Helping You Rock Out Your Site Like A Rockstar!

Recently I received a guest post from a blogger and I thought it was well written. I was so close to publishing it, but something just did not seem right. I asked the guest blogger to fill out their profile, and they had not, which is a requirement here at Blondish.net, so I took a closer look at the entry.

Now I could have used Copyscape, but I did not have to. I put the certain sentences in Google search and was shocked to see the article elsewhere. Of course, some things were taken out, but the article was word for word. Of course, I deleted the pending submission. I am not sure if it is worth the time to confront the plagiarist about it.

So, with that said, if you are a site owner accepting guest posts, double check your submissions. In fact, you might need to go back through past submissions.

You may even want to go back and ask guest bloggers to make sure their profile is filled out and that they have some sort of Gravatar image. It is kind of difficult to believe a person is genuine if their bio is not complete.

Some of these guest bloggers are working for companies and that is okay at times, but it would look bad if the blogger working for them did not have their own work.

So, does this means that there should be certain guidelines set for guest bloggers? If a person is guest blogging about a company they represent, should they disclose it and also give in their bio a link to their own blog site?

What should be done?

Have you ever been told that? Have you been told you need to put your site in a certain niche?

You will not fail as a site if you do not have a niche, which I at least agree with Nicholas Scalice’s article You Don’t Need A Niche!

What you do need is some type of focus. It does not have to be on one particular niche. You would be surprised the amount of people who claim that their blog is in a certain niche, but covers a lot. For example, Blondish.net is not just a blog about blogging. It covers all the aspects from the design, the content, engaging with the blog community, and promoting the site. Now, what is a niche site is WPAddict.net, which is all about WordPress.

However, this is the site focus. It is basic Web Design 101 where you have to brainstorm what you want your site to do. If you want it to be a niche blog, then go for it. You just need to be a lot more strict with the material you put out if you want to be in that niche.

If you are a person that has many interests, you can have a site that does that, but if you are confusing visitors, you might want to look at what is driving them away and focus on what is attracting them.

However, in the end, you are the one that controls how successful your site becomes because you were the one that put it together. You have to put the leg work in to promote it and engage with others.

Blogging is awesome and these days there are so many people I need to visit that I literally need to put it on a schedule. That is not including all the return comments I need to do.

I started using WordPress a long time ago because I saw a lot of potential. Before a lot of you were blogging or even had a website, I was in web competitions and already making my first freelance web design transactions.

However, today, after the wonderful social media and branding and all that goodness…why oh why are people jumping on board with Thesis?

I know the default Kubrick theme for WordPress was not that pretty and if I remember correctly, it was introduced in 2005. The TwentyTen default theme introduced in WordPress 3.0 is actually a real gem for newbie bloggers. However, there are hundreds of free and premium themes out there- why do I keep seeing Thesis?

I have designed and used it based on request by a few clients, I am not really much for it. I am not even keen on giving it out to new people to the blogging community. I do not care what marketing ploy there is to get someone to blog, there are better and cheaper options than Thesis.

“I use Thesis for SEO.”

Alright, go ahead, but you can do it with plugins and WordPress all the same. You are the one that controls your SEO because you are writing the articles. If you are needing your site to be optimized, there are a lot of great search engine optimization articles out there… that are FREE! Google it.

If you want to brand yourself with Thesis, you need to get away from that cookie cutter look. There are people out there who have, but as few as I have seen, there are many more who have the same look.

I have said this before in my presentation at WordCamp Chicago 2010 on Rocking Out Your Site With WordPress and will again – Think outside the box!

In thinking outside the box, you will create a site that is worthy of your brand and something you can be proud to share with others.

When you are putting a site up and it is a business and a blog, will you be able to turn that site into a business site, or a blog that is a business.

While you could customize Thesis, you might want to answer a few questions:

• 1. What do you want your site to do?
• 2. What is your budget?
• 3. Can you find a better method?

People already have enough going on with learning WordPress. I receive dozen of Thesis questions from the same crowd daily and frankly, it is kind of sad and frustrating to see that their site is barely different from the next.

If you have a Thesis theme and cannot customize it, have someone do it for you! I do it all the time and frankly it is better knowing someone wanted to be different from the next hundred in their niche sporting Thesis for their WordPress theme. I am not totally ruling out Thesis, I just want to see people use it better. It is hard to believe social media consultants who specialize in branding if they have nothing to back it up with their own branding.

If you use Thesis, how are you thinking outside the box in terms of branding your site?

I have had to turn away a lot of requests for guest blogging. I know others who have. Now, for those who are into guest writing on other sites, I am sure you are like – “Why would you do that when you can get some links back?”

As much as I would love to, I have found after a lot of experience that it is best to carefully choose where to write. The wrong place might be for a site that was made for all the wrong reasons or a place that I do not share many of the same opinions.

I am going to share a short guide to finding the right site to guest blog.

• You really have to scope out a site and make sure the people know what they are talking about. If you go in and your ideas conflict, you will probably be uncomfortable about posting again in the future.
• Read the rules and requirements for guest posting at another person’s website. While you might be excited to post, you might not be submitting what will fit or your writing might not be in the format that is required. For example, some blog owners ask you to organize your posts in a certain way with h2, h3, h4 tags. Some blog owners might even not allow you to to link to certain sites.
• Site traffic is not always important. Newer sites might become popular or at least have decent traffic later on. Some larger sites might not be a good idea. There are some that I have felt were created for all the wrong reasons, like making money before creating a valuable site.
• Do not take on regular guest posting right away. You might not be able to fill those requirements even if you offer to do an article every week or even every other week. Life happens.
• Do not spread yourself thin. You have a life. People are aware of it… well except for the small percentage who forgot that part.
• If a blog owner is breathing down your neck for another article, you might want to go elsewhere. While the site might be great, you are not obligated to contribute regularly. If the blog has ads, basically you are making them money. Your site comes first before contributing elsewhere. Why? – Well, you cannot develop a site if you are constantly elsewhere.
• While being offered money to blog might be great, you are probably better off submitting your guest post to places that can back up their word and get the traffic that makes good money. A lot of people get strange when money is involved and because it is not your blog, and you might not have a contract, you should probably avoid people who wave the money around unless they promise to pay you per post.
• You really should be in first for sharing your content, engaging with readers, and getting some link love back. You are trying to establish yourself in your niche as someone who is influential.
• Try to keep in your niche. For example, if you are usually in tech, it might be weird getting non-relevant links back from a mommy blog. Also, visitors might be a bit confused when you write at a site outside your own blog’s niche. They are usually looking for material similar to the site they just left and hope to find it on your site. Side Note: For any mothers who might be into tech and social media, perhaps having a mommy on the side might be great. Use that site for getting links back.

What are your own guidelines for finding the right site to guest blog at?

A lot of people have an About Page, but really do not know what to do with it. Of course, you want some info about yourself, but how can you make it effective to allow people to know what you want them to do.

Your site is doing something, whether selling a product or just wanting people to hear you out. For me, although I love to help people with their websites and give a lot of free advice, I am a web designer by profession and my hope is that when you decide to revamp yourself, you might hit me up.

However, I am not in your face about it. Through creating valuable content combined with social networking (engaging in conversations with all or quite a few of you), I have established myself to at least know what I am talking about. That is how most of you coming here to read this very article are trying to achieve. This is what I have done for the past 7 years and will continue to do.

BUT…

…for those still wanting to get a good site together, the about page tells your visitors who you are, what you are all about and what you want to do with your site.

In the past, people split this up in an about page for the website owner, and a “domain” page for about the site. While both are great, both were not needed in two sections. People do not want to know all the history of your past site layouts… well, maybe some do.

Instead of going in bit by bit, I will show you a simple and effective About Page. Take for instead the About Famous Bloggers page at FamousBloggers.net. You will see the following:

1. Simple About the site
2. Short Info on the staff
3. A way to contact outside of the main navigation
4. A purpose
5. Important policies for visitors to know in case they are unsure of the site’s privacy and disclosure.

While your site might include a bit about the site, yourself, and maybe a few other tidbits, you might be able to get away with a few extras. However, be aware that if you are a web designer, you might want to put your portfolio in another section while linking it in your About Page. For example, if you are a web designer, you might like to take a look at Darren Hoyt to get an idea of what you could do.

What kinds of things do you do for your website’s About Page?

There really are not that many custom Thesis themes out there. Of course, they are also known as skins. For me, I like to use the custom CSS, the custom configuration file, and also Thesis OpenHook.

My first custom Thesis “skin” is more of a step by step tutorial. So, before I go into this tutorial, here is what the result SHOULD look like. Plugin installed for the navigation is WP-PageNavi. Layout includes an author’s box and a simple custom comment area.

(Right click on image to open larger screenshot preview)

This tutorial is a bit long, so I broke it into 6 parts. It really does not matter what order, but this was the order I thought would be best. You are welcome to adjust whatever you wish.

Here is the download link for the images included with this simple skin/ theme.

Since returning to roller skating as an adult three years ago, I’ve become a good skater. If you know anything about roller skating – not rollerblading – the thought of rolling on those eight wheels is scary. Skating is another discipline all in itself. To actually roller skate is a combination of skill and technique. I can proudly say that I’m working on mastering both. Gaining my level of ability did not come easy. It took huge levels of courage, commitment and confidence. These are the same qualities that contribute to my success as a blogger.

Courage
Roller skating as an adult is not for the faint of heart, especially after being off wheels for at least 10 years. The first day I returned to the skating rink, I looked out at the intimidating floor with two thoughts: 1) How do I begin? and 2) What if I fall? The only way to find out was to take off – literally. Not taking that first step at all would have been a bigger failure than taking the first step and hitting the floor.

Similar thoughts occurred to me when I decided to blog two years ago. It was just me and a blank screen with the following thoughts: 1) What am I supposed to write? and 2) How do I begin? Even today I sometimes sit and stare at the screen willing it to write the next post for me. It doesn’t happen. To begin, I just type a few random thoughts. From those thoughts I pick a topic and flow. It’s easier to start with a few simple thoughts than to try to write a thesis with no direction. But to not write at all is to fail.

Since failure is not an option for me, I always muster the courage to begin. My ventures in roller skating began with a few small steps while my blogging life began with a few simple thoughts. My commitment to both ventures makes moving forward much easier because I am determined to master the skills and techniques of skating while becoming one of the most well-known and wealthiest bloggers in the world.

Commitment
My determination to become an excellent skater gets me to the rink at least once a week, although twice a week is ideal. When I do finally get there, I practice current techniques and learn new moves. My commitment to skating not only makes me more comfortable on wheels and eager to want to learn more, it also makes me a better skater.

The same is true with blogging. My commitment to blogging keeps me posting at least once a week. My creativity also expands to new dimensions. I write in different styles; vary the length of blog posts; and attempt different topics. In addition, my writing and editing skills have improved greatly as a result of my consistency.

Consistency and practice are proof of my commitment to roller skating and blogging. Not only does my skill level increase, my confidence level also gets a boost.

Confidence
Courage and commitment give me the confidence to do things I never thought I could or would do. I find myself almost speed skating around the rink and looking forward to learning new tricks on wheels. That sounds insane – and it is – but it’s such a thrill to be able to skate around the entire rink in less than a minute and do some of the tricks I only admired a few years ago. And, skaters who have been skating for years are asking me to show them moves. My skate style is all my own, and no one can do what I do the way I do it. I have learned a lot these past few years, but I’m not done yet. There is still a lot more to learn, and I’m going to get it.

My blogging confidence allows me to produce more posts in a shorter period of time. I’m also submitting guest posts to other blog sites. My authentic voice and originality creates a personal connection between my readers and me, which keeps them coming back. I am also on a mission to write topics that will incite controversy, invite criticism and hopefully ignite discussions for better understanding.

As I was wrapping up this story, I received an e-mail that read, “Action can kill any fear and replace it with confidence.” This pretty much summed up everything for me. Courage, commitment, and confidence are the three C’s bloggers can learn from roller skaters. Just know that with any venture you undertake, it takes courage to get going, commitment to keep going and confidence to keep growing.

Sixty plugins? What!?! Yes, I have heard some people say they use nearly sixty plugins for their website. And you know what – their site is slow!

Do you really need that many plugins?

NO.

A lot of self-hosted WordPress users are plugin happy for many reasons. Some include:

1. This plugin does this, but this other plugin does that, so I use both.
2. The plugin seems cool.
3. I am not sure how to implement code snippets to my theme’s functions.php file to avoid using a plugin

What you do not know is that the plugins that use database resources can hurt you. Most webhosts allocate 25 processes per hour on data usage. If you are using more, your site might be down – unless you have your own dedicated server.

Some of these plugins, even though they seem really convenient are not needed. Some, you can turn off and turn on only when you need them. So, if you are wondering how to speed up your site, here are a few questions to consider when finally putting your site on a plugin diet:

• Do you REALLY need it?
• Is there a better plugin that does all of it? (You need to carefully look for alternative suggestions)
• If given clear directions, can you copy and paste a simple code snippet into your functions.php of your theme to replace the use of a plugin?
• Can you replace the use of a plugin by some other means? (example: HTML, CSS. PHP)
• AGAIN: Do you REALLY need it?

Of course, if you are not sure, you can always ask. Some people might charge a little (there may be some in the WordPress Support Forum that might do it for free), but it is worth it to know what you should do with your site, rather than find out your website is down because your shared hosting account went over its allotment for data resources.

What other tips might you have for someone looking to go on a plugin diet?