April 18th, 2011 2:57 PM

Via Margaret Woda, Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation Services (Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Crofton, MD):

Over the past few days there have been a few posts about link buttons. 
I saw one asking ActiveRain to please provide them for us.  Someone else suggested using links instead of buttons and offered a tutorial on how to create a link.  This post is going to show you how to make your own link buttons.

 

STEP ONE:  Choose an image and save it on your computer.  Here is a group of buttons that I bought from istockphoto, (that's where I get most of my images) and I simply cropped and saved the blue one to use for a link button on my blog.  When you do a search on istockphoto for "website button," the results number 13,086 so you'll have plenty of options, including some that are ready to use.  I purchase 26 credits from istockphoto for $38 every few months, and always choose the X-Small images which cost only one credit.  In this example, it was one credit for these nine buttons.

 

 

STEP TWO:  Open your saved image on Picnik.com (it's FREE!) and use an appropriate font style and color to create text; now save your image in a new folder on your computer labeled "Buttons."  Before long you'll have a whole collection of them to choose from when you need one.  I recommend you always include at least one at the bottom of each post.  Some people prefer to use several.

 

 

STEP THREE: Upload your button to your blog just the same as you would any image.  Center it, if you like (or not).

 

STEP FOUR:  Create a link to the destination of your choice by highlighting your image, just as you would a group of words if you wanted to create a link.  Your destination may be the IDX Search on your website, your contact form, or anything else your little heart desires.

 

STEP FIVE:  Try each button to make sure it works propertly.  If you followed all these steps, it should.

           

 

BE CREATIVE!  Here are some link buttons created with other images:

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Copyright 2006-11.  All rights reserved.

DISCLAIMER: Information contained in this post is deemed reliable on the date of publication, but it is not guaranteed and it is subject to change without notice.
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For additional information about real estate and communities in the triangle formed by D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland, contact Margaret Woda at Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.  Enjoy a competitive edge in your next real estate transaction or military relocation with Margaret's 30+ years of real estate experience and local knowledge on your side, as your adviser and advocate. 

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