Showing posts with label Blogger Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogger Tips. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Design Tips For Your Blog
12:22 PM | 
Posted by
Julie Elder
Here are some quick and easy tips to remember when designing your own blog!
1. Width. When customizing the width of your layout, keep in mind that people who come to your blog have different screen sizes. You don’t want your layout to be the default Blogger 660px wide and look tiny on a huge screen, but you also don’t want a 1300px layout that readers must scroll to the right t0 view. A good “in between” size is from 900-1000 pixels.
2. Header size. The width of your header should be the width of the rest of your content (usually) so 900-1000px wide is great. But what about height? It all depends on what you put in your header! Do you have a nice iStockphoto image that takes up a lot of space? Or is it just text? Photos? If it’s just text – stick with around 150-200px tall. If you have graphics, go 250-300. I wouldn’t suggest ever going above 300. The header isn’t the most important part of a blog – the posts and content are. So always be sure to highlight the content with an attractive design instead of letting the design take over the blog. (Good examples: The Mommy Matters, The Happenstance Housewife.)
3. Font choice. With the new Google Web Fonts being released, it’s tempting to pick really cute fonts for your paragraphs and blog content. No matter how legible the font seemingly is, it’s an eyesore for people who want to really read your blog. Pick Arial, Times, Georgia, Century Gothic, Helvetica, or find a good “paragraph” font in the Google web fonts directory. (Or use a good paragraph font with Typekit and @font-face if you are on WordPress.) Scripty, handwritten, cutesy fonts, are best reserved for headings and larger text. (Good examples: Serif font: 2711 Designs, Sans-Serif font: November Girl and Family.)
5. Layout. Three columns, or posts on the left are the most favorable layout styles. We naturally read left to right, so having the most interesting content (blog posts) on the left, the more comfortable your readers will feel.
6. Colors: Dark text on a light background is usually the best way to go. You can vary this and use darker colored text on a light background, but on computer screens – dark text on a light background is the easiest to read. With regard to your design, you can pretty much go crazy with colors! Let your personal style shine through! I like to use kuler.adobe.com to make swatches, and Pinterest.com is great for inspiration. Here are a few color tips too!
Hope these tips help!
1. Width. When customizing the width of your layout, keep in mind that people who come to your blog have different screen sizes. You don’t want your layout to be the default Blogger 660px wide and look tiny on a huge screen, but you also don’t want a 1300px layout that readers must scroll to the right t0 view. A good “in between” size is from 900-1000 pixels.
2. Header size. The width of your header should be the width of the rest of your content (usually) so 900-1000px wide is great. But what about height? It all depends on what you put in your header! Do you have a nice iStockphoto image that takes up a lot of space? Or is it just text? Photos? If it’s just text – stick with around 150-200px tall. If you have graphics, go 250-300. I wouldn’t suggest ever going above 300. The header isn’t the most important part of a blog – the posts and content are. So always be sure to highlight the content with an attractive design instead of letting the design take over the blog. (Good examples: The Mommy Matters, The Happenstance Housewife.)
3. Font choice. With the new Google Web Fonts being released, it’s tempting to pick really cute fonts for your paragraphs and blog content. No matter how legible the font seemingly is, it’s an eyesore for people who want to really read your blog. Pick Arial, Times, Georgia, Century Gothic, Helvetica, or find a good “paragraph” font in the Google web fonts directory. (Or use a good paragraph font with Typekit and @font-face if you are on WordPress.) Scripty, handwritten, cutesy fonts, are best reserved for headings and larger text. (Good examples: Serif font: 2711 Designs, Sans-Serif font: November Girl and Family.)
5. Layout. Three columns, or posts on the left are the most favorable layout styles. We naturally read left to right, so having the most interesting content (blog posts) on the left, the more comfortable your readers will feel.
6. Colors: Dark text on a light background is usually the best way to go. You can vary this and use darker colored text on a light background, but on computer screens – dark text on a light background is the easiest to read. With regard to your design, you can pretty much go crazy with colors! Let your personal style shine through! I like to use kuler.adobe.com to make swatches, and Pinterest.com is great for inspiration. Here are a few color tips too!
Reds, yellows, browns, greens: Great for food blogs, as these warmer colors are more “appetizing.” (Note: McDonald’s, Applebees, most restaurants use red.) Also good for blogs about reading and money.7. Backgrounds: There are a lot of choices for free backgrounds around the internet for your blog. Choosing your background carefully can determine whether your readers stay or quickly leave because it’s the largest image (or pattern) on your site. The background should compliment your layout – not be the center of attention. Choose a background with a subtle pattern, or a few pops of color. Avoid highly contrasted, busy, and loud background images. (Good Examples: Theta Mom Media, Mom and Wife.)
Blues, grays: Use on informational sites, business sites, and professional blogs. (Note: Wal-Mart, Studiopress.com) Did you know that BLUE is the least appetizing color? Pastel blues obviously provide a feminine touch, and pale grays evoke professionalism.
Black: Excellent for photography sites and portfolios, black makes your photos stand out against the background and creates contrast between the photos and design.
White: Great for any site, especially as a backdrop. Feelings of cleanliness, simplicity, purity, and optimism can be created with the careful use of white in your blog. White text on darker backgrounds are okay for headings, but harder to read in paragraph form.
Hope these tips help!
Labels:
Monday, July 11, 2011
Blogger Features
We created Blogger to give you an easy way to share your thoughts — about current events, what's going on in your life, or anything else you'd care to discuss — with the world. We've developed a host of features to make blogging as simple and effective as possible.
Getting Started | More Features | Advanced Features
Getting Started | More Features | Advanced Features
Getting Started
New! Customize your design
The Blogger Template Designer offers many templates, making it simple for you to create a professional-looking blog. In addition, the Template Designer lets you customize your template. Choose from hundreds of background images, tens of flexible layouts, and rearrange widgets through a drag and drop interface. Add gadgets such as slideshows, user polls, or even AdSense ads. Changing fonts and colors is easy too. And if that’s not enough control, you can even edit your blog’s CSS and HTML.Publishing your voice is easy and free
Creating your blog with Blogger takes just a few easy steps. In a matter of minutes you can start posting text, photos, videos, and more to your blog. Post as often as you want; it's free. Check out this article on How to get started or watch the How to create a blog with Blogger video.Simple-to-use interface
Follow a few basic steps to start posting to your blog. Our simple-to-use interface lets you change fonts, bold or italicize your text, adjust text color and alignment, and more. As you compose each new blog post, Blogger saves it automatically, without interrupting your typing. There's also an easy-to-use spell-check feature and a simple way to add labels to your posts. In addition, Blogger includes an HTML editor that lets you fully customize the look and feel of your posts.Your free website
When you create your blog, you can host it for free on Blog*Spot. Just choose an available URL and you're ready to go. If you change your mind and want a different URL later, making the change is easy. Blogger also includes a custom domain option; you can have a domain name, like example.com, and we'll still host your blog there, giving you all of Blogger's great features.Add photos and videos to your post
You can easily add a photo to your blog post by clicking on the image icon in the post editor toolbar. Your photos are then hosted in your free Picasa Web Albums account, where you can order prints and organize photos into albums. Adding a video to your post is just as easy; just click on the film-strip icon on the post editor toolbar to get started. Videos uploaded through Blogger are hosted on Google Video.More Features
New! Earn money
With Blogger, you can earn money just by posting high quality original content on your favorite topics. Blogger has a dedicated Monetize tab that allows you to easily place AdSense ads on your blog. Also, through Blogger’s Amazon Associates program, you can search Amazon’s product catalog and add links to products you recommend that earn you commission when your readers buy these products.Develop your community
Let your readers follow your blog by adding the Followers gadget to your layout. With this gadget, your readers can click the "Follow This Blog" link to add your blog to their Blogger Dashboard and Google Reader account. They also have the option to add their image and profile to your blog to tell the world that they're a fan.Feedback from your readers
It's easy for readers to leave comments on any of your blog posts, giving you useful, timely feedback. They can leave comments right below the post, in a pop-up window, or on a separate page. You can also use Reactions to let your readers quickly provide feedback with just one click.New post notifications
Your readers can choose to subscribe to your blog's feeds, so they're notified whenever you publish a new blog post. You can also customize what's shared in your blog's feed, and set up your blog to email new posts automatically to specific email addresses or mailing lists.One simple ID
Because you can login to Blogger with your Google Account — which also gives you access to Gmail, iGoogle, orkut, etc. — you have one less username and password to remember. Your blog's address can also be used as an OpenID to give you a single digital identity across the web. Since your blog can accept comments from OpenID users in addition to registered Blogger members, it'll be easier for all your readers to leave feedback and participate in your conversations.Languages of the world
Blogger is currently available in 41 languages including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian speakers can use Blogger with Right-to-Left display and formatting. And transliteration is available for five Indic languages.Advanced Features
New! Pages
With Blogger’s Pages feature, you can create new pages that are linked from your blog. For example, you can create an “About This Blog” or a “Contact Me” page, in a similar way you write a new blog post, and provide links to those pages as tabs at the top of your blog or in the sidebar.Posting on the go
Blogger has many additional ways for you to post to your blog. You can post to your blog from your mobile phone or through a secret Mail-to-Blogger email address. Or use the Blogger Post Gadget to edit and publish posts directly from your custom iGoogle homepage. With these options, it's easy to post to your blog whenever you want, from wherever you may be.Group blogging
With Blogger, it's easy to create a team blog, allowing multiple bloggers to contribute to a single blog. You select which team members have administrative authority and those who are just authors. You can also choose to make your blog private and restrict who can view it. This puts you in full control of your blog.Third-party applications
You can choose among a host of third-party applications that integrate with Blogger to make it even easier for you to blog. Be sure to check out code.blogger.com if you're a developer and want to create your own great app.Even more features...
We're constantly developing new features for Blogger; check out Blogger Buzz to stay on top of all the latest additions and changes. If you want to try some of our experimental features, check out Blogger in draft. And if you need more information about any of Blogger's features, be sure to visit the Blogger Help site or discussion group. To see what others are posting, check out Blogs of Note. We hope you like what we've created.Tutorials
Reinstalling Google Analytics
Installing Google Analytics
Moderating your Blog's Comments
DIY Custom Blog Fonts
Unlocking Wordpress
Creating a Webs Account
Adding a Polaroid Effect to your Post Images
Changing your Password in Blogger
Using Free Backgrounds in the Watermark Template
Setting up a Photobucket Account
Expandable Post Summaries
Fancy Up your Footer
Making your Images Unclickable
Backing Up Your Template
Transferring a Domain Using GoDaddy.com
Spice up your Blog with Gadgets
How to Change the Color/Style of your Blogger Nav Bar
Finding the Old Blogger Templates
Adding Pages to your Blog
How to Right Click Disable Your Blog
Uploading Larger Pictures in Blogger
Installing Google Analytics
Moderating your Blog's Comments
Adding Labels to your Blog Posts
Granting Admin Privileges
Add the Link Withing Gadget to your Blog
Adding and Configuring a Sticky Welcome Post
How to Apply a Watermark to Photos
Granting Admin Privileges
Add the Link Withing Gadget to your Blog
Adding and Configuring a Sticky Welcome Post
How to Apply a Watermark to Photos
DIY Custom Blog Fonts
Unlocking Wordpress
Creating a Webs Account
Adding a Polaroid Effect to your Post Images
Changing your Password in Blogger
Using Free Backgrounds in the Watermark Template
Setting up a Photobucket Account
Expandable Post Summaries
Fancy Up your Footer
Making your Images Unclickable
Backing Up Your Template
Transferring a Domain Using GoDaddy.com
Spice up your Blog with Gadgets
How to Change the Color/Style of your Blogger Nav Bar
Finding the Old Blogger Templates
Adding Pages to your Blog
How to Right Click Disable Your Blog
Uploading Larger Pictures in Blogger
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Importance of Fonts
Found this at onthespotstudio... You will love this blog.. Make sure you comment on it.. Enjoy the content...
(check out sites like myfonts.com and fonts.com and give examples. The more detailed you are, the better)
A few tips while picking out fonts:
DONT go too handwritten/rough edged. Not only do these fonts not usually look professional but nine times out of ten: they do not print well either.
DONT choose a font that is either:
a) OVERUSED (ie: Scriptina, Corinthia, Passions Conflict, Inspiration, dear joe, pea fonts)
b) FREE (most free fonts are NOT okay to use for logo design)
c) hard to read/rough edged (dear joe, susies hand, etc.)
DO choose a font that is:
a) clean, sans serif ( Marlowe, Harry Thin, Le Havre, MrEaves)
b) clean serif (Garamond, Filosofia, Perpetua, Century)
c) Legible Script ( PF Champion Script Pro®, Liza, Dolce, Eye Catching, Feel Script)
Some fonts are NOT cheap. It’s nothing for me to spend well over $100 a week on JUST fonts for clients. This guarantees the design to be unique, timeless, clean and “you”.
When deciding on the type of font you want, be sure to let your designer KNOW that way they are not buying fonts you “think” you may like, as well as wasting money on fonts they may never use again. A good designer stays up to date on new release fonts and has an “eye” for what will and will not work on logo designs. If your designer informs you that they will have to purchase the font that you want, be absolutely positive, no doubt in your mind that that is the font you want. You will also have to purchase the font if you want your branding to be consistent. The designer can NOT give you the font file with your final designs, as it is against many font designers TOU. If the TOU are questionable, be sure to email the FONT DESIGNER yourself to find out if a special commercial license is needed for use on logo design. If so, let your designer know so that he/she can purchase the correct licenses for your designwork.
Remember: when designing your own logo or having a designer do it for you, sometimes, simple is better. The more legible your font on your logo is, the better chance of someone recognizing it.
Fonts:
Fonts are one of the most important parts of your logo design. If your designer asks YOUR input on the type of font you like, be as specific as possible using links to the font(s) and other logo designs to guide them.(check out sites like myfonts.com and fonts.com and give examples. The more detailed you are, the better)
A few tips while picking out fonts:
DONT go too handwritten/rough edged. Not only do these fonts not usually look professional but nine times out of ten: they do not print well either.
DONT choose a font that is either:
a) OVERUSED (ie: Scriptina, Corinthia, Passions Conflict, Inspiration, dear joe, pea fonts)
b) FREE (most free fonts are NOT okay to use for logo design)
c) hard to read/rough edged (dear joe, susies hand, etc.)
DO choose a font that is:
a) clean, sans serif ( Marlowe, Harry Thin, Le Havre, MrEaves)
b) clean serif (Garamond, Filosofia, Perpetua, Century)
c) Legible Script ( PF Champion Script Pro®, Liza, Dolce, Eye Catching, Feel Script)
Some fonts are NOT cheap. It’s nothing for me to spend well over $100 a week on JUST fonts for clients. This guarantees the design to be unique, timeless, clean and “you”.
When deciding on the type of font you want, be sure to let your designer KNOW that way they are not buying fonts you “think” you may like, as well as wasting money on fonts they may never use again. A good designer stays up to date on new release fonts and has an “eye” for what will and will not work on logo designs. If your designer informs you that they will have to purchase the font that you want, be absolutely positive, no doubt in your mind that that is the font you want. You will also have to purchase the font if you want your branding to be consistent. The designer can NOT give you the font file with your final designs, as it is against many font designers TOU. If the TOU are questionable, be sure to email the FONT DESIGNER yourself to find out if a special commercial license is needed for use on logo design. If so, let your designer know so that he/she can purchase the correct licenses for your designwork.
Remember: when designing your own logo or having a designer do it for you, sometimes, simple is better. The more legible your font on your logo is, the better chance of someone recognizing it.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Top widgets for your website [Part - 1]
Hello Readers,
After so long time I’m writing an article. Today we will see some cool gadgets, widgets for blogs/websites. The widgets like weather info, visitors map/location, local time, Facebook connect, Twitter tweets etc. You can also have these kind of widgets on your blog or website. You just need a code sinnpet to get these widgets. Today we will some useful widgets that you should have on your website or blog.
Visitors Map / Location
1. Cluster Map : Cluster Map provides the visitor location and count of visits from specific region. This is free widgets. You just need to register your self on this websites. Cluster map represents visitor location by red dot. The dot size depends on the traffic of your website. The dot size gets bigger when your website gets massive hits.
2. Feedjit (Live traffic feed) : Feedjit provides a Live traffic feed. Its a very good option to get the details about website visitors. This is a free widget. You can get the details like from which part of the world the visitor arrives on your blog and on which page with the exact time. Here you can see the details about visitor’s OS, browser and Country. You can pause the feedjit service if you want. I like this widget, so I’m using this in my blog.
Social Networking
1. Facebook Like box : Today everyone is crazy for facebook. Faceboook plays a key role in social networking. You can create a page on Facebook, where you and your followers can share thoughts. You should have the like box in to your website. If a new user see your website and he wants to follow you then he can simply click on like button provided there to become a fan on facebook. This widgets is provided by Facebook.
Click here to get your own Facebook Like box : http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box
2. Twitter Button: Twitter is very popular website among netizens. Almost all of us use Twitter daily to share, read the information. If someone likes something then he share it on twitter so other people can also know about this. The same funda you can use via giving the twitter button to user. They can share it on twitter if they like.
Click here to get your own twitter button : http://twitter.com/about/resources/tweetbutton
Weather
Yahoo! Weather Badge : Yahoo Weather badge is a really cool widget. It shows the current temperature of the specified location. You can customize this as per your need. It shows almost all important cities weather. You just need to select city and set other 2-3 things, that’s all your weather badge is ready. I will recommend this widget for websites which gives information about Regional and Travel.
We will some other cool gadgets in our next Part of “Top widgets for your website”.
After so long time I’m writing an article. Today we will see some cool gadgets, widgets for blogs/websites. The widgets like weather info, visitors map/location, local time, Facebook connect, Twitter tweets etc. You can also have these kind of widgets on your blog or website. You just need a code sinnpet to get these widgets. Today we will some useful widgets that you should have on your website or blog.
Visitors Map / Location
1. Cluster Map : Cluster Map provides the visitor location and count of visits from specific region. This is free widgets. You just need to register your self on this websites. Cluster map represents visitor location by red dot. The dot size depends on the traffic of your website. The dot size gets bigger when your website gets massive hits.
2. Feedjit (Live traffic feed) : Feedjit provides a Live traffic feed. Its a very good option to get the details about website visitors. This is a free widget. You can get the details like from which part of the world the visitor arrives on your blog and on which page with the exact time. Here you can see the details about visitor’s OS, browser and Country. You can pause the feedjit service if you want. I like this widget, so I’m using this in my blog.
Social Networking1. Facebook Like box : Today everyone is crazy for facebook. Faceboook plays a key role in social networking. You can create a page on Facebook, where you and your followers can share thoughts. You should have the like box in to your website. If a new user see your website and he wants to follow you then he can simply click on like button provided there to become a fan on facebook. This widgets is provided by Facebook.
Click here to get your own Facebook Like box : http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box
2. Twitter Button: Twitter is very popular website among netizens. Almost all of us use Twitter daily to share, read the information. If someone likes something then he share it on twitter so other people can also know about this. The same funda you can use via giving the twitter button to user. They can share it on twitter if they like.
Click here to get your own twitter button : http://twitter.com/about/resources/tweetbuttonWeather
Yahoo! Weather Badge : Yahoo Weather badge is a really cool widget. It shows the current temperature of the specified location. You can customize this as per your need. It shows almost all important cities weather. You just need to select city and set other 2-3 things, that’s all your weather badge is ready. I will recommend this widget for websites which gives information about Regional and Travel.
We will some other cool gadgets in our next Part of “Top widgets for your website”.
How To Create a Soft Fade Vignette Effect in Photoshop Elements
Soft Fade Vignette Effect
A vignette, or soft fade, is a popular photo effect where the photo gradually fades into the background, usually in an oval shape. Elements has a built in vignette effect, but this method gives you more control. New: See my updated tutorial on how to create a vignette effect non-destructively.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 1 minute
Here's How:
- Open a photo.
- Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool.
- Click and drag across the image to select the area of the photo you want to keep.
- Go to Select > Feather and enter a radius amount. A value between 20-50 works well. The higher the value, the softer the fade will be.
- Go to Select > Inverse.
- If you want a background color other than white, black or gray, choose the color in the toolbox now.
- Go to Edit > Fill and select a color or pattern to fill in the background.
- Go to Select > Deselect.
Tips:
- Be sure to save under a different name so you don't overwrite your original.
- After step 4, you can optionally copy and paste the feathered selection to another image.
- There is a one-click Vignette in the effects palette of Photoshop Elements, but by learning the manual method, you have control over the softness of the fade and the background contents.
- New: See my updated tutorial on how to create a vignette effect non-destructively.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
HTML Forms and Input
 | Try-It-Yourself Examples |
How to create text fields. The user can write text in a text field.
Create password field
How to create a password field.
(You can find more examples at the bottom of this page)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Best Writing Blogs
Top 10 blogs in the Writing category. Writing is at the core of everything we do. From writing marketing copy, to blogging, to shooting an email to a client, being a competent writer is essential for getting the results you desire. Everyone can benefit by improving their writing skills.
Categories that was used to judge these blogs.
* Visual Aesthetics—Let’s face it: It’s hard to get into a blog that still uses the default WordPress theme. Design matters, and it’s important for making new visitors feel comfortable. We looked for blogs that were easy on the eyes.
* Quality & Consistent Content—Our favorite blogs are the ones that produce great content on a regular basis, rather than one good post to several filler posts.
* Overall Experience—The overall experience includes everything from how the author interacts in the comments to how well posts are categorized so you can easily find the content you’re looking for.
Copyblogger
Copyblogger - Yes, Copyblogger also received a Top Blog Award in our Marketing category, but there’s just no way we could leave them off the list for best writing blogs. Whether you’re a blogger, copywriter, freelancer, or any other type of writer, this blog has something for you. Every day, there are new posts with great tips and strategies for communicating more effectively with the written word. Like we said last time, this blog is an absolute must read. Twitter: @copyblogger
Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing - Do you ever find yourself wondering whether to use “affect” or “effect”? Have a hard time remembering the difference between “lie” versus “lay”? Well, you’re not alone, and Grammar Girl’s QDT blog was created just for you. Being a better writer just got much easier. Twitter: @GrammarGirl
Part Time Writer
Part Time Writer - Almost every freelance writer starts out as a part timer, writing around their 9-5 work schedule. Part Time Writer is a blog specifically for this type of writer. It shares tips on finding more writing gigs, being a more productive writer, making more money, and eventually becoming a full-time freelance writer if that’s what you want to do. Twitter: @Eric_Brantner, @Chris_HELP
Well-Fed Writer
Well-Fed Writer - The Well-Fed Writer books have helped many aspiring writers thrive in the commercial world, and now this blog by Peter Bowerman is doing the same online. Peter teaches writers have to thrive in the freelancing business so they can quit their 9-5 jobs to do something they love. Twitter: @wellfedwriter
The Write Blog
The Write Blog - This copywriting blog tends to be a bit more diverse than others of its type, and that’s why we love it. Not only will you learn how to pen copy that makes customers buy, but you’ll also discover simple bits of grammar trivia and tips that apply to all styles of writing. Twitter: @writers4hire
Daily Writing Tips
Daily Writing Tips - It’s the writing blog that’s for everyone. Every day, a grammar, spelling, punctuation, or vocabulary tip is published to help you write better than ever before. Simple concept. Great blog. Twitter: @writing_tips
Grammar Blog
Grammar Blog – Don’t let its name fool you. This isn’t a boring, tedious blog about grammar. Instead, it’s a blog that mocks poor grammar. You’ll see snapshot of grammar abuse in signage, invitations, letters, and so much more. You’re always sure to get a good laugh from this blog. We just wish they’d update a bit more frequently. Twitter: @GrammarBlog
Men With Pens
Men With Pens - Backed by the web design and copywriting agency of the same name, the Men With Pens blog is a leading resource for creatives. In addition to learning writing skills, you’ll also get a well-rounded education in all areas of marketing. Twitter: @MenWithPens
Freelance Writing Jobs
Freelance Writing Jobs - If you’re a freelance writer, chances are that you’ve visited this website at least a hundred times by now. In addition to having the best freelance writing job board online, this blog also shares great tips on running a successful freelancing business and becoming a better writer. Twitter: @FreelanceWJ
Bad Language
Bad Language - Everything you need to know about writing is right here. From exposing mistakes bad writers make to sharing tips for staying focused while writing, this blog has it all. Another must-read blog if you ask us. Twitter: @mstibbe
What are some other great writing blogs you’d like to see receive a Top Blog Award next year? Share your favorites by leaving a comment!
Categories that was used to judge these blogs.
* Visual Aesthetics—Let’s face it: It’s hard to get into a blog that still uses the default WordPress theme. Design matters, and it’s important for making new visitors feel comfortable. We looked for blogs that were easy on the eyes.
* Quality & Consistent Content—Our favorite blogs are the ones that produce great content on a regular basis, rather than one good post to several filler posts.
* Overall Experience—The overall experience includes everything from how the author interacts in the comments to how well posts are categorized so you can easily find the content you’re looking for.
Copyblogger
Copyblogger - Yes, Copyblogger also received a Top Blog Award in our Marketing category, but there’s just no way we could leave them off the list for best writing blogs. Whether you’re a blogger, copywriter, freelancer, or any other type of writer, this blog has something for you. Every day, there are new posts with great tips and strategies for communicating more effectively with the written word. Like we said last time, this blog is an absolute must read. Twitter: @copyblogger
Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing - Do you ever find yourself wondering whether to use “affect” or “effect”? Have a hard time remembering the difference between “lie” versus “lay”? Well, you’re not alone, and Grammar Girl’s QDT blog was created just for you. Being a better writer just got much easier. Twitter: @GrammarGirl
Part Time Writer
Part Time Writer - Almost every freelance writer starts out as a part timer, writing around their 9-5 work schedule. Part Time Writer is a blog specifically for this type of writer. It shares tips on finding more writing gigs, being a more productive writer, making more money, and eventually becoming a full-time freelance writer if that’s what you want to do. Twitter: @Eric_Brantner, @Chris_HELP
Well-Fed Writer
Well-Fed Writer - The Well-Fed Writer books have helped many aspiring writers thrive in the commercial world, and now this blog by Peter Bowerman is doing the same online. Peter teaches writers have to thrive in the freelancing business so they can quit their 9-5 jobs to do something they love. Twitter: @wellfedwriter
The Write Blog
The Write Blog - This copywriting blog tends to be a bit more diverse than others of its type, and that’s why we love it. Not only will you learn how to pen copy that makes customers buy, but you’ll also discover simple bits of grammar trivia and tips that apply to all styles of writing. Twitter: @writers4hire
Daily Writing Tips
Daily Writing Tips - It’s the writing blog that’s for everyone. Every day, a grammar, spelling, punctuation, or vocabulary tip is published to help you write better than ever before. Simple concept. Great blog. Twitter: @writing_tips
Grammar Blog
Grammar Blog – Don’t let its name fool you. This isn’t a boring, tedious blog about grammar. Instead, it’s a blog that mocks poor grammar. You’ll see snapshot of grammar abuse in signage, invitations, letters, and so much more. You’re always sure to get a good laugh from this blog. We just wish they’d update a bit more frequently. Twitter: @GrammarBlog
Men With Pens
Men With Pens - Backed by the web design and copywriting agency of the same name, the Men With Pens blog is a leading resource for creatives. In addition to learning writing skills, you’ll also get a well-rounded education in all areas of marketing. Twitter: @MenWithPens
Freelance Writing Jobs
Freelance Writing Jobs - If you’re a freelance writer, chances are that you’ve visited this website at least a hundred times by now. In addition to having the best freelance writing job board online, this blog also shares great tips on running a successful freelancing business and becoming a better writer. Twitter: @FreelanceWJ
Bad Language
Bad Language - Everything you need to know about writing is right here. From exposing mistakes bad writers make to sharing tips for staying focused while writing, this blog has it all. Another must-read blog if you ask us. Twitter: @mstibbe
What are some other great writing blogs you’d like to see receive a Top Blog Award next year? Share your favorites by leaving a comment!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Amazon Kindle Creates A Revenue Stream for Your Blog
Check this out. Amazon has dropped the cost for a Kindle by $70.00, making the price now $189.00. I have wanted one so badly. In fact I wanted one for me, for my dad, and for my mother. They both love to read. Any way.... The Kindle is the #1 best selling product on Amazon today. I am so tempted to buy one.
I decided to go online and do some more research on it, as I had been curious for some time about the electronic reading gadget. When went to the Kindle Store, I noticed that there is an option to subscribe to thousands of blogs, each for $.99 month.
I have no idea how many people actually read blogs on the Kindle or if anyone is making money from their blog being available on Kindle, but why not list it? Can you imagine?
Finding out how to submit your blog is not obvious. I did a search, found a forum post asking that very question and followed the thread to find the answer.https://kindlepublishing.amazon.com
You must set up a publishing account (different from your Amazon account), fill out a few fields, upload a couple of images and submit. Easy.
Here's the info you need to have in order to submit your blog in just a few minutes:
Your blog will be reviewed and added to the Kindle Store in 48-72 hours (so they say).
Even if no one ever subscribes to my blog on the Kindle, it doesn't really matter. It's there when people search both on the Kindle AND on Amazon - a great place to get more visibility for your blog and your business! Plus people can get a 14 day free trial and may get hooked on your great content.
NOTE: Just found the easy way to submit your blog >> On Amazon, go to the Kindle Store, then click on Blogs. You'll see a link to take you to the publishing site in the left column.
I have no idea how many people actually read blogs on the Kindle or if anyone is making money from their blog being available on Kindle, but why not list it? Can you imagine?
Finding out how to submit your blog is not obvious. I did a search, found a forum post asking that very question and followed the thread to find the answer.https://kindlepublishing.amazon.com
You must set up a publishing account (different from your Amazon account), fill out a few fields, upload a couple of images and submit. Easy.
Here's the info you need to have in order to submit your blog in just a few minutes:
- RSS feed for blog
- Blog Title
- Blog Tagline
- Blog Description
- Blog author
- Screen shot of blog home page
- Blog banner image
- Blog author name
- Web address
- blog language
- Keywords
- Categories
- Frequency of posting
Your blog will be reviewed and added to the Kindle Store in 48-72 hours (so they say).
Even if no one ever subscribes to my blog on the Kindle, it doesn't really matter. It's there when people search both on the Kindle AND on Amazon - a great place to get more visibility for your blog and your business! Plus people can get a 14 day free trial and may get hooked on your great content.
NOTE: Just found the easy way to submit your blog >> On Amazon, go to the Kindle Store, then click on Blogs. You'll see a link to take you to the publishing site in the left column.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Blogger and WordPress
Comparing the two: Blogger and WordPress
Bloggers usually ask themselves if they should use Blogger.com or WordPress.
Blogger.com or Blogspot and WordPress are the two most widely used blogging platforms. Today, the number of bloggers they’re accommodating continues to grow in millions and continues to update their versions continuously.
The Blogger setup requires your blog be hosted on their servers. In contrast, blogs running on WordPress’ platform can be hosted at WordPress.com, or the software can simply be downloaded and configured to the desires of the user.
Here are some key features of Blogger.com comparing the two versions of WordPress setups:
Blogger.com Features:
-1 GB worth of space is allowed for free hosting
-Blog content is kept at Blogger.com
-Choosing and customizing templates is allowed (limited flexibility)
-Easy to start with and utilize
-Image and video files can be uploaded and stored
-1 GB worth of space is allowed for free hosting
-Blog content is kept at Blogger.com
-Choosing and customizing templates is allowed (limited flexibility)
-Easy to start with and utilize
-Image and video files can be uploaded and stored
WordPress.com Features:
-3 GB worth of space is allowed for free hosting
-Blog content is kept at WordPress.com
-Choosing and customizing templates is allowed (limited flexibility
- Easy to start with and utilize
- Image and video files can be uploaded and stored (limited file formats)
-3 GB worth of space is allowed for free hosting
-Blog content is kept at WordPress.com
-Choosing and customizing templates is allowed (limited flexibility
- Easy to start with and utilize
- Image and video files can be uploaded and stored (limited file formats)
WordPress Self-Hosted Features:
-Blog content is kept at user’s preferred web host
-Almost unlimited ability to choose and customize templates and widgets
- technical ability is needed to setup and configure
-Web server filters the type of file supported (almost unlimited)
-Blog content is kept at user’s preferred web host
-Almost unlimited ability to choose and customize templates and widgets
- technical ability is needed to setup and configure
-Web server filters the type of file supported (almost unlimited)
However, as each have their own good factors, some thorough analysis of the blog platforms indicates that Blogspot.com is frequently used by people who blog about their lives and other topics. Compared to WordPress users, Blogger.com users are usually not “professional” bloggers, however there are some who work hard on their blogs there and make it a source of living.
Self-hosted WordPress blogs are likely to be professional entities that have IT specialists that handle the maintenance. Blogs using WordPress.com are somewhat similar to Blogger blogs in content, naturally more casual or personal than self-hosted WordPress blogs.
Cost
Blogspot and WordPress accounts are free. However, doing any significant customization of your WordPress.com-hosted blog can cost you some additional expenditure. Certain upgrades and customization can cost you accordingly to the size of your upgrade. If your blog runs on the WordPress platform downloadable from WordPress.org, your costs are dependent upon your hosting account. Be watchful in these upgrades and customizations because they can be vey costly at times.
Blogspot and WordPress accounts are free. However, doing any significant customization of your WordPress.com-hosted blog can cost you some additional expenditure. Certain upgrades and customization can cost you accordingly to the size of your upgrade. If your blog runs on the WordPress platform downloadable from WordPress.org, your costs are dependent upon your hosting account. Be watchful in these upgrades and customizations because they can be vey costly at times.
Flexibility
Because WordPress is open source software, gives more flexibility when it comes to customization. Upon downloading and installing WordPress, you gain access to the database and the PHP, CSS, and image files that comprise the platform. In contrast to Blogger’s platform, having development access to the system lets users be creative as they want to be. One bonus that WordPress.com gives is the ability to host a wide variety of files and their format.
Because WordPress is open source software, gives more flexibility when it comes to customization. Upon downloading and installing WordPress, you gain access to the database and the PHP, CSS, and image files that comprise the platform. In contrast to Blogger’s platform, having development access to the system lets users be creative as they want to be. One bonus that WordPress.com gives is the ability to host a wide variety of files and their format.
As Blogger encourages users in customizing their blogs and adding Google gadgets, although there’s a lot of guesswork involved in trying to figure out how to manipulate the XML schema, which is used to customize templates beyond adding gadgets and changing layouts. When customizing a Blogspot blog, that process can be really hard and tedious.
A noteworthy comparison the two is the ability to categorize posts. Greater flexibility exists with both WordPress.com-hosted blogs and self-hosted ones with the use of WordPress software than with Blogger.com. Categories are made using Labels on Blogger.com blogs. Sub-categories are natural for both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress blogs.
For the layman blogger, getting started with Blogger’s platform is rather simple. Just create an account, choose a template, and start writing. The interface is straight forward for the users. WordPress.com are similar, only a bit more complicated. WordPress self-hosted blogs require a user to download the software, uploading it to a server, configure its settings, and run the installation program of the software. It can be simple for others and intimidating for some.
After setting up a blog platform, using it can be very simple as well. However, Blogger.com is probably the easiest to understand and use.
Updates are very important. Though platforms can be vulnerable to hacks, to minimize that risk, it’s recommended that users of WordPress be watchful of their sites, especially WordPress blog owners hosting their own blogs.
Users can allow the Blogger development team to worry about hacks. Because the blog data is kept on the servers, there a thin chance that Blogger sites can be hacked.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Join TwitterMoms Online
Twitter Moms is an online community comprised of highly networked, influential moms. Members are highly active in social media. By using the group TwitterMoms, these Web-savy moms keep in touch.
Meet 24,000 awesome moms who love Twittering about:
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Change the Title Tags
I am a newby when it comes to SEO. But I have learned enough to know that this is what helps the google search engines find you. It has a lot to do with your keywords.
Research Keywords
In Blogger you can learn how to make your post title show up first so that you can reel in more traffic from the search engines. It's important for the name of the post to come before the name of your blog, especially when it comes to Google search results. By default Blogger displays the blog title first, followed by the name of the post. As you might notice this is not good when it comes to SEO.
By just changing a few things in your HTML, you will be on your way to obtaining top rankings in the search engines through what your top competitors are doing in regards to search engine optimization.
Based on your chosen keywords, we will make the necessary adjustments to your website to include important keyword phrases in the right places.
I was doing some research on this when I can across this website, which helps you locate some html in your layout. By changing this it will allow the Title of your post to appear first, in which this is a good thing. Because by default, in Blogger the Title is second to be search, when it should be the first. I will provide a link to a website that explains this process for you, and it really is quit simple to make this change.
Research Keywords
The first thing we do is create a robust keyword portfolio of relevant keyword phrases that are searched on by potential customers. We begin with your input on what your most important keywords are, then expand that list by cross-checking the list against the search engines’ databases of actual keyword searches. This helps us target the right words—the ones that will actually deliver customers to your website.
In Blogger you can learn how to make your post title show up first so that you can reel in more traffic from the search engines. It's important for the name of the post to come before the name of your blog, especially when it comes to Google search results. By default Blogger displays the blog title first, followed by the name of the post. As you might notice this is not good when it comes to SEO.
By just changing a few things in your HTML, you will be on your way to obtaining top rankings in the search engines through what your top competitors are doing in regards to search engine optimization.
Based on your chosen keywords, we will make the necessary adjustments to your website to include important keyword phrases in the right places.
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