Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

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4 Mobile WordPress Plugins to Rock Your Blog

Monday, November 18th, 2013

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

Posted in Blogging, Guest Post, Tips & Tricks | 3 Comments »

Insider’s secret to Creating a Blog Contest for Exposure and Traffic

Wednesday, July 10th, 2013

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

  1. Now after having finish a successful contest and all parties have benefited. There were some who could not participate and yet contribute to your website. Don’t just leave them like that show them how important they’re by giving them some incentive. You can ask them to comment or ask a question and the person with the best comment or question, will be rewarded. This also will generate more traffic and more people will join your contest next time.
  2. From your feedback and comments, you can create a poll or voting widgets and ask your spectators and contestants too to vote their favorite blog comments or blog and who they fear the most in the contest. This way your next contest will exciting, because you have engaged your visitors or spectators.
  3.  If the contest is running for a limited time, maybe for a month, you need to keep updating the leader-board with stats every week. This is a way telling the contestants and visitors that you are fair and credible. Playing the game with no partiality at all.

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.

  1. Make the name unique and attractive
  2. Make sure the name is short and can be remembered easily
  3. Design your promotional tools with both text and banners included.
  4. Make the rules and state clearly what will disqualify any contestant.
  5. Make a disclaimer; these will avert the fight that may arise when the final result is announced.
  6. Limit the number of participants. These will make it easier for you to calculate points and easy to judge.
  7. Tell contestants on what they need to do exactly.
  8. Make the contestant have the same eligibility criteria for them to be admitted.
  9. Don’t forget your sponsors after the contest. Keep emailing them for next context and don’t forget to tell them the benefit.

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.

Posted in Blogging, Guest Post, Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment »

Why Economists Love Cloudsourcing

Saturday, April 6th, 2013

“The cloud” is the phrase on everyone’s lips this year, but not all new ideas stick with us—Segways, zip drives, and HD-DVD were all the hot new tech at one point, and they’ve all gone the way of the dinosaur. Will cloud computing wind up on the scrap heap of tech history? We don’t think so, and neither do many economists. Here’s why:

1. Cloud computing massively lowers fixed costs

Drumming up initial investment is one of the biggest hurdles that small businesses face. The larger fixed costs are, the harder it is to get started—and the more likely entrepreneurs are to get stuck in an exploitative contract with investors. All startups endure a zero-profit phase while they build customer base and pay down their fixed costs, and the longer that period is, the more likely a business is to fail. Cloud innovations like virtual desktops, storage, and money management lower the need for startup cash, shortening the window of zero-profit, and allowing more good ideas to turn into successful businesses.

2. Global cloud networks spur investment in developing countries

Until quite recently, people in developing countries had very few opportunities to connect with the world of global business; if you couldn’t afford to go to college overseas, you were stuck. Now, cloud networks connect hospitals in Europe with x-ray technicians in Bangalore, and American corporations consult with engineers in Nigeria; the human capital of the entire planet is increasingly connected in an efficient, wealth-generating network that is far more than a passing fad.

3. Cloud services give small firms access to economies of scale

Most production processes get cheaper as they get larger, and in the past, that fact has strangled small businesses who attempted to compete with the bigger players in their industries. A mom-and-pop grocery store simply can’t match the massive, fine-tuned supply chain of a global supermarket franchise. For services like data storage, web hosting, and accounting, the cloud has given small firms the same “bulk discount” that big companies receive—which makes markets susceptible to disruption and innovation on an unprecedented scale.

4. Comparative advantage is everything

Comparative advantage is the first principle of economics: it states that economies run better when everyone concentrates on their strengths, instead of trying to do everything themselves. Until recently, most entrepreneurs would have to serve as accountant, lawyer, analyst, customer service, and IT, all at once—a very inefficient and exhausting way to do business. Today, cloud services allow entrepreneurs to focus on idea-creation and execution where they have expertise, and use cloud services to store their data, track financial goals, and hire customer service and tech support at minimal cost.

5. Cloud networks broaden the labor market

Only fifteen years ago, companies were limited to the workers they could hire in-town, or persuade to move. Now, about three-fourths of businesses in the US hire part or full-time telecommuters, meaning they can select the best employees from all over the world to meet their company’s needs. Cloud file structures like Dropbox and Google Docs allow firms to collaborate seamlessly across the world. Not only does this allow for firms to save money and run more efficiently, but it also allows workers to find employment without the massive cost and commitment of moving across the country or the world.

 Tara Wagner is a staff writer for TechBreach. She has worked from home for over a decade, and loves sharing news and advice with fellow telecommuting moms and dads. She’s fascinated by new tech and new ideas; and when she finds time to unplug, she enjoys long hikes in the mountains near her home. She lives in Denver.

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Posted in Entrepreneur, Guest Post, small business, Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment »

5 Ways to Compete in a Crowded Field

Friday, March 1st, 2013

Be noticed, stay nimble, and get customers.

If you want to start your own business in a field with a lot of contenders, or you’re the company that has had competition crop up around them like weeds, take note. Here are some great ways to keep your company agile in a changing market place, and get above the crowd to get noticed.

1. Focus on End User Experience

In January of 2007, nobody had heard of an iPhone; but 6 months later, nobody hadn’t. Apple didn’t release the first cell phone, or the first smart phone, or even the first touch screen; and they certainly didn’t invent apps. Virtually nothing about the iPhone was unique except that the company obviously cared about the users of the phone. They tailored an experience that was all about the user: they made it pretty, fool-proof, and backed it up with customer care that worked.

2. Be Something

You should be cheaper, closer, cleaner, and smarter than your competitors, but those things don’t make you’re company truly unique. Your company needs to be something. Many companies are becoming more charitable, doing things like donating a pair of shoes to the needy for every pair bought, or donating a portion of every purchased meal to a particular charity. Your company can organize events, clean-up days; encourage your employees to give back to the community, and in turn your company will get noticed and be known for something.

3. Don’t Outsource Too Much

For a small company it’s easy to spread yourself too thin. There are some things you should definitely outsource (like legal matters), but you should keep as much as you can as close to you as possible. Invest in tax and accounting software that will help you keep accounting resources in the office. If your company uses graphics heavily for advertising or for your actual business, invest in Adobe’s cloud suite to save time and money in completing jobs. The more you can keep in-house, the quicker you will be able to shift and adapt to the changing needs of customers, the volatility of the market, and the evolving techniques of the competition.

4. Be Socially Aware

Your company has an online presence, whether you manage it or not. Services like Yelp, Google Places, and CitySearch allow users to search and leave reviews for businesses, tipping off other customers of perks and drawbacks of the company. You need to be active in creating a positive social presence for yourself. Respond to reviewers, both negative and positive, personally—and with as much warmth and humor as you can manage. Create a Twitter account and a Facebook page to spread the news on promotions and deals and company activity.

5. Don’t Bash the Competition

As you start your business or as others around you begin theirs in your field, two things will happen. Companies will criticize you, and customers will as well. You should respond to criticism and try to address issues that your customers have, but you should never bash the competition; bringing their name into the discussion is nothing but free advertising. If you have to respond specifically about a competitor, address the issue as positively as possible.

Tara Wagner is a staff writer for TechBreach. She has worked from home for over a decade, and loves sharing news and advice with fellow telecommuting moms and dads. She’s fascinated by new tech and new ideas; and when she finds time to unplug, she enjoys long hikes in the mountains near her home. She lives in Denver.

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Posted in Entrepreneur, Guest Post, small business, Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment »

Entrepreneurs: Leverage Your Products and Services With Social Media

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

Since ideas are like elbows (everyone’s got them), finding new and creative ways to connect with a wider audience and target the right demographic will get your brand out there and increase your numbers in sales and client conversion. In a recent article on Clickz.com, CEO of TopRank Online Marketing and author of “Optimize: How to Attract and Engage More Customers by Integrating SEO, Social Media and Content Marketing,” Lee Odden offers several ways in which entrepreneurs can use social media to target the audiences who need their products or services most.

Socia Media MarketingAs a marketing expert, Odden advises new entrepreneurs to use social media to search for the audience that will benefit most from what you are offering, to learn more about what fans are talking about and what terms they use and to also find influencers who will spread the word about your product or service. Creating a Twitter account or Facebook fan page is a good start, but if you want to reach the right crowd of users, read on and learn how you can use social media tools to jumpstart your company’s marketing engine.

Be a Social Listener

Before you reach out to groups and individuals on a social network like Twitter or Facebook, take a moment to see what your competitors are doing and what is working and what isn’t. Odden says being a social listener means researching what your prospective audience is talking about and understanding what is trending in their world and why. If you are planning on building a used car dealership that sells only hybrid and electric vehicles, visit other Facebook fan pages or Twitter pages that belong to local car dealerships. Follow and like their pages and check out what their fans are saying and learn about who their customers are. Researching a Chapman Ford AZ fan page, or following a used car dealerships’ Twitter feed can give you some ideas on how social media works when it’s done well.

Get Connected

Being an entrepreneur is a profession that relies so heavily on sharing ideas and networking. Mashable.com’s Dan Schwabel suggested his top social networks that are made for entrepreneurs, like Cofoundr, PartnerUp, and StartUp Nation. Cofoundr is particularly nice, because it offers exclusive deals and discounts for entrepreneurs and connects them with their niche groups. LinkedIn is a good way to connect with audiences and other entrepreneur professionals, but there are other networks out there. Young Entrepreneur caters to the younger startup crowd and The Funded, a review site that helps entrepreneurs connect with sources for capital to really get the ball rolling.

A Rewarding Experience

Everyone likes a deal or a reward for doing something, even if it’s the gratification of getting a coupon for clicking “like” on a fan page. Startups like Buzz Meditations, an online jewelry store that focuses on selling to the younger crowd of yoga enthusiasts, got off to a good start for their social campaign by offering special gifts and rewards to the first 100 fans of its page. Facebook fan pages go on this model, offering special coupons and offers that only their “fans” will know about if they visit and like their page. The same is true for Twitter followers who can get deals that are exclusive to Twitter followers.

While your fans are grinning ear to ear about the reward they earned for liking or following you, tell them more about why you are the better choice to go with, out of the sea of other services and products out there. Once they’re hooked on your brand, keep growing your services and improving your products, so your base will never stray.

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Posted in Guest Post, small business, Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment »

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