Sunday, June 30, 2013
10 Tips to Better Site Navigation
Too many site designers give too little thought to site navigation. Put a navigation bar at the top of the screen, a couple of drop down screens for further direction and there you have the site's navigation system. And it may work for some smaller sites that don't sell any products or services and don't want to get the site's message out there. But if you want your site to be successful, here are ten tips (actually think of them as rules for success) that'll truly enhance the visitor's on-site experience.
1. It's not about the buttons.
Site navigation is much more than buttons, navigation bars, text links and a site map. All of those are neutral, passive means to direct visitors. Good site navigation actually directs the visitor through the purchase process and through the checkout quickly, confidently and securely. A good example: Amazon.com.
2. Top-tier navigation takes plenty of planning.
A well constructed system of roads doesn't just happen. Somebody sat down and planned everything from which roads to build to how they'd be connected to how they'd be identified with exit ramps and street signs.
The same is true of site navigation. It's not just putting together a flow-chart site map. That's just the starting point. That site map must then be analyzed for effectiveness and efficiency using a variety of visitors of varying degrees of computer literacy! Let's face it, some of us can bang through a site a 60 seconds while others fumble around, back-click and eventually leave befuddled. A-1 navigation is a critical component of site success. Take the time to plan for that success.
3. Too much information is just as bad as too little.
If the site is littered with links to other pages, flyouts or popups that provide step-by-step directions to nowhere and navigation conventions (buttons, tabs, etc.), many visitors will become confused and/or distracted. The amount of navigation should be enough to get visitors to where they want to go but not so much that the don't know where they want to go.
4. Don't assume that the home page will be the first page visitors see.
Sometimes it is, sometimes visitors will be linked in the SERPs to an interior zone page based on the relevancy to the user's key words.
So what does this mean? Navigation must be as clear and unambiguous on a third-level drill down page as it is on the home page. The last thing you want is confused visitors wondering why they're on your web site looking at the information on this page.
5. Visitors must be able to return to the home page from anywhere on the site.
When you get lost in some of these labyrinthine web sites, what do you look for? A link to the home page, right? The place you can start over your search and this time avoid getting lost.
And what do you do when you don't see that large, clearly labeled home page link? Well, if you're like most users, you click the back button on the browser or you close it down altogether. The home page is a security blanket for visitors and you'll keep some visitors on site longer if the home page is always only one click away.
6. The more clicks the fewer sales.
The "One-Click Checkout" used on some larger retail sites is a marvel to behold. It makes buying (and buying more) that much easier. Buyers enter all of their personal information one time. Then, when they've loaded their shopping carts, they click on the "Once-Click Checkout" and they're done.
If visitors have to click three, four or five times to find the product description, the service terms or the particular piece of information they're looking for, the site conversion rate will ultimately suffer.
7. Navigation must be consistent throughout the site.
Visitors, especially web-savvy visitors, quickly pick up on the visual cues provided by well-design site navigation.
If you can provide color-coded links, and maybe even add identifying icons, visitors will pick up on it intuitively. With this done, don't change the rules mid-way through the visitor's journey through your site. Be consistent.
8. Site navigation isn't just for eyeballs.
The presentation layer (the site skin) should be designed for human sensibilities and intelligence. However, it shouldn't be lost on webmasters and site owners that search engine spiders also use site navigation to spider a site. Spiders follow links from page to page so consider spiders when setting up your site's layout.
9. Tweak your way to site success.
Even the best site designers can't prepare for all contingencies. It takes metrics analysis of visitor behaviors to determine which navigation is working and which is being under utilized or ignored altogether.
After the site launch, start tracking visitor behaviors to isolate and remedy navigation issues.
10. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong.
It's true in life and true in the virtual world of the W3. Some visitor will do something that you (or your designer) never expected - find a rat hole, get permanently lost with no hope of ever finding a way out, mess up the checkout - something that no one could foresee.
And while you can try to plan for these aberrations, they shouldn't be your focus. Your focus should be on a well-designed, well-marked system of site navigation that facilitates the purchase of goods or services with as few clicks as possible for the greatest number of visitors.
That's the site map to success.
1. It's not about the buttons.
Site navigation is much more than buttons, navigation bars, text links and a site map. All of those are neutral, passive means to direct visitors. Good site navigation actually directs the visitor through the purchase process and through the checkout quickly, confidently and securely. A good example: Amazon.com.
2. Top-tier navigation takes plenty of planning.
A well constructed system of roads doesn't just happen. Somebody sat down and planned everything from which roads to build to how they'd be connected to how they'd be identified with exit ramps and street signs.
The same is true of site navigation. It's not just putting together a flow-chart site map. That's just the starting point. That site map must then be analyzed for effectiveness and efficiency using a variety of visitors of varying degrees of computer literacy! Let's face it, some of us can bang through a site a 60 seconds while others fumble around, back-click and eventually leave befuddled. A-1 navigation is a critical component of site success. Take the time to plan for that success.
3. Too much information is just as bad as too little.
If the site is littered with links to other pages, flyouts or popups that provide step-by-step directions to nowhere and navigation conventions (buttons, tabs, etc.), many visitors will become confused and/or distracted. The amount of navigation should be enough to get visitors to where they want to go but not so much that the don't know where they want to go.
4. Don't assume that the home page will be the first page visitors see.
Sometimes it is, sometimes visitors will be linked in the SERPs to an interior zone page based on the relevancy to the user's key words.
So what does this mean? Navigation must be as clear and unambiguous on a third-level drill down page as it is on the home page. The last thing you want is confused visitors wondering why they're on your web site looking at the information on this page.
5. Visitors must be able to return to the home page from anywhere on the site.
When you get lost in some of these labyrinthine web sites, what do you look for? A link to the home page, right? The place you can start over your search and this time avoid getting lost.
And what do you do when you don't see that large, clearly labeled home page link? Well, if you're like most users, you click the back button on the browser or you close it down altogether. The home page is a security blanket for visitors and you'll keep some visitors on site longer if the home page is always only one click away.
6. The more clicks the fewer sales.
The "One-Click Checkout" used on some larger retail sites is a marvel to behold. It makes buying (and buying more) that much easier. Buyers enter all of their personal information one time. Then, when they've loaded their shopping carts, they click on the "Once-Click Checkout" and they're done.
If visitors have to click three, four or five times to find the product description, the service terms or the particular piece of information they're looking for, the site conversion rate will ultimately suffer.
7. Navigation must be consistent throughout the site.
Visitors, especially web-savvy visitors, quickly pick up on the visual cues provided by well-design site navigation.
If you can provide color-coded links, and maybe even add identifying icons, visitors will pick up on it intuitively. With this done, don't change the rules mid-way through the visitor's journey through your site. Be consistent.
8. Site navigation isn't just for eyeballs.
The presentation layer (the site skin) should be designed for human sensibilities and intelligence. However, it shouldn't be lost on webmasters and site owners that search engine spiders also use site navigation to spider a site. Spiders follow links from page to page so consider spiders when setting up your site's layout.
9. Tweak your way to site success.
Even the best site designers can't prepare for all contingencies. It takes metrics analysis of visitor behaviors to determine which navigation is working and which is being under utilized or ignored altogether.
After the site launch, start tracking visitor behaviors to isolate and remedy navigation issues.
10. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong.
It's true in life and true in the virtual world of the W3. Some visitor will do something that you (or your designer) never expected - find a rat hole, get permanently lost with no hope of ever finding a way out, mess up the checkout - something that no one could foresee.
And while you can try to plan for these aberrations, they shouldn't be your focus. Your focus should be on a well-designed, well-marked system of site navigation that facilitates the purchase of goods or services with as few clicks as possible for the greatest number of visitors.
That's the site map to success.
4 Reasons Social Marketing Must Be A Part Of Your Business
If you are trying to sell things on the Internet and you do not have a blog you are putting yourself at a disadvantage. Would you go to play golf without a putter?
Your competition is blogging and they are beating your pants off every day with ease. A part of blogging is submitting your articles to social directories.
Here are 4 reasons social marketing must be a part of your Internet business.
1. Social marketing is a popular way to get information. Directories like Digg and Netscape are quickly becoming the choice of people all over the world as a way to keep up to date on what is going on.
If you are not blogging and submitting to relevant social directories you are missing out on this easy form of traffic.
2. Social marketing is easy to do. Here's what you need. You should get a WordPress blog and set it up so that you can quickly bookmark the top directories. Then you should post in your blog everyday. If you can talk and type you can blog.
3. Social marketing is an interactive way to develop relationships with your readers. This has become know as Web 2.0 and it is important to the future of your business.
People still like to deal with people. This is an age-old sales trick that sometimes gets lost on the Internet. By making yourself and your blog interactive you become a real person. This will help increase your chances for sales and repeat sales.
4. Search engines love social marketing. You are making their life easy when you blog around keyword rich topics that a person researching can find. When you master the techniques of social marketing you will find you can get on page one of Google and other search engines very quickly.
The reason for this is search engines are spidering Digg, Reddit, Newsvine, and many more non-stop looking for fresh relevant content to put online. This may as well be you as opposed to your competition.
If all of this seems confusing it really shouldn't be. Read "The Authority Black Book" by Jack Humphrey. It is a free ebook you can get online. In it you will learn everything you ever wanted to know on social marketing and how to use it to increase your business.
Do not wait until tomorrow to get started. Do it today and your Internet business will thank you.
Your competition is blogging and they are beating your pants off every day with ease. A part of blogging is submitting your articles to social directories.
Here are 4 reasons social marketing must be a part of your Internet business.
1. Social marketing is a popular way to get information. Directories like Digg and Netscape are quickly becoming the choice of people all over the world as a way to keep up to date on what is going on.
If you are not blogging and submitting to relevant social directories you are missing out on this easy form of traffic.
2. Social marketing is easy to do. Here's what you need. You should get a WordPress blog and set it up so that you can quickly bookmark the top directories. Then you should post in your blog everyday. If you can talk and type you can blog.
3. Social marketing is an interactive way to develop relationships with your readers. This has become know as Web 2.0 and it is important to the future of your business.
People still like to deal with people. This is an age-old sales trick that sometimes gets lost on the Internet. By making yourself and your blog interactive you become a real person. This will help increase your chances for sales and repeat sales.
4. Search engines love social marketing. You are making their life easy when you blog around keyword rich topics that a person researching can find. When you master the techniques of social marketing you will find you can get on page one of Google and other search engines very quickly.
The reason for this is search engines are spidering Digg, Reddit, Newsvine, and many more non-stop looking for fresh relevant content to put online. This may as well be you as opposed to your competition.
If all of this seems confusing it really shouldn't be. Read "The Authority Black Book" by Jack Humphrey. It is a free ebook you can get online. In it you will learn everything you ever wanted to know on social marketing and how to use it to increase your business.
Do not wait until tomorrow to get started. Do it today and your Internet business will thank you.
4 Simple Steps To Blogging For Business
Blogging is a practice that has been around for at least 5 years. It began with average, but opinionated people with something to say, who wanted to share their opinions with anyone who would read them. While it has been popular with the general public, it hasn't caught on with many businesses until recently. Blogging can be a powerful tool for marketing and exposure for any business if done properly. This article will cover the first steps businesses will need to take to set themselves up for successful blogging.
1. Select the Appropriate Hosting for Your Business Blog
You first step is to select an appropriate host for your blog. There are a couple of solutions that you can use to host your blog. You can:
1) Host it on your own server
2) Host it at a blogging hosting server, such as livejournal.com or blogger.com
If you host your own blog on your own web site, you will need to find blogging software that you can use on your web site. You will need to determine what your web site server capabilities are, and then determine what blogging software will work within your server environment. You will then need to install the software and configure it in order to begin blogging.
If you host your blog on a blog hosting system, then everything is already set up for you. All you have to do is sign up for, and configure your account. Some of these blogging services are free and some of them will have a monthly hosting charge.
2. Configure Your Business Blog
Once you have determined how you want to host your blog, and have installed it, or signed up for your blog service, you will need to configure your blog.
Configuring your blog includes, what template you want to use with your blog. Most blogs whether they are on a blog hosting service, or software that you have installed, will come with several templates. If you are new to the Internet, and don't have a lot of programming experience, it is probably best to stick with one of the templates that has come with the software or service. It is however, better if you have some programming background, or have the funds to hire someone, then you can get your blog to look like your business web site. Even if your blog is hosted elsewhere, you can do amazing things with the templates to get your blog to look very similar to your business web site. Most services will allow you to modify the templates that come with their subscription.
Other things that will need to be configured are settings such as the name and description of your business blog, the email address you want messages from your blog to be sent to, how you want your blog archived (posts saved for future access), what ping services you want to notify when you update your blog, and other settings too numerous to mention in this article.
3. Determine the Content of Your Business Blog
This next step can be done before you actually install your blog, but you will need to determine the topic of your business blog, and how you want to convey your information to your target market. The content and topics of your blog should relate to your industry. You can focus as narrow or as wide as you choose think is appropriate. In general, it is a good idea to cover many areas within your industry and then separate the different areas of your industry into different categories within your blog.
For example, if you are blogging about your real estate business, the big topics would be commercial real estate, residential real estate, and investing in real estate, etc.
However, it would be better to specifically focus in your main category/industry. For example, if your main industry is residential real estate, you could have topics such as renting out your home, buying a home, and selling a home. Each of these would be a separate category within your blog.
Lastly but most importantly, you should choose topics and categories that will be of interest to your visitors. You will need to research the keywords that your customers would use to find you. There are many keyword research tools available on the web today that will tell you what exact phrases, and how often, your target market is using to find you. These keywords will determine the topics of your blog entries. You should also use some of the phrases you have found in your research in your business blog posts.
4. Begin Blogging for Your Business
The last step is to start blogging. You can choose from a number of different formats to add entries to your blog, as blog entries can take on any format. Some formats that you may want to consider include:
1) Writing articles and posting them to your blog.
2) Finding related news items in your industry and posting them with comments as to what you think of the news item.
3) Answering frequently asked questions you get from your clients.
4) Writing reviews of products/services in your industry
5) Writing "how to" posts
6) Using a free-style posting of anything you feel would be of interest to your potential clients and/or customers.
Your style of posting should match what your target market would find interesting.
Now that you know the basic steps of what needs to be done to begin business blogging, you can choose how you want to host your blog, what keywords your target market uses to find you, and what format would make the most sense to begin blogging. There are many web sites that have more articles and in-depth information about business blogging. You can use these resource sites to help guide you through the process from making your first post, to getting your first customer from your business blog.
1. Select the Appropriate Hosting for Your Business Blog
You first step is to select an appropriate host for your blog. There are a couple of solutions that you can use to host your blog. You can:
1) Host it on your own server
2) Host it at a blogging hosting server, such as livejournal.com or blogger.com
If you host your own blog on your own web site, you will need to find blogging software that you can use on your web site. You will need to determine what your web site server capabilities are, and then determine what blogging software will work within your server environment. You will then need to install the software and configure it in order to begin blogging.
If you host your blog on a blog hosting system, then everything is already set up for you. All you have to do is sign up for, and configure your account. Some of these blogging services are free and some of them will have a monthly hosting charge.
2. Configure Your Business Blog
Once you have determined how you want to host your blog, and have installed it, or signed up for your blog service, you will need to configure your blog.
Configuring your blog includes, what template you want to use with your blog. Most blogs whether they are on a blog hosting service, or software that you have installed, will come with several templates. If you are new to the Internet, and don't have a lot of programming experience, it is probably best to stick with one of the templates that has come with the software or service. It is however, better if you have some programming background, or have the funds to hire someone, then you can get your blog to look like your business web site. Even if your blog is hosted elsewhere, you can do amazing things with the templates to get your blog to look very similar to your business web site. Most services will allow you to modify the templates that come with their subscription.
Other things that will need to be configured are settings such as the name and description of your business blog, the email address you want messages from your blog to be sent to, how you want your blog archived (posts saved for future access), what ping services you want to notify when you update your blog, and other settings too numerous to mention in this article.
3. Determine the Content of Your Business Blog
This next step can be done before you actually install your blog, but you will need to determine the topic of your business blog, and how you want to convey your information to your target market. The content and topics of your blog should relate to your industry. You can focus as narrow or as wide as you choose think is appropriate. In general, it is a good idea to cover many areas within your industry and then separate the different areas of your industry into different categories within your blog.
For example, if you are blogging about your real estate business, the big topics would be commercial real estate, residential real estate, and investing in real estate, etc.
However, it would be better to specifically focus in your main category/industry. For example, if your main industry is residential real estate, you could have topics such as renting out your home, buying a home, and selling a home. Each of these would be a separate category within your blog.
Lastly but most importantly, you should choose topics and categories that will be of interest to your visitors. You will need to research the keywords that your customers would use to find you. There are many keyword research tools available on the web today that will tell you what exact phrases, and how often, your target market is using to find you. These keywords will determine the topics of your blog entries. You should also use some of the phrases you have found in your research in your business blog posts.
4. Begin Blogging for Your Business
The last step is to start blogging. You can choose from a number of different formats to add entries to your blog, as blog entries can take on any format. Some formats that you may want to consider include:
1) Writing articles and posting them to your blog.
2) Finding related news items in your industry and posting them with comments as to what you think of the news item.
3) Answering frequently asked questions you get from your clients.
4) Writing reviews of products/services in your industry
5) Writing "how to" posts
6) Using a free-style posting of anything you feel would be of interest to your potential clients and/or customers.
Your style of posting should match what your target market would find interesting.
Now that you know the basic steps of what needs to be done to begin business blogging, you can choose how you want to host your blog, what keywords your target market uses to find you, and what format would make the most sense to begin blogging. There are many web sites that have more articles and in-depth information about business blogging. You can use these resource sites to help guide you through the process from making your first post, to getting your first customer from your business blog.
4 Great Blogging Tips For The Freelancer
Blogging is one of the best ways to start a Freelancer business because it is so easy to get going. However, that does not mean that it is easy to make money from your blog. Don't start a blog and expect to see money rolling in immediately.
Blogging is an activity that will take time to build up to a profit level. It's a good thing to start while you are working on other Freelancer opportunities to let it build to a profitability level. With time and attention, your blog (or blogs) will grow into a business.
When you are blogging for profit, you'll want to pay close attention to how you present yourself in your blog. There are literally hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, and there may be several hundred blogs that are related to your topic. If your readers can't understand your blog and have trouble reading it, they'll just move on to the next one. The following tips can make your blog more user-friendly and help you gain consistent readers.
1. First, pay close attention to the format of your blog. Readers want to understand how your blog works right from the start. Most blogging platforms have similar formats, with links and tags on the left or right margin, and the most recent post on top. Make sure to use the links wisely. Only put links up for blogs or content that is truly related to your blog's topic. The point is to give your readers additional information on your topic. Keep the list short and sweet. There is no reason to overwhelm them with links to other sites.
2. Also, take careful consideration when choosing your blog's background and font color. Although there are a lot of color choices that blogging programs offer, its best to stick with a light background and dark text. Studies have shown that the human brain can process this type of format better than light text on a dark background. Think about this before you commit to a black background and white text. It might look striking, but readers might not want to stay there for long. Also, use a solid background color instead of trying to use a pattern or design.
3. Proofread your entries before you post them to your blog. There is nothing that reduces your authority in the eyes of your readers' more than bad spelling and grammar. The online world is a world of text, so take some time to learn commonly misspelled words and grammatical errors.
4. Keep your blog fresh and interesting by posting at least once per day. With so much information available on the Internet, your readers may go elsewhere if you aren't supplying daily content. If you aren't sure what to write about, try posting a poll, a link to another blog, comment on a news story or post of list of helpful tips. Not every post has to be long and complicated, but you do need to post something everyday.
These tips will help keep your blog readable and interesting to your visitors. The more visitors you get, the more your blog will grow in profitability and importance. Just make sure to present yourself in a professional way and keep your readers coming back for more new content each day. In no time, you'll have a profitable blog and then you can move on to create two or three.
Blogging is an activity that will take time to build up to a profit level. It's a good thing to start while you are working on other Freelancer opportunities to let it build to a profitability level. With time and attention, your blog (or blogs) will grow into a business.
When you are blogging for profit, you'll want to pay close attention to how you present yourself in your blog. There are literally hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, and there may be several hundred blogs that are related to your topic. If your readers can't understand your blog and have trouble reading it, they'll just move on to the next one. The following tips can make your blog more user-friendly and help you gain consistent readers.
1. First, pay close attention to the format of your blog. Readers want to understand how your blog works right from the start. Most blogging platforms have similar formats, with links and tags on the left or right margin, and the most recent post on top. Make sure to use the links wisely. Only put links up for blogs or content that is truly related to your blog's topic. The point is to give your readers additional information on your topic. Keep the list short and sweet. There is no reason to overwhelm them with links to other sites.
2. Also, take careful consideration when choosing your blog's background and font color. Although there are a lot of color choices that blogging programs offer, its best to stick with a light background and dark text. Studies have shown that the human brain can process this type of format better than light text on a dark background. Think about this before you commit to a black background and white text. It might look striking, but readers might not want to stay there for long. Also, use a solid background color instead of trying to use a pattern or design.
3. Proofread your entries before you post them to your blog. There is nothing that reduces your authority in the eyes of your readers' more than bad spelling and grammar. The online world is a world of text, so take some time to learn commonly misspelled words and grammatical errors.
4. Keep your blog fresh and interesting by posting at least once per day. With so much information available on the Internet, your readers may go elsewhere if you aren't supplying daily content. If you aren't sure what to write about, try posting a poll, a link to another blog, comment on a news story or post of list of helpful tips. Not every post has to be long and complicated, but you do need to post something everyday.
These tips will help keep your blog readable and interesting to your visitors. The more visitors you get, the more your blog will grow in profitability and importance. Just make sure to present yourself in a professional way and keep your readers coming back for more new content each day. In no time, you'll have a profitable blog and then you can move on to create two or three.
15 Tips to Drive Traffic to Your Blog
There are many factors that make blogs much better than normal WebPages including the speed at which blogs are indexed, ability to submit to blog directories & normal directories, pings and track backs. All these little things can help drive more traffic to blogs. Here are 15 popular techniques you can use:
1.) Create at least four keyword posts per day. Most of the top blogs such as Boing Boing, Daily Kos, and Instapundit (with literally tens of thousands of visitors per day) publish an average of 30 small 100-150 word posts per day according to "Secrets of the A-list Bloggers: Lots of Short Posts" by TNL.net
2.) Submit to My Yahoo! When you submit your own RSS to My Yahoo it is indexed by Yahoo.
3.) Submit to Google's Reader. When you submit your own blog RSS to Google's Reader the Google Blog Search will index your site.
4.) Add a relevant link directory to your blog and trade links like a demon possessed! Although it may take more time than simply submitting to a search engine one time, this method is perhaps the best way to drive traffic to your site. Use software such as Zeus to speed up the link trading process.
5.) Use ping sites like ping-o-matic. Ping your site every time you add a new post.
6.) Submit your blog to traditional search engines such as AltaVista, and MSN.
7.) Submit your blog to traditional directories such as DMOZ. Directories (particularly DMOZ) increase relevance with Google. DMOZ is very picky, but what do you have to lose by trying?
8.) Submit to as many RSS Directories and Search Engines as possible. This is a simple but repetitive process that can be done with software such as RSS SUBMIT.
9.) Comment on other blogs. Do not just leave short, lazy comments like "I agree." Leave well thought out replies that will force readers to wonder "who wrote this?"
10.) Use track backs. If there is a blog that you refer to or quote and it is highly relevant to your subject, leave a track back. It increases your link popularity and may even score a few interested readers from the linked site.
11.) Go offline. Use newspaper ads, public bulletin boards, business cards, even stickers to let as many people as possible know your blog exists.
12.) Ad a link to your blog in your e-mail signature block.
13.) Use Groups (Usenet). Find a relevant group on Google groups, Yahoo groups, MSN groups or any of the thousands of other FREE group services and find like minded people and talk with them. Make sure your use your blog URL like it is your name.
14.) Use Forums. Forums are one of the best places to go for advice. Go to forums and find problems to solve. Make sure you leave your blog name, but be tactful about it; some forums get annoyed with those who selfishly drop a few links to their own site and leave.
15.) Tag your website. Tagging is a new idea that has erupted across the web. Sites like Del.icio.us, Technorati and many others have a social feature that allows you to place your article under keywords or "tags" that everyone interested in that tag can see.
Although these are some of the most popular ways to drive traffic to your blog, do not limit your self to tips and lists. Use your imagination and you will come up with thousands of ways to drive traffic to your blog!
1.) Create at least four keyword posts per day. Most of the top blogs such as Boing Boing, Daily Kos, and Instapundit (with literally tens of thousands of visitors per day) publish an average of 30 small 100-150 word posts per day according to "Secrets of the A-list Bloggers: Lots of Short Posts" by TNL.net
2.) Submit to My Yahoo! When you submit your own RSS to My Yahoo it is indexed by Yahoo.
3.) Submit to Google's Reader. When you submit your own blog RSS to Google's Reader the Google Blog Search will index your site.
4.) Add a relevant link directory to your blog and trade links like a demon possessed! Although it may take more time than simply submitting to a search engine one time, this method is perhaps the best way to drive traffic to your site. Use software such as Zeus to speed up the link trading process.
5.) Use ping sites like ping-o-matic. Ping your site every time you add a new post.
6.) Submit your blog to traditional search engines such as AltaVista, and MSN.
7.) Submit your blog to traditional directories such as DMOZ. Directories (particularly DMOZ) increase relevance with Google. DMOZ is very picky, but what do you have to lose by trying?
8.) Submit to as many RSS Directories and Search Engines as possible. This is a simple but repetitive process that can be done with software such as RSS SUBMIT.
9.) Comment on other blogs. Do not just leave short, lazy comments like "I agree." Leave well thought out replies that will force readers to wonder "who wrote this?"
10.) Use track backs. If there is a blog that you refer to or quote and it is highly relevant to your subject, leave a track back. It increases your link popularity and may even score a few interested readers from the linked site.
11.) Go offline. Use newspaper ads, public bulletin boards, business cards, even stickers to let as many people as possible know your blog exists.
12.) Ad a link to your blog in your e-mail signature block.
13.) Use Groups (Usenet). Find a relevant group on Google groups, Yahoo groups, MSN groups or any of the thousands of other FREE group services and find like minded people and talk with them. Make sure your use your blog URL like it is your name.
14.) Use Forums. Forums are one of the best places to go for advice. Go to forums and find problems to solve. Make sure you leave your blog name, but be tactful about it; some forums get annoyed with those who selfishly drop a few links to their own site and leave.
15.) Tag your website. Tagging is a new idea that has erupted across the web. Sites like Del.icio.us, Technorati and many others have a social feature that allows you to place your article under keywords or "tags" that everyone interested in that tag can see.
Although these are some of the most popular ways to drive traffic to your blog, do not limit your self to tips and lists. Use your imagination and you will come up with thousands of ways to drive traffic to your blog!
3 Useful Free Blogging Software and its Features
The number of internet users is increasing everyday. This is because there are interesting and knowledgeable discoveries found online. What most people like on the internet is that they are able to send messages in an instant. In addition, they are getting more and more fascinated with other sites.
Sometimes, people use the internet as their online diary or journal. Others would use it to promote a product. Either way, there is one site that is famous for these things, we call it as Blogging or the Internet Blogging. There are many website providers who are now offering free usage of blogging software packages because of the rapid increase of blogging users.
Examples of the free blogging software are B2evolution, Nucleus and the WordPress. These programs have the same features. This is why most internet users ask which of the software is simple to use and would suit the needs of a specific website.
However, the answer to which one is the simplest depends on the real purpose of the free blogging website. If your main objective is to share your point of view and opinions to the public, you can use different blogging software. However, if it is for promotional purposes, use software designed such purpose because a blog for promotion has completely different requirements.
Below is the list of the free blogging software and their features:
• WordPress Free Blogging Software
WordPress is usually used for personal blogging. It has an open source, modern personal publishing design which is focus on the appearance of the blog. By only using the WordPress, there is no need to gather or your journals and compile it as one. Just write your article. And choose which features you want and the blog will be published immediately to your site.
This software is easy to customize and it offers different functionality. As you get used to it very well, you will learn to add fresh features which will make your site interesting and trendy.
• B2evolution Free Blogging Software
Like the WordPress, this is also an advanced internet blogging software. This free blogging software has a skinning system which lets the users to make many blogs in separate groups with different look or appearance for every blog.
B2evolution has the capability to change skin to make the blog get a new appearance. This software is good for promotional purposes. Therefore, you are planning to create and publish many different themes, B2evolution is the right software for you.
• Nucleus Free Blogging Software
Nucleus has dominant features which is applicable in promoting your blog. It is capable to optimize the URLs. This helps the user create a blog that is easy to use.
One great feature of the Nucleus is that it is capable to present many blogs using a single page. The Nucleus also has a feature that is very good in promoting a particular site.
These three blogging software provide the best feature that you need to create an effective and interesting blog. Remember they are all free, so there is no need to be hesitant in using them.
However, you must choose the software that will be a great help to you in achieving your main objective in creating a blog. In this way, you are making sure that your blog is unique and it will satisfy you and your needs.
Sometimes, people use the internet as their online diary or journal. Others would use it to promote a product. Either way, there is one site that is famous for these things, we call it as Blogging or the Internet Blogging. There are many website providers who are now offering free usage of blogging software packages because of the rapid increase of blogging users.
Examples of the free blogging software are B2evolution, Nucleus and the WordPress. These programs have the same features. This is why most internet users ask which of the software is simple to use and would suit the needs of a specific website.
However, the answer to which one is the simplest depends on the real purpose of the free blogging website. If your main objective is to share your point of view and opinions to the public, you can use different blogging software. However, if it is for promotional purposes, use software designed such purpose because a blog for promotion has completely different requirements.
Below is the list of the free blogging software and their features:
• WordPress Free Blogging Software
WordPress is usually used for personal blogging. It has an open source, modern personal publishing design which is focus on the appearance of the blog. By only using the WordPress, there is no need to gather or your journals and compile it as one. Just write your article. And choose which features you want and the blog will be published immediately to your site.
This software is easy to customize and it offers different functionality. As you get used to it very well, you will learn to add fresh features which will make your site interesting and trendy.
• B2evolution Free Blogging Software
Like the WordPress, this is also an advanced internet blogging software. This free blogging software has a skinning system which lets the users to make many blogs in separate groups with different look or appearance for every blog.
B2evolution has the capability to change skin to make the blog get a new appearance. This software is good for promotional purposes. Therefore, you are planning to create and publish many different themes, B2evolution is the right software for you.
• Nucleus Free Blogging Software
Nucleus has dominant features which is applicable in promoting your blog. It is capable to optimize the URLs. This helps the user create a blog that is easy to use.
One great feature of the Nucleus is that it is capable to present many blogs using a single page. The Nucleus also has a feature that is very good in promoting a particular site.
These three blogging software provide the best feature that you need to create an effective and interesting blog. Remember they are all free, so there is no need to be hesitant in using them.
However, you must choose the software that will be a great help to you in achieving your main objective in creating a blog. In this way, you are making sure that your blog is unique and it will satisfy you and your needs.
11 Steps To Building A Profitable Virtual Content Empire To Display Your Adsense Ads On
Here are the simple steps you need to follow to build a virtual content empire to display your adsense ads on.
When you're running a website, whoever is surfing it is staring at the screen but where? One of the biggest questions for website designers and adsense publishers is discovering where their website visitors are going to be looking when they arrive at their website. This article will reveal the answer to this often asked question and explain the trick to adsense ad placement for the highest adsense ctr.
"Where are the user's eyes looking?" Where do your eyes go when you read articles on the Web? What do you notice and what do you miss? Well, we've got some answers for you, because this topic has been studied. Turns out that the upper left quarter of the screen gets the most attention, according to the Eyetrack III research of The Poynter Institute, the Estlow Center for Journalism & New Media, and Eyetools. But that's not all. There's more to it than that.
1. Pick a domain name - this requires some thought, since even though it's not as critical as it used to be to have a catchy domain name, it still matters to some users. Once you've picked one, check with a domain reseller to see if it's available. If your favorite choice isn't available in .com format, consider being flexible and having it in .net, .biz, .org, or some other form.
2. Buy the domain name. If you find a really good domain name buy it quick. I've delayed buying a domain for 24 hours only to find it gone.
3. Get web hosting. You'll want to shop around on this one, since prices and services and terms & conditions vary greatly.
4. Set up your new domain, including your e-mail addresses.
5. Design your site, and start building pages.
6. Get some content. If you don't want to write it yourself, check out article sites such as http://www.ezinearticles.com/, http://www.goarticles.com/ and http://www.freshcontent.net/. If you are wanting to hire a ghostwriter then look at Elance or postings in forums such as Digital Point and the Warrior Forum.
7. Use programs such as Article Site Builder to automatically build your article sites.
8. Look for some good RSS feeds to be automatically added to your websites.
9. Sign up with Google Adsense.
10. Update your content at least once a week.
11. Check your mailbox for Google Adsense checks.
Setting up a virtual empire of adsense content sites does take some time and effort. However, each site you create is building passive income for your and your family. Of course, if money is not an option you can easily hire people to put the whole site together for you.
When you're running a website, whoever is surfing it is staring at the screen but where? One of the biggest questions for website designers and adsense publishers is discovering where their website visitors are going to be looking when they arrive at their website. This article will reveal the answer to this often asked question and explain the trick to adsense ad placement for the highest adsense ctr.
"Where are the user's eyes looking?" Where do your eyes go when you read articles on the Web? What do you notice and what do you miss? Well, we've got some answers for you, because this topic has been studied. Turns out that the upper left quarter of the screen gets the most attention, according to the Eyetrack III research of The Poynter Institute, the Estlow Center for Journalism & New Media, and Eyetools. But that's not all. There's more to it than that.
1. Pick a domain name - this requires some thought, since even though it's not as critical as it used to be to have a catchy domain name, it still matters to some users. Once you've picked one, check with a domain reseller to see if it's available. If your favorite choice isn't available in .com format, consider being flexible and having it in .net, .biz, .org, or some other form.
2. Buy the domain name. If you find a really good domain name buy it quick. I've delayed buying a domain for 24 hours only to find it gone.
3. Get web hosting. You'll want to shop around on this one, since prices and services and terms & conditions vary greatly.
4. Set up your new domain, including your e-mail addresses.
5. Design your site, and start building pages.
6. Get some content. If you don't want to write it yourself, check out article sites such as http://www.ezinearticles.com/, http://www.goarticles.com/ and http://www.freshcontent.net/. If you are wanting to hire a ghostwriter then look at Elance or postings in forums such as Digital Point and the Warrior Forum.
7. Use programs such as Article Site Builder to automatically build your article sites.
8. Look for some good RSS feeds to be automatically added to your websites.
9. Sign up with Google Adsense.
10. Update your content at least once a week.
11. Check your mailbox for Google Adsense checks.
Setting up a virtual empire of adsense content sites does take some time and effort. However, each site you create is building passive income for your and your family. Of course, if money is not an option you can easily hire people to put the whole site together for you.
10 Things You Can Do to Get People to Comment on Your Blog
For the blogging community, a comment is a badge of sorts. Every comment you receive represents one person that, regardless of whether they agree with your ideas or not, read your post and felt strongly enough to respond to them. Comments can make even the most jaded of bloggers feel fuzzy inside. So, how does a new blogger start turning those dozens of posts into a field of comments and discussion? It can seem hard at first, but there are a few steps you can take right away that will increase your readers' willingness to speak up.
Invite Comments
For whatever reason, if you ask your readers to leave a comment on your post, they will be immediately more willing to do so. This is just a natural response that the human brain tends to have. People are often in a hurry, or have multiple things on their mind. They might fully enjoy your post, but as soon as they are done, click to something else. If you ask them to comment, it serves as a subtle reminder that they should join in the conversation.
Open Ended Posts
Even if you are an expert on a topic, don't try to share every possible detail in one post. Be as open ended as possible and leave a few points for your readers to share. This takes a little bit of the humility mentioned below. If you can keep from throwing every fact you've ever read about a specific topic into one post, your readers will not have to think about something to say in response.
Ask Lots of Questions
The obvious way to get responses is to ask a question. If you ask your readers what they think about a topic, or for specific people to give their opinion on a lifestyle, you will get more responses. For example, if your blog is about TV shows and you ask a question such as "What shows did you enjoy in the past that are similar to The Simpsons", you will get many more comments than if you said "I enjoy old shows like All in the Family, because it is like The Simpsons". Engage your readers by addressing them directly.
Respond to Existing Comments
If someone comments, respond to it. Even if the comment is short and not particularly deep, a quick response can show that you are always paying attention and willing to engage in conversation with your readers. That commenter is now much more likely to comment again.
Setting Rules
Most blogging platforms such as Blogger do not have a built in set of rules for comments. The comments section is left open by default and you can make changes to it if you desire. Try creating a commenting policy and posting it on your page somewhere. This may seem like it would lower comments, but by describing what is allowed, readers with potential comments they might not have been willing to share initially are more likely to comment.
Show Some Humility
Don't try to know everything all the time. Be humble and show that you are aware of your own shortcomings, failings and holes in your knowledge. Don't be self-defacing, but be willing to say "I don't really know much about this, but I had a thought". The best part about blogging is that it gives readers and writers a chance to interact on an equal, real time level. If visitors want to read the opinions of those who feel they are always right, they could buy a book or pick up a newspaper.
Controversy
It's a gamble, and you can go too far, but if you want to breed new comments on your page quickly, pick a controversial topic and make a statement. This does mean you need to become political or religious. You could simply say that you disliked a popular movie. Anytime a blogger disagrees with popular opinion, comments skyrocket. Just be prepared to stand up for your opinion and to do it gracefully.
Graciousness, Admit When You Are Wrong
If you make a mistake and someone writes a comment pointing out that mistake, try to accept their comment and admit your mistake. It is very easy to become defensive and angry on the Internet where you have no personal contact with your readers. However, by showing that you graciously accept someone else's comments and opinions, you show humility and increase the likeliness of return visitors and readers.
Don't Make it Hard to Comment
Blogger has an option that allows you to require a login for the posting of comments. This is too much work. If you require a login, many people will decide against commenting altogether, especially if they need to sign up for a new account to do so. Instead of requiring login information, you can set your comments for approval before they post. This allows you to sort out comments and delete spam if necessary.
Make It Worth Their While
If you offer a reward for a good comment, you not only encourage repeat comments, you encourage better comments. Mark especially good comments with a comment of your own, or reference them in a new post. This draws attention to your readers and shows you are reading what they say.
If you want to grow your readership and comments section, the best thing you can do is to be involved and pay attention to what your readers have to say. Do these things and you will start to see your comment spaces fill up in no time.
Invite Comments
For whatever reason, if you ask your readers to leave a comment on your post, they will be immediately more willing to do so. This is just a natural response that the human brain tends to have. People are often in a hurry, or have multiple things on their mind. They might fully enjoy your post, but as soon as they are done, click to something else. If you ask them to comment, it serves as a subtle reminder that they should join in the conversation.
Open Ended Posts
Even if you are an expert on a topic, don't try to share every possible detail in one post. Be as open ended as possible and leave a few points for your readers to share. This takes a little bit of the humility mentioned below. If you can keep from throwing every fact you've ever read about a specific topic into one post, your readers will not have to think about something to say in response.
Ask Lots of Questions
The obvious way to get responses is to ask a question. If you ask your readers what they think about a topic, or for specific people to give their opinion on a lifestyle, you will get more responses. For example, if your blog is about TV shows and you ask a question such as "What shows did you enjoy in the past that are similar to The Simpsons", you will get many more comments than if you said "I enjoy old shows like All in the Family, because it is like The Simpsons". Engage your readers by addressing them directly.
Respond to Existing Comments
If someone comments, respond to it. Even if the comment is short and not particularly deep, a quick response can show that you are always paying attention and willing to engage in conversation with your readers. That commenter is now much more likely to comment again.
Setting Rules
Most blogging platforms such as Blogger do not have a built in set of rules for comments. The comments section is left open by default and you can make changes to it if you desire. Try creating a commenting policy and posting it on your page somewhere. This may seem like it would lower comments, but by describing what is allowed, readers with potential comments they might not have been willing to share initially are more likely to comment.
Show Some Humility
Don't try to know everything all the time. Be humble and show that you are aware of your own shortcomings, failings and holes in your knowledge. Don't be self-defacing, but be willing to say "I don't really know much about this, but I had a thought". The best part about blogging is that it gives readers and writers a chance to interact on an equal, real time level. If visitors want to read the opinions of those who feel they are always right, they could buy a book or pick up a newspaper.
Controversy
It's a gamble, and you can go too far, but if you want to breed new comments on your page quickly, pick a controversial topic and make a statement. This does mean you need to become political or religious. You could simply say that you disliked a popular movie. Anytime a blogger disagrees with popular opinion, comments skyrocket. Just be prepared to stand up for your opinion and to do it gracefully.
Graciousness, Admit When You Are Wrong
If you make a mistake and someone writes a comment pointing out that mistake, try to accept their comment and admit your mistake. It is very easy to become defensive and angry on the Internet where you have no personal contact with your readers. However, by showing that you graciously accept someone else's comments and opinions, you show humility and increase the likeliness of return visitors and readers.
Don't Make it Hard to Comment
Blogger has an option that allows you to require a login for the posting of comments. This is too much work. If you require a login, many people will decide against commenting altogether, especially if they need to sign up for a new account to do so. Instead of requiring login information, you can set your comments for approval before they post. This allows you to sort out comments and delete spam if necessary.
Make It Worth Their While
If you offer a reward for a good comment, you not only encourage repeat comments, you encourage better comments. Mark especially good comments with a comment of your own, or reference them in a new post. This draws attention to your readers and shows you are reading what they say.
If you want to grow your readership and comments section, the best thing you can do is to be involved and pay attention to what your readers have to say. Do these things and you will start to see your comment spaces fill up in no time.
10 Steps To Gigantic Blog Traffic
Do you need more traffic to your blog? This article will give you practical steps that you can take today in order to increase your blog's readership.
1. Post quality, original content to your blog.
Creating original well-researched content will set your blog apart from the pack. If people look at your blog and see poor quality content, they will leave your blog and probably never come back. People are drawn to great content and unique personalities. They like blogs that are written conversationally. Write like you are writing to a friend you really want to help. Include personal life stories and testimonies. This will help people feel connected to you and add uniqueness to your blog.
2. Help your readers solve their problems.
Many people come to the Internet to solve their problems. If you answer their questions with simple step by step instructions, they will appreciate your help and re-visit your site for more useful information in the future. You can also use this strategy to promote affiliate programs. Show them how they can use the particular service or product that you are promoting with simple steps and solve their problems.
3. Write for your visitors and not for the search engines.
When people write just for the search engines they tend to include search terms that don't flow with the stream of thought of the post. If what you write doesn't make sense to your visitors they will leave. You still want to optimize your posts for the search engines, just don't overdo it.
4. Post regularly and on a schedule.
This will cause the search engine spiders to visit your site regularly. It will also cause your readers to visit you regularly, because they know that at certain times they will be able to get fresh content from your blog. They will come to depend on it. It might be a good idea to include your posting schedule on your blog. People like consistency. If you have long lapses in posting, this will cause people to stop visiting your site. You want people to know that they can count on you for high quality, fresh, original content.
5. Write for a niche within a niche.
For example, Internet marketing is the main niche and ezine creation is the niche within a niche. People are looking for high quality content on a certain niche. If you can provide great information about a niche, your visitors will know where to come for the next great post. Give your readers a great reason to come back.
6. Optimize your blog for the search engines.
Make sure your blog posts are search engine friendly. Configure your blog to display the title of the post in the URL. You can do this in the control panel of your blog software. Another strategy is to put your main keyword in the domain name of your site. It is also a good idea to put your keywords and keyword phrases into the titles of your posts. Do keyword research before each post, so you know what are good terms to include in your post title. Then, take the time to write incredible posts. This will cause other blogs and websites to link to your blog. When you get links from related sites to your blog, your blog post will receive priority in the search engines and cause your post to appear at the top of the search engine listings.
7. Re-write your posts and submit them to article directories.
Use your posts to write articles that are 300 - 1000 words long and submit these to the top article directories on the Internet. Each article contains an author box. In the author box you will be able to promote your blog. Make sure to include a link back to your website. You can also use article submission services to blast out your articles to tons of publishers that will reprint your articles. Once again it is important that you write high quality articles or they won't take the time to publish them. There are a variety of companies that will do this. Take the time to research and find out which ones will best meet your needs. You could also contact websites that are within your niche and ask them if they would like fresh content for their sites in exchange for a link back to yours. If the article is well-written and useful then they will probably say yes. You could also write exclusive articles for these sites in exchange for a link back to your site.
8. Post on forums within your niche.
Do a search for "forums" + "your niche keyword" in order to find forums that relate to your niche. Take the time to review the forum rules and get to know the main contributors to the forum. Remember, a forum is a community of people and you are going to engage in this community. Get to know who is who. A lot of forums allow you to have a signature line attached to each post that you make. In the signature you will be able to put a link to your blog. You also might want to include a link to your RSS feed. Sign up for an account and start posting. Make sure that each post is informative and contributes to the forum. People will pick up on this right away. They will know that you are an authentic contributor. Just posting your ads to forums will tarnish your reputation, unless the forum allows it. When someone reads your post and clicks on your link, you will get traffic to your blog.
9. Design a useable, eye appealing blog.
It is a worthwhile investment to host your own blog rather than using free blog hosting. It would also be a good investment to take the time to create a visually appealing blog. There are many designers who can design a custom blog for you. You also want to make sure that it is easy to navigate your blog. Don't over clutter your blog with widgets and advertising. Do some research on blog usability and apply what you are learning to your blog. The time and money that you invest in a useable and eye appealing blog will result in traffic.
10. Get one way links to your site.
Submit your blog to all the blog and RSS directories. If you don't have time to submit to all these sites, there are services you can pay to submit your site. You can also get one way links by doing a search for "Add link" "(your target market key word)" and submitting your link to those directories. One of the best ways to get one way links is to write amazing content. This will cause other blogs and websites to link to your blog. High quality posts are known as "link bait." Once you create a great post be sure and social bookmark it to all the main directories. It takes a lot of time to write quality content, but a good "link bait" piece can cause your traffic to explode.
1. Post quality, original content to your blog.
Creating original well-researched content will set your blog apart from the pack. If people look at your blog and see poor quality content, they will leave your blog and probably never come back. People are drawn to great content and unique personalities. They like blogs that are written conversationally. Write like you are writing to a friend you really want to help. Include personal life stories and testimonies. This will help people feel connected to you and add uniqueness to your blog.
2. Help your readers solve their problems.
Many people come to the Internet to solve their problems. If you answer their questions with simple step by step instructions, they will appreciate your help and re-visit your site for more useful information in the future. You can also use this strategy to promote affiliate programs. Show them how they can use the particular service or product that you are promoting with simple steps and solve their problems.
3. Write for your visitors and not for the search engines.
When people write just for the search engines they tend to include search terms that don't flow with the stream of thought of the post. If what you write doesn't make sense to your visitors they will leave. You still want to optimize your posts for the search engines, just don't overdo it.
4. Post regularly and on a schedule.
This will cause the search engine spiders to visit your site regularly. It will also cause your readers to visit you regularly, because they know that at certain times they will be able to get fresh content from your blog. They will come to depend on it. It might be a good idea to include your posting schedule on your blog. People like consistency. If you have long lapses in posting, this will cause people to stop visiting your site. You want people to know that they can count on you for high quality, fresh, original content.
5. Write for a niche within a niche.
For example, Internet marketing is the main niche and ezine creation is the niche within a niche. People are looking for high quality content on a certain niche. If you can provide great information about a niche, your visitors will know where to come for the next great post. Give your readers a great reason to come back.
6. Optimize your blog for the search engines.
Make sure your blog posts are search engine friendly. Configure your blog to display the title of the post in the URL. You can do this in the control panel of your blog software. Another strategy is to put your main keyword in the domain name of your site. It is also a good idea to put your keywords and keyword phrases into the titles of your posts. Do keyword research before each post, so you know what are good terms to include in your post title. Then, take the time to write incredible posts. This will cause other blogs and websites to link to your blog. When you get links from related sites to your blog, your blog post will receive priority in the search engines and cause your post to appear at the top of the search engine listings.
7. Re-write your posts and submit them to article directories.
Use your posts to write articles that are 300 - 1000 words long and submit these to the top article directories on the Internet. Each article contains an author box. In the author box you will be able to promote your blog. Make sure to include a link back to your website. You can also use article submission services to blast out your articles to tons of publishers that will reprint your articles. Once again it is important that you write high quality articles or they won't take the time to publish them. There are a variety of companies that will do this. Take the time to research and find out which ones will best meet your needs. You could also contact websites that are within your niche and ask them if they would like fresh content for their sites in exchange for a link back to yours. If the article is well-written and useful then they will probably say yes. You could also write exclusive articles for these sites in exchange for a link back to your site.
8. Post on forums within your niche.
Do a search for "forums" + "your niche keyword" in order to find forums that relate to your niche. Take the time to review the forum rules and get to know the main contributors to the forum. Remember, a forum is a community of people and you are going to engage in this community. Get to know who is who. A lot of forums allow you to have a signature line attached to each post that you make. In the signature you will be able to put a link to your blog. You also might want to include a link to your RSS feed. Sign up for an account and start posting. Make sure that each post is informative and contributes to the forum. People will pick up on this right away. They will know that you are an authentic contributor. Just posting your ads to forums will tarnish your reputation, unless the forum allows it. When someone reads your post and clicks on your link, you will get traffic to your blog.
9. Design a useable, eye appealing blog.
It is a worthwhile investment to host your own blog rather than using free blog hosting. It would also be a good investment to take the time to create a visually appealing blog. There are many designers who can design a custom blog for you. You also want to make sure that it is easy to navigate your blog. Don't over clutter your blog with widgets and advertising. Do some research on blog usability and apply what you are learning to your blog. The time and money that you invest in a useable and eye appealing blog will result in traffic.
10. Get one way links to your site.
Submit your blog to all the blog and RSS directories. If you don't have time to submit to all these sites, there are services you can pay to submit your site. You can also get one way links by doing a search for "Add link" "(your target market key word)" and submitting your link to those directories. One of the best ways to get one way links is to write amazing content. This will cause other blogs and websites to link to your blog. High quality posts are known as "link bait." Once you create a great post be sure and social bookmark it to all the main directories. It takes a lot of time to write quality content, but a good "link bait" piece can cause your traffic to explode.
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