:19 am
I would LOVE to see a drop in price with more memory.
Better slide shows as well!
June 27, 2007 at 8:20 am
I ALSO TOTALLY agree with Doug (June 26th post).
June 27, 2007 at 10:40 am
I am glad to see some of the changes! What would really be great are some of the new social networking tools available on some other sites, like linking into people with similar interests and/or locations.
Casey Edwinson
PS
Long live the House!
June 27, 2007 at 11:05 am
I think someone already mentioned this but definitely an update of the templates would be great. Also I wish there was a way that if we changed templates we wouldn’t lose all of the text that we have added to the site. I have 3 sites with Homestead and every now and then I would love to change the template and then tweak it from there as opposed to saving my site info. and then coping it back into the new template. Yes more fonts and graphic elements should also be on the list as well.
June 27, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Pretty please, add more Fonts! There are so few to choose from! That would be so beneficial to me.
June 27, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Having read through the many comments on this blog it seems that a lot of the items requested are already available. Solutions, tips and tricks for using Homestead can be found at the member owned Homestead Connection Forum - http://www.readybb.com/homesteadconnection as well as on the Homestead Connection site - http://www.homesteadconnection.com
June 27, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Love the new look. I too would love to see a lot more fonts. I am not a very conservative person when it comes to my website and like to be “sloppy” with my print and love Kristen but have to use Comic Sans as the closest “sloppy” font. I would like to see cuter buttons and more art things to add to my webpages. I also love moving images so I would like to see more of those too. As of this minute, I can’t think of anything else I would like to see added or changed but I must comment on how wonderful your staff has been in answering my questions and helping me. I love being able to call when I am desperate. Thank you so much.
June 27, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Hello Homestead web-team,
Since the Homestead corporation already has a blog, why not enable your users to own their OWN blog as well? If you can code your own blog application and let homestead users write excellent content with an easier CMS, why not let them?
Personally, I find the blog format highly empowering. I’m been using services like Blogger.com and also thought to myself “if only I could have opened my blog at Homestead, instead of using other companies - that would make my homestead site more popular and updateable”.
Yes, I know, you’re using WordPress and you can’t let Homestead clients to use wordpress on homestead servers. But surely you can enable people to load a “blog template”, with all the neccesary stuff (every post gets a link, comments, tags, archive, search etc.). It’s not THAT hard to program!
June 27, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Dear Mr. Williams
I received your “New Updates” email on june 19, 2007. Fantastic!
I congratulate you and everyone in the Homestead team, because it is a great effort to make updates that match with the clients needs.
I am from Perú, and my HS web site http://www.oratorianet.com is in the first place in its category (oratoria) in Google and Yahoo since march 2005.
I want to thank you for all the usefull tools in the Site Builder.
But in your email you say “You spoke and we listened – we’re making these changes based on your feedback”, but this is not true in my case. As a writer, there are many important feedbacks I have sent to Homestead to make it easier to write and edit, but non of my feedbacks were never considered.
So here I send to you some of them. Maybe you can think about it in the future.
1)FILE ACTUAL LOCATION IN YOUR SITE
When I place an image or a file I can easily know where did I placed it when I have 2 or 3 pages. But when I have 400 pages it is very difficult to find it out. It would be great if you include a “FILE ACTUAL LOCATION” in the File Manager, in the file proprieties. Type, Size, Created, Last Modified, Last Published and Status information are not as important as where the file is actually located in the web site. Why? Because when I want to clean the site builder from useless files, to have more MB space, it is impossible to remember which files are they. That means I know that there are many files I am not using, but I do not know who they are. But if there is a “FILE ACTUAL LOCATION” information it would let me know immediately wich files I must delete. That would be fantastic.
O maybe a simple note as this: “This file is not found in any of your web site pages”. That would be fantastic.
2)DEFAULT FEATURE IN EACH OPTION IN THE TEXT PROPERTIES EDITOR
It is easy for anyone to place a text element and write down a simple text, even if you write down 30 or more paragraphs. But when you place one text element for each paragraph, as the webmaster recommended (the Homestead assistant told me: “It is better that you place one text element for each paragraph in the page than many paragraphs in one single text element. The pages will open faster.”)
But it is really boring to place each text element and to fill again and again the same numbers in the “Position & Size” feature, or in any other feature. This would be very much easier if every feature has an independent default option box. For example, if I want every paragraph the same width, I will clic on “Default”, and every text element will apperar exactly the same width when I clic on a Text Element. Or if I want it to appear exactly 15 pixels above the last text element, and 90 from left, I would clic on the default in left, and “from last text element”. Because the actual system is really boring. I must fill one by one every feature every time I place a new text element, and there are pages with many text elements.
Caution: This only would be complete if the “Top” option adds automatically a certain number of pixels the the writer would default. For example, I always place the next “Text Element” at 13 pixels under.
3)DEFAULT FEATURE IN COLOR SELECTIONS
There are about 30 colors in the “Font color” palette that I seldom use, but never the one I always choose. I always have to clic again and again in the “Color picker”.
The default feature would help with the colors we select. I have some specific colors I use again and again. But every time I want to use them, I have to go to the “Color picker” again and again. I think that a color should place itself automatically in the principal “Font Color” option as soon as it is chosen, so I do not have to search for that particular color again and again.
4)“THE NEXT TEXT ELEMENT”
When I clic on the “text element” option, the program automatically places it by default in the same place on every page. This default must be controlled by the writer, not by the program. For example, if I am writing a long script, there should be a keyboard shortcut so I can place automatically the next text element below the last text element, at the same distance and with the same properties, unless I unclic the default option. This would be a real gift for us writers. Specially to those who write long scripts.
5)PLACING IMAGES
When I want to place an image, I must resize to or more text elements to fit with the image. And when I add text, I have to repeat all the process again. This is boring. It should be possible to place the image without having to do it step by step. There are many programs in the web that has this feature. Blogs, for instance. You just place the image without worrying about resizing the text element. The text element places itself along with the image size, no matter how or where you place it. This should be automatically.
6)ROTATE ELEMENT
The rotate element should rotate in every way, not only one or two ways.
7)SHORTCUTS
There is a shortcut to go to the “Preview” feature (Ctrl E), to “Save” (Crtl S) and to “Close” the page (Crtl W), but there is missing a shortcut to go jump back from the “Preview” to the “Edit” mode. I still have to loose time using the mouse.
There is also missing a shortcut to skip from page to page in the site builder. It is to slow to use the mouse to skip from page to page while working in the Site Builder.
8)CALENDAR
I do not use the calendar in my web site because I can not customize it in Spanish or any language.
9)PASSWORD PROTECTED PAGES
It would be great if the “A Password Is Needed” window could be customized in Spanish or any language.
10)ELEMENT LAYER ORDER SEND TO BACK
The option FORMAT | ELEMENT LAYER ORDER | SEND TO BACK in the Site Builder should be always a default option, since it is the suggested option for a better ordering of the text elements in the page. This would make unnecessary to click on those three steps every time I place each new text element in a script.
11)SELECT ONLY ANCHOR LINKS
It would be very useful to have a “Select only anchor links” option in the “Select all” elements text box. Because when a text is updated with more information, the text lines move forward, but the anchor links stay where they are, and it is necessary to select manually every anchor link to replace them in the convenient place. It would be easy to move all anchors selecting them with a “Select only anchor links” option (screenshot).
12)CREATING ANCHOR LINKS TO GO TO A SPECIFIC PLACE IN ANOTHER PAGE IN MY WEB SITE
It would be great to have a button in the task bar with the option “Link to target”: “1) Select the NAME OF THE LINK you want copy to another page”, and “2) Select the name of the page where you want the link to go”, with the note: “Once the link is in the destiny page, please replace the link with the mouse in the target (the exact place where it should go)”, and the note: “The link will automatically open in another browser window”. The program should do everything automatically AND LIVE A TRACE in the “Select all” feature. Something like this: “Anchor link [name] is also in the page [name]”.
13)REAL TRACKER
I used to check the link “Historical Overview” in the “Site Statistics”, but it seems this tool is no longer available. Why? It was a fantastic tool to check. Could you ask Real Tracker to think about placing it again in the future?
I hope this may help you to think about some features that would be very useful for us writers.
Thank you so much. I love Homestead Site Builder
(I do not use Site Builder Lite because it is toooooo slow in my PC, sorry)
Mike
Lima, Perú
http://www.oratorianet.com
June 28, 2007 at 8:11 am
It would be great if we had the ability to use the website like a scrap book. Turn pictures to the side or anyway we want them, not just up and down. The same with text. I use the website for personal reasons and I think this would add a nice touch to the web pages.
June 28, 2007 at 8:38 am
For all its new glamor, the new and improved Homestead brings with it a host of new problems, namely inaccessibility to my existing site. Tech support is terrific — but I’m frankly tired of all the problems. I’d like for you to add blogging to our existing sites without additional costs, too.
June 29, 2007 at 6:43 am
Hi.
I am writing to express my gratitude to these great achievements you are doing.
When I started my first website last year, I know nothing about how to design a web, using the SiteBuilder, I managed to express my ideas in two websites, and many people are wandering and asking who did it?
Recently I launched the second site, it is in both Arabic and English, and so I am happy.
I would like to suggest that, it will be wonderful to have support for Arabic Language.
Best wishes for all of us.
Mahmoud E. Yousif
June 29, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Why isn’t there a Homestead user forum where ‘Homesteaders’ can exchange information, tips, and ideas? The post above from ‘HC Admin’ at brings that question to mind, and hats off to the people at http://www.homesteadconnection.com for working to fill a void that Homestead itself could have addressed years ago.
I’m also surprised that no-one at Homestead responds directly here to points raised in these comments. There are some good ones, and your customers (including me) would feel more like someone was listening if there was some real conversation taking place.
Sincerely,
Doug Gorsline
http://www.ashcreekimages.com
A Homestead hosted website
June 30, 2007 at 5:56 am
Regarding the ProStores, there should be a way to categorize a group of items together vs. having to update each one individually. For instance, on my store, I decided that I want to list a few of the brands of products by tab, but I have 25 of them. And I have to hit the CATEG button each time. Now, picture this. I have 200 that need to be updated, and another 400 to add. In addition, I think the store that I have should allow for more than on picture to be uploaded. Otherwise, I happy for the changes, I have been using Homestead since 1999. We do need some more cool things regarding menus, and maybe more flash intro support…
Thanks!!
July 1, 2007 at 12:10 pm
The new colors are fine, but I sure hope you didn’t pay someone a large salary to do this change. It just was not worth it in my opinion.
However, if you REALLY want to make some changes for your customers that MATTER….then I would suggest the following:
Lower Price
More storage-No extra cost
More bandwidth-No extra cost
More fonts
More graphics
Just to name the most important things on my list I would like Homestead to do.
Thank you.
July 3, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I know they others have spoken ahead of me, but for purposes of number of requests (in case you’re keeping tabs), I would like to add my 2 bits:
1. BLOGS or comment integration (not just guest books)
2. New templates
3. The ability to edit multiple websites with sitebuilder
4. More control over design code so that the websites are SEO friendly
5. More angle options for rotating images
6. RSS feeds for our websites
7. Lower prices or bigger storage/bandwidth
8. Full domain name control or subdomain masking
9. Better graphics and photos
10. Better responses to support questions
11. Drop-down menus
12. Automatic sitemap generation
13. I want to be able to include text-link-ads to my site (my site was approved but Homestead Sitebuilder is incompatible with their code)
14. Ability to edit using Mac
15. FORUMS
16. Drop Shadows, Rounded corners
17. Professional-looking poll templates
18. Slide shows without the album
I’ve been your customer for 4 years, and I figured that changing the Homestead site design from brown to blue shouldn’t be deemed as quite an achievement on your part, given the ease of use of Sitebuilder. This particular change does not benefit us, really.
Please know that your customers have matured and may not be satisfied with just the capability of building static personal and product websites anymore. Other webhosts offer forums and blogs using the same domain.
You were ahead of everyone else when you offered the ability to design websites offline in a very easy manner, allowing us to go from zero to webmasters in a few hours. But your customers want to be able to satisfy the needs of their site visitors, too, be able to respond fast and be at the top of their game. Site stats are insufficient nowadays. We need to know what the customers think.
I find that Homestead has been moving too slowly these past couple of years. What have been the recent sitebuilder updates? Browsing images by thumbnail, inserting the RSS feeds of others, katrina relief buttons! C’mon!
I love using the Homestead Sitebuilder — I just wish it could do more!
July 3, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I’d REALLY like to see a login feature where my site’s visitors can login with a password I give them and be able to view pages within a particular subdirectory. I also would like there to be the ability to use multiple passwords so each visitor can have a unique password. That way each visitor can have his or her own unique password and I can verify which user is logged in and they’re not sharing their password with their friends.
July 6, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I have been a member of Homestead since it was free. I love the ease of using Homestead and have taught myself a few advanced features by searching the internet and/or using the homestead forum. I agree with several of the posts, I have had problems with the email to the point that I don’t even use it. My site is for a non-profit professional organization and it is extremely difficult to get and stay current with other websites that are being built using other webhosting sites. I really think for the price I pay which is for the Gold Package, that I should be getting alot more bang for the bucks. I would like to have the professional looking drop down menus that I believe are created using the CCS format, I’d like to have unique passwords and the ability to maintain profiles on each of our members, but I understand that takes a database program. It seems everything that I want to do that other chapters are doing always takes another program.
Homestead has made some nice changes for themselves. I do like the new color scheme and the blog, but I agree with the others, I want more updated templates, and I want it to not lose my existing data when I change to different templates. I want better buttons. These were all fine for making personal websites but when you’re trying to get a professional audience we should not have to get them elsewhere and inport into HTML snippets. Thank you Homestead for listening, but please have someone read these posts and start incorporating more of our wishes!
July 7, 2007 at 12:13 am
PLEASE: Drop-down site navigation.
July 8, 2007 at 5:17 am
I hope you’re really reading these Homestead. People are saying a lot of the same things.. The biggie for me is more space. We’re paying you way too much money for what we get.. Homestead is great for creating a unique website, but you’re falling way behind the competitors in what you offer us, especially in price… I think you’d gain more customers and make more money if you’d lower your cost and add the features so many people in this forum have suggested.
The new email program looks good, but when can the rest of us expect to be able to use it.. As someone already mentioned, I don’t even use your email program because it’s so generic and haven’t for years.. It would be nice to have a seperate email program to use just for my websites.
I agree with everything everyone before me has written and would like to also say, as Doug said on June 29, it would be nice if a Homestead representative would leave comments to our remarks so that we know we’re being heard and that things that are important to us will be considered (better yet, added in the VERY near future).. When Homestead doesn’t give us reasons why the things other websites offer aren’t offered by you, or you don’t justify your cost, the space you allow us, your high charges for domains, etc., it just leads one to believe you like making a hefty profit from these things…Kind of like the price of gas!
You know, the more I think about your asking what we think about the new color’s on the site the more I think you must be really out of touch with your customers… I don’t know about anyone else, but I rarely even go to the Homestead website. I have lately because of this forum, but before that, I could go months, even a year, and have no reason to visit it.. So by changing the color scheme of your site, your really just trying to impress prospective customers.. It really doesn’t benifit us in the least.. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again.. Please do things to keep the customers you have happy, not just try to impress the customers you hope to gain.
July 9, 2007 at 9:00 pm
I’m glad to see the Blog continues with ideas and suggestions for future Homestead improvements. I too would like to see some advances made in the things Homestead offers, but that is speaking from the perspective of a long time user of the program. Homestead gives folks just starting out, with little knowledge of site building, the opportunity to build their own site and become a presence on the http://WWW. As we learn we want more … but for the person just starting out the program is wonderful.
Kudos to Homestead for having given us all the opportunity to want more! And for taking some steps forward to advance our site building capabilities.
I’d like to invite all Homestead users to drop by the Homestead Connection Forum. The Forum is for users of Homestead’s SiteBuilder programs and is owned and operated by Homestead users like yourselves.
There’s a wealth of information available and always someone around to answer questions.
Keep on webbin’
February 22, 2008 at 10:16 am
I’ve been having trouble with the email system. I cannot send mail or login sometimes. Improvement on this would be very, very grateful. Other than that, love our website design and features. Thanks.