How to add video to the homepage feature region
- Photo Mode - upload one or more still images into the feature region (see instructions).
- Video Mode - embed a video in the feature region (instructions below).
Follow these steps to set your feature region to Video Mode and display a video!
- 1
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Select a theme that supports Video Mode
To begin, log in to your eCatholic-powered website as an Admin.
- Click Design in the white Admin Toolbar.
- Click the Explore Theme button (pictured below) to open the Select a Theme dialog.
- To identify themes that support Video Mode, use the Feature Region Size filter to select Full Video (pictured below).
Video Mode is supported in the following free themes:
Calvary, Nazareth, Condit, Kolbe, Verona, Eden, Olivet, San Juan, Cyprus, Damascus, Lucca, Moser, Cascia, Lorenzo, Loyola
After selecting one of the themes listed above, click Save to continue. (If you're already using a theme that supports Video Mode, move on to Step 2.)
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Choose a homepage layout that supports Video Mode
Still in the Design Studio:
Click the Layouts button (pictured below) to select a layout that supports Video Mode.
In the Layouts dialog, all layouts that support Video Mode will be marked with a video icon (as pictured below).
NOTE: Only Admins have access to the Design Studio to change your site's theme and/or homepage layout. Once you've selected a layout that supports Video Mode, click Save to exit the Homepage Layout dialog.
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Turn on Video Mode
Now that you've picked a theme and homepage layout that supports Video Mode, it's time to enable Video Mode in the homepage feature region.
- Click Edit Website in the white Admin Toolbar to exit the Design Studio and access your website's homepage in Edit Mode (pictured as #1 below).
Next, hover your cursor over the homepage feature region and click the settings icon in the top right corner of the region (pictured as #2 below) to open the Feature Region Settings dialog.
Once the Feature Region Settings dialog opens, change Mode to Video.
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Add a video to your homepage feature region
Once you've enabled Video Mode, configure the Basic settings to add your video and control its appearance.
Video Mode Basic settings:
- Video Source - Select one of the following sources for your video:
- Vimeo - If your video is already uploaded to your Vimeo account, type or paste the video's Vimeo ID or full URL.
- YouTube - If your video is already uploaded to your YouTube channel, type or paste the video's YouTube ID or full URL.
- eCatholic LIVE Archive - If eCatholic LIVE is enabled for your website, use the drop-down menu to select a video file from your eCatholic LIVE archive.
- YouTube Video Type - Select whether this YouTube option is a single video or a playlist.
- Vimeo Pro Player Controls - If you've selected Vimeo as your video source and your video is hosted in a paid Vimeo Pro account, you can choose to hide the player controls (e.g., play button, video progress bar, and other controls) by selecting Off.
- YouTube Player Controls - If you've selected YouTube as your video source, you can choose to hide the player controls (e.g., play button, video progress bar, and other controls) by selecting Off.
- Autoplay - Set to On and the video will loop with muted audio.
- Title - Add a title to display over the video.
- Caption - Add a caption to display over the video.
- Overlay - Set to On to enable an overlay that will darken your video, helping the Title and Caption stand out from the video background.
- Call to Action - Set to On to create a linked button that will display in the feature region. Once turned on, you'll need to configure the following settings:
- Call to Action button text - Enter text to display on the button.
- Link Type and Link URL - Choose to enter an external link that directs visitors to a separate website or an internal link that directs visitors to a page within your website.
- Video Source - Select one of the following sources for your video:
Finally, don't forget to publish the changes you've made on your homepage as well as any site-wide Theme/Layout updates you made in the Design Studio.
How to get the best results with your homepage videos
Here are a few tips to consider when using the homepage video feature region.
- Avoid using a video file that displays text (i.e., words that are edited to appear in the video). If you'd like to communicate a message via text, use the built-in title, caption, and call to action button features instead.
- Make sure the primary visuals within the video are framed to appear near the center of the frame (i.e., not near the edges of the frame).
- Try to use video clips that contain smooth pans and simple, beautiful images. Too much "commotion" can overwhelm your visitors.