Lol I was bored today and decided to create a Facebook group in celebration of the new health care bill that was passed. I know it has nothing to do with technology and this blog, well besides it relating to Facebook but I thought I would share. I am trying to spread the word and get people to join the group. Just a fun thing to do, it isn’t serious thing about health care, so do not get offended and give a lecture.
When it comes to having your own blog/website, probably the second most important thing is the name of your domain (first would be content). Why is it so important to have a good domain name and how do you choose one? Well I will explain here with a few tips.
Choosing The Domain Name
The name of your website domain is very important because it is what visitors see when coming to your blog/website, and if it is something they can easily remember then it will be more effective. Having a good domain name will grab the attention of your visitors and they will be able to share it easily with friends or other sites. Here are a few good basic tips when picking out a name.
Try to keep your domain name short, usually two or three words
Make sure the words are spelled correctly
Abbreviations work great if they are available
If possible try not to use “z” to replace “s”, because it can confuse people and they may end up typing the wrong name
If your domain choice is unavailable, try to place a “-” in between a word. This can help if the name is short, but can get confusing if the name is long. Try to stick with one “-”
Keep the name related to your blog/website. You don’t want to have a name called “dogs.com” when you write about cats.
.Com vs .Net
When choosing a domain name, does it really matter if it is a .com or a .net? Well there are a few ups and downs to having a .net. Most internet users associate .com with websites so it just clicks in their head and is easy to remember, but if you choose a .net domain be sure to advertise your blog/website as the full name. For example my blog here at TechSlip.net, when I tell others about this blog or I write an article then I will say TechSlip.net instead of TechSlip because some people may just assume it is .com.
Having a .net can be good since it is different than the same old .com names and stands out. Just make sure people realize it is .net and you always put it when advertising. You do not want to send visitors to your competition’s website from making a simple mistake.
So I would recommend getting a .net domain if your choice for a .com is taken, but if a .com is available then grab it quickly and use it.
Price and Where To Buy
You can purchase domains on a few different websites but the most popular ones are 1and1.comand GoDaddy.com. Both sites are reliable and I use both of their services.
Prices for a domain are very reasonable. You can purchase a domain for under $10 per year.
I hope this little guide will help you out when it comes to choosing a domain name. Please share this post if you find it helpful.
Today I checked my e-mail and was excited to see that I received an e-mail from EzineArticles. Here is what it said :
Hi Brian,
You have now earned our “PLATINUM” membership level. This is a status that
can not be bought and can only be earned by sending in quality articles.
Only a small fraction of our thousands of authors ever obtain this level.
Benefits of Platinum Membership:
* Unlimited article submissions accepted
* Priority Approval for new submissions
* Priority Approval for modified articles (if you edit them)
* Yellow Star next to your name within 24 hours
Pretty awesome if you ask me! Right now my profile on EzineArticles just shows expert but it will be updated soon. I added the cool looking badge on the sidebar to the right so I can let the whole world know…..or just the people who visit my blog =P
The new advertisement for the Playstation Move motion controller was released on YouTube recently and has created a buzz in the gaming community. The video mocks the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Natal in a funny manner.
Will the Playstation Move be enough to conquer its enemies, the Nintendo Wii and upcoming Xbox Natal?
I am currently looking for some guest bloggers for TechSlip. Guest blogging will be someone who is willing to write a post about anything related to this website (technology, gaming, etc) and allow me to post it here, while giving you credit and website link. I think this would be a great way to add an extra spark to the blog. I am also available for guest blogging/interviews for your website if you would like. Always free of course =)
If you are interested in guest blogging for TechSlip, or would like me to create a guest blog post for your site, just Contact Me Here. Thanks!
This is the official updated Top 10 (source from Alexa.com)website list for the United States. I am very surprised that Twitter isn’t in the top 10 yet, but they are crawling fast at number 12. Out of all of these websites, the ones I do NOT visit are Live.com and MySpace.com.
Do you think that Facebook will ever take over #1 place to bump off Google? Which of the top 10 don’t you visit?
I have just re-opened the TechSlip Merchandise Store (hosted through Cafepress) and it now features a HUGE variety of products. There are t-shirts, hoodies, long sleeve shirts, clocks, stickers, mugs, mousepads, and a lot more! Items are shipped from Cafepress quickly and very cheap so you can get your TechSlip gear right away. So if you want to help support this blog and want to help spread the word, stop by the new store (found on the right side) and enjoy! http://www.cafepress.com/techslip
Since I have owned this website, I have never had an official logo until today. A logo is crucial to any site because it is the “face” of it all. A logo helps familiarize people with a certain website/brand, so that is what I wanted for TechSlip.
This new logo will not only be used on the website, but for TechSlip merchandise as well. Be sure to bookmark the website and check back frequently to see when I add the merchandise link. There you will be able to buy t-shirts, coffee cups/mugs, mousepads, clocks, hoodies, and much more!
I’d like to thank my good friend & awesome artist, Wesley Eggebrecht for creating this new logo. Check out his badass artwork and clothing line!
I’ve decided to make a post about my Twitter stats for the month so far. I use Twitter for sharing new posts from the website, tweet tips and links, plus other random stuff. It is a great tool for connecting people to my website and keeping them updated. I created my account last year but never used it because I didn’t think Twitter was that popular, but then I realized how helpful it can be and started using it last month.
As you can see below, just last month I started out with 17 followers, and today it is at 272 (also in 8 user lists). That is a pretty big jump for one month and I am happy with the results. I followed the tips that I wrote about in a previous article called “6 Tips For Getting Twitter Followers” My goal is to have 1,000 followers by the end of April. Let’s see if I can get there!
Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts with others and spread information to readers. The fun part about it, is that you can blog about anything you want! The topic choice is all up to you. Of course that doesn’t mean just because you blog about “Cool New Socks” that everyone will want to read about it, but still it is your choice. Whether you are blogging just because you want to share information or you are doing it to create a profit and deliver good content to your readers, the basics still apply to both.
I wanted to create a list of basic tips for bloggers who are just starting, or even haven’t started at all but are interested. So let’s get on with the basic bloggin tips for beginners.
First of course you need to find a service to start blogging with. The two most popular services are Blogger and WordPress. Both are great websites to use (I will create a post in the future about the differences), but the big difference is that Blogger provides Adsense integration and is very user friendly. So this is great for someone who knows nothing about blogging and wants to be able to make money with their blog. WordPress.com blogs are great but they do not have the ability to use advertisements. So choose either “profit” or “no profit”.
Choose your topic. Once again, the topic choice is yours but if you are looking to get a lot of readers, then you will want something that attracts visitors to your blog. Choose a niche that you have and can share with others. Something you are passionate about will show greatly to your readers and will make your blog more personal and interesting. You do not want to choose a topic that you know nothing about because you will not be able to create useful posts and the blog will seem boring.
Create a good title and description. This is a very important step because you want your title to stand out. Keep it short and simple. Your description is very crucial because this is what visitors will first see when arriving at your blog and it is what search engines will show. Keep your description within the character limit. Do not overdo it and explain your site in huge detail so that everything is given away and your readers are left not curious. Be short but descriptive and use proper grammar. A blog with a long description scares me away usually, because it seems like the author is begging me to read it all.
Choosing a good layout. The layout of your blog is very important because it is the shell of it all and it is what readers always see. A visual impact is important when creating a blog. You do not want to have a layout with bright neon colors everywhere so that it blinds the reader. Try to keep the color scheme blended well so that it pleases the reader’s eyes and does not drive them away. Images are great to have so that your blog seems more full and less boring. It gives people something to look at along with the text. So simple, clean, and uncluttered is definitely the way to go when choosing your layout. Color Scheme Designer is a great free tool for this job.
Content. As always content is king. Publishing great posts is easy if you take your time, be descriptive and creative, and provide interesting content. Posts that take forever to read, can scare away readers because most have a short reading span. So don’t bore your readers with a 5 page story, unless it is necessary and part of your niche.
Attract visitors to your blog. This can be the most frustrating part of it all because you spend all that time making posts but do not see anyone reading or subscribing. It is not an easy task to gather up thousands of readers, daily, or even monthly. Be sure to spread the word about your blog without spamming it. Include your blog url in forum signatures, participate in discussions at other blogs, use Twitter and Facebook, use content sharing websites, and research SEO. These are just a few out of the many ways to increase your visitor count. Check out SEOmoz.org to learn about SEO and be sure to use their helpful free tools.
Patience! The last and most important tip for creating a successful blog is to be patient. It takes time to gain subscribers and for your blog to rank high, so don’t get frustrated or give up just because you are not #1 in a month. Hard work pays off, and it will show if you keep blogging the right way.
I hope this list helps out a lot of people who are interested in blogging and inspires others. I will be writing more posts about blogging, Adsense, and SEO in the future. Be sure to share this article so that others can learn!
