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Understanding Site Layout Settings for Your Sierra Website (Pro and Ace Templates)

A complete guide to customizing your homepage layout, branding, and content for Pro and Ace templates

Summary

Site Layout Settings let you update the look, branding, and content of your Sierra Interactive website, including your homepage layout, colors, calls to action, and footer details, without needing a designer.

Pro and Ace templates share core controls, but Ace includes additional styling and homepage modules not available on Pro.

This guide explains:

  • Who can access these settings

  • How to navigate to them

  • Which options apply to Pro, Ace, or both

  • How to troubleshoot common issues

Table of Contents 

  1. Who Can Access Site Layout Settings

  2. How to Navigate to Site Layout Settings

  3. Why This Matters

  4. Site Layout Sections

  5. Homepage Content Sections

Who Can Access Site Layout Settings

Only the following users can access Site Layout Settings:

The Primary Manager, or Manager-level users who have the permission “Can update Global Site Settings, MLS Feed Settings, Lead Routing, and Lead Sources” toggled On. 

If you don’t see Site Layout Settings in the menu, your role does not currently have access.

How to Navigate to Site Layout Settings

  1. Log in to the Sierra Client Admin Area (CAA)
  2. Click the Gear icon in the top navigation
  3. Select Site Layout Settings from the dropdown menu

Why This Matters

Your homepage is your first impression. These settings allow you to:

  • Keep branding consistent

  • Highlight listings, services, and credibility

  • Stay visually current without custom development

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Site Layout Sections

Each section below lists what it controls and which template it applies to.

1. Branding (Pro + Ace)

Purpose: Controls your site’s core branding and color scheme.

You can update:

  • Main logo (JPG, GIF, PNG — max 5 MB)

  • Footer logo (use main logo, upload a different one, or remove it)

  • Primary and secondary colors

  • Font colors (primary + secondary)

  • Link color and hover color

  • Option to apply brand color to all links

2. Header Settings (Pro + Ace)

Purpose: Controls how your navigation bar looks and behaves.

Setting Options
Desktop header style Transparent (overlays the homepage image) or Solid (has a background color)
Mobile header background Same as desktop or White
Mobile header behavior Sticky (stays visible while scrolling) or Non-sticky

      3. Ace-Only Styling

      Purpose: Adds enhanced visual layout styles for Ace templates.

      Includes:

      • Additional hero layout treatments

      • Enhanced interior page header styling

      (These options are not available on Pro.)

      4. Hero Area (Pro + Ace)

      Purpose: Controls the main banner at the top of your homepage.

      You can:

      • Upload a hero image (1900 × 650 recommended)

      • Choose image alignment (top, center, or bottom)

      • Add an intro title or headline

      • Add up to two CTA buttons:

        • Button label

        • Button link

        • Option to open in a new window

      Ace enhancements:

      • Add a third CTA button

      • Enable “Search Properties Near Me” on mobile and tablet

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      Homepage Content Sections

      These sections make up the content blocks on your homepage.

      1. Explore Listings (Pro + Ace)

      Purpose: Highlights listing collections from your MLS.

      You can:

      • Add a saved search

      • Set a section title

      • Add a “View More” destination link

      2. Featured Communities (Pro only)

      Purpose: Highlights neighborhoods or communities.

      You can:

      • Upload a featured image (recommended 560 × 560)

      • Select which communities appear

      • Edit community labels

      Communities are pulled from existing Community or Neighborhood content pages.

      3. Featured Video (Ace only)

      Purpose: Showcases a promotional or introduction video.

      You can:

      • Paste an embeddable video URL

      • Choose layout position (left or right)

      • Upload a thumbnail and optional background image

      • Add title, description, button label, and link 

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      4. Proof and Past Experience (Ace only)

      Purpose: Builds credibility using achievements and metrics.

      You can:

      • Upload a background image

      • Add a title and CTA

      • Add proof items such as:

        • Homes sold

        • Years in business

        • Sales volume

      5. Testimonials (Ace only)

      Purpose: Displays client testimonials from Sierra.

      You can:

      • Upload a background image

      • Add a section title

      • Select testimonials by tag

      • Choose how many to display

      6. Reviews and Ratings (Ace only)

      Purpose: Displays third-party review summaries.

      You can:

      • Add a main title and CTA

      • Enter platform name, average rating, and review count

      7. Market Stats (Pro only)

      Purpose: Shows live listing statistics from saved searches.

      You can:

      • Set homepage and interior page labels

      • Connect labels to saved searches (for example, “New Today”)

      The counts populate automatically from your saved search results.

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      8. Free Market Analysis (Ace only)

      Purpose: Promotes your home valuation offering.

      You can:

      • Upload background and widget images

      • Add title and subtitle

      • Add button label

      • Select a Seller Lead Site

      9. Featured Agents (Ace only)

      Purpose: Highlights agents or team members.

      You can:

      • Upload a background image

      • Add title, subtitle, and CTA

      • Select agents by tag

      10. Custom Content Block (Applies to Pro and Ace)

      Purpose: Adds a fully customizable content section.

      You can:

      • Upload a background image (1900 × 450 recommended)

      • Click Get Started to edit text content

      11. Footer (Applies to Pro and Ace)

      Purpose: Controls your contact and compliance information.

      You can manage:

      • Business name

      • Address display format and full address

      • Phone numbers, email, license info

      • Call widget toggle

      • Social media links

      • One- or two-column link groups

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      Before making changes to your footer, confirm with your local MLS board that your updates keep you in good standing. Some MLS boards require specific information such as brokerage name, license numbers, office address, or attribution language to be visible in the footer of your website.

      12. Tracking and Conversion Codes (Applies to Pro and Ace)

      Purpose: Adds analytics and tracking tools.

      You can add:

      • Google Analytics

      • Google Ads

      • Facebook Pixel

      • UET

      • Custom JavaScript

      Choose placement:

      • Head

      • After body open

      • Before body close

      Best Practices

      • Upload images using the recommended sizes to prevent distortion
      • Keep hero text short and action-focused
      • Use brand colors consistently
      • Limit CTAs for stronger engagement
      • Add testimonials, reviews, and proof items on Ace Sites to build trust
      • Only use tracking scripts from trusted providers

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      Troubleshooting Common Issues

      Images look blurry or stretched

      • Confirm you used the recommended image dimensions.

      • Avoid uploading screenshots or images smaller than required.

      Buttons don’t link correctly

      • Double-check for: Missing https:// or extra spaces at the beginning or end of the URL

      Testimonials not appearing (Ace)

      • Confirm: Testimonials exist in the Testimonials tool, they are tagged, and the correct tag is selected in the section

      Colors not updating

      • Click Save

      • Hard refresh your browser (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R)

      • Clear site cache if applicable

      Video not displaying (Ace)

      • Use an embeddable URL (not a share link)

      • For YouTube, use the /embed/ format

      Market stats show “0” or wrong numbers (Pro)

      • Check that the referenced saved search exists, it is active and returns results, and the title exactly matches the intended saved search

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      FAQs

      • Do Pro and Ace have the same layout controls?
        No. They share branding, hero, footer, and tracking, but Ace includes additional homepage sections and styling.

      • How do I know which template I have?
        Your Project Coordinator or Sierra Support can confirm this for you.

      • Can I hide a homepage section?
        Some can be hidden by leaving them empty. 

      • Can I rearrange homepage sections?
        No. The order is fixed for both templates.

      • Why can’t I see a section listed here?
        It may not apply to your template (Pro vs Ace) or your user role may lack permission.
      • Can I preview changes before publishing?
        Changes appear immediately after saving, so review carefully before saving major edits.

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