TennisConnect Components

Available Components, eCalendar, MiniCalendar, Web Pages, Tennis Lobby, Contact Us, Opt-in Form, Email History, Component Restrictions

TennisConnect Components are the new way to subscribe to TennisConnect allowing you to choose, use, and pay for "just what you need".  Please see http://www.tennisconnect.com/pricing.cfm for pricing, bundle, monthly and annual payment options.

TennisConnect Component Embed Codes are specific "pieces" of TennisConnect functionality that can be embedded on any web site.  All TennisConnect customers now have access to the component embed codes available for the components that you are using.

If you have ever embedded a YouTube video on your web site, or a Twitter feed, or Facebook stamp - then you embedded a component (from YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook) on your web site.

Now you can do the same thing in reverse.  You can make pieces of your web site available for display on anybody's web site, including your Facebook page or another non-TennisConnect web site.

Applications
The applications for Component Embed Codes are enormous. 

• Custom web sites.  Now you can hire a designer to build a totally custom web site and embed components that are maintained from within TennisConnect, so you enjoy the ability to control the content, update your pages, display your eCalendar, offer online enrollment, etc.  You'll not only save tons of money since your designer will not need to program these interactive customer self-service functions into your site, but you will also enjoy the network effect of being attached to the TIA's national tennis database.

• Broaden your content distribution on social networking and other sites.  Sites like Facebook allow you to use an iframe to fetch content maintained outside of Facebook.  Now you can set up a tab on your wall and link it to any TennisConnect Component.  When you update your page or calendar in TennisConnect, the updated information will automatically be displayed on your Facebook page too.

• Leverage your local media or friendly business partners by requesting space on their site.  Webmasters love this arrangement since it gives their site depth and delegates the content updating to you.  They simply plug the Component code in once, and it is automatically updated anytime you update your pages or calendar.  Some suggestions:
  
  •  If you manage a public park you should ask your Park and Recreation department to make space for you on their web site. 
  • If you do not have a pro shop but refer business to a local tennis retailer, ask them for space on their web site 
  • If your town newspaper or television station has a sports section on their web site offer them a reciprocal link for space on their site 
  • Inform your local CTA that you can now provide their web site with a component that will always keep their visitors up to date on news at your tennis center or retail shop

• Sprinkle Components throughout your own web site.  You can make room on your home page to embed the MiniCalendar view of your eCalendar.  Since the Components are self-updating, your customers will always be able to see the week at a glance when they first enter your site (and you don't have to worry about keeping that section of your home page up to date).  The MiniCalendar Component can also be configured by Event Type, so you could also elect to show the Junior MiniCalendar on your Junior page, the socials MiniCalendar on your socials page, etc.

Available Component Embed Codes

The following components are currently available as embedded elements (Basic Settings - lower left hand corner of the page):



eCalendar
The eCalendar is configurable.  Choose the TennisConnect calendar you wish to present. 



Note:  You will see list of all TennisConnect customers who have elected to make their eCalendar publicly accessible. You control the privacy of your eCalendar in Basic Settings | TennisConnect Basics | # 8 - Registration Settings - Community Tab:

To enable your eCalendar to be presented as a Component check YES to Allow eCalendar use inside and iFrame
To set your eCalendar privacy, choose Make our eCalendar Public or Private.

• Public will make your calendar available in the drop down window for other TennisConnect customers
• Private will keep your eCalendar Component visible to only you.

Once you have selected the Calendar you want, Click "Get the Code":



Make sure you are allowing Pop-ups from TennisConnect, and the following window will pop up:



Copy and send this code to your web developer or partner webmaster.  They will know what to do with it.

BTW:  The actual component is the part highlighted above.  The iframe code preceding and following the Component URL simply tells the browser the dimensions and scrolling behaviors.  The receiving webmaster will know how to change this. 

Sample at 550 pixels wide a bit unrealistic for this space - use the MiniCalendar components when you have restricted space



If you are presenting this in a your Facebook tab, you should change the"width" to 550.

Mini eCalendar
Is also configurable.  Before generating the code you can specify "All" event types or specific event type:



A pop up window will show you the code.  Copy this code and send it to your web developer or partner webmaster.

TIP:  To insert this MiniCalendar view on another of your TennisConnect powered page, edit that page and use the "Insert Code" function (help)

Sample of the Mini Calendar running as a Component at 335 pixels wide:

Web Pages
To generate the iframe code frame code for a web page, please visit the Web Page Editor.  Scroll down to the page you wish to generate, and choose "Get the code".  Copy this code and send it to your web developer or partner webmaster.

Tip:  This code represents just the "inside editable area" that you control using the web page editor.  It is essentially your page wiht the header, footer, navigation and browser background stripped away.

Tennis Lobby View
To generate the iframe code frame code for the Tennis Lobby View, click the Tennis Lobby View link.  Copy this code and send it to your web developeror partner webmaster.

NOTE:  The Tennis Lobby is a special inquiry only view of how your tennis courts are booked.  The page is usually presented full screen, often on a wide flat panel display in your lobby (hence the name).  It was designed to help you and your players see "at a glance" where they are playing, who they are playing with, etc.  The Lobby View DOES present the names of the players plus any comments related to the reservation.  Please be aware of this when electing to show your lobby view.  If you are concerned about player privacy and the availability of this information you should not use the Tennis Lobby View.

To see the tennis lobby in a full screen pop-up, please click here.

Contact Us Form
This is a very useful form to place throughout your web site or on a parent web site (Country club / Tennis pages).

To generate the iframe code frame code for the Contact Us form, clickthe Contact Us Form link.  Copy this code and send it to your webdeveloperor partner webmaster.

To see a sample of the Contact us form component running as a pop-up,

click here

NOTE:  The Contact us form uses the email mapping from TennisConnect Basic Settings | TennisConnect Basics | Option #6 - Email Mapping.  You may use as many email labels and custom "route to" address as you wish.  Common uses of the custom email mapping include labels for League Coordinator, Junior Tennis, Day Camp Inquiries, etc.

Opt-in Form
This component allows players to opt-in to your mailing list database (Contact Manager and Group Email).  To generate the iframe code frame code for the Opt-in form, clickthe Opt-in Form link.  Copy this code and send it to your webdeveloperor partner webmaster

Sample of the Opt-in form running as a component on www.tennissupport.com (at 300 pixels wide, 350 pixels tall):



Email History
The email history page was originally developed to help you respond to customer requests that you send them "another copy" of a group email you already sent out.  If you are out on the tennis courts or away from your computer and a customers asks you "can you re-send me that email", you have the option to say "it's on the web site, just look on the Email History page".

We realize not every TennisConnect customer is going to respond this way, but for those of us who have forgotten to re-send an email, it is definite option.  You can turn the system generated email on or off at Turn on / Turn off in your Navigation settings.

After we implemented the Email History we discovered another benefit through the search engines.  Since your public group emails are listed as linked pages, they provide one more opportunity to increase your visibility on search engines. 

Note:  To make a group email private, or to remove it after the fact, please see this article.

To generate the iframe code frame code for the Opt-in form, clickthe Opt-in Form link.  Copy this code and send it to your webdeveloperor partner webmaster

Sample of the email history running as a component on www.tennissupport.com (at 550 pixels wide, 300 pixels tall):


Important Component Restrictions
There are 10 TennisConnect Components, 7 of which are appropriate for Embed Codes.

Article ID: 139, Created On: 9/30/2010, Modified: 10/4/2010