Tutorial - Guest Map

iWeb Enhancer Guest Map Tutorial

Guest Maps are becoming more and more popular on personal websites all around the world. They are a fun interactive way for visitors to leave a note on your site and let the rest of the globe see where your visitors come from. This tutorial will guide you through the process of using iWeb and iWeb Enhancer to add a Guest Map to your site.

Step 1 - Sign up for an account at MapServices

MapServices provides free Guest Map accounts. It is fast and easy to sign up and you can create your Guest Map right away.

Step 2 - Configure your Map Settings

Log into your account at MapServices and configure your map. Pay close attention to the Map Width and Height. Set them to a size that will fit well within the constraints of your site. You can also set the longitude and latitude that you want your map to start at as well as choose the map type that you prefer (Map, Satellite, or Hybrid).

Step 3 - Create a New Page in iWeb

Create a new page in iWeb to contain your Guest Map. I like to you the Welcome page because it has the least stuff on it, but you can choose whatever you want. You could even put your Guest Map in a blog entry if you choose. For this tutorial, we will use the Welcome page from the “Modern” template.

Step 4 - Add a Rounded Rectange to Your Page

Add a Rounded Rectangle to your page using the “Shapes” tool. Place it in the location where you want your map to be on the page and size it to be the same size you chose for your map in Step 2 for now. You might want to adjust the size later on once you see how your map fits on your page.

Step 5 - Add the Code inside the Rounded Rectangle

Copy and paste the code you see below the picture into the rounded rectangle on the page. Be sure to paste it into the rectangle, and not into a separate text box. The BeginHTMLData tag tells iWeb Enhancer to pay attention to the following code. Without it, iWeb Enhancer will skip right over your code and not insert your Guest Map. Be sure to replace “enhancer_tutorial” with your MapServices username and change the width and height to match the map size you chose in Step 2.

Step 6 - Publish Your Site

You can publish your site to .Mac or to a folder. For the purposes of this tutorial we will publish to a folder.

Step 7 - Run iWeb Enhancer

Run iWeb Enhancer and choose your site folder. If you are using .Mac, navigate to your iDisk > Web > Sites > iWeb folder and choose your site folder. NOTE: If you are using .Mac and you have iDisk Syncing turned on, you have to manually sync your iDisk before and after running iWeb Enhancer! To sync, click on the sync button next to your iDisk in the Finder.

Step 8 - You’re Done!

If you followed this tutorial correctly you should now have a Guest Map on your site. If you are using .Mac it is already online and ready to go. If you published to a folder, you can now upload it to your server using whatever means you normally do. To see a working example, visit and sign my Guest Map. If you have any questions or comments, leave them in the comments section below. Thanks for sticking with me all the way to the end! Doesn’t success feel good?

One More Thing - I am currently working on several other tutorials for iWeb Enhancer. I would appreciate your feedback in the comments section about this tutorial. How could I make it better? What did you like? What could be more clear? Do you have ideas for tutorials that I haven’t listed on my front page? Let me hear them.

Posted Sunday, April 2, 2006 @ 12:19 AM • •