SplashMaker : Installation/Registration

SplashMaker Basic is the free stand-alone WordPress plugin. You can use it with any WordPress site or theme. It contains only the Personalization Form and Dynamic Content components (no actual content like in our SplashMaker+ premium packages). You will need refer to our knowledge base on its usage with standard WordPress sites (see link below).

Step 1: Install the SplashMaker Basic plugin.

• Navigate to Plugins from the WordPress Dashboard and select Add New…

• You can simply enter “SplashMaker” in the search field and install the plugin from there in the usual way (via the WordPress repository).

• Or, if you’ve downloaded the plugin zip file and want to use that method, just select the “Upload Plugins” button at the top of that page.

Step 2: Activate the SplashMaker Basic plugin.

• Once the plugin is installed, click the Activate button.
• Go back to the dashboard and you should see the new SplashMaker item in your menu.
• When clicked, you should see this.

Step 3: Create the required “Custom” page.

This is required for SplashMaker’s automatically customizing Dynamic Content pages to work. Without this page, you will get a 404 error when submitting the Personalization Form.

• Go to the Pages menu item.
• Create a new page and name it Custom.
• Publish it. No content is required. SplashMaker does the rest.

Note: If you’re having trouble with your Dynamic Content pages, make sure Permalinks are set to Post name.

That’s it! You’re ready to go!

Usage

Click here for more specifics on how to use SplashMaker.

Our premium SplashMaker+ packages include both the core SplashMaker plugin as well as our SmartDoc/SmartApp content themes, and optional integrations with our Splashmetrics platform, and leading MA/CRM platforms. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to get everything running.

NOTE: We always recommend that you create a dedicated subdomain for your SplashMaker+ smart content, something like smartcontent.yourdomain.com.

This way you can avoid any potential conflicts between various functions of your site technologies (plugins, widgets, themes, e-commerce, integrations, etc.), thereby reducing ongoing site management complexity and cost.

More importantly, this approach ensures a focused smart content library that is much more agile and scalable.

First, we recommend that you start with a fresh install of WordPress at the location where you wish your Smart Content asset to sit. For example, maybe you are building a smart eBook and want it here:

smartdocs.xyz.com/ebook

Because each SplashMaker Smart Content Asset Site should have its own WordPress installation in its own directory, you’ll simply install WordPress in that directory as you usually would for any WordPress site.

Next, for the automated Dynamic Content to work, you’ll need to make sure the permalinks are set up to just have the asset name in the URL (e.g. – smartdocs.xyz.com/asset01). Do this by selecting the “Post name” option as shown and then save the settings.

Now that you have WordPress in place, follow these steps to complete your installation and activation…

Step 1: Remove the standard plugins, posts, and pages that ship with WordPress (unless you need them for some reason).

Step 2: Install the SplashMaker+ package you purchased as follows:

• Navigate to Appearance > Themes from the WordPress Dashboard.
• Click the ‘Add New’ button on top of the page…

Note: Our SmartDoc content themes, which come bundled with our premium packages, are built atop the standard Twenty Twenty WordPress theme that comes packaged with new WordPress installs – and uses that standard theme as the “parent”. Installation will fail if you don’t have the Twenty Twenty theme installed!

• Then click the ‘Upload Theme’ button…

• Click ‘Choose File’ and find the theme’s zip file(s) you downloaded from our store. And select Install Now.

Potential Installation Error! Depending on your server settings, you might see the error(s) below. Just have your server administrator increase the PHP limits to exceed the size of the zip file – and provide more time for the installation to run – and the installation should succeed. See image below for suggested settings.

The above settings can be lowered again after installation if necessary

• When the upload has completed you should see this screen…

• Go ahead and Activate the theme, which will take you to this screen…

• The notice in the banner at the top of your screen takes you to the next step…
• Select Begin Installing Plugins from that top banner notification. This will take you to this Plugins installer page…

Step 3: Install and activate the bundled plugins as follows:

• Select all the plugins and under the “Bulk actions” dropdown, select “Install”. Then hit “Apply” to start the process.
• When installation is complete, you’ll see this screen. Select the indicated link to go back to the Plugins installer page…

• Perform the same step as before, yet this time instead of “Install” select “Activate” in the dropdown…

• This function takes a bit longer than the installation.
• On successful activation, you’ll see this screen.

• Now go to the Dashboard and you should see the SplashMaker item in the main menu…

• Click on the SplashMaker item in your menu to continue…

Package Activation

Now it’s time to activate your SplashMaker+ package.

• First, open the invoice you received via email when your order was completed. Look toward the bottom of that invoice and you’ll see your License Keys information as shown here…

• Copy these into the fields on your dashboard page and hit “Activate”.
• If you get an error, check that all the information is there and correct (e.g. – that you copied all the information over without missing anything – or adding any spaces, etc).
• When the Activation is completed, you’ll see the green “Status: Activated” indicator along with your package “License Type” as shown here…

Note: Please refer to your invoice and/or purchase agreement for the number of activations allowed for each package. Also note that you can Deactivate an unused package to free up more activations for other assets as needed.

That’s it! You’re ready to go!

Note: If you purchased the MA/CRM package or add-on, see the following section below for those installation instructions…

Usage

Click here for more specifics on how to use your SplashMaker+ package.

If you purchased or upgraded to the +Splashmetrics+MA/CRM package, upon activation with that license key you should see the above integration add-on options on the Platform Integration landing page.

Select the Add button beneath the package you want to add.

IMPORTANT: You can only add 1 integration to your SplashMaker package. And you cannot reverse it once it’s installed! So don’t get click-silly!

When you select this button, you might be prompted to approve the download of the associated zip file. Once this download is complete, go to the Plugins component of WordPress and select the Add New button. Then select the Upload button and choose the add-on zip file you just downloaded…

Select the Install Now button to install, then Activate the add-on as directed.

Connect SplashMaker+ To Your MA/CRM Account

The last thing you need to do is connect SplashMaker+ to your selected MA/CRM account. For instructions on the connection process and how to use the various features of the selected integration, see the appropriate section on the Platform Integration page.

That’s it! You’re ready to go!

Usage

Click here for more specifics on how to use SplashMaker.