Does your SNO site need a few updates?
We look at a lot of websites every day. Like, a whole lot of them.
One thing that’s sure to catch our eye (and not in a good way) is sites that need an update or two. Whether it’s Legacy Elements in the header or Trending Stories from three years ago on the homepage, items that are outdated can make your site stick out like a sore thumb.
We hope updating your website is already a regular part of your practice, but we know there are many moving parts to manage. Here are a few things we recommend you double check.
Legacy Elements: If you’ve ever visited your Site Designer, you may have seen a big red message at the top indicating that you’re using Legacy elements. If you look at the elements, you’ll see some labeled “Legacy.” These are carryover elements from an older version of our design theme. We recommend swapping them out for the newest, most updated version (complete with all the bells and whistles).
To make the swap, hover over the Legacy element, click on the gear in the upper left-hand corner, and follow the instructions provided in the blue box. Check out this resource for more information.
Menu Items: Another giveaway that your site needs some TLC? Your menu still includes items from several years ago that you no longer update. There are exceptions of course, but try to keep your menu items current and remove anything you’re no longer using. For more information on editing your menu, click here. 
Instagram Plugins: We know there are tons of plugins to choose from when it comes to displaying an Instagram feed on your site’s homepage. We also know that these plugins sometimes malfunction or disconnect from the feed. Why not ditch the plugins and use the embed code provided by Instagram instead? We think it looks just as good…
Learn how to do it here.
Polls Plugin: If you look in your site’s dashboard, you may see two tabs for polls – SNO Polls and Polls. Before we developed our own, the standard WordPress plugin (the one labeled “Polls”) used to be the norm. Now, we recommend using SNO Polls instead. Why? More design options, choices over end date/time for the poll, and the ability to add a poll directly to a story are just a few reasons.
To make the switch, click on the SNO Polls tab in your dashboard. Be sure to click on the “Import Legacy Poll Data” button at the top to pull in any previously published polls. And voila! You’re ready to start creating new polls.
Trending Stories Widget: Ever noticed really old stories displayed in your Trending Stories widget? There’s an easy fix for that. Your trending stories get pulled in based on your site’s analytics, so you’ll want to visit your SNO Analytics tab. If you click on the “Trending Stories Widget Preview” tab at the top, you can adjust the parameters and exclude stories published before a certain date. Click on “Save Changes” to update the widget, and you’re all set!
Non-Home Sidebar: Often, we see sites make impressive updates to the widgets on their homepage, but they forget about their Non-Home Sidebar widget area. This can lead to old advertisements, countdowns, or polls unintentionally hanging out longer than they should.
By default, the Non-Home Sidebar shows on any stories using the Single Sidebar story page template (which many sites use as their default). Make sure it’s updated accordingly using your site’s Widget Control Panel tools.
Patterned Site Backgrounds: Okay, so we sort of snuck this one in here. It’s not that a patterned site background looks outdated. It’s just that it can sometimes make your site look cluttered and chaotic. We recommend sticking with a solid color background for your site (a white site background is usually the standard). And if you must use a patterned background, make sure to keep it simple.
If you need any help making these (or any other) site adjustments, remember that we’re just a support ticket away and ready to assist!