Friday, August 31, 2007

Traffic-a big barrier

As traffic is the most important factor in blogging, it is the most difficult thing to increase. I tried my best to increase my traffic, the result was low. I found many tricks useful but still I couldn’t increase it to a reasonable amount. There was no big difference in the average traffic. I thought “all the hard work was vain” Then what was the use of tricks?

You will be thinking why I wrote this with no use to you. This is only for cheering up you. I want to repeat, there is no shortcut, trick or anything like that to success. Every bloggers start like this. Your blog traffic will increase gradually if it is good. You can use any tips, but they won’t explode or boost your traffic now- in this stage, in the beginning.

I have said that many of the tricks were useful. They was useful in many ways, they taught me that this is not at all easy. The traffic increased a little bit and is increasing. If you know any tip that really work great, share it with me and other bloggers.

About

Let me talk about this blog. I started this blog with an intention to help myself and other newbies in blogging. When my two blogs failed, I searched for a guide that would help. There were lots of sites who help bloggers in making money. Most of them didn’t give a mentionable help to beginners and was meant for intermediates or experts. The blogs for beginners were not so much good or helpful. Me who was searching for a good topic used this problem and started a blog really for newbies and this is it.

This blog is for newbies who are wondering in the blogosphere. I feel this blog helpful to myself. I am not an expert in blogging, then how am I writing these posts? I search in the guides for anything that is useful to me or beginners, do some research and publish here. I will share everything I have done, with you, always.

Contact me –Jaseemumer@gmail.com

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Selecting Niche

This is what you and I have to do before starting any blog. Most of the new bloggers select very popular topics, which is a big foolishness. When I first started blogging I too was really mistaken by selecting Blogging as a topic. I understand what you are thinking "What about the topic he is blogging on now?” Can you show me a better blog who walk with the newbies in the path of growth in blogging? I searched a lot for one, the result was $%^&^% (nothing). That's why I started this blog.

Starting a blog on a very popular topic is worse than a very unpopular one. If you select a general topic then you have to be bewaring of other blogs on same niche. A blog with a topic which is not known attract no visitors (some times they do when all other factors are OK)Your topic must be unique, and suitable for you, readers and search engines.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

About RSS

RSS stands for 'Really simple syndication'. It is used by people to subscribe to their favorite web-postings.

Using RSS feeds you need not go to the websites or blogs to read the posts, you just subscribe to the site and read the posts in your 'feed reader'. It is just like subscribing to a daily.

Reader

RSS feeds are read by softwares called 'Feed readers', eg:Google Reader, My Yahoo etc. I am using both of them

To subscribe to a feed :

1-Log in to your feed account/sign up
2-Copy the feed URL
3-Paste it in your reader
4-OK

You can subscribe to feed using widgets given in the Blog. To subscribe to this blog, just click on the link on the right sidebar and choose your reader. Many browsers offer inbuilt feed readers. You can use them to read feeds. You can subscribe via email, if the author offers it.

For Bloggers

All most all blogging softwares give a built in RSS feed. If you are using 'Blogger', your feed URL will be like this: http://[yourdomain]/feeds/posts/default. I made the widget in the sidebar using Feedburner-the widely used feed manager. Feedburner offers subscription through email.
Sorry for the post being long!

Friday, August 24, 2007

My Traffic








I would like to share my traffic diagram with you. The days I got the highest traffics and their reasons are given. I think my blog is developing. What is your opinion?
If anyone ask me to give an advice, I have only one thing to say "Be patient"

Thursday, August 23, 2007

In the beginning

The featured post on problogger this time was really for Newbies (you may think I have started reading problogger now. I am really thankful toDarren Rowse who promotes everyone through his posts).

"In the early days you’ll feel like you’re talking to yourself (actually in the very beginning you probably are) - but don’t give up because it’s a feeling that will subside. The key is to keep blogging through that awkward beginning because if you do you’ll find people will begin to find you and the memory of talking to yourself will be a distant memory".

If you are a real Newbie, you will feel like that. Even when I post this, in mind there is a feeling- "all this vain hardwork"-praying it is not.

First Impression

The last video post from Problogger was about the first impressions of blog readers. It was sufficient to make me think about the first impression of my readers. I thought about my blog in the view of a reader. Ok, what I thought was "A good blog. Even if it isn't a stand alone, even if it hasn't got its own domain name, the reader is trying to make it good". But not all the viewers are not positive. Some may think that the domain name, template etc. are big problems. They are really problems, but I have no money to buy my own domain or... That's why I have started this blog. I want to train and earn something. I'll guarantee you that after two years-if I continue like this-you will be reading a blog with everything perfect.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Social networking

I first heard about social networking in the last week. Not a joke, I have told you that my traffic suddenly increased one day to 122 then back to 15. I looked for the reason. It was 'Stumbleupon' who send 114 visits to my blog. I didn't understood what it was. When I open the page that send me this traffic, it shows 'one of our members has added you to stumbleupon'. I read about it in Problogger, I found that there is some relation between Digg and Stumbleupon. Just with a search I found what it was and why it send me this lot of traffic. You can submit blog posts in these sites . A link will be published there. It is just like free ads, (due to lot of links yours may not be noticed, never mind!). I publish all my post in them by myself. You can use pings like Ping-o-matic to update these site that you have updated your blog.

Link Exchanging

Link exchanging is one of the methods used by beginners for Search engine optimization(SEO). Search engines like Google consider links in sites of higher rank for page ranking. Link exchanging is a free process, you exchange your link with another blogger. Both exchangers get profit from this.

Recently this has got lot more popularity. You can see topics related to this in most every blogging forums. You just find another user who is willing to exchange link with you and exchange links. I am using link exchange to increase search engine page rank and traffic. Link in a good blog can give you a good traffic.

When you exchange links be sure they are relevant. The relevancy of links are more important than the number of links.

As I said in the last post, linkbaits can give you links from sites with high rank and popularity.



Tuesday, August 21, 2007

How to prepare a Linkbait- 17 easy steps

I was searching for an article on 'how to prepare a linkbait', I can't find a good and useful one. So this the post is on how to prepare a linkbait. Linkbait is a post that attracts links to your blog. You should use your all skill for it.
I don't mind anyone who oppose linkbaiting.
1-Find the topic
A good topic usually pop-up in your mind, there is no need of searching. The topic must be perfect for you, others and search engines, what people is searching for, what people will link etc. Use your creativity for its full extend.
2-Review the topic
Topic is the main part of linkbaiting so you have to review it.
3-The topic should have different opinions
If you write with one opinion then the others supporting you will link your post and ones opposing you will also place the link.
4-Search in the web on the topic.
This is to see the best article written on this topic. Choose the topic only if you can do better than the best ones written.
6-Search in Technorati on the topic
For the same reason of the above tip.
7-Search again
This is for collecting resources for your post.
8-Select the title
A good title is necessary for a good blog and a good post. The title must attract the readers.
9-Redo the tips from 2-8
To make sure you have done it clearly
10-Start writing the post with all you got.
Squeeze out your whole creativity and write. Use perfect language and talk to people. You should use informal word and humor (some sops for the readers). Something that create a discussion must be there in the post.
11-Read the post five times
Make sure you are fully satisfied with it. You may take two different days to do this so you can read it with different aptitudes. If you are doing it as a team call another one from your team to read it.
12-Redo the whole things
13-Review your post
14-Cheers! Publish it
15-Don't forget to post it in Technorati, Digg , StumbleUpon etc.
Give the post maximum publicity
16-It is upto the readers now
17-Use the post usefully
Do something to make money. It can rise you upto a good blogger.

Read More
Link baiting within your site

Monday, August 20, 2007

Weekly planning

This is a popular method of planning even followed by countries ( but they use yearly planning). I want to spend my time usefully for my blog. So I decided to use each work for different purposes. That is, the most needed thing for my blog now is traffic so I will spend this week for increasing traffic. Through this system we can use our time usefully.

When deciding plan for a week you should consider your need, availability of time, method etc. I can only spend 2 hours per day so I have to find methods that will fit in 2 hours. If you want to use your time purposefully, the main factor is how you spend, that is what method you used. To increase blog traffic there are lots of methods, so you have to select the perfect ones from them.

I am starting this planing today and my first plan is to increase blog traffic!

Analytics

This is a part of planning, you should see how many visitors you have and how do they get to your blog etc. I found it very useful (even if I have a little visitors). Increase in your blog traffic means that you are very near to success. There are sites offering statistics for your site, I am using Google Analytics and it is one of the popular ones. You should start an account immediately if you haven't.

There are lot of uses for this. You can see who visit your blog, when do they visit, where do they click, which page do they read etc. My daily traffic is 13 now. It is pretty low, but I am trying to increase it. i think you understood the use, then what are you waiting for, just find one (I recommend google analytics) and sign up.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

When to put ads

Yesterday I was search for a good blogging tutorial for beginners, when I saw a post which says to place ads immediately. The website was a popular one and it says to put ads immediately after making your blog and this was against my opinion. I should say a beginner has to learn lot from making a blog, placing ads have much more. If I put ads now I think that will be a big foolishness. A beginner has to do lot to make his blog good. If he gets lots of traffic then he can place ads in his blog that there is no need of much concentration on working with his blog.

I think that the post I told you was for the full time bloggers who can manage their blogs and ads simultaneously. But I am not a full time blogger and majority are not. Even if I was a full time blogger I will concentrate on my blog not ads until average daily visit to my blog become a considerable amount. It is easy to get there, but takes time. What would you say guys, to put ads immediately or after making good traffic. I know someone will say to put ads now, but a new blog needs lots of work and is not like working with a developed blog.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Layout setting

Layout is one of the important factor of blogging. I can't read a website with bad layout even if it has the best content. If the contents are images then the layout don't mind much, but when it comes to a blog for reading your colour combination and template must be perfect. When I started this blog, I want to choose a template, I selected Minima as it is one of the most used and easily customizable. Then the next step is colour combination. A blog with only white colour feels very much amateur. I tried different colour combination, one with a background of lime green which was changed later considering the request of readers. Now I am sticking with combination of orange and white.

You don't want to waste space in the screen. I use three column so that I can use maximum space and it provide more customizability. I use the template published at Blogcrowds. There are lot other template in the web. You should create your own if you know how to, so that you get a unique blog. I don't know web designing, that is why I use a made-by-others layout.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Frequency And Length

While starting the new blog, I had some questions like how long my posts have to be, when often should I post? In almost all tutorials there was a discussion in these topics. Some sites conducted polls to get the peoples view. I know I can't post more than two with only two hours. All the websites told to post one per day and that was suitable for me. As you can see this blog is in the path of growth, I have no usual readers now and lots of posts make new readers stick to my blog, but having readers including feed readers it must be good for author and reader to post one per day. As my blog has no usual readers, if I get time I'll try to post more, the poor thing is I am only getting 2 hours per day. However, I will try to post two per day. I want to post more than 50 in my first month (even if I can't).

Then the matter is about the length. I like to write small but useful posts, even if any tutorial say to post big ones. As a reader I like reading small posts, as a blogger I like to write small posts. If you decide to write a literature work, you can post long ones, but if you can divide them to shorter ones that's better.


Wednesday, August 15, 2007

A New Blog

After my blogs been failed and deleted I planned of starting a blog with all defects cleared. A blog planned for success, with attractive topic and layout, referable and that gives me lots of money. I searched for topics, but before that I want to make sure I know how to win in blogging. For that I searched in Internet and now also I am in the training. I decided to start a blog on the topic 'blogging'. I knew that there was lots of blogs with excellent posts on this topic. But I wanted to win. I didn't want to start a tutorial or guide about blogging, because I was a total newbie in this subject. So I am made my blog my path of growth and you are reading it- The best Blog of Future- A Newbie's Blog.

I told you that my blog is a planned one. I will talk to you about the planning. As I learned from the earlier blogs I didn't want to place ads before my blog is developed. If do so I have to spend my time for customizing the ads. So I have to develop my blog before placing ads in it. That's why you can't see any ads here. So how can I develop my blog? The first step was posting, so that if anyone reach my blog, they will find my posts useful and good which will make them stick to my blog. Then I will place ads here, but till now only one other than me has visited my blog. I plan my blogging for next week, and make a review today about the post I am going to post tomorrow. That's planning. I want to place ads here in 2 months (praying for that).


Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Reason of my failure

My blogs being failed, I thought why they failed. The blogs was good enough for me but not for others. The main reason for the failure I thought was no one need my blog. So when one visit my blog, they read my blog and thinks this has no use for him. So he will not come back. The content of the blogs was not referable, that created a big problem for me. My content must good enough so that people can use it to refer. As I was a newbie I didn't know the techniques of blogging, I didn't know the method of winning, I even didn't know how to blog. This all was reasons. Even now these problems always disturb me. I thought of putting ads, there was no traffic so there is no meaning in thinking about ads. So I have to learn blogging. Do blogging need learning? Yes, If you want to earn something from it then you have to learn blogging. There is no limit for tutorials in this subject. I choosed one and started learning. You should also select one or more and start your lesson if you are a newbie, you shall see the success. Good luck, god may bless you!

Monday, August 13, 2007

One More Blog

Before deleting my first blog I decided to start one more blog. This time I fixed the topic before starting. My blog had a travelogue in it. I knew that no one will search for a travelogue just for reading. In the previous blog I used thisaway template because it provide a suitable atmosphere for reading. But in the second blog I used minima black because here people come not to read but to find something or some pictures. I decorated the blog suitably. This time I had readers, but no one stayed here for long. I think this because they didn't feel my blog as interesting, but this time too I failed to be patient. I didn't give the time for my blog to grow-I delete all the blogs I had. Then I thought of a blog about making money from blogging which had no right to start because I wasn't getting any money from blogging. So I didn't start it being sure it will fail.


Sunday, August 12, 2007

Making Money

You will be anxious about this, I have told you that I tried to make money from blogging. I will tell you how you can do it. To a money maker a tele show and a blog is same. There are lot other ways but the most popular one is putting ads on your blog. Someone who want their advertisement to be shown in websites approach advertising companies like Google AdSense and pay for it. The website owners who wanted to make money, sign up to AdSense and copy the html code(code used to make webpages) and paste it in their websites. When someone click on the advertisements, the owner of the webiste get money. This type of revenue generation is called PayPerClick. There are lots of other ways, but I am only using this method. I'll tell you about the other methods later.


My first blog

I told you I started a blog, yes it was great to become a blogger. My first blog was a great one for me not for others. That's where I learned the most, but the sad thing is I had no readers and I could make little money. The blog name was 'PASCHEL' it had a thisaway template. I added pretty cool things in it.

My blog was a study guide (I don't think no one likes to study). My blog was good but it had no readers so I deleted it. You can guess why it had no readers. Yes, I had started blogging in last month and which blog do you think will have lots of readers in a half of a month. I was impatient and didn't know what time it'll take to make a blog good and attract readers. That's not the only reason, but the content was less and was not useful. Then how can it be a success and I want to tell you that you are very good and extremely lucky if you have millions of reader to your first blog!



Why blogging?

I made a blog for just knowing what it is and to give a hand on making money from blogging. I was a bit confused when I sign up for blogger. I didn't know what I would add or how can I make money. The first week was a not at all a waste, it give me lots of knowledge about blogging. What I learned may be but it's important. What about making money, I will tell you later.

But do you think that's the only use? No, the best thing about blogging that it is the best the way to publish what is in your mind. No one will disturb you. You can share your knowledge, your works, your attitude or what ever you think.

Someone think it as a way of coaching for web publishing, but I don't think so. I feel it greater than an ordinary website. The thing is that there will be more readers for a good blog than a ordinary website. You can receive comments easily and add content very easily. Don't wait, start a blog, you have lot to study from it.


Wednesday, August 8, 2007

What is a Blog?

I am going to talk about when I first discovered that there was a thing called blog. I read about making money from blogging in a newspaper called Madhyamam. It said that we can make money from a blog, without saying what a blog was. That was before I know there was a thing called blog. I remembered seeing "blogspot.com" in the end of sum URLs. I just typed "blogspot.com" in the address bar which led to "blogger.com". I started a blog there without knowing what it was, seems fun ha..? With a search in wikipedia I found what it was. The Wiki said :"A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog". That was the time when I understood what a blog was. You can find lots of definition to blog, spending just a minute for googling. The best way is 'make a blog'

I will tell what I know about a blog "a blog is a website where you add new content called 'Post', continuously". After that I heard about some sites other than blogger to make a blog and I understood that some blogs can be made paying and without having an extension like ".blogger" at the end. They are made stand alone using sites like wordpress.org. You can make it free using Blogger or Wordpress. There are lots of uses for a standalone blog, but I use a blogger blog because I don't want to take risk. I don't know if I can pay for a stand alone one and a blogger blog is sufficient for me. I want you to use a stand alone one if you can pay for it. You can make it here at Wordpress.org.

Post

You know what a post is, it's the name given to the content you add to a blog. You are reading the post 'Blog?'. I am adding this so you can understand any tutorial or guide about blogging. The posts are arranged in chronological order and few are given in the home page the older one are saved as archives which you can find in the link at home page. If this description is not enough then gave a search or what ever it takes to understand. When I started blog I don't know what a post was. You can really what I did with a blog where I can't do anything.

Comment

You should know what it is, yes the review of the readers about your posts. They may say good or bad, but I think it is essential.

If you have any more confusion, there are lots of guides waiting for you.