In my previous posts in the blog, I have often mentioned that you can easily modify the turn-key  templates that we offer to you as a free reseller. And today I will show you how to quickly apply your own style to the reseller templates by customizing the header and footer areas.  Scroll down to see how this is done.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to upload a custom header only, since the procedure for uploading a footer is absolutely the same. Below you can check our new reseller instructional video, which is also available in high quality.

Firstly, log in to the Reseller Control Panel. I assume you have already chosen your template, but if this is the first time you log in, or if you have not taken a look at the Website Template section, now is the time to do it. Choose the template you like and click on ‘Save Settings’ when you are done. Have in mind that with each template you have different customization options, so make sure you visit the “Edit Boxes” section for each template to see how you can further change it to your liking.

In order to upload a header , you will need to head down to the “Marketing Tools” section. Once you open it, the first page to see will be the “Header” page.

As you can see, you can upload a Banner or a Flash header. You can also use a simple Text header. Today, we will be uploading a banner. Select the “Banner” radio button and click on “Choose…” to upload the banner from your local PC. The recommended banner size is 760×120 pixels. Smaller or larger banners can also be uploaded, but they will not be resized automatically to fit the template’s width. If you upload a larger banner, for instance, this will stretch the template.

Once you have selected the file you want, you will see the path to it on your computer. Scroll a bit down, and click on “Submit” to upload the file.

Now, all that is left is to apply the change to your template.

The templates that we provide are cached on the server to provide faster loading times. This means that a change made in the control panel will not be reflected immediately online. In order to force all changes online, you will have to use the “Quick Template Update” button, located in the top right corner of the Reseller Control Panel.

This way, all changes will be applied to your template immediately.

And you are ready, you have successfully uploaded a header to your store template.

And if you want to use the Header image you have just uploaded in a more customized version, you can use the path to it in the source code :

The “Custom HTML” field is useful if you want to use a small, custom script, display ads, or anything that you see as fit for a header.

Here are some tips for the actual header, be it a banner or a flash intro:

• A flash introduction, if very complex, will take the attention away from the actual site content. So, if you decide to go with a flash intro, make sure that you include it in your offers or prices.
• Stay away from generic banners. They are widely spread, and if a visitor has already seen such banner, this will not leave him with a good impression from your site. You can easily create a custom banner with an image editing program (Photoshop, or if you are looking for a free one – Gimp).
• Do not cram too much ad stuff into the header – keep it as simple as possible. A crowded header will distract the visitor’s eye from the site content and may even result in turning the user away from your site.
• Match the color of the header with the overall site color scheme. If you are using the SoftLite template, for example, don’t go with a colorful banner, since it will create a big color contrast and again give the user an unpleasant feeling.