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!

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

~ Albert Einstein

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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!

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

~ Oscar Wilde

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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!

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

- Frank Lloyd Wright

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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!

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“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

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What’s In A Name?

“What’s In A Name?”

In my daily visits around the blogosphere I came across a post from Rachel @ Averagegal.com with some advice on choosing the domain name for your blog.   5 Blog Domain Name Tips is a useful post to read if you are considering buying a new domain name for any business.  It got me thinking (which is what a great post is supposed to do) about what thoughts I went through to choose a business name.

I had to choose a name for both a brick and mortar business as well as an internet business.  They each had separate and distinctive steps to make that decision.  How and why did I arrive at the choices I made?  I had a list of criteria I used in brainstorming for my name.

I thought about how I chose my brick and mortar business name.

1. I wanted to be listed first or as close to first as possible in the phone book pages.  My thinking behind that brilliant idea was from my own personal routine when I am looking for a business.  I usually look at the first ten names or so and if they sound good, pick a few to call and compare.  I chose Affordable Choice Insurance.
2. The name needed to be memorable and self-explanatory.  What will people easily remember?  Will they choose my business just by the name?  Will they know what my business is about?
3. I looked for a name that would be manageable as far as advertising and logo design.  I didn’t want my competitors to use my name against me.  I wanted to be able to design a logo that would stand on its own.  You could look at the logo without the name and know who and what it was about.
4. The name had to be timeless.  I didn’t want the name to be tied to any year or decade or passing phase.  I planned on being around for awhile.
5. This is an important decision.  You are committing to a name that will (hopefully) last for years and years.  I narrowed my options to ten then to five and finally to the name I accepted as mine forever and ever.  I never understood why some businesses change their name or logo that they spent countless hours and dollars to become recognized.

There is obviously a difference in choosing your domain name.

1. Being listed first in Google pages takes a little more than choosing your name alphabetically.  Discussing  how to be listed first in Google is another post.  Actually an e-Book!
2. Choosing a name that is memorable and self explanatory is crucial on the internet.  There could be more than a few pages to go through to get to your name by searching a topic!
3. I still haven’t chosen or created a logo for my blog.  Very important.  The more popular the blog becomes, the more important brand becomes.
4. BloggerNewbie - a timeless name?  Does the name indicate that the blog or blogger is new?  Or does the name indicate the blog is for new bloggers.
5. I thought of about 40 names before I made my selection.  I sent the names to my three daughters and told them to pick a few of them and tell me why they picked them.  I don’t think any of them picked BloggerNewbie.  So much for asking for help.

One of of Rachel’s suggestions for a successful blog name was to choose a dot com name.  I totally agree.  Yet, against the norm - look at ProBlogger.net - guru of blogging.  Another tip, do not use dashes in your name.  Again, totally agree.  Okay, now we have to look at Entrepreneurs-Journey.com - another guru.

Now what?  These are not necessarily easy names to remember. Is everything we ever learned just something to throw out the window.  Anything goes?  How many blogs do you search for by the name?  Is the name really that important?  So what’s in a name?

Now I don’t know what to think!  In the comments section of Rachel’s post I found some exceptional advice.

Debo Hobo says

“What’s in a name. umm everything.

Everyone should own there own personal name as well.”

So on Debo Hobo’s advice, I bought the domain name - www.deelangdon.com.  Of course I should own my own name!  What was I thinking?  What if I didn’t buy my name first and then when I became rich and famous someone else tried to sell my own name to me for stupid money?  I would be mad. Thank you Debo Hobo.   You probably saved me a bunch of money.

So what’s in a name? Now after all this, what do you think?

Toodles - Blog Happy!

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“What we see depends mainly on what we look for…”

- John Lubbock

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So You Want To Be A Writer?

“So You Want To Be A Writer?”

Me too!  Writing is so exciting.  There is something new every day, every minute of every day.  It feels like Christmas all the time.  Tis the season.  That’s what came to mind first.

I have a list of blogs and websites in my reader that feature a different variety of writers and resources.  I always try to improve my skills and learn as much as I can.  Continually learning is one of my favorite parts of writing.  I would like to share my rare finds of enormous talent with a few links. There are countless types of writing forms to choose from.   What type of writer do you strive to become?

I like to dabble in creative writing and fiction.

I entered a contest at - Writing for your wealth recently. Unlike most contests in the blogosphere, this contest was actually based on what you write.  Most contests are the luck of the draw.  You actually had to think when you wrote this one.  Lindsay asked the contestants to write a fable in 300 words or less.  This project stimulated our creativity!  I wrote - The Wise Sheep. The biggest challenge I faced with this writing project was keeping my story under 300 words!    Some say it’s because I talk too much.  Hmmph.  How rude!

Lindsay teaches you how to write for your wealth.   I can certainly say she is a wealth of knowledge and I highly recommend any aspiring writer to subscribe to her RSS feed.  In fact, when you subscribe to her RSS feed you will receive a free 7 day writing e-course.   Always room to learn.

I want to be confident with my writing skills.

Joanna Young writes just such a blog. She is helpful and knowledgeable and without exception has all the tools I am looking for.   Joanna has, not one, but three Free e-Books on her site to help you with your writing.  If you are serious about your writing, you should download these e-Books and while you are there, subscribe to her RSS feed.

The mission statement of “Confident Writing” says it all:

• learning to improve your writing - for greater impact, and to make a stronger connection
• finding your voice - writing that is authentic, that expresses your values, that comes from the heart
• giving you confidence - in your skill as a writer, in your right to express yourself, in the power of your own words
• sharing resources that will help you to write with skill, style, and confidence
• building a community of people who support these goals - and share the belief that our words count

I want to entertain and be entertained while writing and learning.

Speaking of writing and learning and total entertainment - check out TumbleMoose Productions. This blogger is unique. He is creative, talented and knowledgeable, not to mention somewhat on the humorous side. George Angus has quite a background in writing. I consider him an authority and if George says it, it must be true. And somewhere in the midst of it all he manages to add some humor and wit.  I was honored that George wrote a Guest Post for BloggerNewbie.com and welcome him back anytime.

If you are serious about your writing and want to gain some new insight, check out these three blogs.  They are an endless supply of information as well as a source for some much needed inspiration.

What do you do to expand your awareness?  Do you have some helpful links that you refer to while you are writing?  What inspires you?

Toodles - Blog Happy!

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“I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that.
Your mind must know it has got to get down to work…”

- Pearl S. Buck

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Let’s Make Lots of Money Blogging!

“Let’s Make Lots of Money Blogging!”

I had a great idea! Not a new idea, but a great idea. My Blog was 6 months old on December 1, 2008! Yeah, Happy Anniversary to me…

I have put countless hours in blogging.  From my design to writing to marketing and promoting.  I love my blog, I like the look and feel.  I am proud of my accomplishments thus far.  I have learned more in 6 months blogging then I think I did the entire time in college!  Maybe not.

I am in it for the long haul because first and foremost, I enjoy blogging.  I adore writing.  The social aspect of blogging is time consuming but the best part.  I have made several acquaintances, a considerable number of peers and some really great friends.  I admit, I started blogging and found blogging as I was searching for ways to make money online.  I am not afraid of work. I have the 5 P’s of a successful blogger.

I am well aware that making money from blogging is long term goal.  I realize that.  Is long term a relative term? Like anything else - Its all relative!

I thought after 6 months, I would be making..

Instead, I am making..

Having said that, I decided it was time to review the plan here!  What’s going on, what am I doing wrong or not doing?  I decided to take a look at the A listers..

I was trying to find something that the “big guys” or “gals” as the case may be have in common?  What is it that makes them successful?  My observation was that they all had the “usual” - passion, creativity, ambitious, longevity, etc.  I have all that.  Well not the longevity.  But that comes with time, literally.  So do I just keep doing what I’m doing and let time take care of itself?

Another conclusion I came to all by myself was that there must be more to making money blogging then by just creating a blog, writing good content, then throwing up a few adsense ads.  I don’t even see the familiar adsense ads on some of these blogs!  What are they doing?  Writing e-books, offering e-courses?  I was going to investigate further by going straight to the source.

My plan was to put together a short list of questions (maybe 5) and ask 5 or 10 of the top bloggers to share their wealth of knowledge and experience in an email interview type format.

I started my draft post, wrote a couple questions, got distracted and started visiting my RSS reader.
Darren Rowse of Problogger wrote a post regarding the very same topic! Can you really make money blogging? He must be reading my mind. It is a great post and you really need to read it and get your reality check. I still have my questions about making money blogging though. I am going to formulate my email interview and will post what information and feedback I receive.

Do you have any questions you would like answered from the A list of blogging? Do you have any secrets about how you make money?

Toodles - Blog Happy!

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“A billion here and a billion there,
and pretty soon you’re talking real money…”

- Everett Dirksen

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5 Tips To Increase Blog Traffic

“5 Tips To Increase Blog Traffic”

Oh No! Not another blogger posting about how comments will increase blog traffic! That has been beaten to death. We all know commenting is somewhat an effective approach to increase blog traffic.  Having said that,  I am not going to include commenting as a way to increase your blog traffic in the “Five Tips” for this post.  This post is a little different from the other assortment of posts in the blogosphere about increasing blog traffic!  Actually, commenting should be part  of any method to increase blog traffic.  It “goes without saying”, so I’m not going to say it.

As part of my research for tips I discovered what track-backs are and how they work.  I know -  hello!  Where have I been?  Well, I just called them something else.

Obviously, there are more than 5 tips to increase blog traffic and these tips might not bring in an onslaught of hundreds of thousands of visitors but… but I would like to discuss the following 5 tips.

1. Use a signature. Subtle but effective. Put a link to your blog or even a post at the end of your email address. When you join forums, end each discussion with your link. When you join social groups, be sure to provide a detailed profile. Tell everyone all about you!
2. Create your reputation. Get people talking about your blog. Give your readers something to talk about. Do you have something unique to share? If your blog has a character of its own, people will talk. Does your blog maybe have a welcoming feeling? Do you encourage your readers to comment? Are your posts conducive to interaction? Maybe they will tell two friends and they will tell two friends and so on and so on.
3. Get discovered. Write.  Write well and write frequently. And write something people want to share and promote. When I first started blogging I would stumble every post I wrote. Bad idea. First of all, you are going to saturate your friends with what will feel like spam even if it is not your intention.  Sorry, every post is not “stumble worthy”, and visitors come in for days on posts that are shared. Think about your own usage of StumbleUpon.  You cannot possibly read and stumble everything sent your way effectively.
4. Collaborate with your peers. Join forces with your peers.  Offer to guest post on their blog or for your peers to post on your bl