Content blocks have been around in SiteCM for a very long time, but tend to not get the attention that they deserve. They are used in many available drop in applications, and basically make delivering a message to your site visitors a lot simpler, through easy to manage bodies of information.
They are easy to create, and they have many more uses than just simple storage compartments for page text. They can easily bring a sense of animation and flare to your website pages.
A content block can be a stored paragraph, or even an entire section containing links and images, or other Drop In applications that you wish to reuse for marketing purposes, or to basically deliver a special message creatively. They are available for every SiteCM and CommerceCM website as an add on component and have many uses.
Content Blocks can be used with:
Content Blocks can also used for storing and displaying 3rd Party Code on your website, such as the embed code used for Youtube Videos, Facebook Like Buttons and Like Boxes, and more. They even have an easy to access html section for our more advanced users to quickly drop in that code!
The possibilities are endless!
What you are looking at above is a content rotator. Imagine this on your website displaying marketing information with banner advertisements, each linked to different sections of your website - and more.
A Content Block is a stored piece of page content, which is managed outside of the page itself and can be used elsewhere on the site in multiple locations as well.
Ever get tired of static looking website pages? Why not spruce it up a bit by displaying a bit of random content or animate the page by adding a rotator. People like eye candy when surfing the web. They can also store information that you may need to repeat in more than one location on your site, like contact information. Would you rather store this information in a single location, manage the information in a single location, but use the information on as many pages as you like without having to edit those pages each time you need to change that small bit of information? Content blocks deliver this to you!
That is a secret we shall bring to the grave.. just kidding. You are looking at a Show Hide Content List, that was created using Content Blocks and the Show Hide Content List Drop In Application. Here are the instructions on how to do so below:
Simply create a category that will contain your Frequently Asked Questions, and use the question text as the content block's name itself. Inside the content block repeat the question text as a heading, and provide the answer to the question below the heading, similar to what has been done here. Create as many content blocks as you need, answering as many questions your site visitors might have as you like.
Once you have created all of your questions, edit the page of your choice and use the Show Hide Drop In Application to display those questions. The Drop In's job is to display the name of the content block as a link, and when your site visitor clicks on that link it is replaced by the answer you provided stored in the content block itself. Whammo!
(Warning - we are not responsible if you decide to fire your developer from writing a complex script to achieve the same thing, since you have the power to do their job in just two easy steps - tee hee!)
Um.. did we mention that you can store Drop In applications inside of content blocks? How about a Show Hide Content List Drop In inside of a content block, stored in a category of FAQ questions being used by a Show Hide Content List Drop In Application. Try saying that three times fast! Don't let the process fool you into believing it's difficult. If you have ever worked with a computer and have managed your file folders inside of file folders, the thought process working with nested categories of content blocks works the same way.
The properties of a content block. Give it a name, rank number, category. Make it active and add your content. Update to serve!
The ever popular Facebook Like Us Box is best stored within a Content Block as well. This ensures that the code is rendered on a page properly, as a lot of these 3rd party applications usually come with their own styling and such that you really don't want affecting your own website with.
Sure .. here you go (refresh the page to view another website banner):
Check Out This Site
This Like Us Button is actually a content block storing the like us button code!