In the beginning, it always sounds like a simple idea. I want to start a blog. Anyone can. But, there are some things no one tells you. I will tell you what I learned.
The "five minute installation" at wordpress is not "five minutes" but more like a four hour torture session. It's designed to check if you are serious about this blog thing. After four hours, I found the fantistco button on my cpanel and I was up and running. No one shared that helpful hint with me. I just saved you four hours.
Your theme is more important than you imagine. It is your reader's first impression. More importantly, it's not easy to change after you have posted for awhile. Spend more time on a theme than I did.
Traffic analysis tools like google analytics are required but I will issue a warning. It is the first person in the morning to tell you that you have no friends. Don't even think about visitors. Here is how it works. You wake up hoping that someone found your site in these early stages. Maybe they will subscribe too. But the stats say three visitors. They also spend less than two minutes on your site. It's more like a drive-by stop. Google analytics should just say "good morning, you are still a loser today. Why don't you write another post for you and your mom."
How many times have you heard "write content and the readers will follow". It sounds easy. In the beginning ideas flow on the blog. But, finding good ideas to write about everyday is not easy. I let search traffic guide me. Isn't that how the Google algorithm finds the best site. Hopefully, I can do that and convince new subscribers and at least one-third of my current subscribers( my mom) to return and read because the posts are good.
Another axiom is "contests are an easy way to get traffic". Who wouldn't want a chance to win a free prize? Don't count on a thousand visitors. But, isn't that what John Chow did. Then a week later the two people who signed up for it are laughing at the fifty-fifty chance at your free prize. The funny part is that you had to tell your mom that she can't enter. Now, you have alienated one third of your subscriber base already. One thing that helped me was that I found contest blogger. It's a great site that features blogs and their contests. It's one of those great sites. After you are done visiting, you kick yourself for not thinking of it first.
Kamis, 20 Agustus 2009
Senin, 10 Agustus 2009
Niche blogging how to make the most out of them
If you have been blogging for a while you will have come across many niche blogs and a vast array of subjects. I thought we should take a look at why they are becoming so popular.
Owning a niche blog can be very profitable if you are able to supply the niche audience what they are looking for. A niche blog is focused in on a specific subject or sub subject within an interest group. They can cover hobbies, sports, health etc the key is that they focus in directly on that subject.
The result of this focused can make the target audience small, if any audience on the internet can be called small, but very dedicated and willing to spend large amounts of money on their passions.
When you are researching niches for you to blog about make sure you establish what the niche audience is looking for. To start it is better to blog about a subject that is closed to your hart and where you understand the audience.
It is also important for you to do some in-depth research in to the topic of your blog. You may be blogging about something you enjoy doing but there will always something you don't know or new you need to find out about.
Fill you blog with relevant and unique content so that the search engines will give you high page ranking. Additional to that your audience will consider you the best place to come for up to date information in their niche.
Once you start getting visitors to your blog it is important that you make them come back time and time again. A great way to do this is to run an email newsletter capturing the visitor details though a subscribe form on your blog. Another way is to promote your RRS which allows subscribes to keep up to date with your posts.
Owning a niche blog can be very profitable if you are able to supply the niche audience what they are looking for. A niche blog is focused in on a specific subject or sub subject within an interest group. They can cover hobbies, sports, health etc the key is that they focus in directly on that subject.
The result of this focused can make the target audience small, if any audience on the internet can be called small, but very dedicated and willing to spend large amounts of money on their passions.
When you are researching niches for you to blog about make sure you establish what the niche audience is looking for. To start it is better to blog about a subject that is closed to your hart and where you understand the audience.
It is also important for you to do some in-depth research in to the topic of your blog. You may be blogging about something you enjoy doing but there will always something you don't know or new you need to find out about.
Fill you blog with relevant and unique content so that the search engines will give you high page ranking. Additional to that your audience will consider you the best place to come for up to date information in their niche.
Once you start getting visitors to your blog it is important that you make them come back time and time again. A great way to do this is to run an email newsletter capturing the visitor details though a subscribe form on your blog. Another way is to promote your RRS which allows subscribes to keep up to date with your posts.
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