On the Stallion Colour Options page you have settings related to the 24 Stallion colour schemes and the hundreds of banner and header images.
Stallion Theme Colour : Choose from one of the 24 Stallion theme colours. You can test the colours back clicking the links under the “Stallion Colour Switcher” menu on the right of this site.
Banners On/Off : Turn the rotating Stallion banners on or off and select their location, settings include: Top Banners ON, Middle Banners ON, Top and Middle Banners ON or All Banners OFF.
Top Banner Set : Choose a Stallion banner set from the built in and custom (see later) banner sets for the top banner area.
Top Banner Set Size : If you are selecting a built in Stallion banner set leave at 10, if you’ve built your own custom banner set select the number of banners you made.
Middle Banner Set : Choose a Stallion banner set from the built in and custom (see later) banner sets for the middle banner area (located between the 5 and 6 post on archive pages).
Middle Banner Set Size : If you are selecting a built in Stallion banner set leave at 10, if you’ve built your own custom banner set select the number of banners you made.
Header Image On/Off : Turn the Stallion header image on/off.
Header Image : Choose a Stallion header image, there’s 36 built in header images and twenty free spaces for your custom header images, ten custom jpg and ten custom gif.
Stallion 2011 Header Image Sets : Stallion 6.1+ includes the option for a large 1000px by 288px header image. The Stallion 2011 Header area is based on the new WordPress Default TwentyEleven themes header system with improvements. In TwentyEleven there’s 8 built in images and the option to upload one image, that’s it. In Stallion there’s “Stallion 2011 Header sets” each with 8 images. In Stallion 6.1 there’s the header images from TwentyEleven (called TwentyEleven) plus a Stallion set of 8 header images called Mixture. There’s also 10 custom slots (each capable of holding 8 images, so 80 more in total) available for your 1000px by 288px wide header images. Custom sets will be sold via this site soon.
When the Stallion 2011 Header is turned on (via Stallion Layout Options page) select a Stallion 2011 Header Image Set here and go to “Appearance >> Header” to select which images to show, rotate etc…
Composite Screenshot of the Stallion 2011 Money Header Image Set
The money header image set is one of 7 free built-in header image sets, there are custom folders to add your own as well.
Background Image : go to “Appearance >> Background” to upload a background image.
Featured Posts Slideshow
There are a variety of settings for the Featured Posts Slideshow, this Stallion 6.1+ feature allows you to upload and associate a large image to a post you wish to feature on the home and other archive pages. See the home page of this site for an example, when a post is set as featured it will become part of the scroller. The slideshow includes two types of effects, there are way too many combinations to explain here, try them out and decide which ones you like.
Featured Image and Thumbnails Admin : This adds two new columns to the admin pages for showing static pages and blog posts. The columns show a small 75px by 75px thumbnail of the Featured Image and Stallion Thumbnail that is used by the featured slideshow, the thumbnails on archive pages and the featured images used by the Stallion 2011 Header and Photo Nav Menu. Basically makes it easier to keep track of which posts and pages you have added featured and Stallion thumbnails too (has no impact on what your visitors see).
Adding Custom Stallion Header Images
There are 20 free image slots for your custom header images, if you are familiar with using FTP programs you’ll find this really easy to use.
Using a program like PhotoShop create a header image with dimensions 1000px by 130px (you can have the height of the image up to 150px if you don’t want the themes header borders to show). The image can either be a jpg or a gif (with gif’s you have the option of adding animation). Name the file one of these:
JPG : c1.jpg, c2.jpg, c3.jpg, c4.jpg, c5.jpg... c10.jpg
GIF : c1.gif, c2.gif, c3.gif, c4.gif, c5.gif... c10.gif
Using an FTP program like Filezilla (it’s free) connect to your sites server and upload the file(s) into the folder:
/wp-content/themes/stallion-seo-theme/headers/
Go to the Stallion Colour Options page and select the appropriate image under the Header Image selector.
Save Options
Adding Custom Stallion Banner Image Sets
There are 5 free banner set slots for your custom banner image sets, if you are familiar with using FTP programs you’ll find this really easy to use.
Using a program like PhotoShop create a banner images with dimensions 560px by 120px. The banner images must be jpg format : landscape-*.jpg where * is a number 1, 2, 3 etc…
Always start with landscape-1.jpg and work your way up until you have the number of banners you want for a set. If you built a custom banner set with 5 images you’d have:
landscape-1.jpg
landscape-2.jpg
landscape-3.jpg
landscape-4.jpg
landscape-5.jpg
There is no limit to the number of custom banners you can add to a set.
Using an FTP program like Filezilla (it’s free) connect to your sites server and upload the file(s) into the folder:
/wp-content/themes/stallion-seo-theme/landscape/custom-01/
For a second set upload to :
/wp-content/themes/stallion-seo-theme/landscape/custom-02/
There are 5 of these custom banner folders, so you can add 5 sets.
Go to the Stallion Colour Options page and select the appropriate custom banner set under the Banner Set selector. Also type in the size of the banner set in the Banner Set Size box, if your set includes 5 banners, type 5.
Save Options
How to Make the Banners into a Clickbale Custom Ad Banner
This isn’t possible without editing the Stallion themes code, but there’s a built in widget area that can replace this rotating banner area. It’s independent of the rotating banners, so you can have the rotating banners with another banner above them (which would look awful) so I’m assuming you only want a clickable banner.
On the Stallion Colour Options page turn banners off.
Build a banner link with this sort of format:
<div class="alcenter">
<a href="http://www.domain.com/"><img src="http://www.domain.com/wp-content/uploads/my-banner-image.jpg" alt="Short Keyword Rich Text About Banner" width="560" /></a>
</div>
Replace http://www.domain.com/ with where you want the link to go to. Replace http://www.domain.com/wp-content/uploads/my-banner-image.jpg with the location of your banner image (name it what you like, put it where you like using FTP). the image should be around 560px wide and whatever height works (I’d keep it between 60px and 200px).
Go to “Appearance >> Widgets”.
On the right open up the “Banner Ad Widget” widget area and drag and drop a “Text” widget into that area.
If you have the WP Expander Plugin installed and want this ad to delay open drag and drop a “WP-Expander” widget instead and set the time delay (in seconds).
Copy and paste your banner code into the form that opens (don’t add a title to the widget, it won’t look right).
If you have everything right you’ll have a clickable banner ad where the rotating banners used to be.
Website - WordPress SEO
75 responses to Stallion Theme Banners and Header Image
Header and Side Bar Questions
Hey David, it has been a while. Hope all is well! Couple of quick questions.
I am building a local Roofers site and fired up Stallionyour theme. How do you:
Add the phone number and address into the header to display prominently? Custom Header and Photoshop? Can’t just add text to header?
Remove the Meta, Links and Recent Articles from the right sidebar? Nothing displays in the right side bar in Widgets so I can’t remove it.
Big question- will removing those that screw up the any SEO?
Thanks!
Stallion Theme Banners and Header Image
Stallion Theme WordPress Widget Areas
Question 2 is learn to use widgets.
Add any widget on the Appearance >> Widgets page to the left and right
sidebars and you’ll see the defaults ones are completely cleared. You
have to add one to the left and one to the right to clear, so you
don’t remove them one at a time (common misconception).
No major SEO damage, pretty SEO neutral though the recent one is
useful for getting your new article indexed faster. Also your links
one is useful for adding links to other sites you own, go to Links >>
All Links and delete all the default WordPress links and add your own.
You can use the header widget area for adding an address and phone number.
The header widget is located where the search form is, so you first
have to disable it.
Stallion Layout Options page : Search Form OFF
There’s a Search Form widget, so if you want a search form add the
widget version to a sidebar.
Drag a Text Widget to the Header Ad Widget area and in the large text
widget form add your code.
Any HTML coding will need to be added to the text widget, if you
wanted something like
Address : I live hereTelephone : 000000000
With address and telephone in bold you’d start with something like this:
<strong>Address</strong> : I live here<strong>Telephone</strong> : 000000000
This is on my list of features to add to Stallion in the future, so
rather than building a text widget have a widget where all the
formatting is built in.
Or you could create a custom header image
David
Stallion Theme Colours, Banners and Header Image
Left Sidebar widget on site.
Hi david,
Few weeks ago I have enabled left sidebar, even though I removed all the widgets from Left sidebar (it is showing me empty left sidebar through wordpress)I am able to see widgets in the live site,let me know the what was the issue??
http://www.stallion-theme.com/stallion-theme-colours-banners-and-header-image-options?cid=12176
Homepage title
Hi David. By default the homepage title and tagline are always on the left side of the header. How do I move the homepage title and tagline to the right side of the header? Can the font size of the title be adjusted without having to do it from the editor? I’m not too keen meddling with editor. Afraid of messing up things. Thanks.
Stallion Header Text Layout
There’s currently one Stallion colour scheme that has the heading text on the right rather than the left and that’s Connections Reloaded (settings under Stallion Colour Options page.
There’s no Stallion option to switch the heading layout on other colour schemes, that would require editing the colours CSS file. For example if you run Stallion Delicate edit
style-delicate.css
Should be easy to change, find
.headleft {float: left;
width: 640px;
margin: 0px;
padding: 15px 0px 0px 20px;
}
Change to something like this
.headleft {float: right;
width: 640px;
margin: 0px;
padding: 15px 0px 0px 20px;
text-align: right;
}
#header_stallion_2011_top {
float: right;
width: 640px;
text-align: right;
padding: 15px 0px 0px 20px;
}
#stsearchform {
top: 95px;
right: 10px;
}
#header_widget {
left: 20px;
float: left;
text-align: left;
}
This should work with all colour schemes with minor adjustments.
Might want to play around with the padding for example to get the layout right. If you aren’t famlar with padding: 1px 2px 3px 4px; format the 4 sizes represent padding top, right, bottom, left, so the above is top 1px, right 2px, bottom 3px, left 4px.
The #stsearchform part changes the location of the search form, puts it below the heading text like you see with Connections Reloaded. top: 95px; means put the form 95px from the top, if the form is too high try top: 100px; if too low try top: 90px;. If you wanted the search form on the left instead of the right you’d use something like
#stsearchform {
top: 95px;
left: 10px;
}
The header widget area would be located on the right as well.
On changing font sizes, no built in Stallion option, it’s editing the CSS files.
Look for these two sets of CSS
.h1disc h1, .h1disc span {font-size: 1.3em;
and
#branding div, #branding h1 {
line-height: 1.5em;
font-size: 1.3em;
And change the font-size.
The above covers the font size of the text size of the heading link back to home.
In the next update it will be easier to make these sorts of changes as child themes will be available, you’ll never have to edit a core Stallion file again for customizations. In another update thinking about adding an options page for over writing font sizes and colors, I’ve avoided this so far as has to be inline CSS which isn’t ideal.
David
Stallion Theme Colours, Banners and Header Image
Remove search box from header and use stallion widget on right sidebar.
Hi David,
I am using custom header, so want remove search box completely from header image and use stallion widget in right sidebar.
As you explained above I tried to find style-delicate.css file in wordpress, but not able to find it. Please help me on that.
Stallion Layout Options
Would be easier to turn the header search form off under
Stallion Layout Options >> Search Form : Search Form OFF
Lots of items on that options page can be completely disabled.
David
Stallion Color Checker Missing
“Stallion Theme Colour : Choose from one of the 24 Stallion theme colours. You can test the colours back clicking the links under the “Stallion Colour Switcher” menu on the right of this site.”
Did you take it out of the sidebar? I don’t see it.
Stallion SEO Theme Colour Schemes
I was doing an update and testing a new Stallion 7.1 feature and the Chameleon CSS Plugin (used to make the colour switcher) stopped the new feature working correctly, I disabled the plugin for the tests and it deleted the widget I’d built (stupid plugin)!
Stallion 7.1 (which is running on this site to test it) has the ability to set a different layout, colour scheme and other settings on each blog post/static page (the feature I was testing) and I plan to use that feature to show the different Stallion colours etc… that way rather than the plugin (so won’t be rebuilding the widget).
I’ve made a start on this, but not complete, if you view pages on the site you will find some have different layouts and colour schemes, few examples
http://www.stallion-theme.com/stallion-seo-wordpress-theme-support
http://www.stallion-theme.com/stallion-wordpress-theme-feature-requests
http://www.stallion-theme.com/wordpress-seo
http://www.stallion-theme.com/stallion-seo-ad-theme-clickbank-affiliate-program
http://www.stallion-theme.com/privacy-policy
http://www.stallion-theme.com/stallion-all-in-one-seo-plugin
I’ll be using different colours through the site to show what’s possible with Stallion 7.1 over the next few days. Also shows some of the built in header images as well.
What I’ve done above will be possible after the next update (should release in a few days), so if you wanted a site with a different layout and colour scheme on each page/post it’s possible.
This post http://www.stallion-theme.com/stallion-all-in-one-seo-plugin shows another interesting Stallion feature that works well with the above feature. You will note I have a large 300px wide Stallion banner ad on the right menu on every page and a similar sized Aweber form widget. The page above is using a 210px wide right sidebar layout where those two widgets won’t work, so under Appearance >> Widgets I’ve set those two widgets to be hidden on that post. Similar with this post http://www.stallion-theme.com/google-plus-project-seo-value all multi widgets (widgets that can be added multiple times) can be hidden on any posts/pages you select with Stallion.
Anyway, will have a list of the colour links up soon to replace the old colour switcher.
David
Update: The links have been added to the home page.
Stallion Theme Colours, Banners and Header Image
Hi David,
I’m trying to use one of the widgets to place a .swf banner. It’s not working for me. Is this possible? Is / is not recommended to use flash?
Thanks
Héctor
Adding Flash Banner Ads to WordPress
If you are using a Text Widget and have the code right (fully formed HTML) it should work. The Stallion Custom Ad widget is only for images unless you use the content box at the bottom which is the same as a Text Widget.
David
it’s weird but I cannot make it work. It shows up as it does not find the image…
This is the code:
code broke
Also, I’m trying to find my notes of instructions for adding a 728×90 .swf banner… do you have this handy? please
Thanks
Embedding an SWF File
You’ve added it as a linked image (looks like you uploaded the swf file via the WordPress media uploader and inserted it as an image) to a text widget, swf files aren’t images they can’t be added that way, the code has to be embedded correctly.
Do a Google search for “Embedding an SWF File” and there will be loads of examples.
There’s no built in SWF file support in Stallion, no idea if WordPress has anything built in as I’ve never used an SWF file I’ve uploaded. As a side not your swf file works if you load it directly, all you have to do now is build the correct embed code so it works inside an HTML webpage and add it to a text widget instead of adding it as a linked image.
David
Stallion WordPress Theme Colours
Adding Custom Stallion Header Images
Hi David,
I am trying to add custom header image of size 1000*131 (c1.jpg),to the path “/wp-content/themes/stallion-seo-theme/headers/” thru FTP program Filezilla as name c1.jpg.
Filezilla shows file transfer status as successful, but I am not able to see the same image in Stallion theme “Original Stallion Header Area Header Image” dropdown.
Selecting a Custom Stallion Header Image
You’ve done the FTP part correctly, you can see the file is online at
recipefavourite.com/wp-content/themes/stallion-seo-theme/headers/c1.jpg
Looks like you haven’t set it to the custom image.
Stallion Colour Options >> Original Stallion Header Area Header Image : custom 1 jpg
David
Adding Custom Stallion Header Images
Thanks David, for quick response..
Now I am able to see updated header.
New ideal for a static front page for a sales site
I have not given up on the idea of redesigning something with the Stallion theme in terms of a static front page that is very different from a blog. I think you have given us all the tools we need, it is just CSS. For my main site, when I sell my product I would like to have something that looks like: www.libreoffice.org
I just have to go back to my CSS books.
- it is so nicely designed I think it will help conversion.
Not sure I know how to do this yet, but I think if people can see what can be done on that level it will make Stallion look good also.
Stallion Theme Banners and Header Image
Design vs SEO
Looks good, but not so good SEO wise.
If you view source of the site you’ll see a lot of javascript and CSS related to slider coding.
It’s not unlike the code used for the Stallion slideshow. Best bet would be look for a WordPress slider plugin and create a Page template just for the home page.
David
Static first page for conversation with the rest or WP site for SEO
I think for any sales site the first page and a couple others are for conversion the rest SEO. I have to determine who many people land on my first page percentage wise from organic search. I will have to build it an see if they come.
Basically you have hands down the best WP theme SEO wise. I wonder why people can not see this. You are the Stephen Hawking of the SEO world.
Yet if I have a static first page that rocks, does not even have to be a slider, I think it will help sales. I will test it and let you know. I have more time on my hands these days. No more my day job, back to full-time problogger.
Stallion Colours, Banners and Header Images
SEO vs Design
I completely agree, the difficulty is creating a great looking page without it costing on the SEO side.
Easy to take everything away from the home page with Stallion via the Page templates, but take out all the sidebar links etc… and the rest of the site gets no link juice.
For example I’m thinking about adding a mememaker (images with captions) to some of my joke type sites, there’s a variety of PHP based scripts available for generating a meme site, BUT the SEO is non-existent, they look really good though. For me SEO comes first since without it my sites don’t gain traffic, with no traffic what’s the point!
Have you tried playing around with the Page templates? page-sales.php (template name Static Page Blank Sales No Sidebars) is a stand alone template, basically the header.php, content.php and footer.php template files combined into one file with the sidebar template files emptied of widget areas. If you are looking for a front page you build a lot like you’d built a html file that’s a good start.
David
Stallion WordPress Theme Colours
H1 position in code for SEO
Hi Dave,
One question on using the H1 replacement widget and if there is any SEO affect based on its position.
I have implemented a header image as my blog title, and am now using the H1 Replacement widget in the sidebar (have turned title link off).
My question is about the position of the H1 tag in the code of the page. Does it matter where the widget is placed?
For instance, if I check the source code of a post (which would be using the post title as H1), the H1 appears fairly high, about line 60. But on the source code of my main index page, the H1 appears in the mid-400s. Does this matter for SEO purposes? If so should I move the H1 widget higher in the sidebar?
Thanks for any thoughts on this.
Erik
Stallion Theme Banners and Header Image
SEO Content High in Code
In SEO theory having your most important content higher in the code as possible makes sense, BUT the actual evidence it matters a lot is weak at best.
If there is an SEO impact it’s very small.
There is an argument loosing some of the header code at the top (the setup you are using) pushes your other important content higher in the code, especially on single post pages. For your single posts the header code is far less important SEO wise than the main content, the header code links back to home is important to home, but it’s not important to the single posts SERPs. So loosing the header code pushes your single posts H1 header which includes the posts title higher in the code.
SEO swings and roundabouts, but very small ones since it appears to be a very small SEO factor
David
Stallion Theme Colours, Banners and Header Image
Thanks Dave, that’s what I was hoping
Clickable header Image
Hello David,
Site title is off and I want the header image should be click-able so that anyone can go back to the home page quickly. Is it possible?
Clickable Stallion 2011 Header Area
Under Stallion Theme >> Layout Options your could
Activate Stallion 2011 Header Area
2011 Simplified Title Link Area OFF
and
Hide Original Stallion Header Area
With the Stallion 2011 Header Area the large image is clickable. Upload an image you like and you’ll have a clickable header image.
Difference between the default header area is the size of the image.
David
Clickable header Image
Hay David,
I configured as you said and it’s working fine see http://www.wellwaterhydration.com/ amazing “Stallion seo theme” all are there just need to know how it works. Thanks for your valuable reply.
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