One of the most common things I'm asked by new blog owners is "What do I do, what now?" It seems that much of this is borne out of the old fashioned concept that a web site is akin to an online version of your brochure. Think about this for a moment... Many of us have web sites that host page after page of static content (that is, content which never changes), yet we never give a thought that there's no incentive to revisit the site after the reader has seen it. (After all that would be like watching the same television program again, and again... It gets old and boring). So it seems when many of us move to blogging type sites, it's sometimes hard to mentally leap the barrier of "static" to dynamic (dynamic meaning content that changes). Blogs are something that engages your readers, they (blogs) facilitate two way communication between you and your readers (who, for business operators, are potential clients). All to often I notice new blog owners place some content on the blog and then sit and wait for traffic. Invariably I often get a message or phone call asking what can be done as ...

One issue I encounter from time to time, are individuals (or groups) who are keen to establish or improve their web logo, site or blog design, content, etc.  but have little or no experience in current web trends, online marketing strategies, effective web branding, graphic design, copy writing, etc. In many cases the development scenario plays very much like the video below: As I'm sure we can appreciate, humourous as the video may be, the end result is not the fault of the developer (or so we might initially think), rather the input of the clients. It's one thing to provide valuable input (and we should), it's quite another to assume command as if we are a graphic design or web development professional. Let's elaborate on some of the issues in this video the majority of which have been mirrored in actual projects I've worked on: Over analyzing. Too many cooks in the kitchen. Unrealistic time line expectations. Changing the parameters mid-stream. Adding parameters that are not related to the targeted message. Too much information. Use of copyrighted or trademarked material. Obtaining the advice of people without knowledge and/or outside the target niche. Assumptions without supportive facts. Assuming personal ideas are paramount and effective. Providing conflicting information or directives. Impractical expectations. Assuming we're in ...

When I launched my first blog, I thought it would be easy. I read a bit about it on the Internet and saw some of the successful blogs that had been launched. Because I had a strong technical background and access to top-notch graphic professional, I assumed I was in for an easy ride to popularity and riches. After reality hit, I realized it's not that easy, I worked without a plan or any concrete guidance, which was my first mistake. What were my others? Read on and learn. Find out how you can plan your next blog for an exceptional launch, or improve your existing blog to be more successful. 1) Create an Action Plan Much in the same way we create business plans, we should also do the same for successful blog launches. Among the more obvious, some things you'll need to pay extra attention to are: Domain name. Is it easy to remember. Does it describe the blog? Measurable goals. Does your plan include tangible goals that you can measure and evaluate? Does it include contingencies. Budgeting. Have you evaluated and included all foreseeable expenses? What about a financial buffer - What happens when an unexpected expense occurs? 2) Use Reliable Hosting Make sure ...

In our last post "Which Social Media Tool is Best for You?" one reader asked "About how long does it take for traffic to start picking up?" Honestly, that's a tough question to answer. It's possible to take a blog from 500 visitors per month to 80, 000 per month; and do that in two months. I've done that on a previous blog. It was a full time job! However in hindsight, I wish I would have properly planned for that blog, as the traffic would have been more focused. Don't get me wrong, I retained a lot of the readers, but I could have used my time wiser, and in a more productive manner. As such, I hope this post will help other "newer" blog owners out there; those who are trying their best to build traffic. Before I go into the details below, I'd just like to point out a caveat. Most new blogs struggle to gain exposure, they need to be found by readers. Subsequently the issue of long term, sustained growth versus sudden spurts of short term growth (as new reader communities discover a blog), becomes the fulcrum (so to speak). In my opinion, the best approach ...

Well I’ve finally done it! I’ve launched a new blog! This has been a long time coming, and I’ve still a ton of work to do on the design, graphics et al. However, it was imperative to at least get this blog launched and running. For those of you who do not know me, I’m a web developer and hosting provider. I provide related services but I also provide advice and consultation services. One of my pet projects is conducting (free) web seminars that teach business owners how to launch web sites, market them, improve them, garner an understanding of the technical aspects of web sites and servers, etc. You can find a bit more of my story from another blog I operate named Ubuntu Linux Help. Here’s the link ubuntulinuxhelp.com/why-i-quit-windows-and-switched-to-linux that will provide those interested, with a bit of information on my technical background. The motivation for this blog is borne out of the excessive number of questions I receive about web site, blogging, web site promotion, video streaming, how to earn money and so forth. My vision is that this blog will contain that information in an easy to use site.