Showing posts with label Blogging Tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging Tools. Show all posts

Learning SEO Factors

Hi everyone.
It´s been some time since I last wrote a post about blogging resources. Today, I´d like to share a website I found that can be very useful to other bloggers that wish to learn SEO.
As you know, SEO is not an easy subject, specially because Google´s algorithm isn´t published. If this subject´s information was available to all and easy to learn there wouldn´t be so many SEO consultants and companies that specialize in this area.
Personally, I´ve been learning about SEO from different resources and, although I´m not an expert, I know more now than when I started blogging.
In the website I´m recommending today you can find a Google Ranking Factor Checklist created to help other webmaster´s. This checklist focus on:

~ Positive ON-Page SEO Factors.
~ Negative ON-Page SEO Factors.
~ Positive OFF-Page SEO Factors.
~ Negative OFF-Page SEO Factors.

If you´re interested in this and other topics related to SEO, visit:
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/internet/google-ranking-factors.htm

Cool Custom Avatars

I often visit fellow bloggers and I noticed that some of them have very cool avatars. I never used an avatar for my blogs but I wouldn´t mind having one.
My favorite avatar type is a cartoon but I just found that I can create avatars from pictures.
If you visit Mrstoon website you can have your own custom avatar from a photo of yourself or a friend. This website offers a service in which you can have avatars made from a picture, hand-drawn or cartoon type.
To have your own avatar you need to upload your favorite picture and they´ll make it for you in 72 hours. You´ll receive your custom avatar in your email or mobile phone and then you can use it on your websites or as a profile picture on Twitter, MSN messenger, MySpace and more.
If you´d like to win a free avatar you can participate in the twitter contest that Mrtoon is holding at: http://www.mrstoon.com/free/

New Blogger Followers Widget

Blogger has now a new widget for Blogspot blog followers.
If you haven´t checked it yet, take a look at it in my sidebar.
I think it looks better than the previous widget. It stands out more, don´t you think?
I noticed the new widget yesterday but after this changes my lost followers were gone for good. Maybe it´s because anonymous followers aren´t displayed in the widget.
To see the number of followers growing is motivating but shrinking doesn´t feel the same. I can´t complain much, I´m a happy blogger as it is.
By the way, I need to send a Thanks to all my followers. I will be visiting all of you soon.

Blogging Resources: TC Widget and Other Blogger Plugins

Hi.
A couple months ago, I decided to reward Night Clicks top commentor with a post link (Top Droppers monthly post), and a sidebar spot that includes logo & link.
Mariuca has been Night Clicks steady TC, thanks!
Good comments make a blog alive, so why not share a bit of link love with those who bring new energy to my blog?
Without a Top Commentor widget, I had to count all comments which isn´t a practical task. So, I decided to add a TC widget which counts comments and links back.
This TC widget is available in Bloggerplugins website.
In this website, besides a TC widget for blogger, you´ll also find:

~ Popular Posts widget
~ Blog Translation Widget for Blogger
~ Recent Posts widget for Blogger
~ Recent Comments Widget for Blogger
~ Social Bookmarking Icons after every BlogPost
~ U Comment I follow
~ Instructions to Optimize Blog Title For Search Engines
~ Free Blogger Templates
~ Insructions to Remove NavBar

So, if you think you should reward your blog´s TC or you need any of this blogging tools all you need to do is type the data requested by the site and it will generate the HTML code for you. Then, you just have to add it to your blog like a normal widget.
Good Night.

Link Tool For Blogs

E-Referrer is a free tool created to link back to those who link to you. This tool is a script you add in your blog´s HTML which displays a widget that monitors visitors. If those visitors came from a link on another site, e-referrer registers this link in real-time and displays it on the widget.
E-Referrer provides several features to manage what will be displayed on the widget. You can customize how the widget looks, define how many referrers you want to display, manually delete any referrer, filter keywords, display by hit frequency or by date and time, etc. You´ll also find some video tutorials to learn about this tool.
Currently, E-Referrer is working on some new features to improve the program and they already launched eReferrer 2.0 Beta site. This service is totally free. It can be a good help to manage link exchanges and can create new reciprocal link opportunities.
I´ve seen this tool in use on other websites but I didn´t try it in my blogs yet. I think I will try it out. With this tool I will give some links out but I´ll know exactly who is linking to me and where visitors come from.

Blog Stats Tool

Hi everyone.
Since my last post about blog stats and tools, I´ve been digging to find more free resources to measure traffic.
Statcounter is a free tool that you can use to measure your blog´s traffic by inserting a piece of html code on your website or blog. With this tool you can analise and monitor visitors using invisible tracking.

Some of the stats and features offered:

Invisible Counter Option, Configurable Counter, Configurable Summary Stats, Magnify User, Drill Down, Popular Pages, Entry Pages, Exit Pages, Came From, Keyword Analysis, Recent Keyword Activity, Search Engine Wars, Visitor Paths, Visit Length, Returning Visits, Recent Pageload Activity, Recent Visitor Activity, Country/State/City Stats, Recent Visitor Google Map, ISP Stats, Browser Stats, O.S. Stats, Resolution Stats, JavaScript Stats, Email Reports, Multiple Site Management, User Access Management, Public Stats, Blocking Cookie.

To learn more about this tool you can also watch a live demo in Statcounter website.

Blog Chatbox: Is it Useful or Reduces Comments?

Hi everyone.
Some time ago I had a chatbox in Night Clicks but when I changed for the previous layout I didn´t upload it again.
Now that I visit other blogs more often, I miss my chat box. I don´t know if having a chat box has an influence in the number of comments left by visitors, but I wonder.
I think the chatbox can bring some more interaction to a blog, at least, I use it when visiting other blogs. It doesn´t replace comments, I use it for brief messages.
There are a few resources to have a free costum chatbox, one is: http://www.cbox.ws/
So, if you have a chatbox in your blog and you´re reading this post, I´d like to know your oppinion: What do you think about this tool?

Blogversary Button

Hi everyone.
This month, I almost forgot about Night Clicks Blogversary. I remembered to look for my first post because I saw a Blogversary button in one blog I visit trough Entrecard.
I thought the idea of having one of this buttons was cool and I decided to add it in Night Clicks´sidebar. You can see mine in the bottom of the right sidebar.
To build one of this buttons you have to insert the date you created your blog. I came back to check mine and, big surprise, it was aniversary day. What a coicidence!
The button builder tool generates a piece of html code to add to our blogs as normal widgets. If you leave your blog's name and url (which is optional), they'll also highlight your blog's anniversary on the main page of the site.
Check out Blogversary website to grab your button.

Commenting Tool for Blogger Type Weblogs

Blogkomm is a commenting script for Blogs that allows comments to be included below the posts. This tool integrates the reader's comments into your blog without any pop-ups. With this tool you can avoid spam, moderate, edit or delete comments you don´t like. Blogkomm tool has the following features:

~ Different notification services
~ Preview feature
~ User remember feature
~ Quick-Editing admin-tool
~ Recent comment-list
~ Multilingual interface
~ A setup and configuration tool
~ Comments moderation
~ Captchas for spam protection (Version 2.3)
~ Gravatar-feature
So, if you need a comment tool for your blog, check out Blogkomm website.

See Your Blog in Different Browsers

Hi everyone.
Last Friday I had a problem with my blog´s template due to a sports video I had posted. In the same day I decided to change the template, remember?
Well, I was visiting blogs in Entrecard and I learned in Tech Kid blog that I could see how my blog looks in different browsers at the same time.
The website Browsershoots.org provides a tool that allows users to see their websites in different browsers.
So, now and then, specially after changing the template or uploading videos, I should check how Night Clicks looks with Firefox, IE, Opera, etc. If I check my blog each time I make changes, next time I see it all messed up I won´t have a stress atack :)
Well, another lesson learned. Thanks Tech Kid for the tip.

Blog Stuff: Free Pink Buttons



I Love Coffee


Buy Me A Cup




Designs by Sheila


I love pink blogs. I like them so much that I decided to use a pink template in one of my new blogs about parenting. I was looking for freebies when I came across a designer´s blog that is provides design services and is offering free cute buttons.
Aren´t this buttons nice for pink blogs?
I think they are so cute, I´m adding one in my new blog.
If you like to pimp your blog and like coffee/tea, or need a pretty donate button, you can find this pink freebies in Designs by Sheila blog. Besides the buttons you can also find a few freebie templates.

Custom Poll Builder for Bloggers

Hi everyone.
Blogger blogs offers a feature that allows you to make a poll in your blog, a good way to know your reader´s opinions in a specific topic. Blogger feature offers a few customize options but if you need a more advanced poll tool check out Blogpoll dot com.
In Blogpoll you can set up a custom poll in a few clicks and get the HTML to add your blog like a normal widget. The steps to build a poll are:

1. Enter the poll question

2. Select number of answers

3. Enter the answers

4. Custom Text Content

5. Custom Design

6. As advanced options you can prevent multiple votes
from one IP address, or from one computer (cookies)

7. Preview, click finish, and you´re ready to add the poll to your blog.

Blog Stuff: Human Calendar

Hi everyone, weekend is near. Hope you have a great one.
Have you seen the Human Calendar? Many bloggers are using it.
My first reaction when I saw it was: "What the heck is this?" (dahh) but now I got used to see it in other blogs. This widget is from the same author of the Human Clock and I think it´s very original.
You can grab the HTML code in Human Calendar dot com website. First you choose the size of the calendar and set your time zone. Then, you´re ready to copy the code add it to your homepage/blog/website/profiles, etc. In the website you can also read more about the author and the story behind the human clock and calendar.

Free Button Maker

When I was looking for logo tools I came across a few free button maker websites. In blogs, this type of buttons are used as links to directories but they can also be used as a navigation tool. This free button generators are all very similar. In most cases you can customize colors, size and text. Then the button tool provides the HTML code which can be copied and pasted anywhere in your blog layout.
If you´d like to make a button for your blog, check out this website: http://go.gtmcknight.com, it has many buttons listed by categories, like: birth month, contact, directories, feeds, food, games, humor, music, political, etc.

Free Services: Shrink URLs

One topic I haven´t discussed much here is affiliate marketing as a way to monetize a blog. As you know, top bloggers earn good paychecks trough affiliate marketing and selling advertising space in their blogs.
I think affiliate programs work best for those who have a big audience, and the capacity for recruiting many new members to sell a certain product. The possibility of earning a good amount of money trough this type of programs depends on two combined factors: The capacity for recruiting new members, and selling the product itself. There are many different types of affiliate schemes, a good criteria to choose could be:

~ Those who have products that people are looking to buy;
~ Those who pay a higher percentage and don´t require minimum or average sales ;
~ The programs that offer the possibility of earning residual income;

If you´re using URLs to promote or sell in your blog, a good way to protect your links is using a shrink url tool. There a few reasons why you should use a short link, some related to security, others related to sales and effective marketing practices.
There are are some free websites that provide this type of online services for free, one of them is: http://shmyl.com/
All you have to do is type the URL you want to shorten and hit OK. In this website you can also learn more reasons to use a shrink URL while promoting affiliate links.

Free Logo Website

Not long ago I wrote a post where I mentioned that I was looking for a Logo for Night Clicks. I´d like to thanks Ultimate Learning Center for offering your help :)
Well, I was dropping cards on Entrecard and I came across a website where you can create a free logo.
It´s really simple to create a logo using this free tool. First you pick a background, you can customize your text with a click (type of letter and size), then you just have to save and use it. For a non tech girl like me, this fits perfectly. If I ever get to earn good money online, I´ll invest in a template and logo, something creative, designed just for me. Once my budget is low, and I´m saving money to invest on my own domain and hosting, free stuff is great.
You can find this website in: http://free125cards.com/blog/
Do you know other free tools? Drop a comment.

Free Wordpress Themes: Topwpthemes.com

Some months ago, I wanted to change the way my blog looks but I didn´t know exactly what to do. I thought I had to have advanced knowledge in HTML, contract a third-part service, and spend a lot f money to have a more professional theme.
I was wrong, after researching I found a few free resources and wrote two posts about free templates for blogger.
Well, today I´m posting about a good resource for Wordpress themes.
Topwpthemes.com is a website where you can find some of the best themes for Wordpress powered blogs. In this website you can download quality and professionally designed Wordpress templates for free.
Topthemes.com provides a good selection of free themes, you can choose from a diversity of categories in many different colors. You´ll be able to chose themes including two or three columns, a left or right sidebar, Adsense ready, widget ready, amongst other categories. One of my favorite theme is Fractal Rainbow because it´s simple but colorful.
If you don´t know how to change your blog´s template, you don´t need to worry because installing wordpress themes is very easy. You don´t need to have advanced knowledge, or be an expert in website development, just follow the step-by-step guide Topwthemes provides.

Free Widgets´ Websites

If you like widgets there are many resources online where you can get them for free. Either a translator, a clock, or a calendar most websites and blogs use widgets to "dress up" the way they look or provide useful information to their readers.
To use a widget, first you have to copy the HTML code provided in this websites to a text file. Then, to upload the widget you copy that code to one of your sidebar´s HTML boxes.
I came across some websites that have free widgets. Google itself has a big collection of free widgets. Another resource is Spring Widgets website, where you can get free widgets or make your own. You can find this resource in: http://www.springwidgets.com/widgets/

Click2Care - Helping Others with Blog Widgets

Hi.
My last posts focused blogging basics. After setting up your blog you can start posting and making additions to your blog scheme, like widgets, banners, stats counters, etc.
Each widgets is a piece of HTML code you can insert in your blog using the "add element" feature in your blog scheme panel by choosing "add html".
Nowadays, there are many widgets and banners you can add to your blog to dress it up a little. If you check other blogs you´ll see how each blogger decided to use the blog´s sidebar and other free spaces, like the footer.

I think it´s a good idea to blog about this blogging resources, so I´m starting a new section called "Blog Widgets and Stuff". In this section I´ll post about the different resources I find useful or fun.

Ok. So to start this new blog section, today´s post is about a widget that was created to help others in need. I came across a website that promotes the Click2Care concept.
In the Click2Care concept, users click in banners to help different causes.
You can click once every day and each click is converted into money to help different campaigns. This website raises money for different prevention and intervention campaigns, like:

~ Hunger
~ Breast cancer
~ Child health
~ Literacy,
~ Animal rescue,
~ Ecology founds/preservation
~ Global warming

So, if you like to help others, you can use one of this website´s widgets in your blogs. The more people click, the more money they´ll rase for each cause.
I like to click in adds in this type of websites because I like to belive that I´m helping others with my clicks. I just hope the money they raise really reaches those in need. If you´d like to check this website to know how you can help, you can use this link:
Blog Widgets to Help Others