2 Elements of Every Post

Thank you for visiting again. I hope you are enjoying my blog.
Click here to subscribe to my RSS feed and get updates automatically.
Please come again!

“2 Elements of Every Post”

What is one of the most important elements every post should contain?

Links:

Every post you write should have a link to one of your past posts.  In some circumstances you just have to toot your own horn!  The linked post should obviously related and pertinent to the topic discussion.

It gives you the opportunity to share some hidden posts that are still of interest and current.

If you follow this hint and tip you will be well on your way to increasing your blog traffic. Not only will you link to one of your posts but if you have added links to that post you will now be looking at sharing lots of your own posts with your readers.

What is the other most important element every post should contain?

Links:

Every post should contain a link to another blog, site, article, etc.  For a couple of reasons:

1. You are sharing your awesome discoveries with your readers.  Your readers usually appreciate that.  Most people like sharing!
2. Linking to other blogs or articles may get you noticed or at least appreciated.

I have been told, linking to other blogs or sites that have a high page rank helps with your own page rank.  Dan Scocco of DailyBlogTips wrote on post earlier this month on a google page rank update .

I enjoy linking to my past posts, rereading them and digging them out of the archives.  I also like sharing great finds I discover in the blogosphere.  So fellow bkoggers, get out there and share your stuff, share your finds.

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________
“Strive for excellence, not perfection…”
~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 11% [?]

Changing Hosts? Step by Step How to.. Step 3 of 4

“Changing Hosts?  Step by Step How to.. Step 3 of 4″

Okay, we decided we needed to change hosts.   We had to get prepared and backup both our blog files and our data files.

Now it is time for step three.  Begin to familiarize yourself with the new host server.  You will have access to a file manager or control panel to be able to monitor, change and update your files.  You will also set up your email and user name to access your file transfer protocol software.

You can see from the screen shots below all of the service options to choose from.  You can familiarize yourself with each section before you switch over.  It is important to be confident with the database section as this is your blog data and post files.

Make sure website name is same.  When the new host server sets up your blog address make  sure it is the same as you are currently using.

My first set up of my blog was with another host server and they set up my blog as  www.bloggernewbie.com/blog vs www.bloggernewbie.com which doesn’t sound like a big deal only it is to those feed readers!  You can transfer your subscribers from one RSS feed to another but I am not real confident that it is a smooth transition.

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________

“Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler…”

~ Albert Einstein

____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 13% [?]

Changing Hosts? Step by Step How to.. Step 2 of 4

“Changing Hosts?  Step by Step How to.. Step Two”

This article is part two in a four part series. In part one we discussed choosing a host. Not an easy task. You can get just as many recommendations in favor of a host as you can get warnings against a host.  Really, it turns out to be more of a trial and error experience than a skill in choosing a host.  However, there are some technicalities to consider so make sure you check out the first post.

First and most important is the database backup. These are all your posts that you have poured hours and hours into.

Introducing – phpMyAdmin.

PhpMyAdmin is web based software used for managing MySQL databases.  PHP was at first created as a simple scripting platform called “Personal Home Page”.  It is an open source server-side language, which is used for creating dynamic web pages, which will be embedded in HTML.  PHP is usually used in conjunction with a MySQL database on Linux/UNIX web servers. It is one of the most popular scripting languages among today’s web developers.  MySQL – Structured Query Language (SQL).  SQL is the most popular language for adding, accessing, and processing data in a database, and is most noted for its rapid processing, proven reliability, and ease and flexibility of use.  Not the easiest software to learn but not the hardest. It took me a little bit to figure it out but eventually I got it. I manage my database with phpMyAdmin through cPanel.  I am not that familiar with any other method but it looks like this:

This is part of the menu options in cPanel that comes with my webhost company.

As you can see towards the bottom of the menu, there is a database section where we can choose phpMyAdmin. Once I click on phpMyAdmin, I am taken to the list of files in the database.

You cam see the most important file (to me) – wp_posts.  These are the files that are extremely difficult to replace if not impossible.  At the very bottom of this list is the “check all” option.  You need to click this option to select all the files to get them ready for backup or as the program describes “export”.

After you have selected the files and have chosen the export option, you will be taken to the following screen:

You will notice the database files are highlighted in the top left corner.  There is a scroll bar to the right to verify all files are selected.  The option under the selected files defaults to SQL.  The rest of the options are also default and if you are not sure of the choices, leave the defaults.  The next step was a secret. It was difficult to notice the “save as file” option that has to be clicked before you choose GO!  Once you click “save as file”, then click GO you will be brought to another screen asking you to choose where to save the file, much like any other “save as” request.

The phyMyAdmin database backup process is vital to restoring your post data as well as comment data and other things.

Don’t forget about blog data backup! The very next first rule of any change on any blog or website – backup  – please, just backup.  If you somehow make a mistake or crash or just don’t like the changes you have made you can always restore a good backup.  It is the only plan for disaster recovery.   I have such good advice.  I totally should take listen to me.  I do backup at least every week if not more but when I get into “tweakin” I get to focused on the changes and forget the backup!

So how do you backup your goods?  There are two different types of data to backup. There are two different programs to use to protect your data.

More initials – FTP.  What is it with every industry that they have to have their own language in abbreviations?  FTP – File Transfer Protocol.   This is the software which is the manner you will transfer your files from your host server to your hard drive or from your hard drive to your server.  And guess what the good news is?  The software is free from FileZilla.

Some say you may need the beginners guide to FTP but in all the blogging terms or tasks, the file transfer via FTP is by far the easiest as long as you understand the file and folder structure of a computer.

Please take note of the screen shot below:

1. Host: This is part of your login information – “ftp.blogname.com”
2. Username: Given to you by your host company.
3. Password: Chosen by you when you set up your new host.
4. Local site: This is your hard drive directory.
5. Host site: This is the directory of your host server.
6. Filename – local site: These are the folders under the directory listed on your local site.
7. Filename – host site: These are the folders under the directory listed on your host site.

What ever file or files you want to copy from your local site to your host site (or vice versa) is simply dragged to the directory or folder where you want to place the files.

The bottom “window”  (which I did not number) will show the transfer as it is happening.  It is really so easy.

So there we have it!   Our first step in changing hosts is to actually choose a host. Sounds so simple but oh, not so.  Before you go any further, step number two, you need to safeguard your data.  What is a blog without data?  Next week we will go through getting acquainted with your new host.

Any questions?  Need clarification?  Have something to add?

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one…”
~ Albert Einstein
____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 24% [?]

Changing Hosts? Step by Step How to.. Step 1 of 4

“Changing Hosts? Step by Step How to..”

I changed hosts recently and learned my “how to” the hard way.   I was down for about 5 days.  I couldn’t believe it and with every passing day all I could think was - You’ve gotta be kidding me!

Why is it so difficult to explain in detail, step by step instructions to complete any blog task?  Most “how to” articles are in detail and therefore somewhat lengthy.  This will be valuable information to the novice computer geek at some point so make sure you bookmark on Delicious so you don’t lose it.  If you don’t have an account with Delicious, how do you stay organized?

Okay, lets get started.

Why do you want to change hosts?  Capacity, speed, cost, technical support?

I wasn’t able to use a feature in wordpress for publishing posts at a future date and was told in the help forums that it was my host company that was not compatible. Turns out – not the case.  But changing hosts was oh so much fun!

Their are 4 crucial steps to accomplish a successful host change.  Today, we will discuss Step One.

The first step in changing hosts is to actually choose a new host.  When I was searching for a new host I asked around in the social networks for guidance. For each time or each person that I asked for recommendations, I received as many different answers. So no real help there.

I decided I would have to research the information and make the best informed decision.  I googled the top ten web hosting companies and came up with the following list.   I then compared each plan each company offered. You can click on the following graphic to view each of the top ten.  This list is as of January 3, 2009.

There are a few technical issues you need to consider when changing hosts.   As with all industries there are certain terms you need to be familiar with.  You should understand the following terminology before choosing a host.

Bandwidth or Data Transfer: Many web hosting companies offer unlimited data transfer.  Some have a monthly limit.  A server transfers data (graphics, text, audio/video files) to a user’s web browser.  Web sites that get a lot of page views would need a larger volume for data transfer or bandwidth.  Of the top ten hosting companies, only two have a limit on the bandwidth.  3000 GB being the least amount – still a good amount of page views. Approximatley 40,000 page views = 1 GB of data transfer.

Shared Web hosting: Most common type of web hosting.  Most new bloggers will be looking for shared web hosting. The most reasonable cost as multiple sites are hosted or share space on a single server.  Each site owner has a specific amount of resources  allocated on the one server.

Dedicated Hosting: The opposite of Shared Web hosting.   Each site owner has their own server.  They have a considerable amount of availability of resources for more disk space, more data transfer and are able to host more websites.  Dedicated hosting costs more and is usually for larger sites that have more specific needs.

Storage Space (Disk Space): The amount of storage space you need depends on what type of website you have.  If you have a large amount of images, HTML files – web pages, audio or video files or graphics, you will need a greater amount of storage space.

Now we know the technical issues to look for.  Do you need a dedicated server or can you use the shared hosting plan?  Will the company be able to supply you with the data transfer you desire?  Will your website require a large amount of space? You need to make a decision based on your needs.   Different websites fall into different categories.  Most new bloggers will start out with shared web hosting.

What else do you want to consider? Customer service is critical.  Do they offer 24/7 customer service via email, live chat and a toll free number?

Choosing the Host is Step No. 1 and very important.  Step No. 2 is crucial and we will discuss a few technical issues.  It will be so much fun.  FTP, PHP and backup will be your new best friends.

Any questions or concerns about Step No. 1?  Anything to add?  Any Suggestions?  Speak up!

Make sure to stop back next week for Step No. 2 of 4 in your changing hosts journey.

Toodles – Blog Happy!

___________________________________________________________________________
“It is not so important to know everything
as to appreciate what we learn…”

- Hannah More
___________________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 32% [?]

Developing a New Community

How do you develop a new community?

I have lived in the same community all my life.  I worked in the insurance industry for about 21 years.  The first 12 years I was a partner in a local agency.  For various reasons, I decided to start my own insurance agency.  Many people told me that it was extremely difficult – next to impossible – to start an agency from scratch.  Others told me that the one thing our town did not need was yet another insurance agency.

I, of course, did not listen.  I had to see for myself, I had to try.  Maybe it will work for me.  What is the worst that could happen?    I decided the worst that could happen would be that I would fall flat on my face and I’d have to look for another job.  I could live with that.

As many of you know, I am often inspired by quotes. Quotes Motivate me and inspire me to action.  An encouraging friend offered me the following quote to think about:

“The best thing to do is the right thing,

The next best thing to do is the wrong thing,

The worst thing to do is nothing!”

~ Author Unknown

In the offline world in my little town I have a large circle of influence in which I mingle.  I have many friends in many different areas of my life.

~ Business associates and friends
~ Golf friends
~ Lodge of Elks friends
~ Motorcycle friends
~ Yes, even some John Deere friends

Well what is the point of this tour down memory lane in smalltown USA?  The reason I was successful in starting an agency from scratch in a small town inundated with insurance agencies was because I had a circle of influence from which to draw from.  My circle of friends and contacts offered not only support but were a great source of business.

I built these relationships over time.  I joined organizations, social groups, participated in community events, etc.  I became well known in my little world.  I knew people by name when they came in.  They were made to feel comfortable.  This was not some stuffy, starch white insurance agency.  Come in, sit down, tell me about yourself!

So  how do you develop a new blog community?

I have lived in the same community all my life.  I bought my first computer complete with the internet about 25 years ago.  I didn’t know anyone who had the internet or anyone who even knew what the internet was.  I was one of three people in our town who had the internet.  For various reasons, last year I decided to start a blog.  Many people told me that it was extremely difficult to make money with a blog.  Others told me that that I would be one in a million amongst other blogs.  Well thank you.  Some didn’t know what a blog was but thought it was a waste of time anyway.

I, of course, did not listen.  I had to see for myself, I had to try.  Maybe it will work for me.  What is the worst that could happen?    I decided the worst that could happen would be that I would fall flat on my face and be out the $9.95 monthly web server fee.  I could live with that.

The offline world is a different from the online world yet the same.  People are still people.  So what do we need to do to be successful?

• Build relationships over time

~ Blogging associates and friends
~ Writing friends
~ Forum friends
~ Twitter friends
~ Social network friends
~ Niche friends

• Encourage community

~ Treat people feel like they belong.  Treat your visitors as friends and they will come home again and again. Sounds too simple, too basic? Think about how you like to be treated when you go to a blog. Do you like to go to a blog when your comments aren’t even acknowledged? Feels like you are talking to yourself. Didn’t we get enough of that when we first started our blog?

~ Help your fellow bloggers and social network buddies.  Promote your friends sites.  Offer help without expecting anything in return.  Build your relationships. There is nothing more annoying than a “taker”.  You know the kind.  Always asking, asking 10 times to your 1, not in any hurry to help back.

Get to know people by name when they stop over to your blog.  If they stop at your blog don’t you think you should visit their blog? Make them feel comfortable.  This iss not some stuffy, starch white blog.  Come in, sit down, tell me about yourself!

You can’t buy a community, you have to nurture it – develop it.  Community doesn’t happen overnight.  Relationships take time.   What is the key to your success in building community?  Be sincere.  Be helpful.  Be polite.  Be business minded as well as friend minded.

Toodles -Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community,
and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can…”
~ George Bernard Shaw
____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 42% [?]

Stumble Your Way To Success

{ Click here to follow me on StumbleUpon }

If you are a blogger you are no doubt familiar with this logo!  StumbleUpon – one of the many, many (too many) social networks in the blogosphere.

What is a social network?

Social Networks are just that ~ social gatherings for people to network and connect.  Social Media – What difference does it make? Social Media makes all the difference.

Being involved in the social aspect of blogging has many benefits.

• Make great friends
• Share and connect with your peers
• Get help – give help
• Find resources -share resources

Great idea ~ Sign me up!

Okay, so how do you get involved in these social gatherings?  Well, you join of course.  You can join any of the dozens of social networks.   The vast number of social networks can be overwhelming.  There seem to be as many social networks as there are blogs sometimes.  It is important to pick and choose only a few sites you can focus on.

Once you join a network, you have the opportunity to meet different people.

Take Twitter for instance.   Twitter, Twitter, Twitter ~ I have met many great people on Twitter.  I like to use the social aspect of Twitter for the most part.  I throw out my newest post every so often but the majority of time spent on Twitter – social.  I joined Twitter and didn’t know what was going on for months!  I can’t say I entirely know what is going on now, but it is what it is.  I think that is the best way to describe Twitter.  It is what it is.

One of my other favorite social networks is StumbleUpon.  StumbleUpon is a free service that helps you discover and share websites with others who have similar interests. The more you use the service, the more likely it is that you’ll “Stumble” across pages you like.

To get started on StumbleUpon:

• Start Stumbling on from the home page using the Web Toolbar to become familiar with the service.
• Create an account to save your favorites and to connect with other members.
• Download the Toolbar to access all the features available and to share sites you discovered.

So how do you Stumble your way to success?

The business of the online world has various similarities of the business of the offline world.  You tend to do business with friends or people you like.

That is one of the advantages of StumbleUpon. You discover, review and share sites that you “stumble upon”.  If you are going to benefit from StumbleUpon and take advantage of the business influence then you need to know how this whole social network operates.  If you are not already a member of StumbleUpon it is time to get started.

First things first.  Sign up for StumbleUpon.  Click on the graphic below and go sign up for StumbleUpon then come back.

Second – Download the tool bar.  Click on the graphic below and download the toolbar for FireFox.  You do use FireFox don’t you?  If for some crazy reason you do not use FireFox as your browser, StumbleUpon has toolbars for others as well.

The toolbar makes it so easy to “stumble” your favorite sites.  StumbleUpon is a collection of sites that are matched to your interests.  If we break down each section of the toolbar, it will be easier to understand how the toolbar will help with your searches.

This button on the toolbar, when clicked, will bring web pages that match your interests from the categories that you chose when you signed up.  After you have stumbled a few sites, your interests will be tagged by the number of sites you like in any given category.  If a number is shown next to the Stumble button, someone has sent a site to you that they think my be interesting.   Click on the number and you will be brought to the site that was sent to you.  This is where your Stumble friends usually send you the posts they wrote hoping you will vote in favor of  their site.  When a site is sent to you through the toolbar, there is also a message line that you can reply to.

You either like the site (thumbs up) or it’s not for you (thumbs down) or you simply don’t vote for the site.  Either click the number again or click the Stumble button to move on to the next one.

This button allows you to “tag” a site with categories.  When you are searching for sites you like, the tag is how they are categorized.

Do you have a brilliant post that you want to send to some of your friends?  This is the button.  When you are on your post or on a site you want to share, simply click on “send to” and all of your StumbleUpon friends are listed.   You can simply click on your friend’s name and a message box will pop up allowing you to enter a short message about what you are sending.

Channels – you can choose your sites by channel – news – videos – popular sites, specific interests, etc.

Just like it sounds.  This button will bring you to your favorites or recently viewed sites in your StumbleUpon account that you indicated you liked .  It is a great way to keep all of your favorite sites in one place for later review.

Your friends are just a click away.  You can see what all your friends are stumbling.  Hopefully, your site is among some of their picks!

The usual utility section.  You can change your settings,  add features, remove features, etc. 

How does this relate to your success as a blogger?

One of our readers here at BloggerNewbie – BusinessX – wondered just that very same thing.

You discover, review and share sites that you “stumble upon” with all of your friends.   When your blogging buddies stop by your site and read wonderful posts, they Stumble them and share them with all their friends.  Your site  now has the exposure of all of your friends’ friends.  If  ten of your friends like your post and they stumble it, then ten of their friends see your post.  You now have exposure to one hundred people.  Can you see the snowball affect and increase in traffic?

Having the toolbar installed on your browser makes it convenient to send websites, particularly yours, to some of your friends.  When you write an extra interesting post you can click the “send to” button and the list of your friends will be shown.  Click on one of your friends, a message box will pop up, you can type in a little message and click send.  Your friend’s toolbar will show a number next to the Stumble button indicating someone has sent them an interesting site.  When they click on the number, your site will come up and your message.  You can send a message back from the toolbar if you like.

A few words of wisdom

1. Everyone loves you and everyone knows you are brilliant.   Please don’t send every single article or post you write.  For one thing, it can be overwhelming to your friends.  For another thing, not every single article or post you write is stumble worthy (sorry).  You will get traffic for days from stumbling one post, even weeks.  If you inundate someone, you will get lost in never never land.
2. If you stumble every post you write or every post you read, you could be suspected as a spammer by the powers that be at StumbleUpon and your account can be terminated.
3. Some friends will send you sites that are just not your interest.  Don’t stumble it.  You don’t have to stumble everything you come across.  You can click on the thumbs down, not for me tab.  I usually just continue on to the next one.  I don’t stumble anything with profanity in it.  Just my personal preference.

Skelli from Skelliwag wrote a great post on ProBlogger with some great tips on how to grow a young blog with StumbleUpon. I am still reading referrals to that post.  ProBlogger also wrote a post and listed 271 StumbleUpon ProBlogger readers and their username to connect with.

How do you use StumbleUpon?  Do you find it helpful for traffic?  Do you just use it for personal use of keeping your favorite sites in one area?

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________

“There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose,

the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it…”

~ Napoleon Hill

____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 41% [?]

The Feed Reader Debate

“The Feed Reader Debate”

We had a lively discussion in the comment section of a previous post – RSS Reader or Website? The previous post pondered whether you read posts in a reader or whether you go directly to the website? Do you prefer to read the post in the reader? Some bloggers make that decision for you. Some offer only the title of their post in the reader while others will give you a little sneak preview with an excerpt. Of course there is always the option of the full post being available in the reader. This choice is set up by the blogger, not by the reader.

I thought we would further the discussion in another article after a little more research.  I decided I would examine all of the blogs in my reader.  I wanted to get a consensus as to which option is more widely used.

I have 100 blogs in my reader.  I know, how do I have time to do all that reading?  Well a majority of the blogs don’t post on a daily basis.  In my Google reader, the posts are sorted by the most recent update.  As you can see from the following graphic, the name of the blog is first, the title of the post, then the date or time.

I view the title and choose the most interesting ones first.  I have a few blogs that I visit whenever they update.   I click on the title and don’t necessarily even read the excerpt or any of the post.  I like to click straight through to the site.  I like to check out everyone’s site, see what they are doing different and join in the conversation.

Often, I make decisions for my blog based on my own preferences.  I prefer to go directly to the blog to read the posts.  Therefore, I list the excerpt for my post in the reader.  I don’t trust my talent that the title will be enough and I don’t want to list the whole post as I want my readers to come to my blog. I reviewed each blog in my reader and I was very surprised with the results of my research.

Title only ~ 1% of the blogs in my reader list the title only.  No surprise there.  You would have to be overly confident with yourself to list just the title.  The title is the only part bringing your reader to your blog.  For the record, I rarely click through to that site.

Excerpt ~ 11% of the blogs in my reader list just the excerpt of their post.  For the blogs that I read on a regular basis, I click through to the site regardless of the excerpt.  In fact, I don’t bother with the excerpt, I just click through to their blog.  I like to see what, if any, changes they are doing with their design or ads.  It is also a sense of community and I like to join in the discussion if possible.

Full Text ~ 88% of the blogs in my reader list the full text of their post.  To my surprise, an overwhelming number of blogs choose this option.  I have all types of blogs in my reader from beginner to the seasoned pro.  Choosing to use the full text went across the board.  Again, this is neither a benefit nor a deterrent to my routine of reading blogs. In the discussion on the original post ~ RSS Reader or Website? Tsunami and I exchanged a few comments  on this topic.

Tsunami and I were both of the same opinion in regards to using the excerpt.  My thinking is that I hope to use a creative title to get readers to click on my post in their reader then my second hope is that the excerpt is interesting enough to get the reader to click through to my site.  I want to encourage readers to go to the site to build community and hopefully create loyal readers.

I have since changed my opinion of how my post will be listed in a reader based on my research for two reasons.

The first reason is the overwhelming number of blogs that offer the full post.  88%?  That speaks volumes.  In my reader, 21% of the blogs I subscribe to are categorized (by me) as the “A” list.  ALL of them offer the full post.  With the combination of their years of experience and their thousands of readers, I try to follow their lead.

The second reason is the choice of clicking through to my blog should be the readers choice not mine.  The majority of the reason we all write is for people to read our brilliant words, right?  So shouldn’t that be a blogger’s main objective?  If the post is compelling enough, the reader will click through to your site. Wouldn’t it be nice if the reader had control over the option?  Give that option to your reader.

One other interesting “factoid” I discovered – only 17% of the blogs in my reader have ads in their posts.  I thought that was low.

Wow, this post was interesting to research and quite an eye opener.  I am glad we had this discussion on RSS Reader or Website?

What do you think?  Has this research changed your mind?  Do you have any thoughts to add?  Any arguments for or against this debate?  Keep the discussion open!

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________

“Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler…”

~ Albert Einstein

____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 39% [?]

How Do You Analyze Your Blog?

“How Do You Analyze Your Blog?”

I use two different analyzers. I like to check and balance my information and not rely on just one source.  The numbers are slightly different with each tool.  Fortunately, both of these tools are available at no cost.  You can pay for an upgrade with Site Meter if you so choose but the complimentary version works for me at this time.  Maybe when I am rich and famous I will upgrade.

Site Meter

Site Meter is web based service that provides you with detailed real time tracking and counter tools. You can easily check out who is visiting your site, how they found you, where they came from, which post or posts interest them and much more. It is really useful to see by details or referrals where your traffic is coming from.  If you are trying to build traffic through a few different social networks you can see how effective they are over time.

I can see from the  recent visitors section under entry pages where my visitors are coming from.  If one of my posts is “Stumbled” and someone clicks on the link to get to my site it is listed as the entry page.  Although each social network site has it’s own usefulness, they are not all the right choice for everyone.  Each one is unique to the user.  Based on the review of my statistics in Site Meter,  StumbleUpon seems to work best for me.

The graph above (unfortunately, not from my site) shows each day the number of visitors for the previous seven days.  You can also view a graph by the month or by the year.  Site Meter is a great resource for analyzing your visitors.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is the most popular and most used service out there.  Good ole’ Google.  They are the most popular in all of their services.  Huge associations like Google make me nervous.  They do as they darn well please.  I have found, absolutely no service!  I don’t know the answer to their lack of service problem is but I’m thinking “none” is not the answer.  Sure, they have forums, but so far, I haven’t had any success in getting an answer or any help for my feedburner problem.

Since this is not a Google bashing post I will move on to their wonderful analytical software. It features, custom reports, keyword and campaign comparison, custom dashboards, adword integration, site overlay,  and more.  Google tracks the number of visitors, whether they are unique or repeat visitors and how long they stay on your blog.  You can also see which page they clicked on to get to your site, where they found your site which again helps you decide which social network is most beneficial to you. Google Analytics shows what keywords people use to search for your site.  Some people strive for more search traffic.  You can use this tool to show what words or phrases people used in the search and how they landed on your page.

I like to use both tools to compare numbers.  Site Meter is real time and Google is yesterday’s numbers.  Believe it or not, Google has actually come up with blank numbers.  I think Google is great, but I think they have a lot of problems.  Maybe growing problems.  Often, a business has to choose between growing and growing out of control.  Being the biggest isn’t necessarily the best.

What do you use for analytical tools?  What features do you look for?  What numbers are most important to you or most useful to you?

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________

“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes…”

~ Oscar Wilde

____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 40% [?]

Blogging Success According To My Favorite Guru!

How in the world did I land in the blogosphere you ask?  Well, funny you should ask.

I was searching the internet for “how to make a living online”, not the fast buck but the career type venture.  I tried one scam after another for a year or so.  Ahh, the scam artists paints a pretty picture.  After being stung a few times, I  became a little more cautious.  I scrutinized every detail of every claim!

I landed on some sales page that discussed blogging.  I survived raising three daughters who were all teenagers at the same time.  I will investigate most stories.  I understood blogging a little.  But, this character wanted to sell me some secret that would allow me to gain entry into the blogosphere.

Of course I googled his name.  Surprise, yet another scam!  I was getting very discouraged.  Why do 9 out of 10 (more like 99 out of 100) ventures all have to be scams?  Forget this internet business stuff.  I’ll think of something else.  After all, I am an entrepreneur at heart.

I researched blogging a little further…

I went to the website of Darren Rowse – ProBlogger and I was bit by the blogger bug.  I got it and I got it bad.  I never looked back.

I was so excited, I worked on my site for hours every day into the wee hours of the morning.  Yup, I was going to make some serious money.  Now you know.  I started blogging for the money.  I am not afraid of hard work so I knew I could do this.  I bought my copy of ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income.

As many of you are aware, I am at the 6 month point of my blogging “career”.  This is one of the checkpoints in my business plan.  At 6 months, I evaluated the progress of my goals to date.  Am I where I want to be, where I thought I would be?  Do I need to re-evaluate the plan and adjust?

Being that I had very little knowledge about blogging, my business plan was somewhat vague.  I know how to run a business and how to write a business plan but blogging is a little different then what I am used to.  After 6 months I do have a much better grasp on the reality of blogging.

I originally thought that all I had to do was write a few good posts, put up some ads and wala – I’m in the money.  Doesn’t quite work that way.  I am happy to report that I am not in the blogging business for the money.  It is simply a love affair.  Don’t get me wrong, I still want to make money at blogging but that is secondary.

I am in the process of revising my business plan.  I went to my favoirte Guru for some advice.  I asked Darren Rowse the following questions:

• Do you think a blogger can make a living with just AdSense type ads?

Yes – it’s possible. It really depends upon the type of blog that you start as to what type of monetization works best. Some work great with AdSense, others do better with affiliate programs, others better with direct ad sales. The key is to experiment and see what works best.

• Do you think a blogger can make a living with just one blog?

Again – it’s possible and many bloggers do it – but not all do. Some bloggers take the approach of building a few smaller blogs rather than one big one.

• What do you consider the top 5 picks of Social Media?

Depends a lot on the type of blog you start. The key is to find out where your readers (or potential readers) hang out in social media and join them there. For me that’s been Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn and Digg mainly.

• If you could only pick one avenue or company for monetizing your blog, what would it be?

Really tough question. I’ve made more with AdSense than any other ad network but it depends upon the blog. It’s a good starting point and can work well but in the long term on a successful blog direct ad sales will probably work better.

• What do you consider the one thing that contributes to your success?

Staying at it for the long haul. Posting something every day for 6 years has not been easy but it’s paid off.

I had questions from the answers too but that will have to wait another day.  The one big message I received from this interview is – patience.  You need patience and time to nurture your blog.  6 months is not a significant amount of time to invest in a blog.

You need to test your advertising plan just like any other business.  You don’t necessarily know what works until you try it.  What works for you might not work for me.  It also takes time and patience to build your social network.  Again, the same advice applies to the typical brick and mortar business.  Thank you Darren, for your wisdom and advice.

Is Darren’s advice an eye-opener for you?  Are you more motivated now knowing that success is possible?

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and
an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen…”

- Frank Lloyd Wright

____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 57% [?]

6 Tips On How To Write Killer Blog Comments

“How To Write Killer Blog Comments”

Comments are great.  The advent of comments to a website is revolutionary.  Enter – The Weblog or as we bloggers like to say – The Blog!  The reader gets to add his or her opinion and  the writer knows someone is finally reading their “stuff”!

Comments create community.  It is favorable all the way around for the blog to get a core group of  “the usuals” to always contribute.

You’ve just read a great post that somehow moved you and you want to leave a comment.  Early on, when you are new to the blogosphere, you are not sure what to say.  “I don’t want to sound like I don’t know what I am doing”.  I have read some of the other comments and they don’t really say anything?  Are there guidelines for the rest of us who actually want to add value?

1. Contribute to the conversation. You already know the number one rule breaker.  Don’t leave words that say “great post”; that is not a comment.  If you don’t have anything to say, don’t say anything.  If you don’t have any opinion or knowledge on the subject, again, don’t leave a comment.  If you’re not sure about the subject matter, ask a question, that is great.
2. The comment section is not the your advertising opportunity section. Don’t leave a comment just to get the link back to your blog.  And leaving links in the actual comment will probably get you moderated and/or deleted.  Unless, of course, the link adds to the post.  If the link is not relevant, your comment won’t be either.  Don’t you have too many things to do without wasting your time?
3. The comment section is not your blog. If your comment is extensive, (hint-as long or longer than the post you are commenting on) maybe you should write your own post and link back to the original post and carry on the conversation.
4. Ask a question. The whole idea behind the comment section is to offer your opinion and continue the conversation.  Even if you are the author of the post, when someone makes a great point and you can elaborate on the new point, ask a question, keep the conversation going.
5. Comment on other comments. Add to the other readers comment by extending the idea with further conversation.  Interact with other readers as well.  That is fully encouraged.  I have written posts where readers have had their own little conversation with each other – and “hello” what about me?
6. Do not be afraid! If you have a different opinion then that expressed by the blogger, by all means, please contribute your opinion.  That is the core of blogging.  The exchange of thoughts and ideas.

What do you do to encourage comments on your blog?  What do you do to contribute to the conversation?  Do you add to the post?  Do you have any other thoughts or views for or against this conversation?

Join the discussion!  What do you think?

Toodles – Blog Happy!

____________________________________________________________________

“When we have the courage to speak out – to break our silence –
we inspire the rest of the “moderates” in our communities
to speak up and voice their views…”

- Sharon Schuster

____________________________________________________________________

Popularity: 95% [?]

Next Page »