Getting Started

This section provides a step-by-step description of how to get your site(s) listed on our exchange.

Before you begin

• Either bookmark this page, print this page, or note how the menu is laid out
  (you are at: http://surfforlocal.com/News/faq/starting.php).

• When you are in the members' area, you need to allow cookies to be stored on your browser, so that the system can remember that you've signed in correctly.  [Internet Explorer users: add surfforlocal.com/Members/* to your trusted site list].

Section 1: Become a free, 30 Day Trial Member

Step 1: Join

If you haven't done so already, join SFL from our signup/join page.  You will be asked to put in your real name, a 'handle' (which will be shown if you are on a toplist, for example), provide an email address, and a password.

Your email will never be distributed from our system, so please use a real email address.  We must be able to contact you both when becoming a member, and to provide you with your weekly statistics.  If you have concerns, see our privacy policy.

Also, if your email provider (or your ISP) has spam filtering or blocking turned on, make sure you "white list" messages from Glen_P@EccentricNewEngland.com, which is where you will receive email from.

Step 2: Confirm your email address

Once you've submitted your information, we will automatically send a confirmation email to the email address you provided.  That email will contain a 'code', so we know you - the legitimate owner of that email address - are the one who signed up.

If you didn't receive the confirmation email, you or your ISP may be filtering us out, or we may have had a computer glitch.  (This is the internet, some mail does get lost).  We can re-send your confirmation email from this page.  Just re-enter the email address you signed up with, and we will send the confirmation email to you again.

Click the link in the email, or paste the link into your browser, and you should get a 'congratulations' screen.  This will send out a 'welcome to SFL' message, confirming your id, handle, and password.

Step 3: Welcome Emails

Section 2: Initiate Your FREE Membership (Music Site webmasters are exempt)

Once you have confirmed your email address, you can then log in to our members' area.  You can put your email, handle, or ID number in the first field, and your password in the second field.

If you wish, check the 'check box' below the fields, and a copy of your user id and password will be stored on a cookie on your browser.  This way, you don't have to remember your password every time you log on.

Step 1: Initiate Your Membership

Section 3: Getting sites or banners listed on Surf For Local - New England

Step 2: Add your banner(s) and site(s)

Once you're logged in, go to the Members/Your Ads selection, select the ad type, and scroll to the bottom of the page.  You will find a form there to enter new ads.

• Based on the page, you will be able to enter a site, banner, text ad or mini-banner
  • Site: we show the whole page for 1 credit per display
  • Banner: A graphic (468x60) shown on the bottom of the surf bar for 0.1 credits per display.
  • Text Ad: A small block of text with title, content and a link shown on site for 0.1 credits per display.
  • Mini-Banner: A graphic (88x31) shown on the on site for credits per display.
  
   
  
• Banners, Text Ads and Mini-banners can also be used on outside Exchanges
   
  
• Non-Sites: Indicate if you want the ad (banner, text ad or mini-banner) to be shown on our outside Exchanges
  • This shows your banner on other members' sites, getting your message out to more viewers, more often
  • You must also set "allow banner exchange" in the Members/Your Info page, under Preferences
  
   
  
• Enter a brief description for the site... this is for your own reference, but other users may see it in their 'surf history' list.
   
  
• Provide the destination.
  • Site: This is the page we will actually show to other webmasters
  • Banner: This is the page the user will be taken to if they click on the banner
  • Use the test link.  This lets you make sure you've entered the URL correctly
  
   
  
• Select a banner link, if you wish
  • A banner link will take the banner you choose, and always display it when your site displays.  This can improve the overall effect of your presentation to the user.
  • A banner must be approved before it will show up in the list of banner links
  
   
  
• Determine if you want this to be an 'exclusive' display
  • For sites, "exclusive=yes" means the site will never be shown, unless it's part of a Way Station
  • For banners, "exclusive=yes" means the banner will only be shown when a site calls it up by way of the banner link (above).
  
   
  
• Banner URL: This is the URL that tells us where on the internet the graphic resides.
  • If you don't have a website, and wish to upload the banner, leave this field blank, and edit the record after saving it.
  • If you're not going to upload the banner, Use the test link.  This lets you make sure you've entered the URL correctly.
  
   
  
• Link Prompt: This is the text that appears if the user moves their mouse over your banner

Once you've put in all the information, click on 'Add this site or banner'.  If you get the message 'save succeeded', your ad is ready for approval.

If you need to upload the banner graphic to our site.  Return to the Members/Manage Ads / Banners page, and click on the ID next to the banner you added.  When the edit screen comes up, blank out the field marked "Banner URL", and click 'Save Changes'.  You will then be prompted to select the file from your computer and can then upload the file to us.

If everything worked okay, you should see the banner displayed on the 'save succeeded' page.

Step 3: We approve or warn the new site/banner entries

For the benefit of our surfers, we hand-check each site and banner for compliance with our rules.  When we do so, you will receive either an Approval or a Warning email. 

• If your site or banner has been approved, it immediately goes into the surf rotation. 
• If you receive a warning, an explanation of what was wrong will be found in the email.  You can either fix the problem, or use the entry for some other site or banner.

Step 4: Enjoy the new traffic from your approved sites

As long as you have credits, your site(s) and banner(s) will be displayed on the surf system.

Step 5: Keep your credit balance up, for more consistent exposure

• Use our surf system to earn credits (Go to Members/Your Info page, and see the 'important links' section)
• Advertise our site, and receive credits for every 24-hour unique visitor
• Refer other members, and get sign-up bonuses when they confirm their email
• Purchase credits or professional membership at our credit Shop