Top 5 Blogging Platforms To Choose From

Every internet addicts love to maintain a blog. Blogging is one of the amazing ways of giving a sharp edge to our writing skills and also to spread knowledge and unique ideas to the visitors. Blogging can be considered as the best way of earning online while it is also believed to be the ideal source of relaxation for some.

Source: archcityhomes.com

Depending on his requirement, a blogger chooses the blog that suits him best. Just as WordPress blogs would be the perfect platform for all professionals, similarly on the other hand for newbie or amateur bloggers blogger.com would be the best fit for them. Therefore, being a blogger it is necessary to concentrate more on your requirements and not to hop around the popularity of the blog. 

Sometimes it does happen that a blogger simply gets confused of choosing the perfect blogging platform from the dozens of service choices that he gets. In order to narrow down this confusion, following is a list of top 5 blogging platforms which would rather help you to make your decision a bit more easily. 

WordPress

This is one of the largest blogging platforms in the world designed for both novices and professionals and also has an infinite customization options. It is a blog with modular backend and has also got a large number of extensions. So, it is also referred as the “do-it-yourself” blog. 

WordPress also allows bloggers to modify their blogs using either their pre-designed themes or by using HTML, CSS or PHP. Their extensions also give extra features to their users such as editing calendars, tag clouds, twitter feeds, etc. 

So, if you are looking for a stout blogging service with enormous options for you to edit it as according to your choice, then WordPress is your platform for sure. 

Blogger

Google’s blogger platform is considered to be the most popular as it is being coupled with your Google account. Getting started is quite easy. All you need to do is to select a title, what the address should be like (name.blogspot.com) and then select a template followed by the content which you want to update in it. 

Here, you can also follow other blogger’s blog and the dashboard keeps on tracking the latest update and will continuously alert you with latest updates. Some additional features also include comment moderation, layout modification, etc. Bloggers were very well-known among teenagers and mommies to express their feelings but nowadays, it has also officially gained the importance of professionals to express their messages through this service. 

Tumblr

Thinking of Tumblr, the first thing which comes right to our mind is all about a true “micro blogging site”. But yes, apart from being a good micro blogging site, tumblr is one of the best and rich blogging platform offering professional and fully adaptable templates as well as many other services. Users can easily access their free tumblr accounts and can manage posts directly from apps via mobile, web and other dedicated apps on the PC. 

Tumblr pages are well maintained with clean designs thus help you more to concentrate on your content rather than customization. If someone likes your content, then he can “favorite it” or “reblog it” which reposts a clip of your post to their page with a link coming to your source page. The most interesting part is that tumblr can import blogs as well can export it if you want to migrate it to a different service. So, if you are a casual blogger and you concentrate more on content rather than on designs, then tumblr is just the best option for you to opt for.  

Posterous

The best way to share your messages with the public, a specific category of people or even yourself, then Posterous is just the right option for you. 

Once you are ready with your account, you can set up “spaces” for people to follow. Permission can be set for each space but you are free to set as many space as you want. This is definitely the best blog and most widely used by professionals to share their messages through this platform. 

Movable Type

This blogging platform was originally developed by Six Apart in 2001, and has appeared as the “power blogger’s platform”. It also offers plugins like WordPress to modify the experience of both blogger and reader. This is one of the best blogging platforms being available in two flavors- the.com version and .org version. The .com version is designed for non-developers who want their blog for free by movable type and again there is .org version which is designed for the professionals who want to host their site using various external services. 

Although you will find a lot of similarities between Movable Type and WordPress, so it totally depends on you which platform you would prefer after judging the best services that it offers such as features, plugins and support that you would be getting in order to keep your content highlighted as always. 

Yes of course, these aren’t the only blogging platforms out there, but yes these are one of the top five blogging platforms being widely used by both professionals and amateurs. So, now that you have got some good platforms to jump-off, it is better to build your blog and start jotting down your points in it. It is the best way to show your visitors the only thing that you are actually good at.

And do read this basic blogging guide before starting you own blog.

Its Your Turn!

Which blogging platform do you prefer? And how good have your experience been with it? I would love to hear from you! So do comment and share your views.

About the Guest Author:

Aditi Datta is a specialized social media organizer who works in a leading SEO company in India. She loves to analyze on recent search engine algorithm changes and user engagements in social media websites.

This post was written by one of our guest contributors. If you would like to contribute to our blog as a guest author, you can contact us.

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How to Make Your Blog Look Professional

It is not only the domain name that will improve the look of your blog. Much credit can be allocated to the design of the blog when it comes to making it look professional. As you start your own blog, you may have decided to just go for a free or pre-made theme and just customizing it a little from here and there. After your blog starts to grow will you begin to realize that attention should be given towards the design it has.

Credit: Nutdanai/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A blog that looks professionally made is one of the easiest ways that you can show off to people how different you are from the new players within your niche. If you have a blog that has a design that is just the same like the rest, then it could be hard to start attracting real attention from the audiences. Below are some tips on how you can create a more professional-looking blog:

Consider Your Goals

For those that want to create a more unique blog, one of the first things that they should do is to start analyzing the goals that they need for it. Ask yourself personally what your goals are for your blogging purposes. This is because the image of your blog will go together with what you are planning to accomplish. If the goals that you have in mind are clear, then you will be in a better position to start designing your blog the way it should be.

Put Your Audience in Your Mind Including Your Niche

It is essential to take a look at your target audience and niche in your blog if you are planning to have your blog designed to look professional. The purpose of your blog will have its own designing requirements and you will have to modify it differently. 

Calculate the Amount You Are Willing to Invest

To get your blog design professionally and attractively, there are many ways to do so. It is possible for you to get it done in just as less as a few hundred bucks or up to more than a couple of thousand. This is where the importance of looking at your budget comes in. If you are already generating income from your blog, then you may want to decide on investing more for it. Spend less if you are otherwise. If you think that your blog already has a good potential in generating cash for you, then you may take the risk in deciding to stretch your budget. If you are able to invest wisely on your blog, this can pay in dividends later on.

Decide for the Best

For options that come at a low cost, going for a premium theme from a blogging platform and have it customized is a good idea. If you are able to spend a few thousand dollars, then you should just go for hiring a professional instead to make you a website from scratch. A professional designer can help you get the task done with ease. Start getting in touch with popular blog designers today.

About the Guest Author:
Kenneth Javellana is an internet consultant for Wireless broadband and has made life easier for so many. There are options that do not require contracts, such as prepaid wireless broadband. A company that help people find the best internet options for their homes and businesses.

This post has been written by one of our guest authors. If you would like to submit a guest post for our blog, you can contact us.

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The 8 Challenges Of Freelance Online Workers

Working from home can be a rewarding experience. Flexibility of hours and the workplace are just two of its advantages. Despite these perks, working as an online freelancer proves to be challenging in some aspects. These challenges make it difficult to last long in this career and prevent many others from becoming one.

1. Killing the competition 

Getting hired online can be as tough as getting a job on the streets. Don’t get me wrong; there are thousands of jobs offered online. But there are also thousands of freelance workers looking for a job. In turn, this makes competition tight during hiring. Of course, you can’t literally kill your competition since that would be murder. But you need to have an edge so that you get hired over someone else. 

2. Finding a trusted employer 

Not everyone looking for online workers can be trusted. I’ve heard several stories from colleagues about bad employers. These “bad apples” fail to comply with agreements made with contractors. Usually, it has something to do with payment terms with some of them not paying at all. With others, it has something to do with salary increase and employment status. 

3. Finding a dependable internet provider 

Employers want online freelancers with fast and reliable internet. It’s necessary for collaboration and communication of team members. Since that depends on the provider, stay-at-home workers often struggle to find one that can give them a good connection. A slow and choppy connection affects productivity and performance of the worker which is a great NO-NO to employers. 

4. Staying motivated to work 

The lack of personal interaction and routine-like nature of working from home will eventually drag down a person’s motivation to work. Lack of motivation can affect an online worker’s commitment, performance, and productivity. 

5. Keeping distractions away 

Online workers tend to have more difficulty focusing on their work compared to office employees. That’s because they can’t be fully monitored and usually, there are no rules regarding matters like internet use or breaks. Monitoring is limited to the computer tracking software. Distractions at home include household conflicts, playing children, errands, and emergencies. Freelance workers may also be distracted by games and social networking sites through computers and personal gadgets. 

6. Getting a good computer 

Online freelancers aren’t always required to get a good computer but having one definitely helps. Your computer can affect your efficiency at performing tasks and finishing projects. A desktop is most ideal but you can also get a laptop for flexibility. Just make sure it’s compatible with your wireless router if you’re using one. Also, it’s recommended that you get a laptop with good reviews on their cooling systems. With a desktop, you can install fans to prevent the overheating of hardware. 

7. Job stability 

One moment you’re hired and the next day you suddenly find yourself unemployed. An employer can fire you just as quickly as he hired you for a job. Contractual or project-based jobs only offer short-term employment and this further aggravates the instability of online work. 

8. Inconsistent salary 

The pay depends on the job, hours, and tasks required of you. Different employers also have different salary schemes. Some pay higher and others lower for the same tasks. This inconsistency in salary can be discouraging for online workers.

Have I left something uncovered in this article? Comment and let me know your views.

About the Guest Author:
Rich Martinez is a home-based employee who likes to write articles related to her job and interests such as photography, health, and lifestyle. She currently works at Broadband Expert, a consultation company that helps home owners and businesses find high speed internet in their communities.

This post has been written by one of our guest authors. If you would like to submit a guest post for our blog, you can contact us.

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Essential SEO Tips for Startups

As a start up business, you will want your company to grow. There are many ways you can achieve this. One of the best ways to do so is to design an amazing website. The website becomes your companies identity in the virtual space. It is not just enough having a good website in place. As a startup company you might require is a few Search Engine Optimization, (SEO) tips. 

SEO is all about getting your business website ranked among the top search results on various available search engines. When customers on the internet type in some key words to search for products or services, the search results should pull up your website. Having the right target audience diverted to your website is one part of the SEO job. It is necessary for you to design your website in such a way that customers do not jump to any other website from yours. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to SEO tips. However, there are a few essential SEO guidelines you can follow. Few of them have been discussed.

Image courtesy of Kromkathog/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do an extensive research on keywords 

The first and the most important step in the entire process is to do an extensive research on the words and phrases that users use to search for stuff on the Internet. Once you are aware of the choice of words that users commonly use, your job is half done. You can work on the keywords researched upon. You can incorporate such keywords in the URL name of your website and in your website content. You can use tools like WordTracker or Keyword Discovery to enhance your keyword search. You can get your hands on paid versions of such tools as they are worth the price you pay for them. 

Create a great website 

This might sound a little strange but it is very important that you create a great website. This is the first step in attracting many visitors to your website. Users visit a website for a purpose. You must design your website in such a way that you gratify the needs of various visitors. This will make them visit your website again and again. Having built a good website, you have high chances of your website showing up on top search results. 

Always use easy and friendly URL’s

Great care must be taken to ensure that the URL’s you create are easy and friendly. A URL which has 3 or more hyphens is looked up as spammy by internet users. So carefully design URL of your website. Easy and friendly URL’s are not difficult to forget. This is yet another advantage of having easy and friendly URL’s. 

Make sure that keywords flow naturally in the content of your website

When you write content for your website, great care must be taken to ensure that the keywords flow rather naturally in the content. You must avoid making your content sound artificial. You must also avoid beating round the bush and exaggerating stuff. Make your content original and authentic. 

Be patient

SEO tips do not generate results overnight. You must have used the right keywords and you can have a good website in place. However, the results can sometimes take months to show. While handling SEO for your startup business, patience is the key. These were just a few of the many SEO tips that you can follow for your startup. There are many more such tips you can use to improve your business. Good luck.

This is a guest post by Lance Goodman of www.dishtvoffer.com, a site that offers savings and current information on Dish TV.

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Apple vs Google: Clash of the OS Titans

Jelly Bean is Google’s attempt to vie against the iOS 6 but can it really outrun Apple and be a match for its finesse? This issue can best be tackled comparing the two operating systems in terms of the features they have to offer. In order to place both equally before the court we will be comparing the similar features in both OSes.

The Last OS standing

Google Now Voice Search is Google’s response to Apple’s all-hearing virtual assistant Siri, which has been the center of several security related and other discussions. Apart from being depriving Google Now of a name, Google has not really made an attempt to personify this tool as Apple has with Siri. Even though the feminine voice of this search feature might tickle your fancy but its going to be only a tease compared to the mechanical sounding Siri, as it does not engage the user like Siri does. As it usually is the case with voice recognition, neither of the tools are always accurate. While Siri is connected to Wolfram Alpha, Google takes pride in its own search engine and both are useful in finding quick information. However, Siri’s greater precision and much better presentation put the ball in Apple’s court.

Image credit

However, Siri fails to expand the search results once information is delivered, whereas Google Now put forth the Google search results as well which gives the user way more convenience in terms of search options. Siri also has an edge with regards to its ease of access in terms of various features and apps. For example, one can update Facebook statuses and tweets using Siri and also command it to open a particular app from a number of apps, which would be difficult to locate otherwise. While it might have a hard time finding apps with odd names, these features accompanied by better appearance give Apple Siri quite an advantage over Google now.

Apple has a brand Maps app too, which is much nicer looking in its 3D satellite view compared to Google maps, nevertheless, the set of features that Google offers, through years of dedication to this realm, is still unparalleled and exceeds Apple’s Maps app by light years. Apple is also unable to provide a street view incase the user needs to navigate by address whereas Jelly Bean had much more up its sleeve as one can create customized routes, define mapping layers and also locate friends who sign up for it. One of the most important advances from Google is offline map viewing whereby you can select a region for which Map data is downloaded and it can be viewed where there is no internet connectivity. This can come off as a great aid to users trying to locate a point in a remote area or a region struck by a natural calamity where internet links are down.

So…who bites the dust?

There are several other features in which Jelly Bean and iOS 6 compare, each one having their individual highs and lows. Apple has accommodated for notifications later than Google but the way they have integrated them, pushing notifications to the lock screen, brings great ease to maneuvering interactions. Jelly Bean on the other hand is much easier to use when it comes to social media as the OS has a separate drop down list for this and one can choose according to his/her discretion, despite Google’s redundant promotion of Google+. Similarly for browsers, there are some features for both Chrome and Safari that make them unique and user friendly. Chrome offers unified search along with URL field whereas Safari comes out with a read it later features called Reading List which helps it maintain its edge.

It seems like Apple is leading the OS race so far as most of its features have seeped into our beings to the degree that they are deemed necessary, however, Google is right behind in terms of its developments. The future looks promising for both the OSes.

About the Guest Author:

Beth Janick's work in the field of spy apps such as iphone spy, spyware on android etc. has been getting a lot of attraction of late. Her articles on spy on blackberry have gotten a lot of attention and continue to wow her readers.

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The Best Practices In Blog Commenting

Social media sites are a lazy person’s dream. When you like something, all you need to do is go ‘like’ it or post a smiley or a one word comment. But if you are a blogger or a reader, comments on other blogs are a good way to drive traffic to your own site and if your comment is positive, your comments will make someone’s day. 

Nothing engages like conversation, as every blogger knows but even in online conversation, there are certain rules of engagement you should keep in mind. Yes, there is a commenting etiquette to be followed that constitute best practices in blog commenting.

Also read: Blog Commenting Safely Even After Penguin

Image courtesy of jscreationzs/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For starters, read through the entire post before you think about saying something. Nothing is more confusing and off putting than a half-baked comment. Once you create such an impression, even if you do have something relevant to say the next time, chances are, it may not be taken seriously. Read without bias and then comment. 

Don’t think one word or line is enough to do the trick. If your aim is to create awareness of your own presence and to come across as a person who is in the know of things, do write at least a few lines. This is especially important from the blog owner’s point of view who is hoping to engage in a discussion. Your comments will start off the debate and both of you can learn and grow. But that does not mean your comment reads like an essay. Strike a balance and for that, practice what you want to say in short spaces. 

Don’t post a comment under the ‘anonymous’ option. Most bloggers disable that option anyway, insisting on a user name but even if they do, the chances of an unknown comment, even if positive, being taken seriously are rather slim. People want to see a face behind the name and even if you’re commenting on behalf of your organization, do use your name. 

Another way to create interest in who you are is to link your comments to other pages. These links could be to your Twitter handle or your LinkedIn account. Please remember not to add links to your comments. This comes across as a blatant form of self- promotion that will not please the blogger too much. Linking your social media site profile is a good way for your circle there to get where you’re coming from. 

Comment often but not too often so as to become a nuisance. Once you’ve identified blogs you like, ensure that you comment on the content on a daily basis. You would want to anyway, seeing how it is content you like. This will help the blogger identify you as a serious presence and that will go a long way in creating good will. 

Read other comments to get more from the process. Other comments are interesting when you need new perspective on a topic. Comments are usually left by interested people and so you can stay updated about industry trends and innovations. Don’t use your comments to engage in angry exchanges with other bloggers. Offensive language that insults a group, gender or race will score you no brownie points with others and you run the risk of being blacklisted by an entire group. So keep your comments clean and relevant to ensure popularity. 

Blog commenting is a great way to get in touch with readers and keep in touch with trends and happenings. Follow best practices to ensure meaningful online presence.

About the Guest Author:

Robin Mckenzie has been writing articles related to Technology News, Gadget Reviews and How To's. Also, he does guest posting for Buycenturylink.com, a site that offers great savings and up-to-date information on consumers broadband internet and cable. Visit centurylink.com or you can click here.

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