The common question that arises into a blogger's head is whether forking out some money to buy a domain is the right thing, or using the so-called "free" domains (Wordpress, Blogger etc.). There are a few pros and cons of buying a domain and not buying one, and also different factors that affect your choice. So, it is very important that you know your needs and how buying a domain helps you, whether it's worth it spending the money and so on. Let's start with the main differences now :
When you buy a domain...
Finding The Right Niche for Your Blog
In respond to my post about niche blogging (check it out here), I'll share a bit on how I found my way into the topic I'm writing about now. Although it took me quite a while (over 4 months to be exact), I finally decided on what I should be writing about in my blog (*Phew*). So now, I'm going to help all of you so that you can decide much faster and easier!
Here are some of the steps I compiled to determine my topic:
1) Write down what comes to your mind in 30 seconds on a piece of paper
Here are some of the steps I compiled to determine my topic:
1) Write down what comes to your mind in 30 seconds on a piece of paper
Website/Blog Header Designing Tips
When you want to present your website to visitors, the simplest way is to use your blog header. Thus, it is very important that your website header can get the message across to your visitors easily.
Which is more attractive?
They say a picture is a thousand words. So what are you going to write on that picture? Here is what messages a good website's header should bring :
Which is more attractive?
How to Increase SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is important when it comes to getting traffic for your blog. Basically, SEO is like increasing your website's 'popularity' when people search a keyword related to your website. The higher your SEO is, the higher chances of people seeing your blog when they search a keyword in a search engine (Google, Digg, Bing, Yahoo Search etc.), thus grabs more attention from search engines to your blog.
But first, you have to submit your blog to search engines. For Google, you can add it at http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl. Here are some of the steps I used:
But first, you have to submit your blog to search engines. For Google, you can add it at http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl. Here are some of the steps I used:
When to Post/Publicize Blog Posts
The title may seem unimportant of insignificant to you, but I think it is quite important. When should you post/publicize your blog posts? I got curious and did a survey on this at YouthSays, and here is what I found :
Why You Shouldn't Get Auto-Generated Traffic
Don't know what auto-generated traffic is? I'll tell you : it's like those
websites where they use credits systems to encourage you to visit other people's blogs/websites that are linked to them so that you can earn more credits and use them to get other people to visit you back. There was once a Nuffnanger (if you don't know what a Nuffnanger is, just take it as a blogger.) posted something about this great way to generate traffic to your blog for FREE!!
websites where they use credits systems to encourage you to visit other people's blogs/websites that are linked to them so that you can earn more credits and use them to get other people to visit you back. There was once a Nuffnanger (if you don't know what a Nuffnanger is, just take it as a blogger.) posted something about this great way to generate traffic to your blog for FREE!!
4 Widgets A Blog Should Have
Widgets have different functions for every blog. Some helps the blog writer, some interacts with the readers, some do NOTHING. Obviously, you would want widgets that help you, right? Here, I'm going to introduce a few widgets that I think are really useful to a blogger.
1) Sharebar
1) Sharebar
A sharebar is a widget that allows readers to share your blog to different social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, Email and so on. Using this sharebar allows your readers to help you spread the word about your blog easily.
How to Make Readers Feel Comfortable Reading Your Blog
I've come across blogs that really make me feel uncomfortable when reading it, and decided to stop reading the post. The thing is, there were so many things that irritates a reader in that blog (which I will not mention which). I'm sure sometimes you feel the same way too when reading some blogs, right? In this post, I'll share with you how to make readers feel comfortable when reading your blog!
1) Don't put too many advertisements
It's annoying when the whole page is cramped with adverts but you cannot find the real content. Readers tend to hate this as they came to your blog for the content, not for some stupid adverts to annoy them off your blog. Please place adverts moderately and make sure that readers can see your main content. That way, readers will tend to read your adverts along with your content!
2) Tiny fonts
You know, not just old people have eyesight problems, even young people nowadays do. So please, please, please put your font BIG enough for people to read. I don't want to squint my eyes figuring out what word that is when reading a blog.
3) Too much BLARING colours
It's understandable if you want to emphasize a part on your blog and you highlight it with colours. But a whole blog filled with blaring colours? I don't think that's good. You see, sometimes the colours from the background will outshine your content and makes it hard to read.
4) Share a bit of your life
I find myself smiling at the computer screen sometimes when blog writers share a touching, heart-warming or even an embarrassing moment in their life. This makes me feel somehow connected to the blog writer and naturally makes you comfortable and want to read more.
That's about it. If you have anything you'd like to add please do in the comments section below.
1) Don't put too many advertisements
It's annoying when the whole page is cramped with adverts but you cannot find the real content. Readers tend to hate this as they came to your blog for the content, not for some stupid adverts to annoy them off your blog. Please place adverts moderately and make sure that readers can see your main content. That way, readers will tend to read your adverts along with your content!
2) Tiny fonts
You know, not just old people have eyesight problems, even young people nowadays do. So please, please, please put your font BIG enough for people to read. I don't want to squint my eyes figuring out what word that is when reading a blog.
3) Too much BLARING colours
It's understandable if you want to emphasize a part on your blog and you highlight it with colours. But a whole blog filled with blaring colours? I don't think that's good. You see, sometimes the colours from the background will outshine your content and makes it hard to read.
4) Share a bit of your life
I find myself smiling at the computer screen sometimes when blog writers share a touching, heart-warming or even an embarrassing moment in their life. This makes me feel somehow connected to the blog writer and naturally makes you comfortable and want to read more.
That's about it. If you have anything you'd like to add please do in the comments section below.
Christmas Special : How to Make Falling Snowflakes Effect for Blogger
Read my last post on how to add snow scene to blogger yet? Then this post is a improved version! Not just dots now, but with newly improved SNOWFLAKE PICTURES!! Example: 
Wouldn't you love that snowflake falling everywhere around your blog? Just go to your blogger's 'design' page, click on 'add a gadget', add a 'HTML/Javascript' gadget, then paste this code to the content:
For this picture () use this:
<script src="https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowflakesSUCCESS.js?attredirects=0&d=1"></script>
For this picture (
) use this :
<script src="https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowflakesSUCCESS4.js?attredirects=0&d=1"></script>
Will update more flakes under requests, just give me the picture!
Oh, and by the way...
Wouldn't you love that snowflake falling everywhere around your blog? Just go to your blogger's 'design' page, click on 'add a gadget', add a 'HTML/Javascript' gadget, then paste this code to the content:
For this picture (
) use this:<script src="https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowflakesSUCCESS.js?attredirects=0&d=1"></script>
For this picture (
) use this : <script src="https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowflakesSUCCESS4.js?attredirects=0&d=1"></script>
Will update more flakes under requests, just give me the picture!
AND...
Credits to people who made this photo..
Your comments are much appreciated! Please leave them below!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS YEAR!!
Christmas Special : Falling Snow Effect for Blogger
Christmas is coming in 2 days! Naturally, you would want to spice up your blog a little for this upcoming day right? Well, the falling snow effect would be just the right thing for YOU!
How it looks like: (I used gray snow for my template because white would be hard to see.)
I spent quite a while researching how to do it, and I finally got it! But first, this is what you need: (If you're lazy to edit everything and just want the snow to be white, scroll to the bottom of this post for the easy tutorial)
1) A Javascript Editor, such as EditPlus! (Download it here! Very small only.. Don't care what is says about the free trial because it works after the trial anyway)
2) A place to upload your javascript files. (Such as Google sites. Click link and register to make a page, then click 'create a page', then click 'file cabinet'
3) Reading skills. (You won't get here without that right?)
Got all of that? Then we're ready to start!
1) Download the javascript file from
https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowstormzhiwei%27s.js?attredirects=0&d=1
2) Open it using your Javascript Editor. Instructions on how to change the variables are in the file you downloaded. (P.S : For snow colour, you have to get the html code. Get codes for different types of colours here.)
3) Once you've edited to what you wanted, save and upload your file to your upload page. (Google Pages)
4) Copy the download link for your uploaded Javascript file.
5) Replace 'YOUR FILE DOWNLOAD LINK HERE' (below) with your download link and copy the whole code
<script src="YOUR FILE DOWNLOAD LINK HERE" type="text/javascript"></script>
6) Go to your blogger 'design' page and go to 'add a new gadget', 'HTML/JavaScript', then paste the code you copied into the empty space below the title.
7) Save and view your blog. Satisfied?
Leave you 'thank you's below at the comment box!
The Easier Way (White Snow)
Copy the following code:
<script src="https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowstormzhiwei%27s.js?attredirects=0&d=1" type="text/javascript"></script>
Then go to blogger's 'design' page, 'Add a gadget', 'HTML/Javascript', and paste the code above into the empty space. Save and enjoy.
CREDITS GIVEN TO SCHILLMANIA!!
How it looks like: (I used gray snow for my template because white would be hard to see.)
I spent quite a while researching how to do it, and I finally got it! But first, this is what you need: (If you're lazy to edit everything and just want the snow to be white, scroll to the bottom of this post for the easy tutorial)
1) A Javascript Editor, such as EditPlus! (Download it here! Very small only.. Don't care what is says about the free trial because it works after the trial anyway)
2) A place to upload your javascript files. (Such as Google sites. Click link and register to make a page, then click 'create a page', then click 'file cabinet'
3) Reading skills. (You won't get here without that right?)
Got all of that? Then we're ready to start!
1) Download the javascript file from
https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowstormzhiwei%27s.js?attredirects=0&d=1
2) Open it using your Javascript Editor. Instructions on how to change the variables are in the file you downloaded. (P.S : For snow colour, you have to get the html code. Get codes for different types of colours here.)
3) Once you've edited to what you wanted, save and upload your file to your upload page. (Google Pages)
4) Copy the download link for your uploaded Javascript file.
5) Replace 'YOUR FILE DOWNLOAD LINK HERE' (below) with your download link and copy the whole code
<script src="YOUR FILE DOWNLOAD LINK HERE" type="text/javascript"></script>
6) Go to your blogger 'design' page and go to 'add a new gadget', 'HTML/JavaScript', then paste the code you copied into the empty space below the title.
7) Save and view your blog. Satisfied?
Leave you 'thank you's below at the comment box!
The Easier Way (White Snow)
Copy the following code:
<script src="https://sites.google.com/site/jscriptuploads/home/jscripts/snowstormzhiwei%27s.js?attredirects=0&d=1" type="text/javascript"></script>
Then go to blogger's 'design' page, 'Add a gadget', 'HTML/Javascript', and paste the code above into the empty space. Save and enjoy.
CREDITS GIVEN TO SCHILLMANIA!!
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