Whatever the plan, woopra is definitely worth investigating since it provides a wealth of information regarding traffic on your site.  The demo provides an overview of woopra,  installation for Google’s Blogger and WordPress platforms and the chat feature.

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Related posts:

1. IHB #010: How to Upgrade WordPress
2. IHB #014: Blogger versus WordPress.com versus Hosted WordPress

Technical note: These videos have chapter markers, links to sites and commentary to aid audience questions.

Related posts:

1. IHB #010: How to Upgrade WordPress

Please start at 2:20 min into the 1st video.

Part 1

Part 2

Watch live video from podcampaz on Justin.tv

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Related posts:

1. IHB #012: Google’s Keyword Tool – Boost Your Site Traffic and Search Ranking

maybe a solution for you as it’s a desktop, WYSIWYG  editor that allows you to create, edit and update your blog posts.  It supports WordPress, Blogger, TypePad and many other blogging platforms.

SETUP

Ecto is not difficult to setup.  The username and password that are used to login and create posts are needed.  The program will download any posts to your Mac computer.  If you have multiple blogs, Ecto will download all the posts per blog for easy modification.  It should be noted that Ecto does not affect the design or layout of your site, rather it only works with your posts.

Next, you are free to create or update any posts, add tags/keywords and categories as well as format the posts as desired.  Once your post is complete, just publish it and your done!!!

SUMMARY

Ecto is an affordable option that may help.

Related posts:

1. IHB #006: Setting up the First Blog: Blogger, Part 1

Add Image vs. HTML

Keep in mind that this is not the only option as one could use HTML code that would provide greater control over the placement of the image or photo. However, for ease of use Google’s Blogger allows one to add a photo specifying the size (small, medium or large) as well as the justification (left, right and centered).

Step by Step

To add the image involves the following steps:

1. Select or copy URL of the Image. This could be from Flickr, Picasa, your own site or another hosting service.
2. From within Blogger, ensure the cursor is where you want the image to appear. Select “Add Image” from the menu bar.
3. Past the URL from Step 1 into the appropriate entry.
4. Select the justification and size of the image
5. Repeat the process for as many images as desired in the post.

NOTE: The key is to ensure that the cursor is positioned where you want the image to appear when you add the image.

Please take a moment to share any experiences adding multiple photos in a single post in the comment section.

Related posts:

1. IHB #006: Setting up the First Blog: Blogger, Part 1
2. IHB #015: How-To Embed Video in a Blog
3. IHB #014: Blogger versus WordPress.com versus Hosted WordPress

Recently, some friends of mine wanted to setup a website with their own domain name because their current site was receiving little traffic via a corporate real estate site. For most realtors with a large company, the corporate site lists recent items but the agent contact information is a subset of the primary site.

As we began to discuss their frustrations and goals, it became quite clear that my friends believed the myth, If I build it, they will come.   Unfortunately, with today’s internet savvy consumer, general contact information on a website will not draw much attention. There has to be something that will separate a website or blog from the pack.

Website vs. Blogs

Many do not realize some of the basic differences between setting up a website versus a blog. Here are just a few:

1. Blogs are typically updated more often via posting. As a result, they can rank higher than a typical website
2. Websites are typically more informational where blogs maybe more interactive or promote communities or social networking
3. A blog is just a different type of website and it can be combined within a traditional website.

Promotional Ideas

After brainstorming a bit, I knew there were some ideas that could help promote a blog or traditional website even for those that are not tech-savvy. A few items include:

1. Combining a traditional website with a blog.
2. Hold free but short seminars via telephone, webcam or other methods
3. Have other experts contribute content
4. Have a technical expert handle the site while you handle the content
5. Paid Ads

Please keep in mind that I am not suggesting that any site or blog overwhelm the potential client with gimmicky sales pitches or ads but realize content is king.

Everyday Examples

My sister, Tanya Lee, a local Immigration attorney, has been in the process of establishing her internet presence. She opted to build a traditional website initially, namely About US Visas, then add the blogging portion later. Interestingly enough, it’s her personal experience with immigration, not necessarily her credentials, that clients are associating with and taking note. She has chosen the approach of combining a traditional website with a blog detailing her personal experiences as an Immigration attorney as well as community events she attends and/or supports.

Local author, blogger and coach, Pamela Slim holds a monthly, free telephone conference call via her blog,Escape From Cubicle Nation for those interested in transitioning to entrepreneurship. Pam has opted for a blog without a traditional website but she has incorporated various services and products into her blog that are not gimmicky.

Summary

Whether a blog, website or combination is right for your business is still up-to-you hopefully some of the differences will make it easier to decide. Just remember, content is king. I have found that readers will return to a not-so-great-looking site if the content is valuable.

Related posts:

1. IHB #014: Blogger versus WordPress.com versus Hosted WordPress

A fellow blogger, Mango Mama of Living Out Loud Now, had asked about embedding videos or multiple videos into a single post so I thought a quick tutorial was in order. Believe it or not, embedding video that is hosted on sites such as Youtube, Blip.TV, Vimeo or other sources is not difficult. Typically, copying the embed code to the HTML mode is that is needed but what if you want to have the text in the posts wrap around the video in a prettier fashion?

Cheat Sheet

I am not a web developer that writes HTML code but I can copy and paste existing code then tweak it as needed.  This technique is the method I suggest for embedding video into your blog in two steps,

Step 1.  Copy one of the codes (from the video) into your blog post.

Step 2.  Copy the video embed code between the tags.

Tweak

The pixel (5px) spacing can be adjusted as needed to allow more whitespace between the words of your post. 8px is typically the maximum spacing that I have used but it is a matter of personal preference.

Related posts:

1. IHB #017: How-To Embed Multiple Photos in Blogger

Focus and content type

When I am asked which platform a user should choose, I first ask what is the focus of the blog and what type of content do they think they will use? If you have not given much thought to it, I suggest working backwards.  Start with the content type then work backwards to which platform will support it.  For example, are you comfortable taking photos or recording videos?  Perhaps you have a great speaking voice and prefer audio podcasts? Do you prefer writing quick posts?  There are so many forms including art, music, cartoons, jokes and more than I can possibly name. If you’re having a difficult time deciding, revisit Define Your Content Type and Define a Niche for Your Blog.

Content-Type to Hosting

Once the primary content type is defined, find a hosting platform that meets those needs. I chose a combination of videos and text posts that involves hosting my videos at Youtube and Blip.TV. Occasionally,  a single photo or slideshow is incorporated and Google’s Picasa met that need and for the low price of FREE!!

I also wanted an online community for bloggers to share information so the Facebook Pages has been a good choice.  (On a technical note, this meant that the blogging platform needed to support redirection to an external site).   There were other reasons such as the ability to gather statistics as well as easy integration for posting (uploading) videos from my Mac that were involved in choosing a hosted WordPress platform but everyone has to determine their reasons.  By now, the content-type and hosting options were gathered, next on the list was the blogging platform that would support the content type.

Restrictions and Limitations

After careful consideration for the content type that maybe included in the blog, research the capabilities of the blogging platform.  There are many others besides Blogger and a hosted WordPress blog but these are my favorites.  Did you notice that I did not say WordPress.com was my favorite?  I do not want to discourage anyone from using WordPress.com but I found that it was very restrictive and geared more for blogs of the written word than photos or other types of media.  They restrict the blogger from using Java-enabled items or anything that could possible execute (run) and cause havoc on the system.  As a result, all of fun stuff is removed due to high security restrictions. The ability to have ads on your blog to make a little bit of money is also prohibited.  Last, if you decide to get your own domain name, such as ihelpbloggers.com,  WordPress.com does not allow you to redirect your wordpress.com site to this domain.  This feature is available in Blogger but with WordPress.com,  your blog will always be yourblog.wordpress.com.

Blogger is not without its challenges.  If you start with WordPress.com or even a hosted WordPress site, trying to revert or convert to Blogger is challenging to say the least.  It can be done but it is not easy and the included import and export utilities do not work very well. Additionally, Blogger does not include categories and other SEO (search engine optimization) items that can offer more control over your postings to increase the blogs rankings and visibility.

Do some research and post often with different media types to test the blogging platforms to determine which platform offers the most flexibility and meets your needs.

Add-ons and Support

Starting with Google’s Blogger is great for starting a blog.  It is not by accident that Google offers a suite of tools from Picasa for Photos, Youtube for videos, Docs for Microsoft Office compatible files, Maps and much more.  Google aims to provide all the tools needed for computer living, not just blogging.  Having said that, some of the “cool” add-ons are more widely available as plugins for WordPress (.com or hosted).  These plugins can be downloaded and installed on a WordPress blog for free from WordPress.org under the extends menu option.  Let’s be clear, there are many more blogging platforms than Blogger or WordPress but these are the my choice favorites.

If you have your own domain name, then having a hosted WordPress blog is a good option.  It is more work for initial setup and does require some maintenance but it is well worth it as you have full control over the look and feel of the blog.  For bloggers that start with Blogger and want to upgrade to WordPress.com or a hosted WordPress site, the import/export utilities to go from Blogger to WordPress do work pretty well.  As I stated earlier, WordPress.com has more restrictions so some items may have to be re-worked or left out but migrating to a hosted WordPress blog is typically pretty smooth.

Considerations

At the end of the day, the best blogging platform is the one that meets your needs and doesn’t drive you to tears and frustration to maintain it.  Choose a platform that is easy to use and is widely supported.  Here are few questions to ponder as you delve into blogging:

1. Is the platform easy to setup?
2. Does the platform support my own domain, if desired?
3. How easy can I upload or embed media such as photo’s, videos, music, etc?  Are slideshows supported?
4. What methods are available to gather statistics?  Visitors?  Browser used? Country of origin? How many repeat visitors?
5. Can I embed or add Java-enabled items and scripts like badges from LinkedIn or Facebook, Google Maps, Visitor Maps like FeedJit
6. Can I have ads on my blog?
7. Can I modify the theme or template?
8. Do I have to use more sites to host my media (videos, music, photos) than desired?
9. Can I customize the title or URL such that it is optimized for SEO?
10. Do I have control over comments and spam?
11. Are there sufficient backup and restore options to prevent loss of my content?
12. Can I post blogs from my phone?
13. Can I have automatic notifications from Twitter or Facebook when a new post is created?
14. How easy is it to have a customized feed such as http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ihelpbloggers.com?
15. How many templates or themes area available for the platform?

These are just a few questions to consider when choosing a blogging platform. There is no right or wrong answer, just what is right for you.

Related posts:

1. IHB #016: Blogs versus Websites – Build It But They Are Not Coming
2. IHB #008: Domain Name Registration and Hosting Services
3. IHB #003: Define the Primary Content Type for a Blog

For those that have been following the blog, you  may have been familiar with the Ning Community that was meant to provide a social network for bloggers to help each other.  Unfortunately, between the pricing and lack of interests to login to yet one more site, I have decided to move the online community to Facebook Pages.  Now, you can find other bloggers at I Help Bloggers on Facebook.

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Why Use the Tool?

Everyone wants more traffic to their blog but the question is How? There are many strategies and advertising methods but one simple solution is to add tags or labels to your post such that search engines such as Google, Yahoo or MSN can find your blog post and/or site.  Seems simple enough, right?  Well, it is not as easy as you  may think but with a little bit of work, gathering the statistics is not difficult.

How to Use the Tool

The tool provides two methods for gathering keyword ideas.  The first is to enter keywords associated with your blog site or post such as “help blogging” or ” create a blog”.  The second method is to allow Google to analyze a blog post by submitting the actual URL such as http://ihelpbloggers.com/2009/04/16/ihb-010-how-to-upgrade-wordpress/.  I prefer the latter method as it provides suggestions that are more related to the content of the post.  If your blog posts do not contain write-ups then the first option is probably best.

Tags/Keywords/Labels

For those that are new to blogging, different Blogging platforms implement “tagging” slightly different.  Google’s Blogger names their keywords or phrases as “labels” as seen in the video while WordPress names them “tags”.  Regardless, they basically work the same.  The keywords are used by the search engines to find articles, blog posts or any information on the internet related to those keywords.  If  you entered  ”sushi blogs in arizona” or “upgrade wordpress” you  may find SushiLoversUnite and Upgrade WordPress, respectively.  Use this tool to your advantage and drive more traffic to your site.

Related posts:

1. IHB #009: How to use NewsGator or Google Reader
2. IHB #019: SEO: Keywords, Tags and Titles, Oh My!!

Why do I need FTP?

If you are using a service such as Google’s Blogger or WordPress.com, you may not need an FTP program as these blogging platforms have built in mechanisms for uploading and downloading files between your computer and their site.  However, those of us that have hosted blogs such as WordPress, will use an FTP program to upload themes and plugins to change the look and feel of our blog.

Using FileZilla

FileZilla is a free FTP client program that supports Windows desktops, Mac Computers and Linux.  FileZilla supports drag-and-drop and bookmarking with an easy-to-use interface.  Watch the video and enjoy!!

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As improvements are made to the WordPress blog platform, the need to update it and gain enhancements will be necessary.  Some upgrades are similar to applying a service pack to XP or Vista and they are typically known as Service Pack 1 or SP1.  For Mac users, this is similar to applying a patch from 10.5.4 to 10.5.6.

Upgrades

are different and typically have more serious impacts.  For instance, upgrading from Windows XP to Vista or Mac OS X Tiger to Leopard can cause applications to stop functioning or hardware such as printers and scanners to become incompatible.  Greater care and testing should be taken when upgrading these operating systems and the same precautions and testing steps should be taken when upgrading WordPress.

Testing

This demo is focuses on patches but the same process can be applied to an upgrade.  Regardless of which scenario is performed, testing is essential.  Just because WordPress is upgraded does not mean that every plugin is compatible with the latest release.  This is the same when Microsoft (Windows), Apple (Mac), or RedHat (Linux) upgrades their operating system. Have you ever applied a patch or upgrade and a feature in an application such as Microsoft Word or Apple’s Pages no longer works properly?  Ensure you test all plugins and features of your site after upgrading WordPress.

Plugin

There are several plugins available that help automate the upgrade process by backing up the necessary files should a problem occur or the process needs to be reverted.  This demo explains using the plugin  Automatic WordPress Upgrade by Authors: keithdsouza and ronalfy to perform an upgrade.

Enjoy.

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View the video demonstration on subscribing and reading various blogs and/or podcasts using the three aggregators above.

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Unlimited Hosting

When deciding on a hosting company or plan, seek one that has unlimited web hosting or at least something in the range of 10 or so. Why? Essentially, it is a cost savings. Typically, you can purchase your domain for approximately $10 or less if you have a bundled purchase of hosting and domain. Once annual hosting has been purchased, additional domains can be purchased and used within the same hosting area. As a result, multiple blogs or websites can be purchased for a relatively small amount with only one annual webhosting fee!! That’s fantastic!!! When I signed up with Godaddy, I purchased their Deluxe plan for $80 and have three blogs hosted on this plan for unlimited hosting. If I another site or blog, I can purchase an additional domain and install the desired blog or site.

Windows or Linux?

Some larger web hosting companies offer the ability to use Windows instead of the default [w:Linux] operating system. Fear not, as you do not need to know or understand the Linux operating system to use it. I am not and I emphasize NOT a Linux administrator. Every tool that I use to administer my blogs is via a an application on my Mac or Windows desktop or via a web browser, not Linux. Some hosting companies do not offer the choice but if offered, it is probably a matter of choice. I’ve always used Linux-based hosting platforms and found them to be quite reliable. NOTE: Domains can be purchased separately from the web hosting company. Some state they have more additional control over their domain but I have my domains registered with my hosting company. Again, this is a personal choice. Once a domain has been registered and a hosting company, chosen, installation is next.

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WordPress.com Account

To setup a blog using WordPress.com, an account or username is required. By default, WordPress will prompt you to create a blog using the naming convention username.wordpress.com.  Keep in mind that an account can be created without the blog.  Afterwards, a blog can be created with the convention blogname.wordpress.com.

Initial Setup

For those that are more familiar with Google’s Blogger, the initial setup is similar with the requirement for an account.  However, since this is not a Google product, the requirement to have a Google account is not necessary as any account and/or email address can be utilized.  Since WordPress.com is the host provider for these blogs, all URLs will end in wordpress.com just as all Google’s blogs end in blogspot.com.

After the account is created, login with a username and view the default theme and initial post on your blog.  Voila!!!  Now, you have another blog with that is hosted with WordPress.com.  Enjoy the demo.

Related posts:

1. IHB #006: Setting up the First Blog: Blogger, Part 1

We are going to setup our first blog using Google’s Blogger platform but do you have a Google or Gmail account? You will need a Google account to use Blogger but the demo guides  you through that process too.

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Google account

To setup a blog using Blogger, an account with Google is required. The simplest method is to create an e-mail account with Google which is commonly referred to as a Gmail account.  All of Google’s email  addresses end in “gmail.com” for Google mail.  The email address does not have to match the purpose or niche of the blog as you can pick blog title later.  Keep in mind to select an email address that is easy to spell and understand.

First Blog using Blogger

After a successfully, completing this process, login to Blogger to setup the blog. It should be noted that you can have multiple blogs with just one email account. Isn’t that great? Best of all, it’s free!!!  The demo will guide you through the process step-by-step.  Enjoy and send me some links to your blog.

Related posts:

1. IHB #007: Setting up the First Blog on WordPress.com, Part 2
2. IHB #017: How-To Embed Multiple Photos in Blogger
3. IHB #018: Using Ecto – Desktop Blog Editor
4. IHB #019: SEO: Keywords, Tags and Titles, Oh My!!
5. IHB #010: How to Upgrade WordPress

For demonstrative purposes, we will start the first blog using Google’s Blogger platform primarily because it is the easiest to setup. However, we will cover WordPress.com and a hosted WordPress blog so a comparison can be drawn. It is not necessary to setup all three types but it maybe more helpful to do so. We will add photos, videos, documents and a host of options that are best understood by first-hand experience.

Now, that you have an overview, let’s get started.

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Username and Accounts

The easiest and probably overlooked reason for deciding on a name for yourself is consistency for account logins. Now, this is more for the blogger than the readers as the account/username often is not displayed publicly but it depends on the site.  If it is shown, using the same username or account helps build an online reputation. For example, I have more accounts than I care to remember but a partial list includes accounts with Google (Blogger, Gmail, Picasa and more), Blip.tv uStream.tv, WordPress, Youtube, Twitter, StumpleUpon, HowCast, SeesMic and I think you get the idea.  Some of these services I use more than others, some I just wanted to secure “QueenGeek” for later use.

Why does it matter?

In two words: credibility and reputation. Your username will become synonymous to your signature. When people see it, will they think positively of you? When you submit posts or comments, what reputation are you defining in the minds of the reader? Are your facts correct and when you make a mistake, will you apologize publicly and correct the error? In the facelessness^W of the internet, we are only known by our usernames. Make your name memorable and credible.

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Reason #1: Your Skill Level

I have a saying that I use jokingly when I’m being pushed beyond my limits to do something and that’s “I know my limitations and I live with them”.  This statement is not restricted to technical geekdom but everyday life when life is pushing me beyond what I believe I can handle.  Well, the same became true with video editing.  When I began blogging, I quickly fell in love with videography. I had grand ideas of creating wonderful screencasts^W to teach people how to use technology in easy-to-understand terminology. Unfortunately, I am not a video editor nor have I had any training and as a result, my learning curve was huge. I can do basic editing but it wasn’t long before I realized that it was taking far too long to produce and edit a video which caused my blog postings to be infrequent. In short, my blogs failed.

However, I would not give up. I stepped back and realized that I could still create screencasts^W but the method would be different. Essentially, my videos would be short, simple to create and edit without compromising easy-to-understand, step-by-step tutorials. Voila!!! I could live within my video editing limitations without shortchanging my blog. Do you have the skill set to create various content types? If not, perhaps hiring resources or even bartering for skills amongst friends.

Reason #2: Time

Now that editing was not preventing me from blogging, I needed to carve out time to produce the videos and publish them.  Finding that quiet time to create and edit the post plus any media will be essential.  You may require extra time if your media requires any special processing.  Even after video recording and editing, time to render^W and upload^W the video is necessary. For a 3-5 minute video clip,  it can take anywhere from 4-6 hours to complete a post that includes writing, recording, uploading, rendering and testing.

Reason #3: Resources

The proper resources that suit your needs will be key also.  A computer or at least access to one with internet connectivity is a must.  Most likely, some type of computer software will be needed even it is free.  There are plenty of free, online resources that allow photo and video editing plus document creation and editing and so do not assume that major purchases are necessary.   Software maybe necessary for better “quality” media, special effects and more control but it is not necessary to get started.  Did you know that Google offers Picasa for photo editing and sharing, Google Docs for creating and editing (Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations and Forms), Google Video for uploading and sharing videos and a blogging platform, namely Blogger?  Now, just so you know, I do not work for Google nor are they paying me to write this but I think Google is the place to start.  Everything is available and since all the services are owned by Google, integration is easier.  All that is needed is one account and that provides the key to the kingdom…..Google’s e-mail or Gmail, analysis tools for blogging plus all the previously mentioned items.

Whatever content type is included in the blog, take some time to research which sites meet your needs.

Video Hosting Resources: Youtube, Google Video, Vimeo, Viddler, Blip, Libsyn,

Photo Hosting Resources: Flickr, Picasa, PhotoBucket

Document Hosting Resrouces: Google Docs, Acrobat and Scribd

Related posts:

1. IHB #002: Define a Niche for the Blog
2. IHB #001: What is a blog?

Defining a niche^W is critical to attracting potential readers.  The niche or focus of the blog should be exciting and fresh. Hopefully, it offers something to the readers that is not found anywhere else on the internet or at least, not with your style.

The Narrower The Focus, The Better

The niche should be as narrow as possible.  A blog about photography sounds very generic and broad but a blog about how to take better black and white photos might be more creative. Perhaps a site dedicated to teaching digital photography to first-time camera owners?  Is your imagination running wild? Suppose the focus is more general then attempt do convey your posts and/or sites different than anyone else.  As an example, your blog could be viewable in a comic strip style.  Perhaps the site will offer live demonstrations or shows using Ustream that get posted on the blog?

Research the niche

Don’t forget to do some research on the niche.  Try to determine how many other blogs and sites are on the subject matter?  Is there something missing on the blogs that appears to be missing?  Can you fill that void on a blog?  Gather feedback from friends and family members about the proposed blog and if all indicators are thumbs up, then proceed.  Next, comes types of content.

The possibilities are endless so focus the subject matter on a topic that you are well versed but also one that speaks to your heart.  Passion for the topic will be needed as love for the topic will be needed to blog every few days or every week or so.  Blogging is not work for those that love it.

Related posts:

1. IHB #003: Define the Primary Content Type for a Blog

Wikipedia defines a blog as the following:

A blog (a contraction of the term “Web log“) is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Is that clear for you? If not, here is an explanation by offering an example.  First, this site is a blog.  In fact, it is a blog about setting up and maintaining blogs.  Each entry is considered a post and the posts are typically listed by date in reverse order.  In short, the most recent post is at the top of the page.

Style of a Blog

There are as many styles of blogs as there are writers. Some styles include using written text, audio, photos, video, cartoons, live broadcasts, music and more to tell the story within the blog. Whatever  the combination, the writer must find his or her “voice” and style to share their story with passion.

Periodic Updates

While some blogs have a predictable schedule, others may not.  Some political blogs just before Presidential elections were updated several times a day but other personal blogs may update once every few days or week. There isn’t a right or wrong answer but multiple times per month is a minimum to maintain readership.

Other Examples

Here are some examples of various type of blogs:  Sushi Lovers Unite, Women of Web 2.0, Living Out Loud and Izzy Video.

Enjoy!!

Related posts:

1. IHB #003: Define the Primary Content Type for a Blog