Surely, the year 2013 was indeed a wonderful year for me. Even though I had so much to do offline and I couldn’t blog as much as I would have love to, I wish to sincerely thank all my blog readers. Thank you all for visiting, reading, commenting and sharing my blog posts in social media.
It is my sincere prayer that this year 2014 will bring to each of you glad tidings. God bless you richly. Happy New Year!
Most people access blogs through mobile devices now. Because of that, you need to make sure your blog is perfect for mobile viewing. Since WordPress is so widely used and very simple for maintaining a blog, there are many plugins available that make it perfect for viewing on a smartphone or tablet computer. Here are four of the best worth considering to rock your blog.
If your website isn’t suitable for mobile, there’s not much point in it
WP Mobile Detector
Not everybody uses a smartphone to check the internet. While they seem so popular, some are still using traditional mobile phones. Plugin developers have created WP Mobile Detector with that in mind. The plugin will recognize when someone is viewing from a phone, determine the type of phone it is and then make sure the website or blog loads in a way that is suitable for that specific user.
It can detect over 5000 different types of mobiles and is the first of all plugins to be able to do this. It not only considers the layout of the blog but will resize images, format the content properly and work with the specific statistics of the device. If you don’t download and install any other WordPress plugin, this is the one to get.
WP Touch
The downside to WP Mobile Detector is that it only works for phones; not all mobile devices. There are many readers now accessing through tablet computers. The problem with mobile devices is that they have different needs for loading articles and smaller screens for viewing pages compared to laptop and desktop computers. WP Touch solves that problem.
It determines the type of mobile device used, including the type of operating system, to make sure the website loads smoothly and looks right. Another difference that WP Touch has is that you can change the appearance. You can decide on having a faster and more user-friendly design without the need of changing the code or having any coding experience at all. The different look for the mobile device is standalone and has no effect over the main theme viewed from a desktop.
Allow people to browse on a platform that suits them
MobilePress
MobilePress creates a simple, mobile-friendly version of your blog or website. However, it isn’t as good as the previous two options. The plugin offers a little customization with themes and settings but at the moment simply creates a version that is easily viewed on any mobile device. It can’t tell the type of device that a reader is using.
There are changes to this plugin. New features are due to be added although the developers are not releasing much detail. There are some notes about it being incompatible with other plugins. This can happen with any type of plugin used. The best thing to do is limit use of plugins to as few as possible to avoid these incompatibility issues that can stop websites working.
Wapple Architect
Wapple Architect is another plugin that will turn your WordPress blog into a mobilized version. Like WP Touch, the specific type of device is detected so that the blog will look perfect; no matter what type of device is being used. Its use isn’t to create a basic design of your blog, but to make sure that all the functions work and the user can do everything he or she would want to do on a laptop or desktop computer. There is also no redirection used, unlike on other plugins, so all URLs remain the same.
The developers have created their own tools for recognizing the devices. This means that they remain in full control instead of worrying if a third party will close down. It also makes sure the settings can be detected on the newest products on the market.
Be the blog everyone is sharing and talking about
You need a blog that is suitable for all types of viewing and is dynamic. This means it needs to be ready for mobile. There are many different types of devices to think about, each with different layouts, needs and screen sizes. For WordPress blogs, this is much easier through the use of plugins. However, avoid downloading and installing too many as it can affect the capabilities of your website.
Alexandria Ingham is a freelance writer covering technology, building websites and tips to online reputation management.
Images courtesy of adamr/FreeDigitalPhotos.net and KROMKRATHOG/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
There are lots of blogs online and more are created on a daily basis, promoting the blog becomes a challenge for most new bloggers.
One way to effectively promote the blog is by way of creating a blog contest. Even sponsors like blog contest because it’s an avenue for them to promote their blog, product or service by offering good prizes and or cash prizes for a certain time.
If you’re considering starting a blog contest for the purpose of promoting your blog, then this article will show you how to effectively do it and succeed.
Have you ever watch a reality TV show like the Apprentice, Survivor, American Idol etc or any series movie series like 24, Prison Break, Nikita etc, these are popular contest and have built an audience that improve the rating of the channel and the brand of the company doing it. That is why most of the reality TV show or movie series have been turn into seasons and whenever it’s release, the audience turn to it again.
The shows follow some trend: good content produces good audiences and builds loyalty among them which will be eager for more from the provider. At these stage we’ll say, they have built a brand that is why people are eager to see their next project.
So the question is can you create a blog contest that will pull in more audience that will make people and sponsors to be eager to for more? Below are some tips for conducting a successful contest on your blow.
Have someone who decide on the result
This are people who you’ll recruit especially people who are expert or have good idea about the subject and give them some certain instruction about how to judge the contest.
Give them the guidelines, links and points to consider as correct. You’re not doing all the work, but trying to coordinate the entire process and to allow them do a fair judgment since you’re off it. This is good as you’ll not give preferential treatment to your friends or any sponsors, but will reward the winner base on quality.
Make your contest viral using social media
Although this depend on what you intent to achieve in your contest. If you intent to build visibility and credibility, build list, build your brand and to be an authority under a niche, then using social media is the best place you can start and the best place to make your contest go viral.
Don’t just stop there, continue to other social bookmarking sites this also boost your search engine ranking. Create a special page for your contest and encourage your blog visitors to share the page. That is not the only benefit the during contest, even after that as you’ll continue to enjoy the traffic.
You can write review in your page and at the end of it, put in some simple contest term for your visitor to read and subscribe to it.
Give the sponsors some benefit
Having sponsors for the contest is good, then try and do something special that will keep then willing to take part in the next contest. Let it begin by giving them some important benefits.
Give them some form of appreciation, it can be a book that interest them, a T-shirt, recommendation of how to improve their site and offer them some value to sponsor the next context.
How to make the contests exciting with benefits
Plan the contest in other to avoid mistakes
Effective planning makes your contest stand out from the crowd. The following are suggestions on how to plan before the contest.
Keep the best and eliminate the poor ones
Making your contest more exciting should be the top priority. When the contest is on, start eliminating those that are poor and keep the strong contestants to compete together. This will make the spectators to be more interested in the contest.
Announce the blog contest winners
At the end of your contest, don’t just announce the winners just like that. Give the exact calculation of the points and state clearly why the winner was chosen. Mention what the prize is and how you intent to reward the spectators. And when it’s successful, then start working on the next contest.
Author bio
Bako Yila is a blogger and have been blogging for the past three years on various subjects like blogging, personal finance, inspiration and lifestyle. Visit our blog for more on personal finance, inspiration and lifestyle.
“Business is as old as life,” says author and entrepreneur Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha, “there is no living being that does not have a business.” Business may be as old as life, but many of us get so caught up perfecting new technology, we forget life’s business basics.
According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), a whopping 59 percent of us believe that the most credible purchase recommendations come from face-to-face, or voice-to-voice interactions. What does this mean for you? If you’re not armed with tangible brand collateral, confidence and a pitch that resonates, you’re missing invaluable opportunities for success.
Whether you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or you’re trying to get your handmade furniture business off the ground, your business card should be an extension of your hand. Prescott Perez-Fox of Starship design likens your business card to an artifact that everyone you meet can remember you by. A properly designed and distributed card can be the thing that signs your biggest clients. Kyle Laser of Laser printing tells businessinsider.com that he modeled his company’s business card after a Google search result, and he estimates that 10 of his largest clients were signed because of the card alone. The printing business is competitive, and many companies offer unique reasons to print with them: Printing for Less business cards are produced in a tri-certified green way, allowing you to feel good about your mark on the environment.
A study published by “Psychology Today” reveals that more than 80 percent of communication is conveyed through non-verbal means like body language and tone. And, according to businessinsider.com, 55 percent of someone’s opinion of you is based on your overall appearance. What does this mean for your brand and business? You wield the most power in person, so take advantage of it.
Face-to-face, or voice recommendations are the most powerful tools for your business, but how do the numbers translate? According to WOMMA, 54 percent (the largest piece of the pie) of purchasing decisions are a direct result of word of mouth. Good-old-fashioned conversation is one of your strongest allies in the business world. In our economy, a good elevator pitch or introduction can seal any deal. An elevator pitch is as much as a science as it is an artform, and if you haven’t perfected yours yet, now is the time. Entrepreneur.com’s Barbara Findlay Schenck breaks down the art and the science of the perfect pitch:
Your business might be new, and your online presence might be tailored to perfection, but every business transaction has value. Every new encounter you make has potential. Be ready with the right collateral, poise and pitch, and you can take on the world.
More than 30 percent of hiring managers second guess their new hires. Up to 25 percent of new hires second guess their choice of employer. The results can devastate the profits of a business, reports The Recruiting Roundtable. Just consider that 68 percent of customers and clients stop doing business with a company because an employee shows an attitude of indifference towards them, and the lifetime value of a customer is 300 to 700 times more than an hourly employee’s pay, according to a survey by author Michael LeBoeuf
When it comes to employees, choosing wisely will help you reap the most rewards.
Although opportunities for advancement are generally less frequent with small businesses, there are ways to make devoted employees feel like part of a growing business. Even large companies such as Costco can adopt a small business culture that boosts the morale of current employees.
An interview with Jim Sinegal, former CEO of Costco, showed that big companies often work to promote from within because it provides better incentives for longtime employees. Individuals who come from other retail venues are trained for a set time period before obtaining a promotion to a preferred position at Costco. Basically, Costco has enjoyed much of its success because they use a specific formula to cultivate the enthusiasm of their employees while rewarding long-term effort and loyalty.
photo Victor1558
Having a plan to rate and review each employee’s strengths, areas of growth, and leadership potential can make the decision a little easier for professionals looking to hire new employees.
Clay Wyatt of BusinessFinanceStore.com, says that a major benefit of hiring internally is cost reduction. Hiring from within saves the expense of using a recruiting service and advertising the position. The cost of hiring externally is usually much higher, due to the necessary steps a company must take to interest potential employees.
Another benefit of internal hiring is increased employee morale. Employees who feel that they are able to grow with a company are more likely to work efficiently and retain a positive mindset. This increases the productivity of employees as they work on building a career.
Although hiring from within is an excellent practice for many reasons, hiring outside the company is a great way to bring in fresh thinking. New ideas brought in by external hires can motivate a stagnant staff, according to Education Week’s Emily Douglas. A new employee is likely to bring creative thoughts to the table, which can lead to more innovation. Streamlining the process with resources like job-applications.com for new hires to apply can also be a big, time-saving help.
Hiring externally may also be necessary when specific qualifications, experience or educational standards are desired. Current employees might not have the experience or education needed for a promotion. Hiring a specifically educated new manager can also help current employees expand their repertoire and business sense.