FAQs
You have asked and we have answers! We have some main bullet points as a shortcut to direct you to more Frequently Asked Questions. If you stil have questions, contact an Internet Account Representative and we will be more than happy to assist you. There are times when you just need to talk in person and that is exactly the kind of customer support we offer.
- Domain Name Registration
- Website Hosting
- Website Development
- Email Marketing
- Blog
- Create High Res Images
- Email Account Setup
- SPAM
- Session Proofing / Shopping Cart
- Internet Terminology
DOMAIN NAMES
How do I purchase a domain name?
Currently don't have a domain name? You can register your domain name through Marathon Press. Please start here and search for available domain names. Once you have found an available name, please go through the order process. If you have additional questions while going through the checkout process, please contact domain support at (480) 624-2500.
How do I manage my domain name and account?
Marathon has made a decision to use a Domain Name Registrar that gives our clients more domain name options for the same price. You should have received an email about managing your domain name or contact an account representative for more information.
With this new system, you can renew your domain name for additional years online anytime. Additionally, you may choose the "Auto Renew" option and change your payment method so that you don't have to worry about your domain name expiring in the future. At this time, Marathon did NOT select the Auto Renew option since it requires a selection for payment option for future billing.
What does it cost to host with Marathon?
Marathon's hosting fee is $24.95 per month or pay annually. Effective May 1, 2010, Marathon will offer annual hosting for $215.40 thus eliminating the worry-factor of monthly payments.
What benefits are included when hosting with Marathon?
FREE live phone support Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM Central Time and more
24-Hour On-Line Support Resources or contact us here by email and we will contact you the next business day.
Designer Websites
Can I have the colors changed on my Designer Site?
Our Designer Sites do allow for you to select a solid color, provide your own background or choose one of Marathon's background designs. If you do provide your own background design it must be high res and approximately an 8x10 300 dpi as a good starting point. If you are choosing a design prior to 2009, color changes are not part of the setup fee as the color scheme is what it is.
What is included with a Designer Site?
The Designer Sites currently come with the following:
- Home Page (most have a slideshow that may display up to 20 images depending on the design.) Call for details.
- Contact Page
- 6 Galleries
- 2 Information pages (The text you sumit must fit comfortably on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper or less to be considered one text page. If it’s longer we will review as additional fees may apply.)
Why are there more pages showing on your sample Designer Sites than what they should come with?
There are additional pages showing on our current Designer Site demos that may be available to you. These can include:
- An Online Session Proofing page to allow your clients to view their proofs online. This feature requires hosting the site with Marathon.
- A Resources page containing Marathon’s popular Pre-produced / Client Education pages.
- A Promotions/Specials page containing your Marathon printed promotions (Purchase of printed promotions required for this free page.)
- A Blog Link (You may purchase Marathon’s Blog, or if you have your own blog hosted elsewhere you can provide us with the link during the initial creation of your site.)
Can I host a Marathon Designer Site elsewhere at a different hosting company?
At this time, Marathon’s Designer Sites use special components that are registered to only work properly on Marathon’s servers and does not allow the hosting of these elsewhere. Thus, Marathon hosting is required with all of our Designer Sites.
Can I use another company for Online Session Proofing/Shopping Cart?
If you are currently using another company for your Online Session Proofing/Shopping Cart and they have provided you with a link, you may have your Session Proofing link on your web site redirected to your Session Proofing provider or lab of choice.
Can I use another company for my Blog?
Absolutely! If you already have a blog elsewhere and would like to (or need to) keep it with them, just provide us with the link and we can have that link added to your web site.
Can I use a 3rd-party blog on my web site?
If you choose to use a 3rd-party blog software that you would like to install within your hosting account, please review our 3rd-party Software Policy at our support site. Additionally, no direct assistance can be given for 3rd-party software except for the creation of a database (if needed.)
Can I have additional URL links or links to Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat/PDF files added to my Designer Site(s)?
Yes, you can have these links added to your web site during the initial development. If you would like Marathon to add or modify links/additional links after your web site has been developed, additional charges may be incurred.
What is required for a Marathon Designer Site?
Marathon hosting is required.
Can I change out my images whenever I want?
Yes! Marathon provides you not only with full FTP access to your site files, there is even phone/e-mail/online support offered to assist you with the process. The process involves changing the size of the images using your favorite photo-editing software (Adobe Photoshop is preferred and supported by Marathon), then uploading your files using your favorite FTP Program (currently, CuteFTP and FileZilla are supported by Marathon; others may be used as well.)
Can I change out the text on my information pages whenever I want?
You will have full FTP access to the Designer Site files at all times. At this time, Marathon does not provide free support for changing out text within the Designer Sites, however if you are comfortable enough with editing HTML or XML files, you may do so at any time. As always, we recommend that you make a backup copy of your files before making any modifications. Marathon offers partial- to full-site repair services for Designer Sites as well should your modifications cause the site to stop working.
Can I have the font changed on my Designer Site?
At this time, font changes are not allowed on Designer Sites. You may like a particular font, however it may not be a web safe font where it will not display properly in all browsers. Additionally, some fonts may 'break' our layouts and thus why we recommend against font changes other than what appears in the sample sites.
Who puts the site together?
Marathon will put the site together for you initially and you will have one proof of that web site before going live to have any text or programming corrections made. The arrangement of images, however, will not be changed during the proofing of the site because once the site goes live, you will have full access to the site anyway.
What will I need to have the site created? How do I get started?
The first step is to purchase a domain name if you don’t already have one. The second step is to choose the Designer Site that you like and call/e-mail Marathon for a checklist for that site. The checklist will guide you with how to gather/organize your materials for the site.
Can I have music on my Designer Site?
For Flash sites, Marathon allows for your own royalty-free music (for commercial use) to be played throughout the entire site. For HTML Sites, your own royalty-free music (for commercial use) can be played only on the home page if your HTML site comes with a slide show. The site checklist will provide you with links to sites offering royalty-free music. The music must be in MP3 format. You can change out your music at any time.
Do I get e-mail accounts with my Marathon-hosted site?
Marathon’s hosting comes with up to 10 free e-mail accounts of your choice. However, we do not recommend creating more than what you will need or check as we don't want an inbox full of SPAM that never gets used.
Can I use a third-party e-mail address on my site?
Although this is allowed, it is highly NOT recommended. Due to new Anti-Spam regulations, e-mail providers are setting up new rules on their e-mail servers which block any e-mails coming directly from a an online web site form(s) or from computer-generated software to prevent junk e-mail and phishing techniques. Having a Marathon-hosted e-mail account (ending in your domain name) ensures that messages are transmitted properly.
Can I change the pictures in Marathon’s Client Education pages?
Unfortunately, no, the pictures cannot be changed due to contracts with the photographers who had assisted with the creation of these pages. You can purchase a hard copy of these pre-produced brochures to place in your studio for clients to take with them.
What if I don’t have enough images for each gallery?
We will create blank image place holders within the site so that YOU can add the images via an FTP program at a later time. If WE have to add the images for you after the site goes live, additional fees may apply. Call for details.
I am just starting out as a new studio. What if I don’t have enough images to create all my gallery pages?
We suggest still naming your gallery pages. The first image could say ‘coming soon’ and create the blank place holders for you to complete the gallery with images at your convenience.
Custom Websites
What do you need to get started with a Custom Website?
Marathon does offer Custom Website designs. We start with a consultation of what you have in mind for design, style, layout, and pages. We will then put together a quote. Once the quote is approved we begin with a home page mockup and carry that approved look throughout the rest of the website.
How long will a custom site take to build?
On average it can take 4-8 weeks depending on how large the website is and if there is any programming involved. Ultimately it depends on the photographer getting feedback to us once a proof is created.
How do I enable Surveys?
The Survey is an additional feature. You must contact Marathon in order to enable this feature as it's an add-on to your email marketing account for $90 annually. Surveys are not sold separately as it's a feature within the Email Marketing program itself. Once it's enabled we have support documentation to assist you with using this feature.
A blog is a frequently updated, personal website. With Marathon's blog service added to your website, you'll be able to present your most up-to-date studio news at the push of a button. Share your favorite photographs, announce your recent promotions, or share a story; it's all about making a connection between you and your favorite people: your clients!
What is Page Protect?
Page Protect is a feature which is similar to the optional "no right click" script which helps to defer your website visitors from saving a copy of your photos from your website. Please keep in mind there isn't a "fool proof" way of portecting your online images, all protection methods can be defeated with enough time and effort. Currently, the widely accepted best practive for online image protection is to place a watermark on your photos before posting them online.
What is reCAPTCHA?
reCAPTCHA helps prevent automated abuse of your site (such as comment spam or bogus member registrations) by using a CAPTCHA to ensure that only humans perform certain actions.
What size and file format should my images be?
Images should be 700px wide and the height can vary. We highly recommend that you optimize your images for the web.
My images have a blue border around them. How do I remove this?
If you link your images to an outside source or anther URL a boarder will be placed around your images. You can remove this boarder by editing the HTML code.
1) Click on the Source button above your content box
2) remove (boarder= "0") the parentheses and all.
Now that you read through some blogging tips, it's time to get familiar with some of the other features we have to offer within the Dashboard once your blog is setup.
How do I know if I'm getting my legitimate messages?
The likelihood of filtering out legitimate messages is extremely low. However, if you know you are missing a specific message, please contact us.
SESSION PROOFING
How do I enable the zoom feature?
I have placed a check box in the Enable Zoom in my Display Options but I still can not zoom in on the large images.
Make sure you created a new folder called 'hires' (lower case letters) and upload it into your existing session folder. Also the image names in the hires folder MUST match the image names in the thumbnails and images folders. You should then see a magnifying glass to zoom and hover over the image. NOTE: Do not use spaces or special characters in image file names, but dashes and underscored are allowed.
Here is a guide to follow using photoshop actions to create hires images. You can also download the action script created by Marathon here for your convenience.
How do I add my own watermark?
If you don't like the default watermark on your images, but you still want to protect them while being displayed in your sessions you can create a watermark in Photoshop CS3 or older.
1. Go to File > Automate > Web Photo Gallery
2. In the 'Options' area is a drop-down menu for General, Large Images, Thumbnails, etc. Select "Security".
3. Now in the 'Content' drop-down menu you can select any of those options for watermarking your images. You can even select the font type, size, font color and set it's opacity, and position of the text on the images.
SHOPPING CART
Why is sales tax calculated for some orders and not for others?
Sales tax is not calculated for purchases made via the Internet for buyers residing in a different state than the seller.
How do I display the images I just uploaded via the FTP client?
Once you upload images you need to configure your images. Click the Sessions link on your main page of your Marketing Control Site. Directory is the first column, which is the name of your session folder or password. Images is the next column where it counts the number of your images. Next to Images is (refresh). Click the refresh link so now your images are sync'd with your control panel.
How do I create another A La Carte?
This cart only allows for ONE A La Carte for image pricing whether it is for weddings, portraits, seniors, etc. . However, some studios have different pricing structures. If your studio offers different a la carte pricing, you can create individual one item packages to accomplish this sort of pricing structure.
How do I know someone has placed an order online?
You will receive a confirmation order from your merchant account that funds have been deposited and an email from Marathon with the images your client has ordered. From there YOU will be responsible to complete the order and processing of the images.
I received the confirmation email from my merchant but not the one from Marathon. Where can I find this email?
Please report this issue to an Internet Account Representative as we may be able to locate the session information for you. We will need to know the customer who placed the order and the session name. The funds will already be deposited into your account for the order.
Bandwidth
The amount of data that may be transmitted across a network in a fixed amount of time.
Blog
Short for Web log, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal.
Browser
Short for Web browser, a software application used to locate and display Web pages.
Cache
Memory which stores the contents of all the web pages that you have visited.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)
A means of controlling the look and feel of a web page without using HTML markup. Gives web designers the ability to define how different elements in a web page appear.
CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black)
CMYK is a color model in which all colors are described as a mixture of these four process colors. CMYK is the standard color model used in offset printing for full-color documents. Because such printing uses inks of these four basic colors, it is often called four-color printing.
Domain Name
A name that identifies one or more IP addresses. For example, the domain name marathonpress.com represents the IP address 204.189.82.249. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular web pages.
Domain Registrar
A service that sells and manages domain names.
DNS (Domain Name System)
An Internet service that translates domain names into IP addresses.
Flash
A bandwidth friendly and browser independent animation technology.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
The protocol for exchanging files over the Internet.
Host
A computer system that is accessed by a user working at a remote location.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
A language used to create documents on the World Wide Web.
IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)
An identifier for a computer or device on a network.
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A company that provides access to the Internet.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
An image format used for logos, photographs, text flattened as an image, etc.
EPS (Encapsulated Postscript)
The type of file used by program such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Epson, Xerox, and Ventura Publisher.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
A proprietary image file format which supports transparency and is limited to 256 colors.
JavaScript
A scripting language used to create interactive websites.
Meta Tags
A special HTML tag that provides information about a Web page. Unlike normal HTML tags, meta tags do not affect how the page is displayed. Instead, they provide information such as who created the page, how often it is updated, what the page is about, and which keywords represent the page's content. Many search engines use this information when building their indices.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A file format developed by Adobe Systems. PDF captures formatting information from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send formatted documents and have them appear on the recipient's monitor or printer as they were intended. To view a file in PDF format, you need Adobe Reader, a free application distributed by Adobe Systems.
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor)
A server-side scripting language used to create dymanic websites.
POP (Post Office Protocol)
A protocol used to retrieve e-mail from a mail server.
PSD, Photoshop
An image editing program, best known for creating layers, allowing images to be arranged under and over each other for placement. (.PSD extension)
RGB (Red Green Blue)
These are the computer’s native color space. These are also the color system for capturing images and displaying them. Human eyes are sensitive to red, green and blue, and all colors are perceived as a combination of the RGB.
Search Engine
A software program used to search for specific keywords across many websites. Although search engine is really a general class of programs, the term is often used to specifically describe systems like Google and Yahoo that enable users to search for documents on the World Wide Web.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Optimizing a website using standard HTML, keyword placement, and other techniques to improve site ranking in search engine results.
Server
A computer, or a software package that provides services to client software running on other computers. Such as an email server, web server, etc.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
A protocol for sending e-mail messages between servers. Most e-mail systems that send mail over the Internet use SMTP to send messages from one server to another; the messages can then be retrieved with an e-mail client.
SPAM
Electronic junk mail.
Stats
Useful statistical information relating to a website, such as number of visits, pages being viewed, monthly history, etc.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Specifies the location of a resource on the Internet. The first part of the address indicates what protocol to use (i.e. FTP, HTTP, etc.), and the second part specifies the domain name where the resource is located.