With vFlyer Sites, creating a slideshow is super easy. You just choose Slideshow from the Add Module screen, then upload images from your computer or library. For an optimal slideshow display, all of the images you upload should be the same size, so you may need to do some cropping before uploading them. If you need help with cropping or resizing, feel free to contact us.

Once you’ve saved your slideshow, you can go into the settings to adjust the speed, transitions, and other attributes of it.

Our vSites All-Star last month, The Biz Funding Group, makes good use of the Slideshow Module on their website.

I caught up with one of the BFG team members was kind enough to tell me a little more about the company and reflect on building the site.

Tell me a little bit about The Biz Funding Group.

The Biz Funding Group is an affiliate company stemming from the main corporate office of The Business Finance Store. Our main expertise is funding businesses at a stage where banks will not: at start up… We have funding programs for new businesses that are either just getting started or looking to grow… [U]nlike banks, we provide unlimited attorney support, lifetime business support and of course our in-house credit funding program.

It must be gratifying to help small businesses and start-ups in this way, yes?

It’s the best feeling in the world knowing that we have helped both young and even seasoned companies by providing the necessary funding they need in order to reach their goals. Last year alone we provided $30 million in funding and are looking to double that number this year. As we all know, small business is the backbone of this economy….so I feel we’re doing our part to get our U.S. economy back on the right track.

Had you built any websites before using vSites?

Yes, I… took a couple basic programming and HTML classes during college and built my first website in the early 2000′s. However, vSites lets me build a real professional and great-looking website in a matter of minutes and with total ease… I’ve also built websites using Wix, 1&1, Intuit, and a few others, however none of them compare with the easy-to-use module technology you have with vSites. I was never really 100% satisfied or happy with my websites on those other platforms, but with vSites, I am very extremely happy with the outcome of all of my three websites so far!

Why is it important for BFG have a quality website?

It’s important for ANY company to have a quality website because it’s usually the first thing potential clients or partners look at in order to learn more about what you can do for them. I don’t mean to sound cliched but first impressions really do count when you’re trying to attract more clients!

It’s important for BFG… because when you deal with anything financial with business owners, they look for professionalism in all aspects of who they are working with. In a sense, we are their business partner and they need to be assured that we are going to provide a high quality service for them. Thus a professional-looking website is almost the stepping stone in order to gain that initial client trust.

You make good use of the social media toolbar on your homepage. Was it important for you to tie your social media presence into the website?

It’s 2012 and if you don’t have at least one type of social media presence linked from your website, you are far behind your competition. Our business is about helping other businesses succeed by providing them with the funding they need. In order to do this on a larger scale, we NEED to spread the word about our valuable services to the business community. The most efficient and effective way to do this is via the multiple social media platforms out there.

What’s your favorite vSites feature?

I would have to say all of them, but I’m sure you get that answer many times. If I were to point out just one feature, it would be your great customer service team! I have built a handful of websites using the vSites platform and whenever I had a question or concern about something, your team was readily available and willing to help me with no hesitation. I love the real time chat feature you have integrated while I work on updating my website. Chat is the most convenient way to get assistance when I have a quick question during one of my site updates… Keep up the great work!

Do you have any advice for someone thinking about building a website for his or her business?

You have 3 options really: learn programming and do it yourself (which I’ve done), hire someone to create a website for you (have gone this route as well), or lastly create one using vSites.com (I prefer this option, obviously)… Since I run my own business, I don’t have time to learn ALL the programming languages needed in order to build a high quality website. I am also working on a tight budget, so hiring a professional web designer is not an option at this time. So instead, for only $12 a month or so… I can build a real good-looking, SEO-friendly website myself in only a matter of hours if not minutes using vSites. Take my advice and skip all the trials and tribulations I went through as a business owner and use vSites to build your next website. You won’t regret it.

Today I want to highlight three tools in vSites that can make your website more social. If you’re already active on social networking sites, it’s important that all of your web properties — your Facebook page, Twitter feed, LinkedIn profile, blog, etc., not to mention your website — are connected to each other and working together to expose you and your company. vSites makes it easier than ever to build and manage a website that’s highly social. With just a few clicks, you can add a Social Media Toolbar, Facebook Like widget, and even your Twitter feed to your site.

Social Media Toolbar
The Social Media Toolbar is a set of social media icons that you can display on your website. Each icon is linked to your page on that site, so visitors to your website can instantly click through to your Facebook page, Twitter profile, Google+ page, and other social networks. By placing a Social Media Toolbar on your homepage, your site visitors see right away which social networks you’re on and can easily connect with you through them.

To add a Social Media Toolbar to your site, from the “Add Module” screen, select “Social Media Toolbar,” then choose the sites you want to display icons of and specify the link URL for each site.

Facebook Like Widget and Twitter Stream
Built-in share capabilities like the Facebook ‘Like’ and Twitter Modules are a great way to keep your website content fresh and current. Not only do the modules look great on your site but they are essential to opening the lines of communication with potential customers.

By integrating Facebook and Twitter into your site, you are enabling site visitors to more easily like your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter. By capturing likes and followers, your business has the ability to reach more customers directly. Moreover, the Twitter Module allows site visitors to “retweet” or reply directly from your website. And the Facebook Like Module gives you the option to show the faces of people who like your page, a great way to build social proof on your website.

You’ll find both the Facebook Like and Twitter Modules on the “Add Module” screen.

Adding these social media integrations to your website is just the beginning. The social part isn’t going to happen automatically; the real key to making your site social is being social. Start posting, commenting, making connections, and engaging your audience across a range of social media sites.

Here’s a list of best practices I try to keep in mind when being social:

Do a little research. A little research can go a long way. Figure out who your target audience is and what they use social media for. What kind of questions they are asking? Use your social media presence to answer those key questions and add insight about things that they are interested in.

Share. Share thoughtfully. Share information that you think will engage your audience. Post photos, informative news articles, interesting blog posts, and videos.The more creative and interesting you make your posts, the more likely your audience will grow and turn into customers.

Listen and respond. Make sure you are creating a dialogue, not a monologue. Keep an eye out for comments and conversation about your company and respond in a thoughtful, positive way. Remember, this is an opportunity both to engage with people directly and in a public context, so it’s important that your tone and message show you in a good light..

Reward your fans. Offering specials, discounts, and other deals to your Facebook fans and Twitter followers is a great way to establish loyalty and make them feel like VIPs. A reward doesn’t always have to be something tangible though; using shoutouts to recognize people on social networks is a great way to acknowledge them and add a personal touch to your social media presence.

Have fun! Success in social media takes work, sure, but it should still be fun.

So what are you waiting for? Try adding the modules I highlighted above to your vSites website and start getting social!

I chatted with Robin this week and he was kind enough to answer a few questions about his company, his website, and his experience working with vFlyer.

Tell me about LAApartments4Rent.
We manage around 15 buildings in and around Los Angeles, in “C” or blue-color locations in East Hollywood, San Fernando Valley, and Downtown/Koreatown. We have been in business since 2003. We offer rental properties in these central locations at competitive prices, and good service.

What’s the rental market in L.A. like today?
The rental market is getting very strong, and there is a lot of demand for rental units at reasonable prices.

For your website, you enlisted one of vFlyer’s in-house designers to design and build it. What was that process like and are you pleased with the results?
It was a pleasure dealing with Tom and the site looks great.

What’s your favorite vSites feature?
The ease of use and the how-to videos.

Why is having a good website important for your business?
It brings us more business and gives our company a more professional image.

What advice would you give someone thinking about building a website for their business?
Use a company with focus on customer service — one that is helpful and takes good care of its customers.

If you’re interested in having vFlyer design your website for you, we would love to hear from you. Take a look at our design services page, then drop us a line at support [at] vflyer.com or call (800) 594-5930.

1. vFlyer Listings Plugin for WordPress
WordPress users rejoice! We’re excited to introduce the vFlyer Listings Plugin for WordPress. Our new plugin enables you to display your listings on your WordPress website or blog in real time. As you add, remove, and edit flyers in your vFlyer account, the listings on your WordPress site will automatically be updated. The vFlyer WordPress Plugin has a number of beautiful layout options and is free for anyone with a WordPress site. To learn more and install the plugin, visit the vFlyer Listings Plugin for WordPress page.

2. Even Faster Website Building
Earlier this month, we introduced a new Site Wizard to streamline the process of building a website. Based on user feedback, we’ve improved the process even further, taking you right to the site theme preview when you build a website. From there, you can preview any theme and color palette. We also no longer require you to enter your business name or email address in the second step.

3. Bug Fixes
We fixed several bugs in this release, including one that was causing splash images not to appear in Internet Explorer 7 and another that sometimes caused an error page to show when a vFlyer Marketing Account Profile was opened on a mobile device.

I hope you all check out the WordPress plugin and the new My Sites page, and let us know what you think!

To add the Facebook Like Module to your website, you will need the URL for your Facebook page. Open the Site Editor and from the ‘Add module’ screen, select Facebook Like, copy and paste the URL for your Facebook page in the field provided, and click Save & Close.

To add an Audio Module to your website, you will first need to have a copy of your audio file in a supported file type (MP3, MP4, wav, or ogg). Once you have confirmed the audio file format, open the Site Editor and from the ‘Add Module’ screen, select Audio, upload the file from your computer, and click Save & Close.

Some things to keep in mind when adding audio files to your site:

Who are your primary visitors?
What is the primary purpose of your page or site?
Will sound add or detract from what you are trying to communicate?
Do I need permission from the owner of a song to play it on my website?

Perhaps playing a moody trip-hop loop may not be the best option to appeal to your site visitors, but adding something more neutral like classical music might be a better route. On the other hand, audio files are not limited to just songs or music, you can also add testimonials, podcasts, or radio interviews that are relevant to your business.

Google Forms is an awesome feature of Google Docs that allows you to create and customize your own forms. You can select from a number of different question types (multiple choice, check boxes, text, scale, etc.), make specific questions required, and even choose from over 60 different themes to apply to your form. Submissions to your forms are automatically compiled in a spreadsheet in your Google Docs account.

To add a custom form to your website, you will first need to create a form in Google Docs. Once you’ve completed your form, open the Site Editor and from the ‘Add Module’ screen, select IFRAME, then paste the URL for your form into the Source URL field and click Save & Close.

To find the source URL for your Google form, look for the live link at the bottom of your Google Forms window.

In addition, we moved the business category selection second (we still serve up sample content based on the category you choose) and removed the business profile information step. These changes make creating a website even easier and faster. Visit our themes page to start building your own site!

There were a number of other improvements that went into last night’s deployment, including:

1. More options when switching themes
For most site themes, you can now switch to almost any other theme from the Site Editor. For a few themes that have unique attributes, such as vertical site menus, the theme options are more limited.

2. New vFlyer Marketing custom theme header size limits
Header images uploaded to vFlyer Marketing custom themes can now be larger! The ideal dimensions are now 1003 x 109 pixels, though the header image will still be scaled down to 754 x 82 pixels. This will make it easier for users of both our Marketing and Sites services to use the same header in both if they choose to.

3. Site theme enhancements
We further streamlined all of our site themes, fixing formatting and spacing issues across all 13 master themes.

We’ve got more improvements to our services coming, so keep an eye out for announcements in the next couple of months.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the timeline format; I find it confusing and think it puts many businesses that don’t have a really good 851 x 315-pixel image for their cover photo at a major disadvantage. I’m envisioning a lot of Facebook pages after March 30 with blurry, visually unappealing cover photos — a bad situation since the cover photo is the main statement on the page. Granted, numerous companies are doing really cool things with their cover photos already, but what about the thousands of small businesses that don’t have an in-house designer or the creative energy to come up with a compelling “brand statement” image?

It’s all moot, really, since the decision has been made, and rather than continuing to criticize Facebook’s move, I’m offering up a set of articles and blog posts about how to prepare for the timeline switch and examples of cool business pages already using timeline. I hope you find them as useful as I have!

The Complete Guide to Setting Up the New Facebook Page Design
It’s Hubspot again! Contributor Pamela Vaughan offers a useful, straightforward set of tips on how to optimize your page for timeline and how to manage your page going forward.

Facebook Timeline: How To Make It Work for Your Business Fan Page (Part 1)
Social media consultant Nate Riggs provides another set of recommendations on how to adjust your Facebook page for the coming change. I especially like his “quick ideas you can consider” toward the bottom of the post, particularly for anyone wondering what in the world to show in their cover photo. (For anyone interested, check out Part 2 of Nate’s series.)

10 Facebook Page Timeline Cover Examples
For a change as potentially daunting as this one, seeing what others are doing is helpful. Jason Keith of SocialFresh gives 10 great examples of Facebook business pages that have adopted the timeline format.

Social@Ogilvy: Facebook Timeline for Brands: The Changes, and the Hidden Implications
A thoughtful, thorough Ogilvy deck on what all these changes mean for how companies think about and manage their Facebook pages. While it’s targeted at large corporations and brands, the ideas in the presentation can apply to businesses of all types and sizes.

What do you think about the timeline format and Facebook’s decision to apply it to all business pages? Feel free to leave your comments.