It also helps distinguish your site in your browsers bookmarks and is also used in some social bookmarking sites as well. Here’s how you can easily create the file and make it show up on your website.

1. Find an image on your computer that will work very small. It should be square and can be a gif, jpg, png, or bmp file. It can have transparency as well. It does not need to be a large file as it will be reduced to 16×16 pixels in size.

2. Visit http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/favicon (new window) and press the Browse button.

You could also try this free tool that makes a favicon from your Twitter profile image. http://www.html-kit.com/favicon (new window)

3. Navigate to the image on your computer and press Open.

4. Click the Create Icon button on the dynamic drive website.

5. In a moment you will see a preview of your icon. If you are happy with the way it looks, press the Download Favicon button.

This will download a file called favicon.ico on to your computer.

6. Login to your Wordpress website.

7. Click on the Media tab and select Add New.

8. Press the Select Files button, navigate to the favicon.ico file on your computer and press Select. Wordpress will automatically upload the file.

9. When it is finished you will see a small image of the file and down the bottom we are looking for the File URL section. Copy this URL.

10. Click on your Appearance tab and select Editor. Find the theme files section on the left and click on the one that says, Header (header.php).

11. Paste this code below the <link rel=”pingback” href=”/xmlrpc.php” /> line and replace the href URL with the full file path to the icon file we uploaded previously.

<link rel=”shortcut icon” type=”image/x-icon” href=”http://yourwebsite.com/uploadspath/favicon.ico“>

12. Click the Update File button.

You will need to refresh your website page to see the favicon in action. Even then it may not work straight away. The easiest way I have found to test that all is working is to use a different browser to load your page fresh.

If all is done right you should be sporting a spanking new tiny favicon. Yay!

Bookmark Favicons

By itself it has no value except as a way to facilitate change or sharing in some way. To the degree that we get clear on ourselves and our purpose we can create a website that succeeds.

This will help you to see your website through the filter of one of the most important self-help programs ever created. Stephen R Covey, the author of The Seven Habits of Effective People, is one of my personal heroes.

By that I mean that he is both humble and deeply inspired to empower and educate people about the things in life that are truly important and  constant.

“There are three things in life that are constant. Change, Choice and Principles.”

Stephen R Covey

If you have not heard of the book and his work, I highly recommend his books and teachings. Learn more about Dr Stephen R Covey.

Stephen Covey on Choosing Success

So here I re-interpret The 7 Habits through the filter of creating and developing a website:

Habit 1 – Be Proactive

A good website takes the initiative and does not wait for the ok from the world to start or beg for any kind of special treatment. It is driven by a passion and sense that we can create our own destiny.

In a sense it means to be focusing on empowerment and drive. That ethic will filter into everything it represents whether it is a personal blog or a company website. The presentation, content and tone will be clear, unapologetic and confident.

Habit 2 – Begin With The End In Mind

Once you know where the site is going you can design it to suite that aim. Most people do it the other way around. i.e. Make it look cool and then hope that it fulfills the vague plans you may or may not have.

This means you avoid complacency and always look to improve and develop your site. It also suggests knowing who your audience is and not trying to appeal to everyone.

Habit 3 – Put First Things First

This means having the courage to put aside petty desires and whims and place your emphasis on what tells your story and/or communicates to your visitors most eloquently.

An obvious hierarchy, without any extra baggage means that your site will signal clearly what it is and who it is for.

Your site will be easy to read and have clear navigation with a minimum of flashy graphics and unexpected pages and/or pop ups.

Habit 4 – Think Win/Win

The spirit of Win/Win is vital to the success of any website. If you enter into your web project only thinking of what you want, it will come across as being self-absorbed small time and in a word, boring.

You must be able to provide some tangible benefit to the reader and provide solutions to their perceived problems. At the very minimum your site should be entertaining.

Habit 5 – Seek First To Understand and then to be Understood

Create a dialogue in which your visitors are encouraged to submit comments and suggestions. Be open to criticism and feedback.

Poll your visitors and give them incentives for doing so. This information is vital and if taken on board will endear your visitors to you. Once you understand your visitors views and concerns you can edit and refine you copy and site taglines to speak to these issues.

If your site visitors feel understood they will automatically be open to you and your message.

TIP: Create a free download that provides a simple solution to some of their main fears and or concerns and people will begin to think of you as a trusted adviser.

Habit 6 – Synergize

Together with your growing tribe you can work on soving your primary problems in a more elegant way than if you did it alone. Ask for involvement and input. Some may give useful criticism. Others may interact more often and passionately. These people are going to share your message with friends as well as help you grow.

It’s more fun working with a team that includes your customers anyway.

Habit 7 – Sharpen The Saw

Take time out to leave the computer and live! Breathe and stretch. Open your mind to new possibilities and options. Go for a run and listen to inspirational music or audio books. Watch Ted.com and draw in their spirit of innovation and discovery.

This new fresh you will bring more life and passion to the project. It will be there when you get back anyway and you will feel so much better for it. You could also remind your people and customers to do the same thing!

How do you see these principles or habits apply to the process of creating a successful web presence?

Take the time to think and process how you might be more effective right now.

This will show you how to upload and install a new WP theme that you have downloaded. It also covers how to browse the Wordpress.org themes site as well.

NOTE: This guide shows the interface from WP 2.8 but also features an admin navigation plugin called “Ozh’ Drop Down Admin Menus” Find out how to install that right here.

1. Start by Logging in to your WP site.
2. Click on the Appearance tab then select Add New Themes.  (To preview themes already installed click Themes)
3. Now we can choose to browse the Wordpress.org site by using Search or selecting layout elements like Black, Left Sidebar etc, then click on the Find Themes button. Or we can click the Featured | Newest | Recently Updated to see those options as well.
4. To upload a theme we have downloaded to our computer already click the Upload link.
5. Click the Browse button and navigate to the sopt of your PC where the ZIP file is located. Press Install Now.
6. Once it has been uploaded, Wordpress will ask if you want to Preview | Activate | Return To Theme Viewer.
7. Pressing Preview will show you what your site would look like to visitors.
8. Click Activate if you want the new look to go “Public”.
9. You have a new theme for your site!

Screencast Tutorial – Installing Themes in Wordpress

Here we show you how to quickly and easily find and add plugins to your self-hosted Wordpress website.

NOTE: This guide has us install an important feature to the backend of your site that speeds up your navigation. Highly Recommended!

From the Dashboard after logging in:

1. Click on the Plugins tab. (it’s faster if you click on the down arrow that appears instead of the text link)

2. Select Add New.

3. From the Install Plugins page, you can browse all the plugins within the Wordpress.org directory using either Keywords, Plugin Authors, or Tags. In addition we can Upload a zip file or, show only Featured, Popular, Newest or Recently Updated plugins.

4. Enter the exact name of the plugin into the Term dropdown field (i.e. Keywords). See screen shot for example.

COPY and PASTE the name below exactly for accuracy.

Ozh’ Admin Drop Down Menu

5. Press the Search Plugins button.

6. The plugin we are after should be at the top of the list of results.

7. Click the Install link on the right and accept the request WP gives you.

8. WP will ask if you want to Activate the plugin.

We’re done and ready for plugin configuration!

NOTE: Most often Wordpress plugin options show up in the Settings tab, but it can vary.

Well I’ve scoured the internet for you to find the best and most inspiring desktop backgrounds.

Listed in order of excellence:(all links open in a new window)

1. Vladstudio – Clean, cool, artistic brilliance. Awesome artist and designer.

2. Desktopography – Awesome artwork. Subtle mixing of graphic elements with natural settings.

3. DesktopNexus – A community based site with a large variety of great quality Wallpapers.

4. PixelGirlPresents – Great quality desktops, icons and iPhone Wallpapers.

5. InterfaceLift – Great selection of natural and artistic designs.

6. BestGamesWallpapers – Images and artwork from Games on the net.

7. SpaceTelescope.org – While not a dedicated site, their Wallpapers section is stunning.

8. DigitalBlasphemy – Not all free but very high quality with a CG and animation style.

9. MyBestDesktops – Mostly natural backgrounds. Animals and landscapes.

10. FlickrWallpapersPool – This is not a website but rather a section on Flickr for desktop backgrounds.

11. HongKiat.com WallPapers Category – very high quality collection of wallpapers for your desktop.

• fantasyartdesign.com – Great artwork and designs.
• visualparadox.com – Computer generated and fantasy art desktops.

Some other Wallpaper sites worth a look…

• pixelhigh.com - Babes on backgrounds.
• dowwallpaper.com – Great selection, good navigation even though too many ads.
• cool3dwallpaper.com – More spacey and 3d style themes.
• coolwallpaper.com – Weird chintzy looking site but a good assortment of celebrity, space and landscape style themes.
• search.ra-gu.net – Strange name and lots of ads but some out of the ordinary desktops.
• fantom-xp.com – Site can be annoying but their are some good backgrounds to be found.
• wallpaperstock.net – Ads and confusion but some good desktops.

Any other great Wallpaper sites I have missed?

Please comment and let me know.

Fortunately Google comes to the rescue here with a website they acquired last year. Feedburner.

The Pros

• Its Free! All you need is a Google account.
• Emails get sent out automatically the next morning after posting on your blog.
• You can brand your emails with a logo and a reply email address.
• Feedburner creates a consistent RSS feed url that stays the same even if your website address changes.

The Cons

• You can’t import subscribers into this system. Google is cautious that spammers will use this service. You could ask your current list to sign up again but you may lose some people.
• Emails are simple and you can’t have elaborate themes.

What on earth is RSS you ask? Read more here.

To get your newsletter sign-up form:

1. Create or Sign-in to your Google account.
2. Go to Google Feedburner: http://feedburner.google.com
3. Enter the full url of your website into the Burn a feed right this instant field: e.g. http://mygreatwebsite.com and click Next.
4. Feedburner will search for RSS feeds at your address (there can be more than one). Choose the top option which should look something like, Your Website RSS Feed: http://mygreatwebsite.com/feed/ Click the Next button.
5. Next you will be asked to choose a name for your feed, both the title and the final URL of the new RSS feed. Adjust (or not) and click the Next button.
6. On the next page you receive your feed URL from feedburner. Copy this down to put into your emails and websites as your RSS feed address. Click the Skip directly to feed management link.
7. Click on the Optimize tab at the top then the Smartfeed link on the left sidebar. Press the Activate button to make your feed readable by anything. This just increases readability.
8. Click on the Publicize tab and then the Email Subscriptions link in the sidebar.
9. Click the Activate button.
10. Feedburner will now display some code. The first, long section is for the sign-up form that will go on your website. The second is a direct link to your form that can be used in emails or as links.
11. This code (the longer string) needs to be copy and pasted into your sidebar in Wordpress so that people can sign up to your sites updates easily.

NOTE: There are a few other links in the Feedburner sidebar that allow you to customize the look and feel as well as delivery time etc.  Communication Preferences, Email Branding and Delivery Options.

Here I outline instructions for Wordpress but it will work fine anywhere that full HTML can be used. e.g. Blogspot, other free Blogging platforms or web design programs such as Dreamweaver.

Including the sign-up form in your WP sidebar.

1. In Wordpress go to Appearance >> Widgets.
2. Drag a new Text Widget where you want the form to appear. It’s position can be changed by dragging and dropping also.
3. Call the text Widget something like “Free Newsletter” and paste into the main text field the code we just grabbed from Feedburner.
4. Press Save and open your website address in your browser to see your new sign-up form on the site.
5. Invite your friends and contacts to visit your site and sign-up!

NOTE: You can change the message above the email sign up form by editing the text within the HTML. Look for the section that says, “Enter your email address:” and change that section only.

Now anyone that subscribes to your emails will receive a full html rich email the morning after you submit a new post to your blog.

Right, now invite all your friends to sign-up!

HOT TIP: You can make the email subject the same as the article title by customizing your emails in your Feedburner control panel:

1. Login to Google Feedburner.
2. Click on the Publicize tab at the top.
3. Click the Email Subscriptions link, then Email Branding in the sidebar.
4. In the Email Subject/Title field, enter this code: ${latestItemTitle}
5. Make any other customizations and press the Save button.
6. Publish more cool stuff!

You should also subscribe to your own blog feed so that you can check what everyone is getting.

The internet is awesome obviously. The abundance of information in such an accessible form is transforming our world and our ability to interact with one another.

But, we’re now left with an ongoing challenge in filtering that information. Most of the Social Networking websites, like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are giving the humans a way of filtering and being more in control of the way that we take in information. This is good.The brain can only take so much data and it goes into overwhelm. Some people’s threshold is obviously set higher but we either learn ways of organizing and prioritizing the data stream or we give up and/or go nuts! (wanna be geeks like me should know  )

So when someone publishes a list of “30 Plugins for Twitter on Wordpress”, and I get no recommendation or advice on the application of the plugins I am left to have to do all that work myself. I am grateful for the list don’t get me wrong, but it also means more work.

That’s one reason why software does so well. It repackages the interface so as to give us more control and a different way to create as well as interact with information. Firefox is not just a browser. It’s a way to make things happen on the web that is distinctive. The add-ons give you more control over your experience.

I see the growing demand for 2 things:

1. Trusted Sources

We need to have trust in the source of the information.

Brands like BMW and Rolling Stone magazine obviously have an established trust for their customer base in being able to deliver a reliable experience and proven track record.

Media on the other hand started with radio then TV, Cable and now the internet has spawned a massive industry of both companies, entrepreneurs and web-geeks. Now anyone can publish at the very least their own blog and at the most, a fully fledged empire and/or following.

Trust suddenly becomes a BIG issue in this environment.

So what do we look for to get a sense of trust online ?

• Consistency and Simplicity – We feel more comfortable if we are doing the moving and choosing. Flashy ads and pop-ups are jarring and add to the manic nature of the web. Strong headings, open space and consistent elements such as header and sidebars are important anchors that keep your visitors comfortable.
• Faces and Videos – If we can see you we can assess you quickly. Having a good professional photo of yourself is a must and a video is even better.
• Branding and Credibility – The repeated associations created by how an individual or company is represented both on their front and in the public eye. As consumers we evaluate everything very quickly and try to decide whether it is useful to us or not. Quality content is key here. It is easier to sell anything, especially ideas, when something is presented cleanly and concisely.

2. Control Over Our Experience

In an information saturated market, we crave control.

The rise of the iPhone has shown us that you can have both control and creativity in a hand held device. The iPhone apps give you the ability to choose and customize your experience to suit your habits and needs.

Twitter is a great example of this. Limiting the characters to 140 means that it can all fit into a single mobile phone text message, thereby aggregating someones activities in a more convenient way.

What do we need to be in control of the technology?

• Interface – The hardware and software we use to communicate with the world and our friends, needs to be familiar, clean, and visually accurate. A sensible, logical merging of human intention and physical devices and/or software is important. Again the iPhone would have to be a great example of this.
• Training – The best interface in the world still requires a learning process. If you take the time to learn something thoroughly it will pay off in productivity and responsiveness. Here we also look for people we can trust to simplify the process. e.g. Video Training sites have gone crazy recently.
• Accessibility -  As we travel and things change we seek a consistent way to stay in touch and/or maintain our business. Technology needs to adapt to suit this change, or be functional in different environments.
• Systems Organization – The more time we take to think and prepare ourselves for activity the more effective and unstressed we can afford to be. The important distinction is that we should be efficient with things and effective with people. Never confuse the two.
• Scanning – We are always brushing over headlines and images asking ourselves. “Does this solve my problem or make what I am doing easier?” We are all basically self-serving and tuned into a radio station called, WIIFM. What’s In It For Me.

In Summary:

We’re all riding the wave of information just by being online at all. Most people are overwhelmed by the sheer tsunami of data that can easily confuse and even offend at times.

Some people however, take it upon themselves to filter it in a special way that makes us go, “Aha! This is for me.”

Great Example: http://www.squidoo.com

Created by the great Seth Godin, Squidoo focuses peoples attention with the idea of Lenses covering one particular topic to a page, thereby focusing your attention and increasing user control.

So when you are out there communicating with the world, whether on your mobile or writing your next blog article, remember to filter out the useless and extraneous so that we can get the real stuff and decide if we want to proceed from there.

Whether we stick around and become friends or just wander away, never to be seen again, we’ll appreciate the effort you made to make it easy to decide.

Happy Web Travels!

First you need to make sure that the DNS settings in your domain control panel point to your hosting account.

Haven’t got hosting yet? Download our free PDF guide.

The DNS Settings will have been sent to you when you first purchased your web hosting server space. The Email will look something like this:

Welcome to the hostgator family!
Your Domain:     yournewwebsite.com
Your Username:   yourusername
Your Password:  cr4zypassword
Your sites IP address:
34.55.456.234
Your name servers:
ns0234.hostgator.com
ns0235.hostgator.com

These last two strings of numbers and dots are the Domain Name Servers. They tell your browser where to look for your domain. i.e. The server your site is hosted on.

Creating An Add-On Domain in Cpanel

1. Login to Cpanel and find the Add-On Domains button.
2. Click the Addon Domains button.
3. Enter your new domain into the New Domain Name: field.
4. Enter a strong password. TIP: You can write it down first on a secure text document then copy and paste it.
5. Click Add-Domain! Cpanel will take a moment to set everything up.

Now you can install Wordpress from Cpanel and start building your site!

You need to sign up to his mailing list to get the free e-book. Click here to get started:

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/make-money-blogging/

The e-book is broken into in 5 chapters: Content, Design & Usability, Networking, Promotion and Monetization.

Some of the topics covered are:

• The three mistakes that bloggers make when choosing a niche.
• The three characteristics of good content.
• Why your content strategy should have one cornerstone.
• The two factors that create magnetic headlines (and how to apply them).
• A deadly mistake that bloggers make when designing their blogs.
• Practical tips that you can use to network efficiently.
• A promotional strategy that most people forget to use.
• The two requirements for making money with Google AdSense.
• The best trick available to make money with CPM deals.

Head on over to his website now and grab this great free e-book on how to make money online with blogging.

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/make-money-blogging/

His approach is simple and sensible and reminds us that social networking is about making friends and if you have something to “Sell” it should come up casually and naturally rather than being a obsession that turns people off.

Perry Belcher demonstrates how YOU can use social media in business without being a jerk.