Top 5 Reasons to Use a Responsive Web Design for Your Blog

Posted on August 7, 2015August 16, 2015 by sitemanager

Tablet illustrating responsive web design

Does your blog have a Responsive Web Design (RWD)? If not, it should. There's been a growing trend towards the use of Responsive designs, and for good reason. It's a simple and effective way to improve your site's traffic and functionality, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits offered by RWD. To learn more about Responsive designs and why you should use it, keep reading. What is Responsive Web Design? Basically, it means designing a website or blog to function the same across all devices -- smartphones, tablets, desktops with huge monitors, and laptops...

Top Tips to Build a Loyal Blog Following

Posted on August 7, 2015August 15, 2015 by sitemanager

The success of a blog relies heavily on the loyalty (or lack thereof) of its readers. If visitors feel a connection with the blog, they'll return to it regularly to check out its new posts and articles. But how do you develop a strong following of loyal readers? Be Consistent With Your Blog's Content You won't develop a strong following of loyal users unless you are consistent with your blog's content. Google has said that publishing high-quality content is the single most important thing webmasters can do. Content is the force that drives people to visit websites, and it's the force that en...

What Is Microblogging?

Posted on July 30, 2015August 2, 2015 by sitemanager

Screenshot of social media and Twitter handles

Microblogging has become increasingly popular over the past few years, with millions of people using it for both personal and commercial purposes. But what exactly is microblogging? And does it offer any real benefits over traditional blogging? These are just a few of the many questions that we're going to tackle today. The Origins of Microblogging According to Wikipedia, political writer and blogger Jonathan Gillette (AKA why the lucky stiff) coined the term "microblogging" when describing Christian Neukirchen's Anarchaia.org online activities. Gillette said blogging had "mutated into simpl...

5 Blogging Tips I Wish I Knew as a Beginner

Posted on July 28, 2015July 31, 2015 by sitemanager

Photo of a t-shirt that reads "I'm blogging this. Are you?"

#1) Choose Your Domain Name Wisely Many beginners rush through the process of registering a domain name simply because they want to get started NOW. But the domain name is the heart and soul of your blog, which is why it's important to choose a meaningful and appropriate name. Think about what you hope to accomplish with your blog, the niche, and your target audience. Choose a domain name that's relevant to all of these elements. Ideally, it should be a brandable dot com name with no hyphens or numbers. #2) Your Content Management System Matters Yes, you can technically build a blog using N...

How to Create a ‘Blogger’ Blog

Posted on July 21, 2015July 23, 2015 by sitemanager

Formerly known as Blogspot, Blogger is Google's own self-blogging platform. Much like WordPress.com, it allows individuals and business owners to blog without the need for a third-party hosting service. All files and data are stored are Google's servers, eliminating the need for a domain name and web host. If you are thinking about creating a Blogger blog, however, there are a few things you should know. Getting Started In order to create a Blogger blog, you'll need a Google account. This can be the same account used to access Gmail or other Google services. If you don't have one already, vi...

Should I Blog Under My Real Name or a Pen Name?

Posted on July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 by sitemanager

This is a question many first-time bloggers ask (and some seasoned bloggers, as well). One of the key differences between a traditional content-driven website and a blog is that blogs have a more personal touch. The author usually includes his or her name along with a thumbnail photo to create a stronger connection with their readers. But should you use your real name or a pen name when blogging? Pen Name Let's go ahead and discuss the most obvious benefit of using a pen name: identity protection. By blogging under a pen name, you can conceal your real identity from the public. Why is this i...

I Want to Start a Blog. What Now?

Posted on July 10, 2015July 14, 2015 by sitemanager

So, you've made the decision to start blogging, but now you're faced with the task of actually turning your vision into a reality. If this is your first time attempting to blog, you may feel overwhelmed at the technical complexity of it. Don't worry, because we're going to walk you through the steps to creating your first blog. Choose a Niche What do you want your blog to be about? Some people choose general topics like "health," or "automobiles." While there's nothing wrong with blogging about these topics, you should choose a more narrow niche for your blog. General topics like health or a...

5 Dirty Truths About Blogging

Posted on July 8, 2015July 10, 2015 by sitemanager

Some blogging advice that used to be accurate has become outdated. Following are common "truths" that now need a second look. Keyword Density Matters Many bloggers believe they must achieve a specific keyword density when writing their blog posts; otherwise, their posts won't rank and their traffic will decline. So instead of writing with the end user in mind, they write content specifically for search engines, ensuring it contains a certain number of keywords. While this tactic used to work, it has since gone the way of the dinosaurs, with search engines playing little-to-no attention on me...

The Scoop on Product Endorsements in Blogs

Posted on July 4, 2015July 6, 2015 by sitemanager

You might want to think twice before blogging a product or service that you were either given for free or paid for writing about. Even if you good intentions -- which most bloggers do -- you could be breaking the law. So, what's the scoop on product endorsements in blogs? Just five or so years ago, this wasn't even a topic for discussion. Bloggers wrote about products without disclosing any relationship they had with the manufacturer. Since then, however, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has revised its guidelines to prohibit this practice. Bloggers are still free to write about products ...

How To Lower Your Blog’s Bounce Rate

Posted on June 30, 2015July 10, 2015 by sitemanager

When you're busy analyzing key performance indicators (KPI) for your blog like unique visitors, returning visitors, average time spent on site, etc., it's easy to overlook the bounce rate. However, a high bounce rate is a sign of an underlying problem, and unless that problem is fixed, you won't be able to gain any real traction with your readers. So, what steps can you take to lower your blog's bounce rate? Bounce Rate Defined Let's first go over the basic definition of bounce rate, as some people are hearing about it for the first time. The term "bounce rate" is defined as the percentage o...

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