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.

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Why To Add Google +1 Button For Blogger?

It's been quite few weeks since the launch of Google +1 button. I'm sure many of you would have added this share button on your blogs. If you have no idea about what I'm talking about, then let me elaborate a little more - Google +1 button is share counter similar to facebook or tweet button that improves our search results.

HOW TO ADD GOOGLE +1 BUTTON FOR BLOGGER???

As per Google, the +1 button is defined as shorthand for "this is pretty cool" or "you should check this out". What should I do to get this button installed on my blog? Just follow these instructions to get the button working on your blog.

1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, search for the following piece of code.

</body>

2. Place the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 1.

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script>

3. Next, you may place the following piece of code anywhere in between your body tags where you want the button to appear. It is better you place it below your posts. So, search for the following tag.

<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'/>

4. Place any one among the following pieces of code just below the line mentioned in step three as per your size requirement.

    For a SMALLER VERSION (15px)

<g:plusone size="small"></g:plusone>

    For a MEDIUM SIZED VERSION (20px)

<g:plusone size="medium"></g:plusone>

    For a LARGER VERSION (60px)

<g:plusone size="tall"></g:plusone>

    For the STANDARD VERSION (24px)

<g:plusone></g:plusone>

WHY GOOGLE +1 BUTTON???

• Google clearly stated that the +1 button provides a stamp of approval meaning to say that your content is worth reading. More over, it states that it improves your search results. 
• We blogspot users have the slightest advantage of better ranking on Google than our competitors like wordpress.com (not .org), joomla,etc... With the +1 button installed, it pushes your blog ranking further to the top.
• When a particular user searches for some content on Google with his/her account signed in, the search results will be annotated with the names of their connections who have +1'd the page. This simply means that the recommendations from their social connections appear beneath the search results. 
• More over, the +1's are public by default so any user who has signed in will be able to see the recommendations. How ever, you may choose whether or not, to have them displayed on your public profile.
• The +1 Button is not the same as Google Buzz, though they share a lot of similarities. They both appear on your Google Profile under different tabs, but +1's don't allow for comments whereas Google Buzz does. 
• Above all, Google will soon launch an analytics for the button that will display accurate results to the webmasters about their content, overall search impacts, geographic search impacts, etc...

You may get more updates about this button by joining the following group - Subscribe to Google Publishers Button. I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm sure many webmasters would know more than what I know about this topic. So, please share your opinions via comments.

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Image Hover Shadow Effect With CSS

I'm sure you would have noticed the images that appear as a thumbnail on my blog have shadow effect. If not, hover your mouse over the image to the left. Interesting effect. Right? You can find this effect on blogs like Techiemania and other blogs run on WordPress Thesis Theme. Interested to have this effect on your blog?

I'm sure many webmasters would have installed this hack on their blogs long before but few newbies kept mailing me regarding this hack. So, to all those who asked for this hack, here it is. You may also consider reading this article if you wish to have captions on your images on hovering your mouse - Add Image Caption On Hover With CSS3. Let's get started with this tutorial - Image Hover Shadow Effect.

1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, search for the following piece of code.

]]></b:skin>

2. Place the following piece of code just above the line mentioned in step 1.

.imagedropshadow {
padding: 5px;
border: solid 1px #EFEFEF;
}
a:hover img.imagedropshadow {
border: solid 1px #CCC;
-moz-box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px #999;
-webkit-box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px #999;
box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px #999;
}

3. Save your template. Now, navigate to your post editor. To make this hack really working, you need to follow these steps.

    1. Insert a picture in your post using the post editor.

    2. Shift your tab from the Compose mode to Edit HTML mode. 

    3. Look for the img tag.

    4. Place the following code just after the img tag with a space. Then, publish your post.

class="imagedropshadow"

If you find the above steps difficult to understand, then have a look at the following example. The final coding should be something like this.

<img border="0" class="imagedropshadow" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WboZQt4K-6oilMsQu-q6KfBQ906ns9BpFFDNtvHVmVUuRKW_SnJ_QA3oB1Xx7MGznOv1Ouh2fzkHalo9S1Jxs5XM7fzM70lphPm5TL4kAyHsQXqUUmLRgM8j_fpkbUOtc4VW2qwFP1E/s200/CSSEditLogo1.jpg" width="75"/>

POSSIBLE CUSTOMIZATIONS:

You can change the color of the text shadows by changing the numbers highlighted in green on the code mentioned in step 2. Those numbers represent the HTML color codes. The following link may be useful in identifying the HTML color codes for you - HTML Color Names. The border thickness may also be varied by increasing from 1px(highlighted in orange) to the value you want. Even the color could be changed. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I hope you enjoyed this hack. If you have any difficulties in installing this hack on your blog, you can always reach me via email. Share your opinions via comments. See you soon with another interesting hack!!!

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Floating Share Buttons With Counter Using CSS

I'm sure many people would have seen the floating share icons on various sites. Most of the floating share buttons which I found from Google search was the one similar to Mashable. These tutorials used JavaScript - jQuery to achieve a smooth gliding but, doing so will add too much of weight on your blog. It increases the size of your template apart from the script involved in loading those buttons.

You may very well notice that the facebook like boxes or buttons occupy a huge space because the scripts that they use are by default heavy and nothing could be done as such especially as a blogspot user. Thus, it becomes our responsibility to reduce the load time as much as we can. So, this post illustrates on adding floating share icons just with a simple CSS. I suggest you to read the following article for speeding up your blog - Speed Up Your Blog : Tips And Tools.

Biggest Advantage: No script is involved for the floating feature. Only scripts involved are those associated with the share buttons - facebook, twitter, etc... Take a look at the screenshot below for better understanding.

So, let's get started with this tutorial.

1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the back up is over, expand your template and search for the following piece of code.

<div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'/>

2. Just paste the following piece of code just below the line mentioned in step 1.

<div style='position: fixed; top: 1%; right: 1%;'>
<script type='text/javascript'>
tweetmeme_url = '<data:post.url/>';
</script>
<script src='http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<br/>
<fb:like action='like' colorscheme='light' expr:href='data:post.url' font='arial' layout='box_count' send='false' show_faces='false'/>
</div>

3. I have used only facebook and twitter share counters in my coding. You may add any number of share widgets as you want within the div tags. But, make sure you add a break tag (<br/>) after each and every script - makes the share buttons look neat. In order to make the facebook share button work, add the following piece of code above </head> in your template.

<script src='http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1' type='text/javascript'/>

4. You may further customize the position of the widget. Note the code highlighted in green. It depicts the position of the widget. The default coding places the share buttons to the top right corner. You may replace this coding with the following codes for different positions.

TOP LEFT - top:1%; left:1%;

BOTTOM LEFT - bottom:1%; left:1%;

BOTTOM RIGHT - bottom:1%; right:1%;

5. That's it!!! Save your template. 

If you find the above tutorial little difficult or if you don't find the coding mentioned in step 1, then just add the code mentioned in step two on your "Design>>Page Elements" page as a "Gadget>>HTML/JavaScript". That's it. Save the gadget and view the result!!! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. You may share your opinions via comments.

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Simple Trick To Increase Your Blog Subscribers

It's been quite some time since I made a post on my blog. This post basically illustrates on increasing the Feedburner subscriber's count to your blog with the help of a simple script - Alert box. You might have seen few websites like sitesketch101.com or famousbloggers.net that loads a popup box from PopUp Domination 2.0 displaying a form to subscribe to their newsletter/blog.

More About PopUp Domination 2.0

PopUp Domination 2.0 is a plugin that lets you build your email list to a whooping level that you never imagined to happen in a week. It's easy to build attractive forms using PopUp Domination 2.0. As far as I know, both the WP plugin and the standalone versions supports all the major email list services as shown below.

 You get 8 variety of themes with flexible color combinations. If you wish to improve your list in a quick time, then I strongly suggest you to try PopUp Domination 2.0. You have a 60 day money back guarantee offer. It is currently priced at $47.00 which may go up in a week's time. But, wait there's a small trick that lets you save $10.00. 

1. Hit the following link - PopUp Domination 2.0.

2. Once the page is opened in a new tab. Try closing the tab. 

3. You will see a Popup that offers a $10.00 discount. Hit the cancel tab and purchase the plugin now for $37.00.

So, no half measures, just hit the link and try it yourself - PopUp Domination 2.0.

PopUp Domination Alternative - WP Users

So, what do I do if am not able to afford the price that is quoted there. Well, we have a solution for you my WP readers. Just hit this link - FasterIM Opt-In and try the alternative to PopUp Domination. Note: I said only WP users. What if I'm a blogspot user unable to afford the price? Bad luck, we have no other option but to use the alert box that I mentioned at the start of my post (or) pay the price for the standalone version of PopUp Domination 2.0 and get the code.

Alternative to Blogspot Users

I would like to highlight the disadvantages in using this alert box before I start the tutorial. The first one being the inability to modify the box that pops up. Secondly, the alert box might disturb the user who visits your blog because of its ugly look. If you can bear the above two disadvantages, then proceed with the tutorial below to achieve the ultimate aim - navigate the readers to your blog's subscription page. One big advantage in using this alert box is that it loads much faster than any of the above mentioned plugins because it does not involve any external JavaScript - uses only one script defined internally. So, lets get started with this tutorial on alert box.

LIVE DEMO OF THIS HACK - ALERT BOX

1. Navigate to "Design>>Edit HTML" and make a backup of your template by clicking on the "Download full template" link at the top of the page. Once the backup is over, search for the following piece of code.

</body>

2. Place the following piece of code with just above the code mentioned in step 1.

<b:if cond='data:blog.url == data:blog.homepageUrl'>
<script type='text/javascript'>
var t=setTimeout("alertMsg()",5000);
function alertMsg()
{
var stay=confirm("Can we navigate you to our blog subscription page?")
if (stay)
window.location="http://feeds.feedburner.com/EverythingAboutBlogging"
}
</script>
</b:if>

3. The timer which I have set on the coding is highlighted in green. This parameter depicts the time after which the alert box should load. For example, if you set the parameter to 6000 instead of 5000, then the box will appear after 6 seconds. Note: 1000 milliseconds make one second. 

4. The text which I used in my coding is highlighted in blue. You may change it as per your wish. Moreover, the code I mentioned will load the alert box only on homepage. If you wish to have it on all pages, then remove the first and last line in the coding mentioned at step 2.

5. Replace the link highlighted in orange with your feed link - obtained from Feedburner.

6. That's it. Save your template.

I am currently working on the coding to load an alert box/popup box similar to PopUp Domination 2.0. In fact, we achieved 75% success in our coding. There are little more bugs/issues that need to be solved before we launch the coding for you. So, keep your fingers crossed and wait for the launch. Hope we come up with the coding for you. I would like to hear your thoughts and views about this post. So, share it with us via comments!!! 

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How to Use Search Engines to Find Golden Keywords to Promote your Products?

There are some little known methods you can use to build a highly-optimized keyword list and increase your online sales. I’d like to share four of these methods to help you find keywords your competition has missed – some novel methods that will help you catch extra search engine traffic. Following these four steps will put you on the right path to building your internet business.

KNOW YOUR MARKET

Research your niche market thoroughly – knowing your buyers well is key to forming an effective keyword list. While researching,

1. Make notes on potentially effective keyword phrases.

2. Join special interest groups online and offline.

3. Subscribe to the newsletters of your competitors.

4. Visit forums relevant to your market niche.

Once you have thoroughly acquainted yourself with your niche market, it will be time to make up a seriously effective keyword list.

 MAKE A LIST

With pen and paper, brainstorm possible keywords and keyword phrases. Just let your mind run free and capture all you possibly can. The list can be narrow or broad – anything from one word to six word phrases relevant to your product niche. An example in the weight loss niche would be “weight loss products” as a broad keyword phrase, and a narrower phrase like “diary-free weight loss products”.

 UNCOVER EFFECTIVE KEYWORDS

Try these different methods to expand and add variety to your keyword list: 

1. Misspellings - With a little lateral thinking, you can come up with possible misspellings in your market niche; misspellings like “loose weight” can pull a lot of traffic. 

2. Author or Product Names - By adding an author name or a product name to your list can garner a surprising number of searchers near the end of the purchase cycle.

3. Appeal to today’s “I want it and I want it NOW” mentality - Remember the reason many people use the internet is their desire to fulfill a need immediately. They can’t even wait till tomorrow so use immediate words like “stop”, “now” or “fix”.

4. Informative Wording - Know that not everyone going online plans to buy, but you want them to visit your site anyway. To attract this type of traffic, you might add words like “how to…”, “homemade” or “free guide”.

 SORT YOUR LIST TO FOCUS YOUR AIM

Start by dividing your keywords list into three types of visitors:

1. Buyers - the highest quality traffic available because they are at the end of the purchase cycle and are usually close to making a buy. It’s unfortunate this high quality is also the lowest volume. Words which buyers use are the money words referred to above and also product or author names. 

2. Product seekers – This type of traffic is greater, but is lower quality since they are not actually as close to buying as the group above. This group knows about your niche and is seeking a product which will improve their lives but don’t yet know which products are available. The keywords in this group are much like the information seekers but lean more toward solving immediate problems and acknowledging the need for help. 

3. Information Seekers – This group is the lowest quality traffic but it also has the highest volume which means it is easier to attract plenty of visitors. The keywords used here will be the broadest and most general. These shorter or broader phrases usually have more competition, so you should target the long tail keywords which are more focused but have less competition. With experience, you will be able to use your natural intuition to recognize “money keywords”. Spend some time studying the search engine ratings for your targeted keywords, monitor the traffic you attract by using stats tracking, refine, tweak and experiment.

SHARE YOUR VIEWS

I would be interested in knowing what works best for you in targeting your buyer traffic, which methods do you use to find the best quality keywords, etc. Could you take time to share your views?

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