Aside from the nuts and bolts of where to register your domain name and purchasing a good economical hosting service, there are a few things to know about buying a good domain name, that only experience can teach.

Here are a few tips to get you started on the right foot:

1. Buy only “.com” and don’t trouble yourself with the others.
Although the domain name players have gone to some trouble to publicize and market to us about the availability of other extensions such as .org, .net, .us and others…there is still no real reason to buy anything but “.com.”

If you currently have a domain name that is not a “.com,” I strongly suggest you obtain it. Or, if that’s not possible, consider finding a new domain name.

The rationale is simple: if the point of having a website is to get people to visit it, the best rule of thumb is to make it easy to remember. If your customers have to think in order to get to your website, and maybe even have to type in a wrong domain first before they finally reach you…you want to change that so they don’t.

2. Buy your own personal name.
What better way to make it easy for your customers to find you? As you become better known online, and as you build your customer database, it will become increasingly important for your customers to be able to find you based on your personal name.

Buying your personal name allows you to build credibility for your brand identity and makes it easy to “Google” you. Ever tried typing in just your first and last names at Google? Try it and see what happens.
If you aren’t showing up in the results, you will want to work on this. And buying your own personal name as a domain name is a simple and very effective way to get going.

3. Buy the most common spelling mistakes for your domain.
Even if you follow the advice in (2) above, it may be inevitable that some of your visitors will misspell your domain. It’s human error.

So although these may not be obvious to you at first, it’s worthwhile putting your antennae up in order to figure it out. The first hint? If you misspell your own domain name, chances are others will. Be sure to grab the most common ones.

Example: www.Google.com, www.Gogle.com and www.Gooogle.com all go to the same page. Why? Google “gets” that lots of people type in too few or too many “Os” and has set it up so everyone gets to the right place.

4. Double check your domain names for odd or unintentional meanings.
This one is a bit mixed, because if your domain name turns out to be something quite funny, it might be just that much more memorable and bring you free traffic. But you may not want to be remembered in that way, and the traffic that results could be a detriment to you. (The wrong target market just clogs up your system, uses bandwidth, and creates customer service inquiries you don’t want.)

So do a double check to see if your domain says something you didn’t expect.

What do I mean?

www.newsextracts.com is actually a clipping service, but could be interpreted to be something rather more racy.

www.whorepresents.com is actually a site where you can find a given actor’s agent or manager, but can be interpreted to be something else.

Last but not least, as with everything online, ebusiness owners have the luxury of easily and quickly asking our customers most anything, including “What do you think is the best domain name for this project?”

So when in doubt, ask your customers what they think. Give them a choice of a few domains you’ve narrowed it down to, and offer a prize of some sort to encourage participation. It works, and you’ll end up avoiding potholes along the way.

As a blogger everyone wants to be more efficient whether they know it or not. 90% of all blogger’s do not blog as their full-time job. That means that most blogger’s need to be efficient otherwise you will not get much done in the day. Here are six tips I have for you to be more efficient so that you can be more productive everyday you work on your blog.

1. Have an idea journal

This is good because every time you get an idea for a post or anything else, you can just write it down. Too many times you are not around your computer and you forget an idea you have. Then when you need a post idea it will be right there in front of you. You will not have to take 15 to 30 minutes to think of an idea and plan it out. You already have your idea and plan written down in your journal. You should then be able to type up a post in 15 minutes.

2. Limit your reading time

Try to only takes 15 minutes every day to read other posts on the Internet. You should not take too much time reading tips and other things. Pick out a few of the best blogs and get new ideas from their posts everyday. You can only get so many tips everyday so 15 minutes should definitely give you enough time to read.

3. Track your traffic

This will tell you if you are doing things correctly or not. You never want to be doing a whole bunch of work and it’s not helping make your blog more successful. Use the plugin I talked about in my post track your SEO performance. It will show you what articles are getting traffic and from what websites were search engines. This will show you if you’re techniques are working.

4. Learn keyboard shortcuts

Learning keyboard shortcuts will make you what a more efficient. Whether it is for your browser or Wordpress, you will definitely get things done quicker. Just go to Google and type Firefox shortcuts or whatever kind of shortcuts who were looking for.

5. Stop distractions

This is definitely a must. Turn the TV off, radio, video games, and everything else that is distracting. You will be much more efficient if you are only concentrating on your blog. What I have done is put my computer in a room where there is no TV or anything else that could distract me.

6. Do most important items first

You might as forget your most important things done so that you can help the blog right away. Being more efficient and productive definitely doesn’t mean getting the crap done first. The important things have got it down so you can continue to climb the ladder.

I know most of these are just basic common sense, but so many times people forget about them. If you just forget to turn the TV off it can definitely slow you down as you continue to look up and watch little bits. Make sure you do these things everyday as you work on your blog and you will definitely continue to see improvements.

What is RSS?

RSS is defined on the internet as: RSS (Rich Site Summary), which is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to individuals who are interested in receiving their content on a regular basis. RSS simply solves a problem for people who regularly use the web. An RSS feed allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visit each site individually. You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each site’s email newsletter.

So you have an RSS feed?

Now how do you get subscribers to your feed. If you avoid these 6 common mistakes, you will have a flow of RSS subscribers:

6. You do not write guest posts:

If you provide valuable content to other blogs through guest posts, then you will avoid a common mistake made by a lot of bloggers seeking subscribers. By being a guest poster, you will generate more traffic and brand awareness . Don’t forget guest blogging on some of the more popular blogs in your niche, this simple method will help attract subscribers from their blog to feed.

5. You do not publish new posts frequently and consistently:

Don’t make the mistake of not posting enough content. Make it a routine to post content several times a week, or twice per day. Stick to this routine and be consistent. Post as frequently as possible. By using these methods, you will communicate to the visitors that your blog is active, and that subscribing to the RSS feed would be worthwhile and productive.

4. You don’t use an email subscription form:

By using a simple email subscription form, you will convert your subscribers better than a simple “Subscribe via email” link. This is because most internet users are more familiar with seeing these types of forms around, and typing their email address there is quite routine for them. The top of your sidebar would be a great spot to place your email subscription form.

3. Don’t Ask for the subscribe:

The easiest way to gain subscribers is to simply “ASK”! To avoid this common mistake, use your social networks, your blog posts, forums, email lists, family and friends and simply ask that they subscribe to your blog. Don’t make the mistake of not asking.

2. Your Content Sucks! Write valuable content:

You will only gain subscribers to your RSS feed if there is some value that you can provide for them. This value may include solving a problem, providing a valuable resource, or simply keeping them up to date on current events in your niche, but it must be of some value to your subscriber.

1. Not having a clear focus on your blog:

Visitors will come to your blog and subscribe to your RSS feed because you have established yourself as an authority in a niche market. The moment you step out of that niche and lose the focus of the content they desire, you will lose a subscriber. To avoid this mistake, keep your content consistent with the theme of your blog.

As a writer, it can be difficult to tell whether or not your content is actually successful. Feedback is important because it encourages the writer to continue writing and can also provide direction. Aside from stat tracking software, it becomes difficult to test whether the content on your page is actually doing its job. If you are one of the many users with a blog, you can take advantage of the comment system to get feedback from your audience. We will look at how to engage your reader in order to solicit comments from them.

Engaging Your Reader

Have you ever read a news article that left you with questions of your own? When we read things, if they affect us, those things usually stick with us. If you want repeat traffic, ask the reader a few questions. As you write, look for openings to question ideas and provide opinion and insight.

A well placed question is often very effective at garnering some extra attention. It also provides space for you to answer that question and present a different point of view. The action of asking the question forces the reader to attempt to answer that question in his or her mind. When you provide an answer to a question that does not sync up with the reader’s perspective, you open a space for you to make your case.

A well developed argument is a great way to get comments. Try getting 10 people to agree on one thing, it can be a difficult task. When we argue with others, we find that they usually do not side with us. If you encourage an open discussion of ideas on your blog, your comments will flow.

Blog Presentation

Having great visual content can also help encourage comments. This is especially useful for bloggers just starting out. Taking time to design a blog header, learning how to manipulate colors on your blog, and inserting pictures within your content helps give off a slick visual appeal readers will come to appreciate.

When your blog reflects the work you put into it, readers are also more willing to accept what you have to say. Simple layouts do still have their place. A news or gossip blog may not need a fancy header, but could benefit from stock photos with captions. Take time to test the appearance of your blog. If you are using Wordpress, there are a multitude of themes you can install, some of which are free. Find the theme that’s best for you and your blog.

Controversy

Controversy is a great way to solicit comments from your users. The moment you present a counter point, or take a mocking tone, your readers have a reaction. Remember that a good writer chooses every word that he or she uses, so take time to use language that may have an antagonizing effect.

You don’t want to bad mouth or slander people or issues; however a colorful and argumentative approach is a great way to engage the reader. Challenge their beliefs and they will defend them.

Readers often won’t just “take your word for it.” This is why you should take time to cite your sources. When you are constructing your article, look for other articles covering the same or similar topics. Other writer’s can provide fuel for your article if you know where to look. Remember that when you link your users, make sure you set the link to open in a new window. When you give the reader background, you challenge them to finish reading your article and ultimately comment with their own opinion.

The hardest part of any blog is to get that first comment. People rarely want to be the first to do anything, so if you can get one, you can get a million. It takes time and a well constructed, provocative article. Remember to engage the reader on as many levels as you can, visually, argumentatively, and controversially. As you spread your link around, you can literally watch your comments grow!

These lightbox plugins for Wordpress are some of the best. Many people were searching for these plugins back when they just started coming out. However, the lightbox coding will slow down how fast your website loads. Even though Wordpress is one of the fastest platforms out there, these plugins can definitely slow down your load time.

Add LightBox & Title – This plugin automatically add the rel=”lightbox[POST-ID]” to images linked in a post and in a comment, and recovers the image title. POST-ID is unique per post so all images per post are grouped in one LightBox set. Doesn’t add the the files required for LightBox, it’s add the “rel lightbox” tag.

FancyBox for WordPress – Seamlessly integrates FancyBox into your blog: Upload, activate, and you’re done. No further configuration needed.

Lightbox Plus – Lightbox Plus is a plugin that implements Lightbox JS by Lokesh Dhakar. Lightbox Plus is used to create overlay display images on the webpage and to automatically add the correct overlay links to images. Lightbox Plus permits users to view larger versions of images without having to leave the current page, and is also able to display simple slideshows. The use of the dark or light background, which dims the page over which the image has been overlaid, also serves to highlight the image being viewed. Lightbox Plus captures the image title for display in the overlay

Floatbox Plus – Floatbox Plus is a plugin that implements Floatbox by Byron McGregor (a javascript similar to Lightview/Lightbox/Shadowbox/Fancybox/Thickbox). Floatbox Plus is used to create overlay display images/videos (only youtube/vimeo) on the webpage and to automatically add the correct overlay links to images. Floatbox Plus permits users to view larger versions of images/videos without having to leave the current page, and is also able to display simple slideshows. Floatbox Plus captures the image title for display in the overlay.

Lightview Plus – A wordpress plugin which implements lightview of Nick Stakenburg. Lightview does the same as lightbox, but in a much nicer way and since Version 2.0 much more. Now lightview-plus plays videos from YouTube and Vimeo. This plugin automatically enhance image links to use lightview.

Add Lightbox – This plugin for Wordpress automatically add the rel=”lightbox[ID-OF-THE-POST]” to images linked in a post ID-OF-THE-POST is unique per post so all images per post are grouped in one lightbox set. Works also with the gallery Fonction of WP 2.7 and in comments

Those are some of my favorite lightbox plugins that I have found. There are many out there, but the problem is a lot of people do not update them which is bad when Wordpress creates a new version. Anyways, these are the best lightbox plugins for Wordpress that I have found. Better ones? Let me know.

I have decided to go ahead and be a website grader. It is really nothing special, but too many people were sending me e-mail’s asking me to grade their website. I recently decided to take all my Monday meetings off, which will give me enough time to be a website grader.

Why be a website grader?

I thought it would be nice to help people out in a different way. I spend a lot of time consulting with different businesses, but I wanted to help the little people also. Many people need help with their blog or website and becoming a grader makes me feel like I can help these people.

Like anyone out there, I do not know absolutely everything. Who really does? But I sure have learned a lot and feel that I can succeed as a website grader.

Why be a website grader for free?

Well, like I said above I decided to take off all mine Monday meetings which usually take up the whole day. It leaves me a whole day that I could be doing something and I just want to help other people.

Second, I know how terrible the economy is and a lot of people do not have extra cash. I’m in a place where I don’t really need any more money and can offer my website grader services for free.

How do I get my website graded?

It is pretty simple. All you have to do is contact me and ask for your blog or website to be graded. I will always do a complete grade for your website, but if you have other specific things you would like me to give my opinion on then let me know.

Of course, this is just to get your website graded. I always try to help people, but this will not allow me to have time to help you code your blog or website. I will be a website grader for two months and then see where I want to go from there.

Get any questions about me being a website grader or what this involves then ask away. Being a website grader takes a lot of time and energy so don’t expect to get your website graded overnight.

What would you say if I told you could spend less time, make more money and double, triple or quadruple your traffic with your blog? Would you think there was a catch? Perhaps there is, but I’m happy to tell you there isn’t.

You may have heard of these interchangeable terms shared, group and joint or team blogs. It simply means having more than one author blogging on a single blog. This is different from guest blogging. Guest bloggers don’t have administrative control over the blog.

Like anything there are advantages and disadvantages of owning a shared blog, but I would like to share with you why it’s beneficial and why you should consider shared blogging.

1. More Ideas - You’ve heard the phrase, “Two heads are better than one.” You can get twice (or more) the ideas, twice (or more) the content and you only do half of the work or less; freeing up your time to work on other projects.

You won’t get writer’s block because you will constantly have fresh updated content from the other contributors and you won’t get burnt out. Since the work is shared you will get more exposure, more traffic and you’ll be doing less work. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

2. Different Perspective – I like this one. People think differently and have different ideas, concepts and beliefs and so on. So even if you and your blog partners share similar interests, you’re still individuals with separate thoughts and styles. You will either have a different or have the same opinion.

The nice part is you don’t have to wait for someone to comment on your shared blog as you can carry on natural discussions or conversations within your group giving your readers another perspective or food for thought.

3. Increase Traffic – You will get a wide variety of traffic from different sources when you and your partners promote your shared blog. Another advantage for this is if each author belongs in a different niche; you can reach a bigger and more diverse audience. At first it may seem like a disadvantage if they aren’t your target market, but I’ve learnt you should never underestimate the interests of other people who are not in the same genre as you.

You can have a shared blog in any niche. It can be just for fun between friends or used as a business joint venture. However you intend to use it if everyone collaborates, work well together and have an understanding of what’s expected from each author, you can have a successful blog that will benefit everyone.

A photo blog (also called photolog or phlog) is a great example of the modern tendency to stay connected at all times and to share as much information with virtual strangers (pun intended!) as possible. Photo blogging is essentially, therefore, the phenomenon of photo sharing and publishing in the form of a blog, obviously characterized by the use of and emphasis on photographs rather than on text. Photo blogging (posting photos to a blog) has been on a drastic upswing since the early 2000s, particularly given the tremendous advancement in digital camera technology, which means all of us can take photographs these days, and post them directly to a photo blog from the camera.

As most of you might know, there are three chief kinds of photo blogs: those that exist on personal domains, blogging services that were designed for text content but can also accommodate images, and exclusive photo blogging services such as Flickr.

As is obvious, setting up a photo blog involves following the same procedures as exist in case of a normal text blog, and access to most photo blogs is free. Given the ease with which a photo blog can be created these days, it comes as no surprise that photo blogging has become such a rage. Of course, it also means that quality control is a bit tricky, since any and every individual armed with a camera may legitimately launch a photo blog, but if you are really confident about the quality of your photos, and if both friends and unknown visitors have provided positive feedback, you could try promoting your photo blog exactly the way a text blog is promoted, and by placing related ads on it, you may also earn money from your blog.

Besides, in these fluid times, who knows whether your works will draw the attention of connoisseurs, and you will become accepted as a serious photographer as a consequence? So the next time you step on to that mountain trail, keep the camera handy. Remember, a photo blog awaits you.

This is a guest post from Mike Collins and he is a blogger at Money Making Secrets. He started his blog to teach people like you how to make money online.

Every day thousands of new blogs are launched. Almost all of them will be complete failures and quickly fade into obscurity.

Will that happen to your blog? Or will you be one of the lucky few who actually succeed?

Do you have the qualities it takes to be a successful blogger? Let’s find out…

1. If you want to build a name for yourself as a blogger you have to be knowledgeable. You don’t need to know everything about your niche but you have to know a lot more than the average person. If people find your blog and it doesn’t offer them anything they don’t already know they’ll leave and never come back.

2. You need to be able to communicate your thoughts so others can understand them. I used to work with a guy who was really smart. He could take one look at a situation and immediately determine the best course of action. The problem was he was a lousy communicator so he couldn’t explain to others what needed to be done…so nothing ever got done.

3. Successful bloggers are innovative. They are usually early-adopters of new technology and that gives them a leg up on the competition. By the time everyone else jumped on board the social media bandwagon they had already established themselves as an authority.

4. A strong work ethic is essential to any blogger. Its not as simple as throwing up a half dozen posts and waiting for the cash to pour in. It takes a good deal of work to build a successful blog.

5. Blogging is tough if you try to go it alone. You need to network and make contacts with other bloggers in your niche. You’ll both find it easier to reach your goals if you work together. Just don’t be greedy. Concentrate on joint ventures in which everybody wins and you’ll build long-term relationships.

6. The most successful bloggers all have charisma in spades. They have a unique writing style or a fun way of explaining things that makes them stand out from the crowd. For one reason or another people are naturally drawn to them. Their posts are the ones people post on social media sites and email to their friends.

7. Finally, if you want your blog to succeed you need to be able to see the big picture. You need to have a goal in mind and a plan to get there. A blog without a plan is like a ship without a rudder…aimlessly sailing about without direction. Sure, you might get lucky and find a tropical island. But odds are you’ll sink long before you even catch a glimpse of your goal.

Author Bio: Donny Gamble runs Linkersblog which provides quality link building strategies that work. The blog also explains how to become a successful blogger by using different types and strategies to improve the overall quality of your blog. Make sure that you always stay update by subscribing to the RSS feed.

In order to publisher a quality blog, you need to know the demographics of your blog. You need to know such things like: where your visitors are coming, who they are, what they are looking for, and why they are visiting your website. If you do not know these things about your readers, you are totally missing out on the information that you need to provide to your visitors.

Most bloggers that use tools to find this information usually struggle with information overload because they don’t know what they are looking for or what they need to know. In order for you to know these things, you need to sit down and create a list of the general things about your blog.

• What topic your blogging about?
• What niche you are in?
• Who is your competition within the niche and what are they doing differently?
• Are you answering the questions that you viewers are asking?
• The reason that you blog about this topic.
• Are you blogging for money or the passion for the topic of interest?

If you can’t answer all of these questions in one sitting, you really need to go back to the beginning until you have done all of these things. By having all of these things, you will separate yourself from 90% of the bloggers because they simply fail to know all of these things or are just too lazy to do them.

If you have a clear understanding of all of these things along with some general demographics of your blog, you will rocket yourself into the top stratosphere of the blogosphere.

Just reminder, if you due the research and due diligence before hand, you will automatically set yourself on the right path towards success. If you would like to see some of the blogs that are doing things right, you should check out the Ultimate blogging Resource Guide for 2008.

Author Bio: Donny Gamble runs Linkersblog which provides quality link building strategies that work. The blog also explains how to become a successful blogger by using different types and strategies to improve the overall quality of your blog. Make sure that you always stay update by subscribing to the RSS feed.