How to create a sub-domain in all domain providers easily and host it at blogger

Hi dear readers, in this post I am going to show you how to create a sub-domain, no matter what domain provider they are and can be done without any hosting service from them. Instead here we use Blogger as hosting source. The sub-domains can be created unlimited, but without knowing most of the bloggers/domain owners do not use that free service. With this post I am going to cover all of about it with each and every single information I know along with some examples. This service can be used in all of the domain providers where they give the service called CNAME.

Click4more... 1 Comment

How to add Facebook like box to blogger blogs

Well I think there are many bloggers who doesn't even know who doesn't even know how to place a like box of their fan page at Facebook promoting it at their blog to get more fans/likes so that even from the status of the page make the blog get visitors too. So here is the simple tutorial with images so that it makes easier to understand.
Before you do this you have to make sure that the border color suits your blog template whether it is light/dark etc Then whether you want the  feeds, the people who liked your page. Also collect the URL of the page you want to show the ad of.

Click4more... 0 Comments

Shareholic - New Sharing Widget for blogger blogs 2012

Founded in 2008, Shareaholic is the leader in making content sharing & discovery on the web faster and easier while also making it simple for web publishers, advertisers and mainstream businesses to measure the effectiveness of their content.

With more than 2 million browser plugin installations for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and more and its growing publisher network of over 200,000 websites using Shareaholic’s content sharing tools which are available for any website including WordPress and Tumblr,

Click4more... 0 Comments

How to use permalink option in blogger blogs to create custom URLs

A permalink, or permanent link, is a URL that points to a 
specific blog or forum entry after it has passed from the 
front page to the archives. Blogger has now also introduced 
this most awaited SEO option to all its users. With the help 
of this option at blogger you can edit the way that you want
for your blog post to be set by you, with an option to write 
this as Custom URL at blogger. This option can only be 
accessed by going to the URL draft.blogger.com

Click4more... 2 Comments

Top 5 Blogging Platform which I recommend

Blogging Platform are those site which help you to implement  and run a successful blog for you. Today, in this world I am using blogger/blogspot platform which is also used by most of the bloggers, which now stands at second place due to some of it's errors at SEO. But at first Wordpress which help the bloggers get one of the best SEO for their blog with some of the meta's stuff, etc.

Click4more... 0 Comments

Things blogger should not forget

Every now and then I will see a list of things bloggers should do, but I notice people are not that inclined to do what they are asked to do, while they pay more attention to things they should NOT do. That is why I decided to create the list below. The things which a blogger should not do are:

Click4more... 0 Comments

3D Animations Using three.js - An Overview!

It's been a long time since I had my hands on this blogger dashboard. In other words, the last article which I wrote dates back to the month of November 2011. Reason - I just did not find time to catch up with my blog. However, I could not resist myself to write about something that astonished me a couple of days ago - three.js!

This JavaScript works flawlessly and provides us a smooth interface which web developers could exploit to create amazing 2D and 3D animations with Canvas. Few words from the creators of three.js - 

"The aim of the project is to create a lightweight 3D engine with a very low level of complexity; in other words, for dummies. The engine can render using <canvas> and WebGL."

Click4more... 14 Comments

4 Simple Tips To Jumpstart Your Writing

Writing a blog entry is not the same as writing an academic paper. It should not be too long or excessively detailed. It should be informative and something people would actually want to read. This being said let us go through these simple tips can get you over that dry spell and jumpstart your way to a new blog entry.

1. READ SOMETHING TO GET YOU GOING

Before pounding those keyboards, lead your mind into that “writing zone” by reading. A simple poem or short story can do the trick. You can even try an audio book. Try doing this and you will notice that writing comes naturally. You can just breeze through your way to writing. Just like when running, you need some warming up before everything becomes smooth. The mind needs some warming up too so it does not cramp in the middle of writing.

Click4more... 26 Comments

Integrating Google Analytics with WordPress

WordPress.com and WordPress.org are from the same parent company, but there are some major differences separating the two. Put simply, WordPress.org provides more freedom while WordPress.com provides more support. WordPress.com is hosted and provides you with a dedicated server so the traffic managing, spam blocking, security and even networking are taken care of.

It's a fantastic option if you aren’t that PHP/HTML savvy or if the traffic on your site will be fluctuating. (WordPress.com’s support keeps it from crashing due to an influx.) However, because you cannot manipulate a lot of things on the back end of your site the opportunity for radical customization is lost.

WordPress.org allows you to upload themes or templates, so you’re not starting with a completely blank space. But you can customize your code: a blank canvas for someone technically-minded. WordPress.org is not hosted. So while it's a free service, you would have to independently find hosting and pay for it. WordPress.org can also be less secure as you are responsible for combating spam.

Both .com and .org are social. With WordPress.com you can find other blog owners with similar ideas and WordPress.org provides community support forums and mailing lists. These tools are important for generating more traffic to your blog – something everyone wants.

Once the new traffic is gained it is important that you monitor and record it. The free plugin Google Analytics for WordPress efficiently provides that support. You can manipulate just about all of the data that Google analytics gives you in order to analyze how users are interacting with your site. Installation is easy and the program is straightforward. Within your WordPress site delete any existing gapp or google-analytics-for-WordPress folder from the/wp-content/plugins/ directory. Next users should upload the google-analytics-for-WordPress folder to the /wp-content/plugins/directory and activate the plugin through the "Plugins" menu in WordPress. Finally, navigate to the "options" panel under the "Settings" menu and add your Analytics account number. Specify the settings you prefer. Enjoy.

Google Analytics not only collects all of your site traffic data but also compiles it. Graphs, tables and diagrams are all relevant and readable. You can select filters as specific as “ignore any user level and up,” which allows you only to look at editor activity. Or you can track meta data on pages like “publication year.” Aside from result-filtering, Google Analytics also provides AdSense integration, Ad Manager integration, Contact Form integration, Mediacaster integration, Newsletter Manager integration, 404 error and outbound link tracking, Search tracking, Domain-wide tracking and Custom event tracking.

 The data it reports is also well-labeled, so users new to Analytics can understand what the information means. Here, the blog owner can see that %13.19 of her/his traffic leaves after the first page. He/she could figure out where that 13.19% is coming from and better cater to them.

But once you get traffic data, how do use it? Well, the more you know about how people interact with the site the better. So keep poking around. Manipulate the data. View specifications like "unique page views" and "time on page." Monitor traffic before you put up a new post. Once you publish something new tweet the link and see how many people bite. You can wait a few days and then Facebook it to gauge effects. Reddit, Google + and Digg are powerful tools, too. See which social media platform grabs you the most views. Paying attention to when you post something can help you manipulate the amount of sharing that happens, too. For example, a business news article may get more views in the morning while a gaming article can still gain a lot of traffic at 2AM. Once you find patterns in your posts, optimize your timing.

Maps, charts and graphs help to determine where traffic is coming from and, therefore, how to target it. Here, the blog owner sees that most of her/his traffic comes from the San Francisco area.

Once you've figured out the best time and place to link your blog make your next few posts cover different topics. Doing this will reveal your readership. Do the people visiting your blog love your new scone recipe (many visits, all spending time on the page)? Do they completely skip the article about your son? Being able to see where your traffic comes from is also important. Knowing that many of your views came from your link on a sewing blog means that you should cater to them with crafty content. Consider finding other sewing blogs for which to write. Understanding that most of your traffic lives in the San Francisco area, however, would hint that focusing on a Frisco event could bring more traffic.

Managing and understanding the traffic that visits your site is crucial to recognizing your audience and seeing how to best engage them in the future, both to maintain interest and encourage more traffic. By catering to your traffic you may have a completely different blog on your hands than the one you started. This is fine; many blogs go through transitions as trends circulate the Internet. Google Analytics’ precise record-keeping is beneficial to anyone with a WordPress.org site who wants to increase effectiveness and reach.

Click4more... 6 Comments

Blogger's Guide to Online Marketing - Darren's New ebook with 100% Money Back Guarantee!

Last night, I received an email from Darren Rowse regarding his new eBook launch about "Blogger's Guide to Online Marketing". He's been a great inspiration to me, as far as my blogging career is concerned. I have a copy of his first eBook. I enjoyed every bit of it - very useful to me and other budding bloggers. To be frank, the other releases did not impress me as much as the first one did. However, the recent one does. So, I'll soon get my hands on it. May be, you should try it as well...

WHAT'S NEW? WILL IT BE JUST ANOTHER EBOOK?

Darren has come up with a clear list of 31 chapters of his new eBook which provides a practical solution to convert your blog into a money making machine. Though I've not yet read the eBook, from the reviews I read, I feel this eBook would serve as a step-by-step guide for successful online marketing. Do you feel that's not enough for $49.99? Your pretty right! May be Darren felt the same too! 

To make your pennies worth, he provides an addition resource library that contains more than 20 documents, templates, worksheets and other examples to make you work on what you read. He provides you the resources that you need to work with. Ideally speaking, a spoon fed kit to create your own successful online business empire:) To get a detailed insight about the new eBook and the other features offered by Darren, just hit the following link - More About The Blogger's Guide to Online Marketing Kit. 

WRAPPING UP...

Well, as mentioned in the title of this article, the new eBook has a 100% money back guarantee offer - at the end of 60 days. Well, this clearly explains the amount of confidence on his material. So, you have nothing to lose. Just grab a copy of the new release either by clicking on the banner above or using the following link - Blogger's Guide to Online Marketing

The above discounted price is valid only till 23rd September, 2011. So, please grab your copies before he closes the (50% discount) offer.

Click4more... 2 Comments

Photo Rules for Beginner Bloggers

Every blogger should know that besides having unique blog content and articles, images play an extremely important role in ensuring that that your readership levels remain high. After all, you can post the most interesting thing known to man but unless it's "aesthetically pleasing", your readers may never pay any attention to it. 

Thus, you should always aim to include photos or graphics in your posts whenever possible. But you can't just simply attach any photo you download from a search engine. They have to be legal to use, otherwise you can find yourself face-to-face with a major law suit or worse. So what photos are ok to use? To find out, proceed with the article further...

ROYALTY-FREE IMAGES

Before anything else is said, it's important that you automatically assume every image you come in contact with is copyrighted. It can be confusing, especially if the image doesn't specifically say it's copyrighted, but it doesn't necessarily have to say anything at all for you to still get slapped with a law suit. Moreover, simply putting a link back to the owner's page or original source will not help defend you in court. One of the easiest ways to avoid any problems, however, is to only use royalty-free photos.

Some of the images cost a small fee to download and use. But there are tons of sources to find free legal-to-use photos as well. For example sites like Flickr, stock.xchng and depositphotos are some of the popular choices. While some sites may require you to sign-up (for free) to gain access to both their collections of paid and free images, it's important that you still comply with the user's common creative licenses. This will specifically state how the owner wants you to attribute the photo and under what terms it can be used.

PUBLIC DOMAIN PHOTOS/FAIR USE IMAGES

Popular blog posts tend to consist of written product reviews. That being said, it's perfectly fine to use images of CD covers, book covers and movie posters to give your article some extra sparkle as long as the images have been floating around the internet for quite some time and already seen by the majority of public. In short, you may not post the images if they were "leaked" to you.

You may also use public domain photos. Typically images that fall under this category include the following: photographs and pieces of art work created before 1923, photos created/taken by the U.S. government, photos that have an expired copyright, and photos that are used on educational sites like Wikipedia.

SCREEN SHOT IMAGES

Lastly, screen shots that you take of a particular web site, video game, or software in order to show visual assistance in "how-to" blog posts are also perfectly acceptable to use as long as you give proper credit (meaning the name of the web site with a hyperlink) and you do not jeopardize the product/service in any way. Basically, this means that you are not taking a screen shot of a particular element that would discourage your audience from buying the product or service. For example, don't take a snap shot of the most climatic scene of a newly released book—no one will want to buy it if they know how it ends.

Click4more... 2 Comments

Want to Start a Blog About Marketing?

With the current economic downturn, marketing is increasingly important. Whether you’re a mom selling crafts and crocheted hats, or a start-up company looking to increase your brand recognition, effective (or ineffective) marketing can make or break you. Unless you have a marketing degree, however, this can be a confusing process.

Not everyone can afford to hire a marketing firm to promote their business; this is where blogs and how-to articles come in handy. The Internet provides easy access to thousands of articles and blogs intended to educate and enlighten readers, and is a veritable font of information. If you are a writer interested in marketing, here are a few suggestions for writing posts that will draw readers to your site and keep them there:

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT

Don’t waste your time or that of your readers by writing about a topic that you are clueless about. If you are exploring new territory, take a few minutes to research, so that you can speak with a voice of authority. Your readers will assume that your information is valid and will likely follow your recommendations, so be sure to do it right the first time.

HAVE A GOAL BEFORE YOUR START AN ARTICLE

Unless you are a seasoned marketing guru and author, it is unlikely that you will be able to sit down and start writing off the cuff. Jot down the topic you would like to explore, a few important key points, and then start writing. This will give your article a more polished feel, and you will be able to be more concise, which is always good when writing a blog.

KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

If you are writing about deals for dads, or money-making ideas for teens, make sure you are clear about your audience. A trick that writers are taught is to imagine someone reading their work. Imagine every detail, including clothing, hairstyle, facial expression, etc. Then, tailor your writing for that particular individual. This gives your writing a more personal feel, and will appeal to whom it should, thus guaranteeing loyal readers.

STAY UP-TO-DATE

Marketing strategies are constantly evolving, based upon the needs of consumers, advances in technology, changes in the economy, and other factors. Subscribe to newsletters, read recent articles and blogs, and be aware of changes that may affect the advice you are dispensing. Make sure that your writing always reflects current trends and ideas.

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION WILL GET YOU EVERYWHERE

Once you have your blog up and running and are writing quality content, spread the word and draw readers to your site. This can be done through the use of social media, word-of-mouth, creative advertising, or other methods. Since you are writing about marketing, there’s no reason not to use some of the tools you are writing about, in order to gain readers and popularity.

The Internet has made authors out of unlikely people. The quiet kid in the corner now has an outlet for his ideas, without ever having to say a word; the know-it-all now has a platform from which to educate the masses. Everyone has strong opinions on at least one topic (if not more), and blogging enables people to gain an appreciative audience for their expertise. Why not make this work for you?

Click4more... 5 Comments

Blogging Should Be Fun

Alright, maybe blogging isn’t what you would do if someone handed you $500 and said go have fun for the day, but if it’s what you’re doing to make money or helping you make money it should be enjoyable. Work is work, but it’s a large part of life so you should be able to focus on the positives of what you do here in the blogosphere!

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU ENJOY

Hopefully you are writing about what you know and enjoy. Doing so makes it easy to type and share your knowledge and experience with others. It’s enjoyable to publicly share your information on the web, to see the article you’ve published and that is something to be proud of.

YOU ARE HELPING PEOPLE

Hundreds, thousands or millions of people may be checking out the article you’ve written and because of that are learning a new skill, gaining motivation or being entertained by what you have to say. It’s fun to know that you are hopefully having a positive influence on someone else’s life! People all over the Internet are seeking out content for various reasons so when you sit down to blog know what sort of an impact you might make!

YOU HAVE A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

Hey, I sit here writing this article later in the evening because during the day I was out doing something fun during the day. If you’re a blogger, appreciate the fact that you have a relatively flexible schedule and can feel free to work when your brain is ready to be productive. Most people in this world are set to work on a set schedule and while those known hours aren’t so bad, I love knowing that I can put in my hours when it fits into my schedule.

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT

The beauty of blogging is that you can write about what you want. It’s amazing to have a voice, and typically those around you can only hear that voice. Having that flexibility and ability to share whatever it is that comes to your mind is an absolutely phenomenal feeling and when you blog you should cherish that freedom.

COMMENTS/SOCIAL MEDIA

The beauty of the comments area under your article is that now you are talking back and forth with the people who really enjoy what you say. Writing the article is one thing and knowing the article had page views is cool, but when people speak up and talk about what you’re saying that’s when the fun begins. Get into your comments and have great discussions with your peers around the globe. Hop on your facebook and twitter pages and dive in to what it is that you talk about and it will be a more rewarding experience that you enjoy.

So, what's your opinion about blogging? Share it via comments below!!! 

Click4more... 7 Comments

Blogging - The Latest Business Marketing Tool

Blog happens to be an internet journal. These are employed like brief form of internet logs, meaning a listing of writings over the web. Generally, a blog could be a collection of current information, content pieces, personalized journal pages, photos, video clip, business details, item to be marketed, their promotion, etc... Well, the listing really is limitless.

Blogging, the latest buzzword within the business enterprise, is ultimately given a serious attention because of its use, works out well as an efficient marketing tool and as a publicity instrument. Right from the experts in the field of blogging to SOHOs, "how to blog" is the question asked by all with regard to business marketing.

Among the most famous blogs which happen to be business blogs, use their reach in order to market their goods plus establish a business enterprise. Right from the comfort of building towards the ease of connecting with achievable clients, blogging offers a fresh technique for entrepreneurs to accomplish the best promotional approach with regard to their product, so the company should learn all about "how to blog". So, in this article we'll be targeting the business elements of a blog. Moreover, we'll provide you with  tips that can be effectively utilized to advertise various solutions together along with your business.

1. Low-cost online marketing technique: Starting a blogging account over the Blogger happens to be absolutely free. Nevertheless, you should host your personal blog despite the fact that it utilizes a totally free blogging software program. Enrolling your personal domain name plus getting the blog upon your personal server area provides you with effective exposure within the search engine ratings. This suggestion is applicable to all - not specifically for newbies alone.

2. Develop your item or perhaps company image: It is possible to develop your company image by making use of your own blog. Individuals looking at your blog might be intrigued to be aware of exactly what you do and that is the reason, you should include your business button towards your blog. Publish the item information or perhaps submit an infomercial that will be beneficial, not for newbie individual only but for everyone, to reap benefits.

3. Keep a consumer dialog: Blogs need to be interactive, meaning that the visitors should be able to connect with you for your published remarks, and queries. It should facilitate advanced level queries, in certain cases.

4. Obtaining new clients: Several readers might suggest many others to read your blog providing you with new business opportunities. This will be considered useful, not for newbie individual only but for everyone, and will provide them with new clients.

5. Interaction along with other related businesses: Every business operates on inner and exterior networks. Checking up on related blogs, in addition to their posts can, provide you with a way to discuss their articles or blog posts whilst giving importance to these delivering your understanding about the subject. A viewer considering their blog might click-through towards your blog in order to study more. These types of click-through tend to be totally free and produce increased traffic towards the blog.

6. Excellent publicity outlet: In the event, your business suffers from some undesirable pressure, then your blog could be your probability to display a nice and clean standing. It is possible to take a position or perhaps question a public viewpoint.

7. Immediate Feedback: The additional essential feature of blogging is that it allows you to get immediate feedback plus evaluations upon your goods or provide you with suggestions concerning how to make required modifications. This quick, immediate feedback can help you tweak plus react better towards the sector you are hoping to aim. Yet again, keep in mind your followers tend to be your best lead.

Blogs, nowadays, have grown to be a fundamental element of any business. In case you examine best organizations, they have launched a blog to specifically connect with their potential audience. Furthermore, it is the convenient way of educating clients that attract most companies and entrepreneurs. Thus, do not wait and write a blog today to reap the maximum benefits offered by the web.

Click4more... 7 Comments

Google Analytics Newsletter - Just an overview!

I know there are lot of softwares around the web to analyze the traffic, the source of traffic, landing pages and lots more about our website. One such useful software/site is the "Google Analytics". I'm sure many are familiar with it! So, what's new about Google Analytics? Is it the new interface? No! It's about their first volume of Benchmarking Newsletter...

Last night, while I was working on the "Featured Content Slider" for SML blogger theme (Check out the demo - SML Featured Content Slider; tutorial will soon be posted in the upcoming weeks), I received an email which said "Google Analytics Benchmarking Newsletter". I guess this is the first time that the Analytics team sent me an email. The screen shot of the email is shown in the link below.

SCREEN SHOT OF THE ANALYTICS NEWSLETTER

The screen shot says it all! If you find it difficult to understand, well, I'll just run through a short explanation about the five sections of the email which you may or may not have received.

1st Section - Introduction : This section is basically an introduction about the "Benchmarking Newsletter". It tells you why you received this email and what actually is present in the email (Comparison of metrics  between "November 2009 - Febrauary 2010" and "November 2010 - February 2011"). If you did not receive one, then you need to enable "Anonymous data sharing" for your Analytics Account.

2nd Section - Site Metrics : This section shows a comparison about the "Pages/visit, Average time on site and the bounce rate" for the period under observation (Nov 2010 - Feb 2011). A geographical based comparison about the statistics for your website is explained in the rest of the section. To know more about bounce rate, I recommend you to read the following article - How To Reduce Your Blog's Bounce Rate?

3rd Section - Traffic Sources : This section displays a table of comparison about the sources of traffic to our blog. It just displays the very basic details in the comparison - "Direct Traffic, Referral Traffic, Search Engine Traffic (the one to look out for) and other miscellaneous sources".

4th Section - Operating Systems : This deals with the operating systems that the user used over the period of comparison to visit your website. In my case, more than 3/4th of the users used Windows. I would be happy to see a comparison about the web browsers used to access my website rather than the OS details. What do you think?

5th Section - Comments : This section just deals with the feedback that you may send to the Analytics Team about the newsletter. You may send your opinions to the Team at the following email address -  analytics-benchmarking@google.com. 

Basically, the comparison is displayed in such a manner that even a newbie can easily understand about his/her stats. Well, to conclude, I feel this newsletter actually provides an overview about our stats rather than detailed insights to let us know whether we are on the right path to success. So, share your opinions about the the newsletter with us via comments!

Click4more... 9 Comments

3 Great Apps To Write Or Edit Blog Posts On Android Powered Smartphone Or Tablet

Mobile computing is the wave of the future and for those of us who have trouble in finding time to sit in front of a computer to write or edit a blog post it can be a godsend. Here are three mobile applications for Android powered smartphones and tablets that will help you write and edit blog posts more easily while your on the go.

1. SWYPE

Swype is an amazing new keyboard technology that doubles the speed with which people can enter text on a touch screen. Swype works by sliding your finger over the letters that make up a word rather than pressing each button individually. So for example, rather than typing “expert” by tapping each letter in sequence you simply drag your finger tip over each letter. The program is remarkably good at figuring out the word your going for. Not only does Swype save time, but it's also far more accurate while on a bumpy train or bus. Swype comes pre-installed on most Android devices but if it isn’t on yours, it can be found completely free with a quick Google search.

2. GOOGLE DOCS

The Google Docs App works as a sort of hub and provides a better mobile interface for organizing your uploaded documents. Simply clicking on the document opens it in the browser so that you can keep writing or editing it on your phone or tablet as easily as on a computer. Another cool feature is that if you begin to type a blog post on Google Docs and save it. Well, you can get back home and log on to your computer to pick up directly from where you left off. Google Docs can be accessed on any Android device by logging in with the browser but the free application available from the market is a much better and faster option.

3. THINK FREE OFFICE

As convenient and easy as Google Docs is to use on mobile devices, chances are there where you’re unable to get a service or sometimes, without an access to the Internet. For those instances, think free office is the best mobile office suit for Android. Think free gives you the same powerful tools you’re used to, for editing word and excel documents on your smartphone or tablet. Think Free Office also gives you the option to log in to your Google account and download your documents so that they are all there and ready for you if ever you need them and there isn’t an internet connection available. Think Free Office can be downloaded from the Android market at no cost.

I have enlisted only a few options for mobile computing. If you know better about mobile computing and the associated apps for it, well, you can share your knowledge via comments. We would love to hear from you!!!

Click4more... 1 Comment

Two Great Social Networks For Group Marketing That You May Not Have Heard Of

When it comes to marketing your website or blog, social networks are an invaluable tool. Most of us know about the social media juggernauts like Facebook and Twitter but there are a few other social networks that are relatively new but, already have enough of a following to worth a look. Here are two examples of social media sites besides the most popular options that are still great for marketing your blog.

TUMBLR

Tumblr is a micro blogging service that was designed to be a sort of middleman between that super short tweet and the full blog post. Users create their own website using a bunch of provided tools and they then follow other peoples websites similar to the way you would follow someone on twitter. They then use their Tumblr dashboard to share links, blogs, photos and video with one another. 

What makes Tumblr a great place to do some self-marketing is how easy it is to build a following. Many users simply follow anyone who follows them making it easy to build up a huge network and then share links to your latest blog post or other website update. Tumblr like most social networking sites is completely free to sign up for.

FORMSPRING

Formspring.me is a social media website designed around questions. Anyone can ask anyone else anything either anonymously or logged in using their Facebook account. The nature of the site lends itself really well to letting users answer the questions however they wish. A blogger can then write a blog post around the questions that are asked and provide links for anyone who views their profile back to their website.Using Formspring in this way assures you’ll get lots of link back especially if your followed by a good number of people.

Formspring is completely free and extremely easy to use. New users can even choose to bi pass the registration process completely and just connect their Facebook account. Since by default every question you answer is shared on your wall it may even save you the time of having to put out a Facebook update for some new posts. Riddle Answer

Click4more... 3 Comments

Alexa Rank Vs. Google PageRank (PR)

There's always a confusion when it comes to Alexa Rank and Google PageRank. Many of you would have gone through so many articles about the same on the web. Yet, you would not know on what basis they ranked us or how they generated the ranking for us? This time let's be clear about what to worry and what not to?

From the very beginning of my blogging experience, there is always a big question mark about Google PR. Their algorithm seems to be Greek and Latin to me. Well, even those could be understood I think. Moreover, I would like to bring to your notice that my site few months before, on the blogspot URL had a PR4 which dropped to PR0 once I made the shift to a custom domain. Interestingly, I found that one of my article namely, Increase Traffic To Your Blog With Meta Tag and SEO, still has PR2. So, this definitely confuses me. I'm sure many of you would face similar kind of problems when it comes to the PageRank.

On the other hand, Alexa Rank, as far as I know is based only on one factor - traffic. This simply means that more the amount of visitors to your site, better will be your ranking. However, few people complain that the rankings are biased between the ones who have their toolbar installed on the sites and the ones without it. I'm not sure how far this is true, but personally I did see an improvement on installing their site widget. 

I would rather see the widget as a tracking device. Just as Google Analytics asks you to install a script for working out your site statistics, Alexa asks you to install their widget for better results. Moreover, I personally noticed that when you update your site on a regular basis, your Alexa Rank would improve. Let's just list out our conclusions.

• Alexa do not penalize websites whereas Google might.
• Alexa Rank is purely based on traffic whereas Google PR depends on its algorithm.
• Alexa Rank may vary from millions to as low as 1 whereas Google PR uses a floating number algorithm to rank a website on a scale of 10.
• Other factors that contribute to Alexa Rank apart from traffic - their toolbar.
• Other factors that contribute to Google PR apart from back-links - Page Speed and other unknown craps understood by SEO geeks.

Many advertisers except those text-link advertisers have started to look for Alexa Rank rather than Google PR which according to me, is a good strategy. So, should you be bothered about these ranks? Well, certainly not. Bottom line, just worry about the amount of traffic to your site. The rest will follow you!!! Share your knowledge about PR and Alexa Rank or an opinion about this post via comments. We would love to hear from you!

To know more about PR & back-links, check out these:
Article One - How to increase the page rank of my blog?
Article Two - How to increase back-links to my blog???

Click4more... 10 Comments

The All New Blogger Dashboard and Design

Blogger today released the new design & interface for its dashboard which can be realized only on Blogger In Draft. It's a common methodology that is adopted by Google to test the new interface on Blogger In Draft and later, update to the main site. Note that this update will be visible only to a few randomly picked users while the rest will be updated soon!

MORE ABOUT THE NEW DESIGN

It is clearly stated that there is no activation or sign-up process is required to get the new UI (User Interface) for your dashboard. Fear not, you will soon be updated with new interface - probably within a couple of weeks time. First reason why you did not have the new design - may be your blog is very new. Second Reason - Since the update is a complete redesign from the scratch, it becomes very difficult for the blogger team to make the new UI available to all its users. You may read more about the new UI here - Official Blogger Blog.

PROS AND CONS

The new design looks more sleek and takes very little time to load when compared to the age old blogger editor. The second advantage with respect to the new design is the ability to translate or define within the post editor using the Define/Translate icon. A number of issues have been solved while the other features which are yet to come are as follows.

Updates to previous issues:

• The “You have unsaved changes” error message after post publishing has been fixed.
• The Labels button now changes status after labels get added. We've also added the labels list and “Click to add” function.
• We've added the “Number of posts to show in one page” option.
• We've fixed the “Back to Blogger” link on the Template Designer.
• We've updated scheduled posting.
• We've fixed the Javascript error on the image uploading from Edit HTML tab of Pages.
• We've also made a variety of other small updates to the user interface.

A few things we're still working on:

• The option to Show/Hide blog list on Global Dashboard.
• Label auto complete.
• Various updates to the user interface.
• Small images embedded in the post, such as “Tweet this” or “Email this,” are enlarged and show up on the Dashboard.

Regarding the cons, the biggest disadvantage which I felt was the inability to edit our template. The only way to do so would be to download the template, make the required changes and upload the stuff back again. Another important feature that I repeat in my feedback forms to Google is about the comments section on blogger. I feel they should modify their algorithm to support threaded comments like WP blogs.

NEW BLOGGER DASHBOARD, CREDIT : OFFICIAL BLOGGER BLOG

The post on Official Google blog says that "We’ve essentially rewritten the entire application from scratch, using the latest web technologies that will enable us to make future updates in more agile and flexible ways. We realize there might be some ‘rough edges’ but fear not, we’ll be continually updating and improving the experience until it’s ready to graduate from Blogger in Draft. So, let's keep our fingers crossed and wait for the best to happen.

You may send a feedback about the new UI to Google via the following form - Send Feedback. You might very well share the same with us via comments.

UPDATE
Read more about the new feature on this page - ONE CLICK FAVICON INSTALLATION. Scroll to the end of the article to find the updated version of the post.

Click4more... 9 Comments

Problogger's guide to Your first week of Blogging

Hi friends, there's an exciting news from ProBlogger Darren Rowse. I'm pretty sure many people read the earlier versions of his ebook, the best which I felt was "31 Days To Build A Better Blog". The third ebook from the ProBlogger namely, the "ProBlogger's Guide to your First Week of Blogging", provides a dynamic view about niche selection, social promotions, posting ideas and much more that are vital for a long term success on your blog.

So, what's exciting with this release? You might think it's just another ebook that runs for pages serving no value to my blog. May be, you are right with your analysis because most of the eBooks which I personally went through served no use. However, when it comes to Darren Rowse, it's a different issue. I personally recommend his books because if you implement what he says, at least 80% of what is said in his books, I'm sure you will succeed in the blogging world.

There was a small speculation when the second eBook  "The Copywriting Scorecard For Blogger" was released because the beginner's found it difficult to understand. This time Darren has clearly stated to whom this book is addressed for. The promotion page clearly states that it is aimed at bloggers who are beginning to start blogging with solid foundations including, but not limited to, those thinking about starting a new blog, those in their very first week of blogging and those looking to start a 2nd or 3rd blog who want to do it better

To add more spiciness on his new eBook launch, Darren has announced the following bonus.

Launch Bonus: If you buy ProBlogger’s Guide to your First Week of Blogging before 17 May you’ll get it for just $9.99 – that’s 50% off. You’ll also go into the draw to win a prize worth over $850.

Apart from the value for money(50% OFF till May 17th) you get via his eBooks, you will enter into a draw to grab the best WordPress themes. That is, you’ll get access to 37 themes  plus any other theme that StudioPress release going forward. So, what are you waiting for???? Go grab yourself a copy first. Just hit the following link - ProBlogger's Guide to your First Week of Blogging . 

Click4more... 6 Comments