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Recent Readers
View Commentators as Party Guests
A personal blog is your controlled equality, so you are truly free to prohibit whomever you like that rubs you the wrong way from commenting on your site.
The problem is that going all commando on a rogue commentator that may annoy you or disagree with you is its not exactly in the spirit of the freedom of speech on the internet.
Some of the best blogs out there allow a certain amount of controversy and if you are going to write and publish to the net then you should accept the fact that responses are not going to be 100% in view of what you say.
This is merely common sense and something that writers have known for years. However it does not mean you have to put up with foul mouth commentators on your site that may ruin the overall atmosphere you are trying to provide for your readers.
When taking action you have to give the benefit of doubt and view your commentators as party guests. Suggestion, if one of these rogue commentators is in fact making an uncomfortable blog environment for the other readers it’s time for a firm warning informing them that the next offense will result in a permanent ban from the site.
Setting guidelines as of what constitutes a ban from the site from the beginning is an excellent method and is completely your call. Just figure out what type of atmosphere you want to maintain on your site and then set your guidelines.
Returned Home Earlier Than Expected
I’ve returned home to Belgium from Romania much earlier than I expected. Anyway really happy to be back with my family and my one year old son no longer thinks I’m a computer screen (Skype & Messenger).
Transportation wasn’t so bad a four hour flight on a private six passenger plane.
What Makes a Great Site?
Build it and they will come, yeah right! I‘m not sure exactly who came up with this quote but it could not be further from the truth when it comes to websites and blogs.
When reading this blog what is it you are looking for? Is it content, graphics, the story, content style, entertainment or combination of things? I’ve listed 20 tips below that potentially make up a great blog site.
20 Tips What Makes a Great Site?
- Original, credible, valuable, timeless content
- Share what you learn
- Let visitors no who you are
- Custom site design
- Be responsive / interaction
- Optimize graphics
- Optimize HTML
- Easy to read format
- Well organized
- Fast loading
- Try and stay focused
- Collect email addresses
- Simple navigation
- Consistency
- Right use of colors
- Choose background wisely
- Good headlines
- Creative links and linking
- Ad optimization and strategy
- Fresh consistent content
The 20 tips above just plain common sense and more than likely listed on over million or more sites out there for you to read. Overall my impression of the net is sites either got what it takes or they don’t.
Which leads me back to my question what exactly does it take to make a great site? Not simple or easy – something (original) viral global that spreads by word of mouth like crazy. What makes a site viral?
Unfortunately I’m still looking for the viral answer.
Wordpress Rotating Header Images no Plugins
The first time that I saw rotating header images was on Chris Pearson’s personal blog Pearsonfied.com and I really liked the feature a lot. If you do not already know Chris is the man responsible for the well designed Cutline Wordpress Theme that actually comes with an implementing tutorial for adding the rotating image headers including the images. This may be the answer you’ve been looking for if you do not mind changing your entire theme just to get image rotations up top.
Anyway since I do not want to change my entire theme and with a little from my friend Google I was able to locate quite a few methods in which to accomplish the fabulous image rotation. As always I will only be explaining the route that I choose for my site. If you are interested in some possible plugin solutions you can find a few at Lorelle’s site.
Unfortunately for the novice I did not decide on a Wordpress plugin this go around and instead I with some good old code manipulation. Given the fact I am not an expert by far in the department of; php and css it took a little time to figure out how to make this work with my theme.
Rotating Header Images Step 1:
- Copy the php code here (below rotator apart header)
- Save it to notepad
- Save the file as rotator.php
- Open your FTP program
- Make a new folder (random)
- Upload the rotator.php to the random folder
- Find images now that meet header height & width
- Upload those images to the random folder
Rotating Header Images Step 2:
The coding if your using the Misty theme your in luck because that is what I use and I have already figured out the coding to make this all work.
Go to your style.css file in your dashboard and you have to find out what attribute your theme uses to place your header image and you have to place the URL to the random folder which has the images and the rotater.php file. Once again if you are using the Misty them then just find #headerimage and copy the code below.
#headerimage {
clear: both;
background: #fff url(http://jakeldaily.com/random/rotater.php) no-repeat 0 0;
margin: 0px;
color: #fff;
height: 175px;
}
Congratulations to those of you that have finished this task and successfully made it work for your theme. I must admit immediately after I got it to work with my test images I went directly to Flickr and starting stealing images to put into my new rotation.
Then thirty minutes into my image stealing frenzy I realized something! This is my personal blog and why am I putting other people’s pictures into the image header focal point of the site.
A light blub went off at this moment and that is when I decided to start looking through my personal travel pictures and use them (travel date & place right hand corner) in my rotating image header. My intentions are to have ten images in total in the next few days and at the moment I have six to include; Ferrari Vegas, Venice Italy, Attre Belgium, Bognor Regis UK, Maldives, and Alicante Spain.
Turn Reader Questions into Content
A great way to connect with readers and get more ideas for your next post is to open the site floor for questions. Since I’ve only addressed a limited number of questions that readers my have today I’d like to encourage you to comment and ask questions.
In the beginning stages of starting my personal blog to present I’ve received emails and comments from readers asking questions on; general, opinionated, technical and many other topics for which I’d written about or had not.
Turning reader questions into content is simple and straight forward.
- What are your questions post?
- Answer questions in comments
- Turn the question into a post
- Create a questions folder for inspiration
Ok, time for some Q & A. Questions must stay general in nature relevant for everyone to blogging and not personalized to suit your site. Note – I will not be able to answer every question received but will do my best to answer all questions that I feel I can honestly give good advice on. Readers are also welcome to answer commented questions.
The above cartoon by Peter Steiner has been reproduced from page 61 of July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker. I had to crop it for the post and cut off the quote at the bottom. “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”
The same goes for questions “On the internet, nobody knows you’re puzzled” unless you ask.
McDonalds Pays Better Than Blogging
Is blogging really a good method of making money? This may surprise you but the answer is no and in fact I recommend taking a minimum wage job at McDonalds over blogging if you are in need of steady income now.
Yes it’s true that some bloggers are making a killing blogging but that percent is far below 1%. My wife and I have been blogging for around 18 months now and only the last 6 months of income have been worth reporting since the start.
Six month earnings $7705.30 for Ja Kel Daily which works out to an estimate of $16.00 per hour on a basis of a 20 hour work week (two people 10 hours each) not bad for extra spending money but not a good wage for two people by far!
Make Money Blogging: Direct Methods & Indirect Methods
Anyone can make money blogging it just takes persistence, motivation, patience and most important of all you must be willing to work for free for a long time before a pay off. Of course there is always the lucky factor and if not keep working hard towards your blogging goals.
Get Two Months Free PR5 Text Links!
Limited time offer three months for the price of one month! Just 5 featured links available and this offer will only be available for the next two weeks ending 3 October 2007 Save $80 Now! Check out site stats here.
Text-Link Rules
Text links are located site wide on the right sidebar under blogtips, the top section section “Featured Links”. Only 5 links are available. Pricing is currently$40 for a 3 month link (25 Characters with Spaces). Three month term; therefore either party may terminate the agreement at the end of the three month term unless both parties have entered an agreement for a longer term.
Act now and reserve your PR5 link now before the next PageRank update occurs!
Adobe Photoshop Picture Title Layers
Every since seeing this done on several other blogs I’ve been searching the net for hours for instructions on how to make an image like the one above.
Today I was fortunate enough to work with a guy that happens to be really experienced with Adobe Photoshop and he was able to show me in 5 minutes how to make an image title with the transparency title strip.
Title Layer Steps:
- Adobe Photoshop Software
- Select Marquee From Tools
- Highlight the bottom section
- Click Layer Top Tool Bar
- Select New Layer From Drop Down
- Click Edit Top Tool Bar
- Click Fill From Drop Down
- Choose Color (black) In The Menu
- Click Windows Top Tool Bar
- Select Layers From Drop Down
- Double Click Your Layer
- From The Menu Set Opacity At 60% or So (depends picture color)
- Select Type Tool
- Click On Transparency Area
- Now Type What You Want To Say
- Save The File As .png
- Finished
That’s it now you can add all the article header pictures you like but of course you need Adobe Photoshop. I use Adobe Photoshop 7.0 in case you’re wondering and flickr for pictures.
Get The Magazine Look with Pullquotes
Get The Magazine Look with Pullquotes
Give your blog the magazine look with pullquotes! The publishing industry has been successfully using pullquotes for years. The professional touch that adds style and usability that helps the reader scan your articles efficiently.
There are a few methods that you can use to get pullquotes on your site, I’m will only be explaining the method for which I used. The code below of course can be customized to your liking colors, fonts and backgrounds.
The Code: Copy into style.css:
q {float:left; width:9em; display:block; margin:0.25em 0.75em 0.25em 1em; padding:0.5em; border:3px double #ccc; border-width:3px 0; color:#484848; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font:bold 1.3em/1.3 Georgia;}
q.q2 { width: 200px; margin: 5px 0 5px 15px; padding: 5px 0; border: 3px double #aaa; border-width: 3px 0; font-size: 1.4em; text-align: center; float: right; }
To Insert Pullquote in the Post:
<q>Your Text Here</q> — quote shows left
<q class=”q2″>Your Text Here</q> — quote shows right
To Insert (Option 2) Pullquote in the Post:
Quicktags Wordpress Plugin : The quicktag is an excellent plugin for the lazy guru blogger. With quicktag you just add your code into the simple user interface under options and when you return to the editor your button will be available for quick use of adding the pullquotes or any other function you want to quickly use while writing.
Quicktag Interface:
WP Editor:
Wordpress Pullquote Plugin Options:
Fancy-Pullquotes Pugin : Negative effects if deactivated and RSS trouble according to comments.
Nerdaphernalia Pullquotes: I actually installed this plugin and it has an excellent user interface located under the presentation tab but I was unable to make the pullquotes show up when adding the required markup tag in the post.
Lion at Mamaia Beach Romania
Some work colleagues and I went to the mall in Constanta, Romania and afterwards stopped at Mamaia Beach to have Sunday lunch and a beer. While eating the three of noticed two guys walking by with a lion cub, yeah I know not something you see everyday at the beach.
Anyway the lion cub was there working taking photographs with all the intrigued people at the beach. My friend decided to have his taken for a charge of 16 Lei (5X7 Print) and since I had my camera with me I asked the guy if I could have a picture holding him also. He agreed and my picture was free of charge.
Holding a lion cub was not on my list of things to do but I will be crossing it off now. How many of you have ever held a Lion and lived to tell about it!
How Much Money Do You Make Blogging
For well over a year of blogging I’ve seen blogger after blogger posting their income stats from the beginner to the professional. It’s seems that readers really enjoy these types of posts because they like to measure their personal success based off other bloggers income.
Blogging a hobby to me with the motive of money behind it, yes money! I’m not afraid to admit it I blog instead of doing other things like watching to much TV but if I am completely honest I would not blog for long term if it wasn’t for the monthly long term pay off.
For the bloggers that say other wise that’s fine but I’m not naïve I know that blogging stats would be a lot lower by the millions and more if the motive of money was not behind it.
Jakeldaily.com Earnings 2007:
Note: I also work full time and earn over $6000 per month, so sorry I do not dream about becoming a professional blogger for a living. I do however have a more realistic dream about all the extra income my part time blogging hobby brings in on top of my monthly salary!
Actual Revenue Totals:
- TLA – $1046
- Adsense – $618.63
- Private Ads – $3897.97
- Blog Network – $1360
- Affiliates – $14.45
- ReviewMe – $426
- BlogAds – $325
- ContentLink – $17.25
Site earnings from 1 February 07 – 10 August 07 have never been at a constant monthly increase, each month has been random from low to high with a total site earnings of $7705.30 and a average monthly earnings of $1242.79 ( / 6.2 Months).
As you can see from the pie chart above 64% of earnings is through private ads and the 40 blog network. The majority of the private ads income is due to my wife promoting the 7 link adpod on the celebrity/fashion blog of jakeldaily.com by emailing average size companies daily.
Ok, now you have something to measure yourself and Jakeldaily.com by and I will continue on with a monthly earnings posts – enjoy.
How To Use Tags and Double Your Traffic
The state of blogosphere over 70 million blogs and growing at a pace of 120 thousand blogs daily and a rate of 17 posts per second the blogging world is definitely here to stay!
Technorati know widely throughout the blogging world as the leading blog search engine has tracked over 230 million posts using tags or categories since Jan 05, and the number of people who are using tags is growing at a significant rate - stats source:
Darren -Problogger
I found that by tagging my post effectively they were getting a lot more attention then their untagged counterparts, and as an added advantage I was getting focused, quality traffic to the site!
I have not personally been apart of those stats above but have now installed and activated Bunny’s Technorati Tags plugin and will now start tagging my posts with tags related to my post in order to increase site traffic and be apart of the tag bandwagon.
Your Domain May Be Labeled as SPAM
While doing my normal surf of the net for ideas I came across an interesting article on Problogger about site SEO techniques. In the article there were 15 different areas that could be focused on for SEO but the one that caught my eye was register your domain for a lengthy time.
Do You Only Register On A Annual Basis?
To be honest since the start of my site I have only registered my domain on an annual basis. I decided that since the information was only brief on Problogger that I would do a little more research into the topic and I found a lengthy article on Seomoz explaining Google’s Patent – Information Retrieval Based on Historical.
After reading the article at Seomoz I have learned that there are a number of factors pertaining to domain registration that Google measures or is attempting to actively measure to make their determination on your sites rank to include:
Google Determination Factors
- Domain / Registration date / Information
- Length of renewal (10 years, 5 years, 1 year, etc)
- Addresses and Names of admin & technical contacts
- DNS Records, IP Addresses, Hosting
- Hosting Location & Company
- Stability of Domain Information data
- Speed of link gain (watching sites that rise too quickly)
According to the article above they referred to domains with one year registrations as “throwaway” and in most cases are seen as spam domains on the new Google prevention system, since legitimate domains are often paid for several years in advance signifying a site that is in it for long term.
Considering the facts above I’ve decided and paid today for the renewal of jakeldaily.com for the next 7 years ($64.05 total cost) expiring on 20 Oct 2014.
Are You Checking Your Site Resolutions
Ok clearly 1024×768 screen resolution is the most popular on my site and according to statistics this resolution is dominant across the net. As you can see from the Google Analytics percentage graph below this resolution is used by 40.58% of the reader traffic that comes to my site.
However as you can see there are also other resolutions to take into consideration when looking at your over all site design and how it appears to all users. While keeping this in mind today; I took a look at my site in some different resolutions to include; 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×1024 and 1600×1200 to insure that my site meet the standards that readers require when coming to the site.
After testing the site today in the resolutions above I have decided that I like my site best in 1280×1024 a little smaller but looks the best in my opinion and is preferred by 21.74% of traffic coming to the site. Before my testing today I was with the majority on resolution 1024×768 but found that I prefer this resolution better.
When designing and or picking a Wordpress theme you really must keep these resolutions in mind because if you don’t you will lose traffic! Even though the percentage for 800×600 (& others on my chart) are very small it is still very important that your site is still catering to them also because when your site starts getting millions of page views one day those percents will account for a lot of traffic that will never come again if your site is poorly designed for their resolution.
Now test your website in IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Netscape the dominate browsers for my site are Firefox (50.72%) and IE (42.03%). I use IE7 on my machines but I have tested the look and feel of this site in all browsers to insure that it is up to par across the board for all users.
I know that not everyone has accomplished this, so you know what to do! Oh and here’s a site I found for testing the look in different resolutions but really it’s best to just see it in real time on your own machine if you have a video card that can support the lowest to the highest resolutions. As for the web browsers download them who knows maybe you will end up liking one of them.