Aaron

A sense of belonging

May 25, 2008 By Aaron 2 Comments

Image Source: Glockenblume’s Photostream

Do your website users feel belonged?

Note: I use the terms “users”, “readers” and “customers” interchangeably. In this article all of them refer to the same people.

“What a waste of money”. This is what I thought when I found out that all the new business cards that were recently printed at my workplace have to be thrown away because we are changing email addresses and phone numbers. The management knew that the email ids and phone numbers are going to be changed, yet, they went ahead to print the business cards for all employees. These cards had a life span of just 2 months. I do agree that employees who deal with clients on a day-to-day basis should have up-to-date business cards. In my case, I never had a business card during the last 4 years (I am the software developer who is shielded from the clients by an army of project managers and consultants). I would have waited for another 2 months to get my business card once the new email ids and telephone numbers were in place.

But wait there is more to this story. After reflecting upon this, I can see why the management wanted business cards for all employees. We are changing our emails and domain names not because we are re-branding, but we are in the process of a merger. A merger brings a lot of new opportunities but at the same brings fear and uncertainty in each employees mind. I think that the main reason we printed these cards quickly is to make each employee feel belonged to the new merged company. A business card does not bring any monetary benefits, but it is a symbolic item that makes employees feel special, especially when you see your name with the pretty new logo and the really cool job title. A sense of belonging is very important for a company that is in the process of integration and transition. Another company I worked for in the past used to name meeting rooms with employee names. Both examples are simple actions that made the employees feel belonged.

So what does this have to do with the development of your website? Has TechThinker.com gone off topic?

The success of a company is in the hands of its employees who feel belonged to the company. Similarly the success of a website depends heavily on its users. Users who feel belonged will come back to your website again and again. A loyal user is the greatest asset to your website. They make a good portion of your web traffic, they leave valuable comments on your blog post, they write about your products and services in their websites and blogs. The bottom-line is they do a lot of work for you and may not always get a lot in return.

Do you think that your readers feel belonged? Have you taken any actions that will make your readers feel belonged?

You might answer this question by saying “I am giving my customers a superior product” or “I am giving my readers the best tips on blogging”. That’s good, keep it up. But simply giving a good product or service doesn’t make the users loyal. The moment users find something better they can leave you instantly. In my view in order to make a user feel belonged you have to go beyond just offering a good product or service. You have to find avenues to really connect with your user base.

For example, let’s take two of my favorite blogs, problogger.net and doshdosh.com. At problogger.net Darren gives his readers opportunity to do guest posts as well as he answers reader questions in blog posts. He regularly hosts open topics and allows everyone to have their own voice. At doshdosh.com Maki has excellent habit of replying to user comments. These are just two examples of creating a loyal user base. I am sure that you will have even more ideas and thoughts on how we can create a loyal user base. At TechThinker.com I have taken my first initiative in making my users feel special. I have added a form that allows my readers to tell me what kind of articles they like to see at TechThinker.com. I may not be able to write on all topics that my readers suggest. But it’s a start.

So what have you done to make your users feel belonged? Why do you think that users of your website will remain loyal to you? Share your own methods and ideas. I am sure that you can come up with very creative and innovative methods. This post is only half complete, you have to comment to make it complete. Thank you.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Fundamentals

Choosing a color theme for your website

May 23, 2008 By Aaron Leave a Comment

Four easy to use color tools to pick a color theme for your website

Choosing a color theme for your website or blog can be a challenging task especially when you are not familiar with graphical design concepts. Fortunately there are easy to use tools that can aide you in selecting a set of colors (a theme) for your website.

In this post I am providing links to 4 color tools to create a color theme. All 4 tools are web based and they save you the hassle of installing any software on your PC.

All of the following tools provide similar features. So picking the right tool is a matter of personal choice. My personal choice is Color Blender because I find it easy to use and very intuitive.

1. Color Blender

Color Blender has 3 equalizer style controls for the 3 primary colors (Red, Green & Blue). By dragging these 3 controls to the left or right, you can create set of matching colors (blend) that are automatically generated for you.

Once a blend is generated you can use the direct edit function to fine tune the color. You can also modify your blend using 7 different shades (know as variations).

Once you are satisfied with your theme, you can export the blend to Photoshop or Illustrator color files (palettes).

You also have an option to save the blend or email it to a friend.

If you need more inspiration, please check out Browse Blend section that displays blends created by previous users. Some of the blends created by other users are really cool.

2. Color Jack

The front page of color jack contains a number of themes (possibly created by previous users) and you can quickly view the colors in each theme by hovering your mouse over different themes.

Color jack provides 3 advanced tools to choose a theme. They include the following:

1. Color Galaxy
2. Color Sphere
3. Color Studio

3. Color Scheme Generator 2

Color Scheme Generator 2 provides a number of scheme types and variations to create your theme. It also has the ability to limit colors to web safe colors.

4. Color Wizard

Easy to use flash based color tool. Uses equalizer style controls for color selection. Has a randomize button to choose random colors.

Filed Under: Software Tagged With: Color Theme

Writing for a global audience

May 20, 2008 By Aaron 5 Comments

Image Source : AtomicShed’s Photostream

My website statistics indicates that majority of my readers are from the USA, Canada and Australia. At the same time I get a fair number of comments and feedback from readers all over the world. I can see a lot of diversity in my readers. I feel happy and privileged to know that I am able to share my views and experience with people from all walks of life.

In this post, I examine how we can reach out for a global audience. Building a global readership is a great way to increase the number of visitors to your website. So here are some of my tips. But, before you proceed a word of caution. These tips are there to get you thinking about writing for a global audience. Based on your website topic/niche you have to make a decision on how much you want to cater for an international audience. It is not easy to satisfy all. You have to find the right balance for your website.

Use Simple English

English has become the language of the Internet. It is also the International language that is used in many parts of the world. But English is not the native language for many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. People, who have studied English as a second language, may not have the same level of language proficiency as a native speaker of English. In order to attract these people, you have to write in simple English. To achieve this use short sentences and write in active voice. Also, try to avoid complex words and use simple words. For example, complete instead of comprehensive and understand instead of comprehend to name a few.

Try to Avoid Local and Cultural References

Using local references can alienate a reader who does not understand what you are talking about. For example, consider the sentence “I am writing this blog post from the Windy City”. Not too many people outside of the United States will know that the Windy City is a nick name for Chicago. Similarly cultural references, such references to local TV programs and events can confuse your global audience.

Try to Avoid Country Specific Words / Slang etc

There are words that are used only in a region or country. For example, in Canada there are number of terms that are only used in Canada and not widely used outside. For example, the word Hydro refers to electricity and Knapsack refers to a backpack. Some words have different meanings within different countries. For example in Canada the word Entrée refers to starter meals (i.e. appetizers) while in the US it refers to the main course of a meal.

Be Sensitive to Other Cultures and Respect their Values

Different cultures around the world have different traditions and habits. You have to show respect for their traditions. For example, eating with hands is a common practice in many parts of the world.

Try to Avoid Jokes

Jokes and humor are better understood and appreciated with in a cultural context. What is funny in the west may not be funny in the east (and vice versa). So when you are writing for global audience it’s better to avoid jokes and humor since they do not translate well across cultures. You have to be more careful in what you say. Some jokes could also be considered to be of bad taste within certain cultures. For example, imitating a foreign accent is considered to be funny by many. At the same time a lot people can get offended by someone mocking their accent.

Avoid Stereotyping

All teenagers are not fast drivers and all elderly people are not very slow drivers. Not all Chinese made toys have lead paint on them and the city of Rio is not the only place in the world with street kids. Think twice before you write. You do not want to offend any group unnecessarily.

Speak on Universal Values

No matter what culture or race you belong to, all of us have some core values that are universal. For example, the need to earn money and lead a comfortable life, the need to be healthy and happy are some examples of such values. Consider the following sentence “to be healthy, you have to work at the gym for 30 minutes three times a week”. This statement is more relevant to developed countries and less relevant to developing countries where gym facilities are not readily available. We can rewrite the same statement as “to be healthy do 30 minutes of exercise three times a week”. This statement is now universally applicable. Try to deliver the message with no religious, social and economic strings attached to it.

Clarify Metrics Used

Look at the following sentence: “It’s a very cold day in the Windy City. The temperature is 19 degrees and it feels even colder with the wind chill.” Many of your global readers would be puzzled by this statement. Isn’t 19 degree nice warm weather? They are thinking in Celsius and you have mentioned the temperature in Fahrenheit, the metric used in the US. The same applies to other metrics such as MPG (Miles per Gallon). Kilometers and Liters are more commonly used through out the world. In the above example you can mention that 19 degrees Fahrenheit is minus 7 degrees in Celsius!

The above points are based on my own observations, if you have any more tips please share. I would love to hear from you.

Which part of the world are you from? If you wish, feel free to mention your country’s name in the comment.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Writing

Thinking in Tweets!

May 16, 2008 By Aaron 6 Comments

Image Source : South_Roger’s Photostream

I have been using Twitter for a couple of weeks. Here are some of my thoughts about Twitter. Each thought is written as a Tweet. If you do not know what Twitter is, please checkout the this video that provides a good introduction to Twitter. After viewing the video please come back to read my post. You will understand what I am talking about.

Introduction

Twitter is awfully simple to use, but “How to use Twitter” is a highly debated topic.
This suggests there are many ways to use Twitter.
There is no one best way to use Twitter.
Some use Twitter to spread their message.
Some use it to get help.
Some use it to provide help.
Some use it for fun.
Some use it as a communication and collaboration tool.
Some use it as a fountain of free flowing knowledge, a source of new ideas (my favorite use).

Different Types of Users

A person with few Following and a large number of Followers is a Leader.
A person who has roughly the same number of Following and Followers is a Friend.
A person with few Followers and a very large Following is a Newbie or Learner.
A person with a large Following and zero Tweets may be a Spammer.
A person who provides completely irrelevant replies and talks nonsense is a TweetBait er or TweetStalk er, or Spammer.

Following:Followers Ratio (F:F)

Judging a person purely on the “Following:Followers” ratio (F:F) is not a good idea.
But many folks only use the F:F ratio as measure to judge a person.
Instead look at what that person has to offer. Checkout his/her website. You may want to follow that person.
A person with 9999:0 F:F is getting the same number of Tweets as a person with F:F of 9999:9999.

Mass Following

Mass following a niche is very different from randomly mass following every one you come across.
If mass following is spamming, why has not Twitter taken any action?
Putting a cap on the F:F ratio can stop mass followers. This is not rocket science.
If a cap is introduced, will it go against the concept upon which Twitter was built?
Even after Following 1000s of people, Twitter still says “Invite More!”.
Therefore mass following a niche is not spamming, as Scott Sweeney says it is Promotion.

Ideal Followers

It’s better to have followers with few Following because you get more attention.
It’s better to have followers with more Followers, because your message spreads quickly (Re-Tweet).

Some Problems

Many Tweets disappear unnoticed.
Twitter.com is very slow at many occasions; Twhirl (Twitter Desktop Client) hangs my PC.

Recommendations

Twitter emails you when a person joins, but, wouldn’t it be nice to get an email when they leave too?

What does Twitter means?

“Twitter” refers to the high frequency sounds some birds make.
Don’t confuse the Twitter with Tweeter. Tweeter refers to a high frequency loud speaker.

Building Your Follower Base

Darren Rowse suggests building a follower base by adding value to Twitter conversations.
DoshDosh suggests building a follower base by promoting your Twitter profile.
Scott Sweeney’s bold approach is to mass following people in your niche with the hope that some will follow you back.

Conclusion

After careful consideration I am inclined more towards the DoshDosh approach.

Are you thinking in Tweets? Please feel to leave a comment as you wish.

I am new to Twitter. My thinking is continuously evolving on this topic. So my views can change as I learn more about this powerful tool for social networking.

Follow me on Twitter!

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: Social Media

Creating content that connects with your audience

May 13, 2008 By Aaron 2 Comments

Image source : Pharder1′s Photostream

Why do people continue to watch a movie at the theater even if they find the movie to be very boring? Why do people still continue to follow a course at the local college, even though it does not meet their expectations?

There are 2 simple reasons:

1. You paid for the movie or the course.
2. You have already invested considerable time and effort, so you do not want your investment to go in vain.

But a web user on the other hand can view and skip dozens of web pages with in few minutes. The user can do this due to two simple reasons:

1. The user did not pay to view the web page. It’s Free!
2. The time that takes to assess the quality of the web page is very minimal (may be few seconds). Therefore no loss of time and effort.

This means writing a web page is much harder than producing a boring movie! Satisfying the needs of a web user is challenging since they have no prior investment of time and effort, therefore they can leave your site anytime with loosing anything.

In this article I am giving away few tips that will allow you to write better content that easily connects with your readers. These tips can reduce the chances of your audience skipping your web pages and going to another site.

1. Write for the readers’ needs, Not what you know

Many people write what they know, not what the reader wants to know. Any article you write should give your readers something to take away. People read your articles because they want to find solutions to problems. After reading the article the readers should be equipped with some knowledge that they can apply for their own benefit.

2. Keep your article short and simple

In this fast paced world people want the easiest, cheapest and fastest solution. People want to buy the fastest food they can get for lunch (McDonalds), the cheapest call they can make (VOIP Phones) and the easiest way to get to the corner store (driving instead of walking). Unfortunately many apply the same principle for learning too. Nowadays many people seek knowledge only if it’s easily and quickly accessible. So by keeping your article short and concise you will attract a large number of readers.

3. Use stories and examples

Stories and examples are powerful tools that can illustrate a point clearly and can be used to develop a compelling argument. This is why politicians and religious preachers use stories extensively in their speeches to present a compelling case for their followers.

4. Be up to the point and be confident

Your article should be up to the point solving specific issues. Just being generic and vague on what you say can easily put off your readers. Be confident in what you say. Readers love writers who deliver good material with confidence.

5. Use good titles

A heading says it’s all. This is why in morning television news there is a segment where they review the headlines of major news papers. Use headings to grab the reader’s attention. Most readers scan through headings and subheadings to determine the relevance of the article to their needs.

6. Be conversational

One way to develop a connection between you and your readers is to write in conversational tone. Your readers should feel that you are a friendly and approachable person.

There you go, 6 simple tips to better connect with your readers.

Please feel free to share any other tips you know!

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Content Creation

Your new website is not bad as you think

May 9, 2008 By Aaron 5 Comments

A message of hope for those who are late in the game

Many people running a relatively new website or blog are not satisfied because they are not getting the expected outcome from their websites. Many new websites fail because they are trying to mimic the leading websites in their industry. Webmasters of new sites compare their websites with top ranking sites. They try to catch up with these sites in terms of functionality and features. Naturally they feel unhappy about their performance. By constantly comparing their sites to leading websites, these site owners are loosing their focus from real opportunities that are available.

Unique Offering

Many new website owners feel they are too late in the game. They often complain saying something like “I should have created this website 3 years before”. They feel that their website is less popular because they came to the scene in the last minute. Being the first does give a website a competitive advantage but, this advantage does not remain forever. If first is the best, the Sony Walkman would be the most popular personal audio player in the world, Netscape would have the largest browser market share and Yahoo would be the most used search engine in the world. But what is the reality today? Apple’s iPod is dominating the personal media player market, Internet Explorer and Firefox have killed Netscape and Google is every one’s favorite search engine. So what can we learn from these late comers who changed the game. These new comers did not try to copy what the leaders in their field did (with the exception of Internet Explorer:) ). Instead they offered solutions that are fundamentally different and much easier to use. Therefore in order to bring your new website to the top, you have to offer something that is unique and useful. Do not try to blindly follow what other sites do, make your offering unique.

Ability to Leapfrog

If you are late in the game there are reasons for you to be still happy, because you have tremendous ability to leapfrog. You know what works best, because you can learn from the successes and failures of the leaders in your field. You can make better decisions on choosing the right technologies for your website. Because you are the new kid in the block you are adapting the latest and greatest technologies straightaway! The adaptation of mobile phones technologies in developing countries is a good example of leapfrogging.

Ability to Adapt and Serve Better

A newer smaller website, due to its size has a great ability to adapt and change. Mistakes can be easily rectified. As your website grows it becomes harder to manage. Reverting changes and fixing mistakes become very costly. So as a small website owner you have the unique ability to change and adapt easily. Since small websites have fewer users they can provide better personalized services to their customers.

It’s a Matter of Time

Finally remember that most of the leading websites on the Internet did not become popular over night. They became popular over a long period of time. The same applies to your website, do not expect any miracles to happen in the short term.

So be positive and stay focused, make a unique offering to your customers and one day you will hit the high roads!

Photo Credit: Fort Photo’s Photostream

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: Fundamentals

101 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers (Part 3)

May 4, 2008 By Aaron 3 Comments

Click here to read Part 2 of this article

Part 3 – Habits 41 to 60

41. Eliminate bottlenecks

If you closely examine your blogging activities you will identify areas that slow down your productivity. For example, your bottleneck might be slower typing speed or lack of technical knowledge. By identifying and eliminating bottlenecks you will become more productive. Learning to touch type quickly and seeking the help of a technical person are ways to eliminate the bottleneck examples mentioned above.

42. Willingness to experiment

There are many websites and blogs (including techthinker.com) that teach you how to become a better blogger. Most of the materials in these websites are generic guidelines. They do not always apply to your blog. Effective bloggers are willing to experiment with new ideas and opportunities. Experimentation is the best way to find out what works for you and what does not work well.

43. Never treats the blog as a dumping ground

Your blog is not a dumping ground. Do not put any material in your blog unless you believe what you have written will add value to your readers. If you do not have faith in your own work, how can you expect your readers to appreciate your work?

44. Does not spend too much time on little things

Effective bloggers spend less time on little things and devote more time for things that really matter.

45. Revives posts

The life of a blog post does not end after being published. Good bloggers re-visit previous posts. They write follow up posts referring the original post, fix any errors found in the original post (without altering the core message of the post).

46. Not shy to ask questions

Effective bloggers never feel shy to ask questions. It is impossible for a blogger to know everything. Trying to pretend that you know everything might work in the short term, but in the long run your readers will notice your weakness. Asking questions is a great way to learn.

47. Transparent

Being transparent in what you do allows a blogger build trust with the readers. It is often a good idea to tell your readers about any conflicts of interest. For example, if you are promoting a product in your blog and you are getting a commission from the vendor, for each sale of that product, let your readers know about your relationship with the product vendor.

48. Has a sense of humor

One of the great qualities of an effective blogger is to look at things on a lighter side. Good bloggers do not get too serious or defensive about them all the time. They are open to criticism.

49. Problem Solver

Why do people read your blog? They read because they want to find solutions to issues. Your blog posts should provide solutions to real issues. Not a rehash of what has been said by many others in the past.

50. Articulate

An effective blogger has the ability to explain complex things in simple terms.

51. Tough enough to take the heat

As your blog matures you will face more scrutiny by your audience. You will come across both negative and positive criticism. An effective blogger is tough enough to face negative criticisms. This includes both honest and unfair criticisms.

52. Good note taker

A blogger’s job is not a 9 to 5 job. A blogger gets new ideas throughout the day. An effective blogger quickly writes down these ideas so that they do not slip away. A major complain among new bloggers is that they run out of ideas. By taking notes you can keep your ideas and imaginations intact.

53. Organized

In part 2 of this series we saw that effective bloggers have the ability to multitask. To multitask well one has to be organized.

54. Learns from Web Analytics

Web Analytics software such as Google Analytics show the behavior of your website users. This behavioral information provides valuable insight to your reader base allowing you to cater for their needs better.

55. Goes beyond Google

Good bloggers do not only depend on the internet as the only source of information. They learn by reading books, white papers, attending workshops and seminars, socializing with other bloggers etc.

56. Does not only stick to text

Traditionally blogging has been a writing task. Effective bloggers also use other medium such as video, audio and multimedia to present information.

57. Prevents information overload

Successful bloggers do not overload their readers with more information. Your blog readers are not only reading your blog. They might read a dozen blogs everyday. So if you write too much on a daily basis there is a good possibility that your reader would not have enough time to read your lengthy post. Large posts can drive visitors off your blog. Therefore it is important that you give readers the right amount of information they can digest on a daily basis.

58. Converts reader communications into to posts

Replying to user questions via emails is not an effective way to utilize your time. This is because your time is exclusively spent to help out one person. Why not try to change that question into a generic post. Many readers can now benefit from this post. This technique also avoids multiple users asking the same question again and again.

59. Promotes the blog offline

Effective bloggers not only promote their blog online but also promote it offline. Examples of promoting your blog offline include using business cards, writing a column in the local newspaper, word of mouth, attending blogger conferences etc.

60. Writes article excerpts

Writing article excerpts is a good way to provide a concise description about your post that grabs the reader’s attention in the first place. Excerpts are also useful when submitting your content to social media sites, as many of them require a short description about your content.

Part 4 of this article will be published in a weeks time. If you have any good points to share please comment. I’ll will try include your points in my list as well.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Blogging

101 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers (Part 2)

April 26, 2008 By Aaron 8 Comments

Click here to read Part 1 of this article

Part 2 – Habits 21 to 40

21. Writes timely content

In this point, timely content refers to new and latest information that is much sought after during a specific time period. For example, during the launch of a product there will be a great demand for the latest reviews on that product. Writing timely content is hard, but if you can do it well you will attract a large number of readers.

22. Writes seasonal content

A clever blogger looks for seasonal trends and patterns to write relevant posts. For example, if you blog about Cooking Tips, you can write about Cake Recipes during Christmas time and Barbecuing Tips during summer time.

23. Writes timeless content

Timeless content refers to information that is considered valuable regardless of its age. Writing timeless content has the advantage of attracting readers to a post long after it has been published. Good timeless content attracts readers even months or years after the inception of the post.

24. Keeps a calendar

An effective blogger keeps a calendar on the blog topic. The calendar will indicate important dates on special events, anniversaries, holidays etc. Using the calendar one can write relevant posts on those special dates and well as hold competitions, give ways etc.

25. Great story tellers

Almost all bloggers write on topics that have been written by others in the past. But only some are successful in attracting readers. Effective bloggers are great story tellers. Have you ever heard the same joke from two people, and thought that Person A was funnier than Person B. This is because Person A is a great story teller and knows how to deliver the joke. Similarly successful bloggers know how to deliver a post.

26. Disciplined

To become a successful blogger one has to be disciplined. You have to devote exclusive time for your blogging activities. Set your own deadline for every task and try to meet it often as you can.

27. Ability to multitask

Blogging is not all about writing posts on a regular basis. It has a number of overheads such as reading and researching, replying to reader emails, upgrading and maintaining various software, social networking etc. Therefore in order to be an effective blogger you should have the ability to multitask.

28. Participates as guest bloggers

Doing guest posts on popular blogs is a good way to build up your image and reputation. You will also get valuable inbound links to your blog.

29. Fact check

Before starting to write on a topic, especially an unfamiliar topic, conduct a good background study. You do not want to loose your credibility by writing something that is factually incorrect.

30. Good knowledge of subject matter

To become successful in blogging you should have reasonably good knowledge on the subject matter.

31. Strives for quality, but not a perfectionist

Great bloggers strive for quality but they are not perfectionists. There are lots of negative consequences in trying to be too perfect. For example, you spent the whole weekend writing a great post, but didn’t publish the post because you could not find the most suitable picture to go with your post. So you delayed your post by a day or two until you found the best picture for your post. The time spent on searching for the right picture could have been spent on writing another post.

32. Writes for passion, not pay

A successful blogger writes for passion, not pay. Bloggers who make lots of money from their blogs are successful because they are passionate about their work. Do you think a pro-blogger would accept a 9 to 5 job for double the pay of their current income? I doubt it.

33. Works hard

This is a very obvious point, but often overlooked by many. Good bloggers are successful because they work hard!

34. Optimize for SEO

Good bloggers optimize their blogs for search engines.

35. But, not SEO obsessed

At the same time good bloggers are not obsessed with SEO and will not compromise on the quality of the content to gain few short term benefits from SEO.

36. Does not count the chickens before they hatch

Good bloggers focus on what has to be done right now, rather than dreaming about the future.

37. Actively moderates user comments

An effective blogger is an active comment moderator. By keeping user comments within scope will allow one to add value to the post. It also prevents comments hijacking where one or more readers writes comments that are not relevant to the post.

38. Writes on niche topic

Successful bloggers have a niche topic and deliver content in a unique way.

39. In for the long haul

Successful bloggers consider blogging as a long term commitment.

40. Attention seekers

With millions of blogs on the Internet it is very hard to get noticed. Successful bloggers are great attention seekers. They use various ways to grab attention, let it be the catchy post title or the really well designed blog template.

Click here to read part 3 of this article

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Blogging

101 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers (Part 1)

April 19, 2008 By Aaron 3 Comments

In this 5 part series, I look at 101 habits of highly effective bloggers. I crafted this list based on my observation of successful bloggers and their blogs. I do not intend to elaborate too much on each point. I want to keep each point as short as possible, so that you can reflect upon them. I hope you enjoy reading the list. This article is published in 5 parts, so please check back soon for the next part. You may not agree with all 101 points as some of the habits in this list are debatable. If you agree or disagree with a habit, please note the point number in your comments and give your opinion about that habit from your own experience. Thank you.

Part 1 – Habits 1 to 20

1. Has a plan

A successful blogger not only has good objectives but also has a plan to reach the objectives.

2. Believes in own abilities

In order to become a successful blogger you have to first believe in your own abilities.

3. Consistent message

A successful blog voices a consistent message. Flip flopping on issues will reduce the credibility of your blog.

4. Actively comments

A good blogger actively comments on other blogs. Since comments on other blogs are going stay to permanent, it is important that you provide valuable comments to build a good reputation among the readers of various blogs.

5. Replies to user comments

In order to build a good rapport with your readers, you have to reply to user questions and comments.

6. Responds quickly to damaging information

If someone intentionally or unintentionally publishes any information that can damage your reputation, you have to respond quickly.

A classic example of this is when Darren Rowse of Prologger.net responded quickly to some April fools jokes that had the potential to damage Darren’s reputation.

7. Posts regularly

A good blogger posts regularly. Ideally one should post every day, if you are unable to post daily, you can post less frequently, may be once every 3 days or once a week. But at least keep the posting interval consistent.

8. Creative

In order to compete with millions of other blogs on the Internet, you have to make your blog unique. Creativity plays a vital role in making your blog unique.

9. Has a unique template

As your blog matures, start thinking about developing your own custom template to differentiate the look and feel of your blog from the rest of the crowd.

10. Uses graphics in posts

Images are a great way to grab attention to a post. They can illustrate a point very effectively. Images can increase reader curiosity and interest; this is especially true with abstract or metaphor images.

11. Helps other bloggers

People always remember those who help them. Help out other bloggers and webmasters. They might return the favor in future.

12. Socializes

Socialize with other bloggers, participate on social networks. Traffic from social networking sites plays a vital part in the success of your blog.

13. Backups blog regularly

To be on the safe side you should always backup your blog files and database. Most of the web hosting companies perform weekly backups. Backing your blogs manually has 3 benefits.

• If you accidentally delete some files or folders you can quickly restore from your own backup.
• If the fault is yours, some web hosting companies may charge you to restore backups.
• Some web hosting companies overwrite the weekly backup data, so if you lose some data, and didn’t notice it for a week or two, the backup may be overwritten with the corrupted data.

14. Learns from mistakes

Effective bloggers learn from mistakes. They seldom repeat the same mistake twice.

15. Does it right the first time

If you have to venture into an unknown project, see how others have implemented similar projects successfully. You may not avoid all mistakes in the first place. But the fundamental direction of your project will still be correct.

16. Good Writer, Better Reader

If you eat well you will have the energy to work hard. Similarly if you read well you will have a great variety of things to write about. Therefore a good blogger is one step ahead on reading than writing.

17. Never underestimates the value of any information

Have you ever worked hard on an article and end up not publishing it, because you thought what you have written is obvious and everyone else would know about it? A good blogger never underestimates the value of information and knowledge. Not everyone know what you know, this applies to even very simple things.

18. Concentrates on few things

Effective bloggers concentrates well on the few most important things that determine the success of their blogs.

19. Uses a successful blog as a spring board

An effective blogger uses a successful blog to spring board into new blogs and business ventures.

20. Good learner

An effective blogger is a continuous learner with a thirst for knowledge.

Do you agree with all of the above points? Please comment.

Click here to read part 2 of this article

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Blogging

Your name and your blog

April 16, 2008 By Aaron Leave a Comment

Today, in a post titled “The Choice of Associating Your Name with Your Blog”, Darren Rowse of problogger.net, identified the following 4 categories of blogging.

Blog under your personal name and promote it prominently on your blog
Blog under your personal name but don’t really promote yourself
Blog under an alias and promote that name
Blog without any name on your blog at all

Darren also requested readers to comment on what are the pros and cons of the type of blog they have chosen.

This is a compilation of my own views (and some reader comments from Darren’s original Post)

1. Blog under your personal name and promote it prominently on your blog

Pros

More credible, people know that you really exist!
Ideal for video posts
Present information with a personal tone. This is a very important point since blogs were initially created for this purpose (i.e. allowing individuals to quickly share their thoughts and views)
If you are really good in your subject matter, you will be noticed within your industry, bringing new business or career opportunities
If you have good qualifications, experience and expertise why not show it off? Because readers look for reliable and credible information
Good for social networking

Cons

Hard to sell your website, because you have created a brand around you and without your presence your website is less valuable
Loss of privacy

2. Blog under your personal name but don’t really promote yourself

Pros

Better privacy

Cons

I can not think of any, if you know one please feel free to share.

I am not getting many points for this category. Feel free to help me out here.

3. Blog under an alias and promote that name

Pros

Your privacy is protected
Can build a brand around your alias
Good for controversial topics
Safer (for example: writing about gang violence in your area!)
A good choice if your real name is hard to remember

Cons

May not be suitable for all topics, for example consider a medical blog, your readers first want to know about you and your background

4. Blog without any name on your blog at all

Pros

Easier to sell your blog
Better privacy, safety

Cons

Hard to create a unique voice (with a personal tone) , since your readers have no clue about yourself
Readers will be less tolerant for any mistakes, because they consider your website as a news source and not as a blog that is driven by a single person

Know more pros and cons for each type? Please feel free to share. As the comments come in I will update my list of pros and cons.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: Blogging