Time for a reality check regarding your niche blog ventures, and it begins with your choice of hosting. Do you want to start with a WordPress site or set your blog up using another host? Google and WordPress are first rate hosts and they make the task of getting a blog up and running as easy as ABC. They take care of the problems and technical details and make it possible to get your blog off the launching pad in minutes instead of days or weeks.

Although these are great choices to consider, you are going to
have to abide by a number of restrictions and you have to check
out all Terms and Conditions to make sure that you are following the rules. There are some strict regulations regarding how affiliate links can be handled, and if you goof up you can lose the access to your blog site in a few hours. You might wake up one morning and find that you have been quite literally grounded. By the same token, these hosts can walk you through the process of blogging and will be a wonderful way for you to become familiar with the concept involved that is involved.

When you self host your own blog however it really becomes your own creation and will be an invaluable business asset. It may seem an intimidating step when you are first beginning in the blogging world, but once you have just a little understanding of how blogs operate, you will want to consider taking this deep-end plunge. You will not have to “go it” alone because there are some outstanding free manuals you can get that will guide you through every step of the self hosted process.

A blog that is self-hosted allows you amazing freedom of choice and you can select what you want to promote and how you want to handle the promotions. You can give screen time to affiliate links or just promote your own ideas and products. This is your own web property and it cannot be closed because of a technicality or overlooked term. And just like real estate in your neighborhood, your blog site will increase in value right along with its popularity and public demand. That’s an important factor to consider if you ever plan on selling your blog. A self-hosted blog is worth a lot more in the marketplace than a Blogger blog or Wordpress-hosted blog.

There are many free Wordpress themes as well as commercial themes available to create an attractive self-hosted niche blog with no design experience necessary. In addition, there are also designers that sell turnkey niche blogs that are pretty much “plug and play”. Just add your own Adsense and ads and start blogging. This is probably the easiest way to get started on niche blogging with limited technical knowledge.

About the author:
Suzanne Bucciarelli is the owner of Niche Blogging Treasure, featuring very high quality, pre-made niche blogs. To see the gallery of niche blogs, and niche blogging articles, please visit: Niche Blogging Treasure

— Napoleon Hill

Just as our eyes need light in order to see, our minds need ideas in order to conceive.

—Napoleon Hill

Knowing “how” to think is much more important than knowing “what” to think. Those among us that understand how to gather knowledge, then how to use and apply what their small inner voice suggests are truly wise. The realization that our “inner voice” is our higher self (inject your own term, i.e., God, Angel, Spiritual Guide, etc.) asking to manifest itself can be a life changing event!

_________________________________________

Okay, so what is a blog anyway? A blog is basically an online journal in which you can digitally pen down your thoughts, ideas, opinions and practically anything that you want people to read. Blogs come in different styles, formats, and settings, depending on the preference of the user. Many blogging sites, offer built in features such as hyperlink, straight texts, pictures etc. Instead of writing texts, some bloggers choose to make their blogs more audio friendly, by using spoken word entries. This is called audio blogging.
Some blogging sites, even allow you to put video and mp3’s on your blogs. Blogging is popular all over the world.

Blog is short for the term weblog. There are very few rules when it comes to blogging which means that bloggers have the freedom to express themselves in most any way they want. Perhaps the best thing about blogging, is that most blogging sites are free. Anyone who wants to start a blog can do so by becoming a member of a blogging website of their choice. Once they’ve become members, they automatically become a part of that particular blogging community. They can browse through other blogs, and link them back to their own blogs. They can also make comments on other members’ blogs.

Bloggers usually communicate within themselves. This is one of the appeals of blogging. It creates a community of people sharing their ideas, thoughts, and comments with each other. Blogging is not just limited to personal usage. There are a lot of blogs that follow a theme such as: sports, politics, philosophy, social commentary, etc. These blogs build on their specific themes. In this way blogging becomes a medium in which people can share their knowledge and opinions about a variety of themes and topics.

Many groups exist within blogging communities. Of course, the members of the group have a common interest and the blogs provide a place for the group members to share their interest. Chats and forums are also contained within blogging communities.
A lot of entrepreneurs benefit from blogging by promoting their businesses on their blogs. With the rapid growth of blogging communities, entrepreneurs have found that this is a very cost-effective way to promote their products/services.

Some bloggers use their blogs as a means to advertise things such as ebooks, while other bloggers, use their blogs to shed light on current issues, events, news and catastrophes. It seems the uses of this communication medium are limitless!

Blogs are also being used by many teachers and professors. Lessons that they have discussed and taught can be posted on a blog which allows students access to this information 24/7. This provides a way for students to keep up with assignments and projects.
The main features of a blog are:

* Title- which allows you to label your post

* Body- this is the content of your post

* Trackback- other sites can be linked back to your blog

* Permanent link- every article that you write has an URL

* Comments- this allow readers to post comments on your blog

One of the advantages of blogging, is that it is made up of only a few templates. In comparison to websites that are made up of numerous individual pages this is a much simpler format. This make it easier for blog users to create new pages, because it already has a fix setting that include: slots for title, body of the post, category, etc. This is especially useful for first time users, since they can start blogging right away. They can choose from a number of templates that blogging websites provide.

But by far, the most popular blog type is the one that takes the form of a personal journal. This is the kind that is usually used by first time bloggers. Individuals who want to document the daily struggle of their everyday lives, share poems, rant about their issues or perhaps world issues, or simply post their opinions will find that blogging offers a place to do just that.

Blogs varying in topics, themes, and set-ups, can be found in blog directories. Browsing through these directories is beneficial for first time users. They can check out a number of blogs before deciding on any. This provides an opportunity to get acquainted with what these blogging communities are like. An educated decision can then be made about which blogging community better meets the needs and appeals to the interest of the newcomer…allowing a first-timer to get exactly what he/she is after. Blogging is fun, simple, and easy. If you haven’t tried it yet, do it now! You’ll enjoy it!!

Author: Deb Allen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Benefits of electric pressure cooker

Just like any other online venture, there are costs involved in keeping up a blog. These costs may include hosting, domain registration, maintenance fees and other costs associated with keeping a blog up and running. So if you are thinking of establishing a blog presence, you need to have a budget set aside or consider advertising to offset the costs.

You may not agree with placing advertising on your blog, believing that doing so commercializes your blog. A blog is a personal venture, one where you voice your opinion about things that matter to you and to your readers. Advertising on your blog may appear, in your view, to dilute your message. However, the fact is that advertising can give your blog strength and credibility to your readers. Many bloggers today are using the power of
advertising to their advantage. By treating their blog as a business, they are able to spike up their readership, establish themselves as experts in their fields and continuously drive traffic to their blogs. There is no reason you shouldn’t do the same with your blogging business.

On the surface, it may appear like a contradiction to write about serious issues on your blog and make money off it through advertising. For instance, if you have a passion for politics, human rights or environmental issues, it may not sit well with you in principle if you have advertising on your blog in order to augment the costs of running it. However, your blog is a business, regardless of what your passion is. Keep in mind that your readers are activists, too, and would want to be able to make a difference in their own way. Your blog can be that instrument — when your blog has links to other similar or related sites that your readers can visit.

Some bloggers frown upon the idea of putting links on blogs, but the fact is that links can be valuable to both you and your readers. Links related to your blog will be viewed by your readers as useful sources of your knowledge on the subject you are writing about. At the same time, the links can provide you with a source of income so you can continue to write for your blog. It’s the best of both worlds — using your blog as a way for you to share your thoughts on issues that matter to you and a way for you to earn a little money on the side. There’s no harm in making money doing what you love! You can read more about setting up a successful blog at http://www.blogsoftwarechoices.com

You may be worried, though, that treating your blog as a business may interfere with your message. Like any other business, your blog needs careful planning, especially when it comes to choosing the links and advertising you place on your blog. This is where careful research plays an important role. If you research your links carefully, you give your blog credibility and show your readers you are knowledgeable about the subject you are blogging about. When your readers see that the links you have on your blog take them to sites where they can learn more about your blog topic, you build trust with your readers; they will
come to trust you and the information you provide them, as well as keep coming back to your blog. On the business side, you earn commissions on every click to pertinent links on your blog.

You can both educate your readers and make money with your blog. The key is in careful planning and picking out links and advertising relative to what you are blogging about. This way you can supply your readers with your knowledge, build credibility and make some money to keep your blog up.

Author: Dean Forster
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: PCB Prototype & Manufacturing

Blogging is the action you perform when you make a post to a web log or blog, comment on a previous blog post or maintain a blog. Many people who make posts to a blog on a regular basis are referred to as bloggers.

Basically, a blog is an online journal where you can post your thoughts, observations and comments about a particular topic that the weblog covers. A blog is just a simple web page that has chunks of information called posts added to them on a regular basis. Depending on how it was setup by the person maintaining the blog, the posts can be all on one page forcing visitors to scroll down, or each post will have its own individual web page. When you are blogging and visiting different blogs, you will see the most recent posts first at the top of the web page.

The Uses of Blogging

Online personal journals were some of the first blogs. Individuals used their computers and the technology of the internet to make entries into their journals rather than the traditional method of keeping a pen and paper journal. Blogs are primarily categorized as personal since many of them are online journals but today many blogs are used for a variety of purposes. Businesses are starting to use blogs as a way to provide information about their products and services. Politicians are using blogs to communicate with their constituents. Musicians and other entertainers are using blogging as a means to stay in touch with their fans as they tour. The list goes on.

Often, blogging is a way for you the individual to post a comment on a particular news item or subject such as politics, world or local news events, hobbies, entertainment etc. The topics covered in a blog are endless, and many times controversial and volatile. Sometimes one simple post can lead to a flood of additional comments and many have gone so far as to gain national attention by being mentioned in the news media.

Blogging Software and Services

Originally, blog posts are mostly text based. However, changes in internet technology and online services have given rise to other ways to make posts such as using video and audio (also known as podcasting). Now today a typical blog will have a combination of text, photos, video, and audio as well as links to other blogs and websites that are related to the topic of the blog.

Blogging has taken off and grown in popularity over the years. Now, a blog can be setup in a matter of minutes with little or no cost. There are varieties of hosting sites that will allow you to setup a blog free, and many web hosts now offer ways to quickly and easily install a variety of blogging software such as WordPress or MoveableType.

Along with quickly setting up a blog, many of the free online blogging services easily provide ways to allow you to make video and audio posts on your blog. They also offer other features such as password protecting your blog so you can keep your thoughts and feelings private, or allow only a select few in to view your blog. You are also able to pick the look or theme of your blog from literally thousands of different templates available; this is a great way to express your own individuality with your blog.

One of the most widely used free blogging services today is Blogger.com, which is owned by Google. In three easy steps, you can setup your very own blog and start expressing your thoughts and views to the world. After you setup your blog, you can make posts to it at any time day or night. The blogging services today are so easy to use and you do not need to have any technical knowledge of HTML or any other web coding language. In fact, if you can use a word processing program such as Notepad or MSWord, you can start blogging today.

How Blogging Benefits You

Blogging has been mostly been used for personal thoughts, professional observations, political rants, and entertainment reviews. However, there are so many more reasons to start blogging. One of the biggest benefits I have found is staying connected with my family and friends. I live on the west coast but grew up on the east coast. Through blogging, my family and I are able to stay connected and share things even though we live thousands of miles apart. We can share photos and post videos and audio files that let us remain a part of each others lives.

Through your blog, you can share with the world your thoughts about any topic you like. Having a blog is one of the easiest ways to stay in contact with others and communicate with others who have the same interests that you do. Everyone has something to say and wants to be heard when they say it. Blogging allows you to share your experiences, joys, laughter and pain. With a blog, you can find answers to your questions, learn new, exciting and wonderful things, comfort a friend or be comforted at times. Remember, the benefits that can come from having a blog are as wide and varied as the different topics that a blog can cover.

Author: J Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable Multi-cooker

The whole “build it and they will come” philosophy does NOT apply to the internet any longer. Perhaps at the internet’s conception, and during the following 2 years, this may have been true. Now, even the largest and best blogs may be elusive if not advertised or networked by some means. It would be nice to toss up a nice website with targeted content, and watch the traffic flow in. If this were the case, there would be MANY more rich bloggers out there. Blogging has also become the best way to learn the latest and most important news in any industry. Now, I read about current events and funny stories sometimes days before they appear on the news or radio. Blogs are a bigger power-house than most even realize.

If you are thinking of starting a blog, make sure it has a niche’, or a targeted audience. You could start a gardening blog, a marriage blog, a business blog, an internet business blog, a marketing blog, a web design blog, a graphic design blog, and even a super hero ninja-clown blog. You’d be extremely surprised at how many people are creating blogs these days…and even more surprised at WHAT people are creating blogs about. Reading blogs regularly is not only a great way to gauge your audience in your target industry, but also a great way to keep up with the latest techniques and trends in whatever it is that you are interested in. In reality, blogs really are the newest media form… and with sites like Digg, Twitter, Reddit, and stumble upon, your blog is sure to get noticed by someone!

So how does one slip some shameless self promotion into your own blog, or better yet…even others blogs? If you are writing a targeted blog, in YOUR industry, this shouldn’t be too hard. Say you are a martial arts teacher. You start a martial arts blog, and promote it. List your business and your expertise in the blog every now and again. As others in the industry find your blog, they’ll link to it from their site if they enjoy your content. This is the art of basic blog promotion. There are also a ton of feed websites to submit your blog to, such as Technorati, and a few other biggies that you must submit to to start monitoring traffic, incoming links, and so on.

Another obvious key to business blog promotion is to network yourself and your blog. Many bloggers believe that it is considerate to leave comments on blogs to show appreciation, and to add to the community experience. Commenting also leaves behind your blog’s link, so others can find you through more popular blogs within your industry. Making friends in the blog world is a great way to get your blog and your name out there. It’s also a great way to generate regular readers of your blog.

I strongly suggest that if you already have a business and a business website, to add a blog to it as soon as possible. Whether it is an industry news blog, or just a blog about the news and current events within your own company. It’s a great way to add more content (words) to your site that are like food to the search engines. Industry experts have also said that adding a blog to your company’s site is a way to better connect with your consumer, since they can comment and address issues they have with pretty much anything. Many consumers see it as a better way to access an authority figure within the company as well. Large companies that utilizing blogging include Toyota, Google, HP, and many more.

When it comes down to it, blogging can be a great tool to promote your business if used correctly. Remember, the blogging world is immense, so if you are ready to sit down and start a blog, make sure to design a strategy of how to market that blog. Submit it, Submit it, and Network! Don’t be shy when it comes to commenting. If you enjoyed another’s blog, make sure to comment and let them know! bloggers enjoy feedback, and it usually elicits friendships and new readership.

Author: Terra Andersen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

Blog Term #1: Blog

Most people don’t understand what a blog is, which is why it is at the top of the list. The term “blog” is short for web log. Blogs are essentially online journals kept by individuals; though not in the traditional since, where they divulge their innermost thoughts and secrets. Blogs are used as a place for people to discuss their interests and offer advice to others who read them.

Some people have even become skilled enough at blogging to make money doing it for a living.

Blog Term #2: Pinging

Pinging is a useful tool used by bloggers to get their blog noticed. There are hundreds of websites available that provide this service free. What pinging does is it notifies the many popular search engines that there has been an update to your blog. This helps move your blog up the ranks of popularity so that it has a better chance of getting noticed.

Blog Term #3: Linking

Most popular blogs provide links within their content that allow people to be redirected to other websites in order find more information on a topic, or as a means of referencing the topic to make sure that the blog is accurate. All too often many blogs are purposely filled with false information. However, linking helps legitimate bloggers separate themselves from the fakes.

Blog Term #4: Posts

This term refers to the addition of a new entry to your blog. Each time you update your blog, this is called a post.

Blog Term #5: Template

All new blogs are issued with a standard writing template. Don’t think that your topics and writing alone will be enough to generate readership. You’ll also want to edit your template so that it stands apart from those of everyone else. A blog must be just as aesthetically pleasing as it is informative.

Blog Term #6: Blog host

In order to get a blog you need to sign up with a blog host. Such websites include Blogger dot com, or if you have a My Space account, you may have realized that you have a blog space there. Whatever the case, remember that there are many blog hosts who offer the service free, so don’t waste your money with one who requires a fee.

Blog Term #7: Blog directories

These are massive online databases that catalogue the millions of different blogs in cyberspace. When you start your own blog you will also be added.

Blog Term #8: Niche

You’ve probably heard people mention the need for your blog to have a niche. A niche refers to the purpose of your blog. Does your blog discuss politics, pop culture, or music? Each one of those is a niche.

Blog Term #9: RSS feed

This is a piece of code you can include with your blog which allows people to subscribe to it. This takes the hassle out of your readership having to visit your blog to see if it is updated by automatically informing them every time it is.

Blog Term #10: Trackback links

This is a tool that notifies another bloggers anytime you reference their blog. It also includes a link to your blog from theirs. This is a great way to expand your notoriety, as well as build some connections with other bloggers.

As you continue to learn about blogging, these ten terms will make the process easier. Any time you come across a blogging term you’re unfamiliar with make sure and research it before making any decisions. For now though, the terms above will be enough to help you get started blogging on your own.

Author: Codrut Turcanu
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

A recent Pew Internet research poll the amount of businesses using blogs to be in the neighborhood of 7% (a research poll conducted by American Express last month suggested a similar percentage). Meanwhile, another poll by Guidewire Group suggests 89% of companies are either blogging now or plan to in the near future. Despite these wildly differing figures, the point of agreement is that business blogging is growing. The pace seems to be the heart of the dispute.

There are about 175,000 blogs being created each day (or about two per second), but don’t let that figure frighten you: the business share is a drop in the bucket. Experts put the number of active business blogs in the U.S. today at about 5,000, with half of them being less than a year old and only 10% older than three years. Many new business blogs, like all blogs, are abandoned after a few months, and only about 39% of total blogs are in English language (Japanese is top). What all of this says is that blogging is becoming a global norm but is still very much open to newcomers.

Trends vary by company size, with smaller companies tending to make more use of business blogging, while larger companies maintain a healthy share. About 55% of all business blogs are started by companies with fewer than 100 employees while around 15% account for companies with 1,000 or more employees. However, of the largest 500 companies in the United States, 40% utilize blogs in their comprehensive strategy.

Outside the unruly statistics, what is actually successful in the world of business blogging itself is a little clearer. Virtually all research and opinion on the subject points to a handful of critical factors, including:

• A writing style that is able to both connect on a personal level and be entertaining. This includes knowing your customer and establishing a significant relationship in the blog medium.
• The company’s willingness to be engaged in an honest marketplace dialogue with its clientele (the source of the infinitely precious credibility of any blog).
• The individual blog writer’s time given to the blog itself, for relevant research, thought, responding to posts from readers, and the overall construction of quality work and frequent updates.

Of course, individual companies in their unique industries face their own quirks and demands. For example, depending on the situation or industry, your business may want to focus most carefully on the tone and style of the writer. Companies with reputations they’d like to salve or improve (oil companies, for example) may find particular interest in the transparency aspect of blogging. While in a fast-paced industry (such as technology or media), a company blog might need to weigh its time devoted to updating material for the blog more carefully. Many businesses begin blogging with clear goals in the onset, or even test a blog internally before developing an external blog. Some businesses also run more than one blog. General Motors, for example, runs an entertainment blog (Fastlane) and information blog (FYI) combo that has been very successful.

The General Motors blogs is a great example of successful business blogging in its maturity. Both are easy to navigate and subscribe to, are succinctly written, and utilize costumer-generated material, including photos and video. There are also many links (not only to GM but other auto sites and even other blogs), so the reader gets a real sense genuine dialogue and openness. A look at the high volume of comments and responses in the Fastlane blog shows that successful blogs are both social and relevant.

In the world of blogs, there is still disagreement on who should be writing the business blog. In the case of Fastlane, it’s Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. For some companies, however, the pitfalls might outweigh the privileges of having an executive doing the blogging. The voice of the boss does not always come out well in a blog. Also, an executive might be unlikely to continue blogging for long due to a simple lack of time. This is the situation for about half of all blogs that are created: after three months, the entries stop and the blog is essentially dead. For this reason, typically the most successful business blogs are run by the employees rather than the CEOs. Therefore, it might make more sense for your business if the employees conduct blogging because they generally have the energy and detailed insight (and voice) to make a more readable blog because to the peers of the readers, and thus legitimate.

Legitimacy has proven to be of central importance to any success in business or market blogging. A few years back, Dr. Pepper attempted to overstep this in the marketing of their now infamous new product, Raging Cow (a flavored milk drink). The company hired teenagers to try the drink and blog about it after being coached. Dr. Pepper’s efforts were received with viciousness and even boycotts for trying to infiltrate the “integrity” of the blogosphere with marketing through coached customers and “hip-ness.” The whole thing went sour and Raging Cow went unreleased. Moreover, many of us are looking at the fate of “Pay-Per-Post” and its legitimacy in the near future.

Another drink company, Jones Soda, offers a much different and more successful model of blog legitimacy and customer outreach. A visit to the blog gives more the impression of a teen hangout than a business. The blog, in fact, acts as a hub for numerous customer blogs. There is all of the usual business-related material present: an online store, a product locator, and message boards (with posts reaching into the thousands). But the people at Jones very obviously know their customers well and have developed a highly successful blog counterpart to their business by loosening the reigns and putting the clientle completely in charge. Terrifying as this might be to some executives, it seems to have worked brilliantly for Jones.

In summary, business blogging can be best looked upon in its infancy even though the sheer statistics of blogs appearing everyday appear to be high. Businesses that whish to enter the blogospere should do so cautiously unless they have a strategy that meets several of the requirements above. However when executed carefully, a business blog can be a great source of customer intimacy, relationship building, and an extension of your business’s brand.

Author: Christian Del Monte
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: PCB Prototype & Manufacturing

According to a new study, there are literally over a hundred thousand blogs created each and everyday. Im not sure what percent of these are actually serious about maintaining one, but you have to admit that its a pretty large number of new blogs born daily. Whats important, is that this gives immediate insight that blogging is a powerful tool that is likely here to stay.

Getting started with a blog is relatively easy, but giving some thought to its overall strategy, utility, and execution can go a long ways. Although this article is not intended to be all inclusive, it will give you some basic guidelines and steps in how to start blogging like a pro out of the gates.

Choosing a Domain Name For Your Blog Probably one of the most fun of all the tasks in starting a blog is choosing a domain name. But dont act to rashly, because you make overlook some subtleties that may have a long-term effect on your blog strategy.

Outside the fact of choosing catchy names, there are four main domain structures one can choose from. The first three require some monetary investment while the last option is virtually free.

Choosing a stand-alone domain: www.yournewblogsite.com- believe it or not this choice is not for everyone. In this scenario, your new blog will act as a stand-alone website from other websites you may own. If your trying to make a connection to your already established business or website, this may not be the best choice for you because youll have to work harder in making the connection to other Internet website you may own. Thus linking (an important aspect in making your blog popular) will not be as easy because youll essentially have to start from scratch in popularizing your blog. The pro of course is that you can choose a catchy name that others may remember more easily and have a positive effect on your blogs success.

Choosing a sub domain: www.youblogsname.websiteialreadyown.com- if you run a large corporate site and would like to brand your blog but would rather have your blog act as a separate website then this option works best. The cons however are similar to choosing a stand-alone website in that the blog as treated as a separate identity. In most cases, Im still a fan of making your blog part of our own website for the reasons listed below.

Choosing a blog as a subdirectory of another website: www.mysite.com/blog- probably one of the most overlooked choices of starting a blog is using one of your already established domains and simply extending your blog from it. The reason for doing so has several pros. First, you get an immediate benefit from all the links your website already has, which will make your blog easier to popularize. Secondly, your blog will maintain your brand and image thus giving your company/website a boost. Lastly, blogs and other websites may opt to link to your company/website homepage and therefore kill two birds with one stone. If your unsure about the best of the three methodologies, I would recommend this one unless you dont already have a website.

Choosing a free blog platform: www.mynewblog.bloghostingcompany.com: in this last scenario, and most popular I might add, your blog will act as a subdomain from another blogging provider company. The most popular being Bloggers www.youblogname.blogspot.com. Dont be immediately discouraged because you dont own your name outright. There are lots of bloggers who maintain blogs on free blogging sites such as Blogger and Wordpress. The main downside is that if you want to ever choose to move your blog, maintaining your blogs popularity will be more challenging. If your just starting out and are not sure if you want to keep your blog, this option is best for your because youll literally have no investment to make other than your time in writing for your blog. However, if your serious about getting about blogging and want to be a pro out of the box, the above three choices are better for you.

Choosing a Blogging Host Provider If you choose any of the above three, youll most likely need a blog host provider. Just like any other website, there are a lot of options to consider before you jump with two feet forward. The first obviously being cost.

The good news is that blogs dont typically require heavy hosting fees. There are many low-budget hosting options that could suffice such as Bluehost.com or Powweb.com. Beware however, like anything else, you get what you pay for. If youre looking for superb customer service at the drop of a hat, its likely you will need a higher quality-hosting provider. Prices range from $8 to $150 per month or higher depending on your needs. In addition, most hosting providers provide domain name registration at little or no extra cost so that you can make a one-stop shop. Best if all, since blogs and blogging are so popular, many will offer automatic blog software installation that makes it easy for anyone to get started that arent tech savvy.

Choosing a Platform Ok, youve chosen your domain strategy, thought about a hosting provider, but are unsure of what blog platform to go with. Whats next?

There are literally 100s of blog software platforms you can choose from. For simplicity purposes, I have chosen three that I believe to be the most popular and the best bang for the buck.

Blogger- free blogging service and one of the fastest ways to start blogging. However, it is one of the most basic platforms available and does not offer many advanced features. Your blog will appear as a subdomain of blogspot unless you purchase a hosting service. Its great for beginners, but isnt our first choice for professional blogging. Nevertheless, its one of the most popular blogging tools online.

Six Apart- free and professional blogging platforms are available. Of the bunch, one of the easiest to sign up with and offers technical support that is excellent. Most suitable for most businesses wishing to get out on the blogosphere or first timers that plan on going pro.

WordPress- a professional bloggers choice and what I recommend for professional blogging. This blogging platform is free and was created (and remains) as free open source code platform. Although there is no live technical support per se, the WordPress blogging community acts as one of the best free support groups of any web application on the net. Since its inception, WordPress now offers a version that is free and one that requires hosting.

Summary As you can see, there are a lot of variables to consider when choosing a blog. From domains to hosting, one can easily make a choice that has a long-term impact. The good news is that when chosen wisely, a blog can be a powerful tool to gain exposure for your business or personal endeavors!

Author: Christian Del Monte
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable Multi-cooker

• Easy to insert keywords through the theme option menu.  Adding the page title to these keywords creates an SEO feature that is hard to beat.  I learned this technique long ago from Courtney Tuttle’s Keyword Sniping posts (no longer available on his site).
• Integrated tags to meta keywords.  If it was good enough to tag your post with it is good enough to make a keyword out of
• Advertising Ready
• Plugin Ready
• Post Thumbnails  Thumbnail added to every post snippet.  Blogging in Black and White uses the limit content function to allow you to set the number of characters displayed.  This is more versatile than excerpts.

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• AdRotate This will rotate ads for you just place the code on the appropriate ad
• Custom Post Templates this allows you to use the included post templates
• Extra Comment Fields allows you to make use of the twitter comment field
• Profile Pic Allows you to use the author.php file as it is written. Move template it into the main theme directory to use.
• Secure and Accessible PHP Contact Form this is the best contact form out there.  Blogging in Black and White free Wordpress theme includes a custom style sheet for this plugin.

As always see what other plugins I am recommending.

The first thing you will notice on the homepage is the big fat logo image and his featured article.  Also in the opening screen is a box with a bunch of ways to subscribe to his blog.  The last thing you are going to notice when you load up, if you notice it at all depending on your screen resolution is the advertising is all located on the right hand side of the screen.

Here are the things I think work on in the opening screen.  There is instant navigation links at the top of the page.  This lets me quickly skip the home page since I have seen it plenty of times.  The logo has a message and his catch phrase.  You instantly know what the blog is about.  The subscribe to links make it easy for you to get to the meat of the blog on your own terms.  The last thing we see in the opening shot is a featured post which has a video.  This is what Vic sees as some of his most important information, so it gets a prime spot.  The only thing I find that doesn’t work for me, can’t be seen directly.  I looked at the page source and didn’t care for the extensive use of tables.  It has worked for him so far, so all I can say is it is a pet peeve and my problem not his.

Let’s take a look at one of his posts now.  You find the same header information you did on the home page.  All the extraneous information is on the right hand side of the blog while the post takes up a little less than half the page width.  The text itself is broken with graphic elements, which in this case happen to be advertising.  You also find he has bold faced the important keywords of the post.  After the text you get a good list of related posts and then the comments.

Here is where I think the posts go right.  The keywords are bolded for SEO purposes, this is something I am slowly going back and doing myself.  He uses good density of the keywords he wants to promote. The post itself isn’t a long continuous bit of text.  (short posts without breaks are okay, long ones are hard to read)  The post column is also thin enough that it doesn’t strain the eyes moving all over the page.  Once again all the extraneous information is on the right side of the page not interfering with the reading. The second place the post goes right is the inclusion of related posts.  This helps draw readers further into your site.

In the end not only are you going to learn a lot about what does and doesn’t work on a blog by reading it, you can quite easily figure out the best ways to lay your blog out by studying the design of successful blogs.  Vic uses strong language, but fuck it so do I, and so do most people if they are honest enough to admit it.  His blog is still top notch and well worth reading even if you are easily offended.  I’ll go so far as to say especially if you are easily offended, being outside your comfort zone is the best way for you to learn anything.  Keep up the great work Vic.