Frame in Another Website in WordPress
Frames are great for giving a mockup of how your website will look when viewed in a different browser – typically a mobile browser or a tablet device. They make it easy to show what your site will look like on various devices. You can find free frames on various platforms, including WordPress.com. You can use them to show different aspects of your website, such as the homepage, product page, or blog post.
Use A Single Image For Each Object
If you look at the Apple website, you’ll see that each of the three products they’re promoting – the iPhone, iPad, and Mac – have a single box shot displaying the product in action, with the model’s face cropped out (you can actually tell which product they are promoting, but that’s a different story).
This is done to keep the website relatively simple and uncluttered, and it makes the page load faster. As an added bonus, it makes the page look more like a traditional product listing, with a series of bullet points and a simple overview of each item. You don’t need to worry about the model’s face being in the way, as it will not be visible at all once the page is loaded.
Use CSS To Style The Elements You Need
If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, you have access to a large set of template files. These are the basic building blocks that make up a website. When you create or edit a WordPress post, you can select from a range of ‘standard’ templates, or you can create your own from scratch.
The catch is that these template files need to be set up in a way that allows you to target different elements of your site. For example, if you want to change the look of a particular product page, you’ll need to know how to do that using CSS. You can find detailed instructions on how to do this in Template Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
WordPress comes with a handful of pre-made themes that you can use to get started. However, you’re free to take the CSS code for these templates and use it to build your own unique theme (you will need to register as a web designer with WordPress to do this).
Build A Mockup Of The Final Product
Now that you have your basic website set up, you can start layering on the content. To create a user experience that feels like an actual visit to a store, you’ll need to add more details, such as virtual shelves holding products, and a chat window or live support from a real person (that person will need to be trained to help with customer queries).
You can use tools like Wix, Squarespace, or Google’s PageMaker to build a mockup of your final product. Just make sure you use a similar template for each device, or at least use a mobile template for your desktop mockup (mobile templates usually come with pre-made styles for various devices, so you don’t have to worry about the look and feel).
The Pros And Cons Of Using Frames
There are a number of advantages to using frames:
- They make it easy to preview the look of your site in a different browser.
- They save you from having to hunt down a particular image for each product or blog post.
- They allow you to layer content on the same page – if you want a header image that will not break the flow of the content, you can add it to the page using a frame.
- Frames allow you to change the dimensions of the content area (also known as the ‘overlay’) so you can ensure that the layout is as close to the size of the device you’re targeting.
- Frames allow you to create a ‘walled garden’ or a ‘kiosk’ effect, where visitors can only see content that relates to them (for example, a news article that pertains to a topic that a particular visitor has expressed interest in, or a blog post that relates to the products in a user’s cart).
- Frames provide a quick way to create a ‘landing page’ – a simple web page that you’ll use to gather email addresses, names, and other pieces of information from interested parties (these landing pages are usually hosted on a separate domain, as to avoid any confusion with your regular site).
- Frames give you the ability to create a more immersive experience for your visitors – if you choose to, you can add 3D elements (like rotating carousels or sliders) to draw more attention to particular products or blog posts.
There are a couple of disadvantages to using frames:
- They require a dedicated and separate URL – if you’re using a frame to preview how your site looks in a different browser, it will need its own dedicated URL in order to do so (for example,
www.mysite.com/preview.html
). If you’re simply using a frame to show an image, the URL will not be as prominent (but you’ll still need to enter the URL manually, as it will not be included in the address bar). - They aren’t supported by all browsers – if you’re creating a page that you’ll intend to share publicly (such as your blog), you’ll need to make sure that the browsers you’re targeting (such as Chrome and Firefox) support frames (as Internet Explorer doesn’t currently support them).
- Keeping the page simple – if you have a lot of content on your page, you’ll have to keep the frame relatively small so as not to clutter up the page.
- They aren’t mobile-friendly – if your site is primarily intended for mobile visitors, you’ll need to make sure that the template you’re using is built with mobile-friendliness in mind.
- They don’t allow you to add extra functionality – if you’re adding frames to your site, you’re giving up the ability to add additional content or functionality (like video players, chat windows, or social media tools like buttons or sliders).
- It’s easy to make mistakes – if you have to go back and edit your content multiple times as you find different bugs or glitches, frames can make this process more difficult (as you’ll have to remove and add the frame each time, and you’ll have to make sure that the dimensions are correct each time you do so).
- They aren’t intended to replace traditional marketing methods – if you’re using frames to gather email addresses, you’re not doing so to spam your contacts (though this won’t be an uncommon occurrence with newbies who don’t know how to properly use the tool). You’re using frames to provide a quick, easy way to show your visitors what your site offers – it’s not a complete substitute for traditional marketing methods (like displaying banners on social media, creating articles for publication, or getting out there and meeting people in person).
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. If you have a need to show content in a specific way, you can find a number of tools online that can help. If you’d rather not use any tools at all and would rather show your content the way you intend it (with or without a frame), you can create your own simple template and do it yourself – as long as you have the basic HTML know-how, nothing technically challenging should arise. Just be careful when adding extra content to a page, as too much and you’ll run into the same problems described above – with the added bonus that it’s now even more difficult to edit and debug your code.