What are URL Monikers and how do they benefit SEO?
Answer
URL Monikers replace generic numerical IDs in your URLs with descriptive keywords derived from your content titles.
For example, instead of yoursite.com/page.php?id=123, you can have yoursite.com/about-us. This makes your URLs more user-friendly and helps search engines understand the topic of each page, improving your search ranking.
You can set monikers in the "Metadata" section when adding / editing content.
An XML Sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines understand your site's structure and content. Composr automatically generates a comprehensive sitemap, including forum topics if you are using Conversr.
Ensure your system scheduler is enabled for automatic sitemap submission to search engines. You can also manually generate and submit the sitemap if necessary.
How can I improve my website's ranking in search engines?
Answer
Composr offers various features and best practices to enhance your SEO:
Content Optimization: Write high-quality, keyword-rich content using clear headings, relevant links, and descriptive image alt text.
URL Monikers: Enable this feature to create human-readable URLs that incorporate keywords instead of numerical IDs.
XML Sitemaps: Composr automatically generates and submits XML Sitemaps to major search engines, aiding them in discovering and indexing your content.
robots.txt: This file allows you to control which parts of your site search engines can access and index. Composr provides a default robots.txt that can be customized as needed.
What are the primary metadata elements I should focus on?
Answer
While Composr provides extensive metadata options, the key elements to prioritize are:
Title: The title tag appears in browser tabs, search results, and when your page is shared. It should be concise, descriptive, and include relevant keywords.
Meta Description: This short summary entices users to click on your search result. It should be engaging, informative, and accurately reflect the page's content.
Open Graph data: These protocols control how your content appears when shared on social media and other websites. They utilize elements like title, description, and images to create visually appealing previews.
Favicon and Apple Web Clip image: These small icons represent your website in bookmarks, browser tabs, and on mobile home screens. They contribute to branding and visual recognition.
What is metadata and why is it important for my website?
Answer
Metadata is information about your web pages that isn't directly visible to visitors, but is used by search engines and social media platforms to understand and categorize your content.
Well-crafted metadata helps search engines properly index your site, making it more likely to appear in relevant search results. It also improves how your website appears when shared on social media, encouraging clicks and engagement.
What should I do about offensive or off-topic discussions?
Answer
Decide on your moderation approach: balancing viewpoints, adhering to community standards, or focusing on topic relevance. Be prepared to face criticism regardless of your decisions. Establish clear rules and policies to guide user behavior.
What resources are available to help me navigate these legal and social challenges?
Answer
Composr offers various resources, including tutorials on accessibility, staff management, and general website dos and don'ts. You can also consult external resources like the COPPA website and Wikipedia for more in-depth information on specific laws and regulations. Remember that seeking legal counsel may be necessary for complex situations.
What are some social considerations for running a website with community features?
Answer
Managing a community involves addressing social issues like child protection, free speech, discrimination, and abuse. Establish clear policies on these matters, including content moderation guidelines and procedures for handling feedback. Consider the diverse personalities and potential vulnerabilities of your users.
What are my legal responsibilities regarding illegal content posted by users?
Answer
While "safe harbor" laws offer some protection, you are still obligated to take down illegal content upon becoming aware of it. Implement measures like content checks, clear rules prohibiting illegal uploads, and liability disclaimers. The level of responsibility varies depending on the severity of the content, from copyright infringement to more serious criminal content.
What steps should I take to make my website accessible?
Answer
Website accessibility is essential for inclusivity and may be legally required under anti-discrimination laws. Composr is designed to meet high accessibility standards, but you need to maintain this when creating content or modifying templates. Following WCAG guidelines is crucial, and you can find more information in the accessibility tutorial.
Wiki+ is a feature in Composr that allows you to create a collaborative, tree-structured database of information. It functions similarly to a traditional wiki but offers enhanced features such as post contributions, a hierarchical structure, and moderation capabilities.
Can I integrate a dedicated issue management system with Composr?
Answer
While Composr doesn't have a built-in issue tracker, a non-bundled addon (cms_homesite_tracker) provides an integrated, modified version of Mantis. Additionally, the Support Ticket system can function as a basic private issue tracker using features like Post Templates.
How can I restrict access to the support system to specific users?
Answer
Utilize Composr's page access permissions to control who can access the Support Ticket page. This ensures only authorized users can submit support requests.
You can also control permissions based on ticket type when adding or editing a ticket type. Make sure if you go this route that the Support Ticket page permissions are very liberal (e.g. allow anyone to access, or just restrict to guests if you will never allow guests to make tickets). Otherwise, some people cannot make tickets even if they have permission on the type.
How does Composr handle email integration for support?
Answer
Composr can integrate with email for ticket management, assuming certain requirements are met:
PHP IMAP extension installed.
Functional PHP mail command (local SMTP server or configured Windows SMTP settings).
Active system scheduler (Cron).
With email integration, users can submit tickets via email, and staff can reply through the system. Composr cleans up email text for ticket clarity and allows forwarding emails to the integrated address for efficient handling.
How can I categorize and prioritize support requests?
Answer
Support Ticket System: Utilize support ticket types, managed in the Admin Zone > Setup > Support tickets. Staff can set individual notifications for different types.
Discussion Forums: Create dedicated subforums for different support categories or priority levels.
Feedback System: The content to which the feedback is attached implicitly categorizes it. For prioritization, subforums can be used.
Composr offers three main systems for providing online support:
1. Support Ticket System: This system allows users to submit tickets and staff to respond, track, and resolve them. It features email notifications, ticket categorization and prioritization, staff assignment, and attachment support.
2. Discussion Forums: Conversr, Composr's built-in forum software, can be utilized for support by creating dedicated forums or subforums. Features like post templates and multi-moderations enhance support capabilities.
3. Feedback System: This system allows for comments on various content types, facilitating support directly related to that content.
How can I access the raw data behind the statistics graphs?
Answer
Every graph in Composr offers a spreadsheet export option. This allows you to download the data in a spreadsheet format, enabling detailed manual review or further analysis using third-party tools.
