Sunday, November 23, 2008

Statistical Visitor HIT Counter from StatCounter.com

Statistical Visitor HIT Counter


Are you curious to install a statistical ‘HIT’ Counter to your blog in blogspot? If yes, there is a free yet dependable ‘Statistical HIT Counter’ invisible web tracker from (http://www.statcounter.com/).
You can configure the web stats to suit your requirements and install without much hassle. What you have to do is just insert the code generated by the Website on your web page or blog and you will get your HIT counter on your blog to analyze and monitor all your visitors to your blog in real-time! This user-friendly, reliable and fast loading service counter is offered free of cost. How amazing it is?


Fast and reliable Widget

Fig. 1. Installation Options Menu (Source StatCounter on Blogger/Blogspot)

From the users’ feed backs it is clear that the widget provides accurate, real-time visitor statistics with detailed visitor tracking information and analysis. Installing StatCounter on Blogspot is really Childs play. I have installed the widgets in all my blogs Learn to Earn from Internet Home Business (http://blog-casts.blogspot.com/), Know Your Mantra (http://know-your-mantra.blogspot.com/) and Know Your English Skills (http://know-your-english-skills.blogspot.com/) So let me explain step-by-step instructions for anyone to install widget in his / her blog.

Step by Step Instructions
1) Just get yourself registered.
2) Now you start feeding information i.e. name of your blog or website, the URL of your blog or Website. Once you complete this step you will get menus showing installation options
3) I have included the screenshot obtained from
http://blog.statcounter.com/2008/09/statcounter-on-bloggerblogspot/
4) Now let me explain how to install your StatCounter code on Blogspot.
5) Log on to your ‘Dashboard’. Choose your blog and choose Layout option.
6) Next choose Page Elements and then choose Add a Gadget
7) Under the scroller window showing basic gadgets, just choose HTML/Javascript widget
8) Leave the Title window blank. Proceed to paste the code generated from StatCounter http://
www.stacounter.com. Verify and save.
9) You may reposition the widget at a comfortable location
10) Come out of the Add a Gadget and then from Page Element.
11) Now view your blog.
12) You will find your StatCounter at the designated location and it will now begin recording visitor information!

Source:
StatCounter on Blogger/Blogspot http://blog.statcounter.com/2008/09/statcounter-on-bloggerblogspot/

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Five Star Rating Widget from Spotback

Spotback Rate Everything Widget

If you are curious to know about how your audience view and rate your blog or blog posts, then you can add spotback Rate Everything Widget (http://spotback.com/). Here is a post on ‘how to get the widget for your blogspot / wordpress blogs’. You might have seen such facilities in a few commercial services such as Amazon. Today the same rating facility is just few clicks away. How wonderful it is?

Rating tool lets your audience to rate your posts and there is instant feedback. There is a freedom to navigate your blog and identify the posts of interest.

Why You need this tool?

On Internet you may find humpty number of widgets on ‘five star’ rating. The Spotback Rating tool helps your audience discover your posts and add rating to them. No programming or coding knowledge required. It is a Childs play. You are able to install the widgets free of cost. You may find your rating and tagging history saved in your own personal profile and alerts you with statistics.


Spotback Widget code no: 35074
Just Register

To start with you have to register with spotback. After a cool login you may choose either ready-to-use-design from SpotBack widget gallery or you may use the editor to roll-your-own. You have freedom to add the desired element and to modify even CSS properties i.e. background images, font size and color, borders, labels, etc.


Step by step instruction:


1) Login using your User Id.
2) On spotback home page you will find a link ‘Get a Widget’ (http://spotback.com/widgets/intro). Now click the link.
3) You will find number of widget styles. Just choose the one you like. Later you may modify its font size and color, borders, labels, etc.
4) Once your selection is over you will get the code suitable for your blog categories i.e. blogspot classic, blogspot new and wordpress. Choose the right one for your template style.
5) There will be an ID number displayed along with the widget you have chosen. Just note the number.
6) You may both copy the code and integrate it using ‘edit html’ menu. If you are not comfortable there is an alternate method.
7) Alternatively go to your blog dashboard and reach the Template tab. Just click on ‘Page Elements’, then ‘Add a Page Element’.In the pop dialog box choose for ‘Html/JavaScript’. That screen will open an input form.
8) In the box labeled Title, just enter something or leave it blank.
Copy the following code from your notepad:

9) Just replace the id number with the words marked in bold italics.
10) Click on Save Changes.
11) If all went well, you are back at the Page Element screen and your new widget is sitting at the top of your sidebar. Just drag and reposition the widget just below your blog post (main bar). That is all.
12) Now View your blog. Test your rating widget. Make sure they are working properly. If there are any bad links, just go back to your Page Element screen and edit it.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Online Stock Photography: Ideal Place to Make Money

Online Stock Photography: Suitable for Amateurs and Hobbyists
There are many ways to make money online Stock photography offers plenty opportunity for amateur hobbyists. As the entry is not restrictive and the formal registration with online stock photography Websites is comfortable, many amateur hobbyists with inexpensive cameras have already started making a nice second income from their pictures.
Ideal Commercial Photographers

If you are a competent photographer with passion for commercial photography, you can make more money online with stock photography. You are able to license your stock photos for just $1 or $2, and photographers earn money each time a commercial designer or artist chooses one of your photos.
What is Stock Photography?

Stock photography means professionally competent digital images or photographs of common interest are collected and stocked by an aggregator and distributed to publishers, advertising agencies, and other agencies for commercial design purposes.
How the Transaction Goes?

The online stock photography aggregators allow the potential users to download digital images on the basis of licensed agreements. The most popular license agreement is royalty-free stock photo license which allows the unlimited use of a photo in any media defined in the licensing terms. Rights managed license is exactly opposite of royalty-free license. The difference is that a rights-managed photo needs a specific license stating the audience and material surrounding the photo.
What else they Want?

The online database of stock photos may include common articles, events, landscapes, locations, nature and people. It may also have computer graphic designs such as backgrounds, clip-art, illustrations, textures, and vectors. The stock photo aggregator obtains copyright and all other rights on stocked photos.
How Commercial Designers Negotiate?

The commercial designers find that stock photography is the ideal source for professional photos for a fair price. They have the liberty to choose their right images at the right time from the huge collection. The distribution to designers involves three different channels. The designers who intend to buy photos in bulk quantities are encouraged to come under subscription scheme. Another standard mode of distribution is marketing of photos through CD-ROM collection. However the aggregators also allow downloading of single photos.

How to make entry into stock photography?

Identify online stock photography aggregators. Thoroughly analyze their terms and policies. You list out carefully their requirements for formal registration and photo submission. There are forums to discuss the reasons for rejection. Mostly noise and blur could be the main reason for rejection. Learn the ways and means to use your models and objects.
1). Shortlist and start with one or two online stock photography aggregators. Commence your photo upload and continue till you are familiar with stock photography.

2). Just start shooting your images. Select ten images that may satisfy the requirements of online stock photography aggregators. Few of these people demand three to ten best images while you apply for registration.

3). They will review your images and announce their acceptance or rejection. Once accepted your images are available for commercial designers to select and buy.

Popular online stock photo aggregators:
1) Shutter Stock (http://www.shutterstock.com/) Most popular online stock photography aggregator. You will get 20 percent commission per download. It ideal for beginners
2) Dreams Time (
http://www.victorykey.com/info/dream-time.htm) Equally popular site. You will get $ 0.50 to $ 1.50 per download
3) Big Stock Photo (
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/) Another ideal site supportive to amateurs. Pays $ 0.50 per download.
4) iStockPhoto (
http://www.istockphoto.com/) Ideal site. You have to undergo an online test to get qualify for registration. You will get $ 1.00 to $ 1.50 for each download.
5) CanStockPhoto (
http://www.canstockphoto.com/) offer professional royalty free stock photography. Your high-quality images start at just $1.00
6) Fotolia (
http://www.fotolia.com/) Another good site. You will get $ 1.0 to $3.0 for every download.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

How to generate good market and traffic to your blog?

Market Your Blog
Good writing alone will not pay off. So Market Your Blog
We have noted that blogging is adjudged as "citizens' journalism" Popularity of your post will be governed by two important elements. The first element is that a powerful blog should have good blog content. But it is proved that good writing or content alone will not make your post powerful. The other element is that it should have effective and efficient marketing. This post will concentrate only on the second element.

Effective Methods
What do you mean by effective blog marketing? We have a huge list of effective methods. This posting will cover some of the most common methods.
1). Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is mostly recommended by every one. Use powerful keywords. It is a vital process through which your blog will made more friendly to search engines. Popular search engines will take your blog to the target audience.
2). Social networking tools. You may bookmark your blog to popular sites like Digg and StumbleUpon. It is an extremely popular method to market your blog. As a result your blog will be most popular and successful.
3). Your Comments about other blogs. Make it a habit to visit other blogs and leave your comments about the blogs. This will give you a good exposure to other blogs. Simultaneouly you are indirectly inviting the authors of visited blogs and make them to comment your blogs. Thus you are adding significance to your blog.

How to write a powerful blog and grab your audience’s attention?

Blog Design

Why blogging is adjudged as "citizens' journalism"? Simply because the blog should follow journalistic approach. What is expected in a journalistic approach? Two important elements. The first element is that a powerful blog should have good blog content. The other element is that it should have effective and efficient marketing. This post will concentrate only on the first element. The other element will be covered in part - 2
Blog Content: Make it Powerful
What do you mean by good blog content? Good blog content is:
Whenever your audience access any one of your articles or posts, he should develop an urge to read the same. You can achieve these qualities by fulfilling the following requirements:
1) Title of post or article: Your blog title should represent your blog content clearly. It should communicate what exactly the post is about.
2) Opening sentence / paragraph: The opening sentence should grab the attention of audience and hook your audiences into your blog.
3) An intriguing question: The opening sentence can be question. People call this as twitter. Answering the question will result in a blog.
4) Keep the topic current and timely
5) How to provide confidence? Your post or article should act as an ambassador for the views expressed. It should promote confidence and understanding. It should meet out the common goal,
6) Explain with a story: Any hard-to-understand concepts can be explained with a story.
7) Target audience: Check whether the post or article is precisely relevant to your target audience. If the blog content is not audience oriented it will not reach to its target.
8) Format: Format your post or article with adequate paragraphs. Have a paragraph for each concept or point. Each concept should have sub-title. Decorate your post or article with adequate graphics or picture. Leave adequate white space between lines. Mark page numbers, section numbers, and have serial number and title for each picture and / or table. Highlight important lines or passages to show their importance.
9) Spelling and Grammar: Take utmost care to employ correct spelling and grammar. Make the blog content submitted to search engine optimization

Why I am interested in blogging?

My Inclination to Blogging

Why I am inclined in blogging? Why I am considering it really worthy? I see that blogs are increasing in popularity because more feasible, realistic and practical ways to use the Internet for compiling documents. The printed documents are decreasing in numbers and there is phenomenal increase in online publishing. Blogging is becoming a relatively new international phenomenon. I strongly consider blogging as one of the best option to have increased global outreach.. The distinct reason for proliferation of blogs is it's ease of use and maintenance.

I sincerely believe that spending some quality time in researching seriously about blogs and blogging is an excellent idea since I am interested in posting articles in blogs. I consider it wise to discuss blogging with others who have expertis in blogging.

What is Blog?

A blog (or Weblog) is a dedicated content management system designed to create, edit, publish and maintain blogs. People call this as virtual journal or an online diary. It comprises a series of interlinked webpages which are usually displayed from latest to oldest.. (reverse chronological order). It may include include digital photography, graphics, videos etc.text or URL links for other related websites.

Distinct Advantages of Blogs
What are some of the distinct advantages and common features you like in blogging? It is absolutely free to set up a blog in most of the blog sites. It may attract some minimal cost in some other blog sites and they provide a domain name. Some other blog iste may offer payment for articles posted. The payment terms may include agrrements to allow advertising. However most of the blogs does not generate income.
Most preferred common featute is comments from viewers. I can get appreciation or criticism immediately about my postings. If the content is informative I will have more visitors and this data will indicate my revenues and returns. Now most of the people are beginning to perceive its merit for its in-built archival storage value.

Why Should I Blog?
I sincerely believe that blogging is worthy past time or hobby. I see that almost every internet user is maintaining a blog and most people are addicted to blogging. I am comfortable whan I am able to pick up a subject and contribute articles and publish them in blog sites.

My contribution can be on any subject ranging from art to zen or zero to infinety. My blog could be considered as an internet log of my thoughts, feelings and opinions. It allows and encourages me to communicate my thoughts, opinions and values accurately and to maintain an desired academic standard. I have my own freedom to publish my articles wherever I like. I feel proud of sharing my blog postings with others.

I do get Money
I do get profit by advertisement revenues based on clicks and page impressions. I can instantly receive revenues for articles submitted on special requests or competitions.
So I am Blogging...it's a good thing.