June 25, 2006
Wordpress Wire Newsletter - Issue 4 - June 23 2006
Wordpress Wire Newsletter
Issue 4 - June 23 2006
Attention iPod Owners with 'Notes' feature: Download this zip file, unzip, and upload the '062306WPWireIssue4' folder to your iPod. Scroll to 'Extras' > 'Notes', and enjoy this issue of Wordpress Wire 'on the go'!
For Streaming Podcast, click PLAY button. To download MP3, click on link below.
Download WordpressWire Issue 4 Podcast here
(19 min 04 sec | 26MB)
Hi 
[In this issue]
1. Create a static home page for your blog
2. How to text wrap your images with extra padding
3. Increase readership to your blog with these 3 applications
4. How to notify your subscribers of updates to your blog
5. Social Bookmarking predictions unfolding - "I told you so…"
6. Free Tag and Ping videos
7. 76 plugins packaged with this Wordpress Theme
8. Connecting safely and securely to protect your privacy via your wireless internet connection
9. I'm a (new) 'flock-er'. You may be a 'flock-er' too after you read this…
All this and a lot more in this issue of Wordpress Wire. Enjoy!
Level: Novice
Question: How do I show a static home page to my viewers instead of the typical chronological posting sequence of a blog?
Answer: A blog typically lists your posts chronologically from most current (at the top) to the least current (at the bottom).
Many clients and members frequently ask me this question of how to show a 'home page' that sticks as the home page. This is very easy with the use of a plugin called - "Static Front Page".
Denis DB created this plugin, and its no cost to you. You can find out more details of how to use it, and download it from here:
==> http://www.semiologic.com/software/static-front
Sidenote about slugs: No, not related to those in your garden If you're new to Wordpress, note that a 'page slug' is another way of saying 'page name'. So with this plugin, you'll want to create a new 'Page', then enter the phrase 'home' to your 'page slug' to stick this new page as your home page.
If you're looking to:
- save hours Googling for Wordpress themes and plugins that integrate seamlessly,
- find themes and plugins that are business-effective and search-engine-friendly,
- make money from deploying blogs for your revenue-generating projects or for clients…
…then I recommend using Denis' professional theme that I've used since 2004. His theme always comes packaged with the latest WordPress files, and the latest version 4 includes 76 plugins, 6 theme choices, 11 font choices, 9 layout styles, 12 header backgrounds (or create your own), and it even includes audio and video plugins to make adding media to your blog that much easier!
Lastly, he has created an easy sidebar feature that allows one to drag and drop sidebar functions (aka "widgets") to the side columns easily, instead of fussing with code. Very convenient indeed!
I use it for all my personal and professional blogs, and I believe you'll find great value in it too.
Get it here:
==> http://www.WordpressProTheme.com
- - - - - - /Level: Novice - - - - - -
Level: Intermediate
Question: How do I put padding around all the images throughout my blog so the text is not butted up against them when the text is wrapped around the image?
Answer: Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy Here's two ways to do it…
Strategy A. CSS
Beth Cole (ProImpact.com), one of my moderators and lifetime backstage pass member of WordpressTutorials.com offered this advice…
"I don't like the text directly against my images, either, let's give them a little breathing room, yes? Here is one way to do it. I am using the 2-column semilogic template so not sure if you have the same css tags, but this is how I did it.
Go to the canvass.css template, make sure it is editable, if not, right click on the template in the FTP editor and adjust the CHMOD settings so it is writable.
In the canvass.css template, look for this line of css:
#main .body blockquote:
{
margin: .5em 0px .5em 0px;
padding: .5em 6px .5em 6px;
}Insert this after it:
#main .body p img
{
padding: 5px 10px 5px 5px;
}and there ya go….this setting will give you 5 pixels of space on the top of your image, 10 on the right, 5 on the bottom, and 5 on the left. You can adjust the numbers to suit your preferences. When I inserted the image, I used "left" alignment in the drop down box."
Thanks Beth! U ROCK!
Here's my way of doing it…
Strategy B. Image Space Code
I manually add code to the image code to get the same results. Try this with one of your images in a new post. Here's the sample code below.
[img width="150" height="150" align="left" hspace="10" src="www.domains.com/images/imagename.jpg" ]
a. Replace the image width/height details with your own
b. Align your image to the left/right to your liking
c. hspace offers 10 pixels of room around your image horizontally
d. You can offer the same to your image vertically, by adding a vspace to the code
e. Replace the square brackets above with sharp angled brackets like these… < >
Now when you publish your post, you'll see a 'breathing room' around your images…say yea to 'No Claustrophobia!'
- - - - - - /Level: Intermediate - - - - - -
Level: Advanced
Question: How do I increase readership to my blog, and how do I notify my subscribers of updates to my blog, without having to email them after every post?
Answer: Very good question.
(excerpt from Feedblitz) "…studies show that adding an email option to your blog can boost your readership by over 50%. RSS, weblogs and feeds can be too much for many users - many of whom are interested in your content but aren't using an aggregator. Email, on the other hand, is ubiquitous, easy and understood by everyone."
So first things first, add an email subscription/notification feature to your blog to increase your subscriber base, and readership. Then of course, post quality content on a regular basis to attract and grow your readership.
Secondly, use applications like Feedburner, Feedblitz and aWeber to do the job.
–Feedburner.com–
With Feedburner, login to your account at www.Feedburner.com or register for one. If you have added one of your blog feeds previously, click on its Feed Title, and let's use this one as an example.
Click on Publicize > Email Subscriptions (left nav), and fill in your email address that your subscribers will receive email from when they register to be notified via email.
Then copy the Subscription Form Code, and paste it to your blog. Voila!
Now when your visitors register, they'll be notified via email (from Feedburner) when you update your blog.
–Feedblitz.com–
Feedblitz.com offers a similar service to Feedburner, except that this email notification feature is its main service. Both Feedburner and Feedblitz offer a no-cost solution for your blog/s.
Simply register for your new account, then login. Add a new feed and the feed's username and password.
When your feed has been added, copy the HTML Subscription Form Code and paste it to your blog. Voila!
Feedblitz suggests that you encourage your readers to sign up, by blogging about this new capability you've added to your blog. Not a bad idea.
–aweber.com–
aweber.com recently launched their "Feed Broadcaster" feature, and it was my good friend, Laura Childs (Smartzville.com) whom I first saw use this feature. So I finally set it up this week, and its now up on this blog, as you can see to the top right labeled "Email Notification".
One of the benefits of using aweber.com's "Feed Broadcaster" is the ability to offer an 'ethical bribe' to your readers to register, and deliver your 'report' or whatever you choose via an immediate autoresponder to your new registrant. Because aweber's main service is email distribution and autoresponders, this is a no-brainer.
Simply register for a new account (paid service) or login to your existing account.
Create a new list, or select the list you want to activate this feature with.
Click on the Messages tab > "Feed Broadcater" sub-tab. Then click "Create New Feed".
Now you have an opportunity to customize your settings. After setup, paste the code they offer you to your blog. Voila!
Test the service by registering yourself, and then making a new post to your blog. Enjoy!
- - - - - - /Level: Advanced - - - - - -
Sherman's Recent Discoveries
\\ Tag Automator
"I told you" comes to mind…
Satya is launching his new tagging app and 200-only membership site in 4 days.
In his membership, he's offering:
- Details of concepts behind tagging and pinging
- Tutorials to teach you how to use the Tag Automator software
- Downloads of his Tag Automator software, with future updates built in
- A wordpress plugin that generates buttons that can be used by your blog readers to quickly bookmark your site
- Another wordpress plugin to automatically generate and include HTML Meta Tags and Technorati Tags based on the full text of your post
- A script you can use to set up your own Social Bookmarking site
- List of all Wordpress plugins that generate technorati and Del.icio.us tags
- A wordpress plugin that generates buttons that can be used by visitors to your blog to quickly bookmark your site
- Tag Generator & Social Bookmark Link Creator - an online service for generating Technorati (and other social bookmarking service) tags, and finally…
- A forum to connect the 200 members
You can go to TagAutomator.com directly, and register for the launch notification. However, if you want a behind-the-scenes look at his offer and showcase video, then check out his unfinished offer page here:
==> http://www.prcq.com/ta
\\ Free Tag & Ping Video Tutorials - by Charles Heflin
Free videos here:
==> www.prcq.com/tnpvid
Tag & Ping Primer: eBook detailing tag and pinging, plus lists of social bookmarking sites
==> www.prcq.com/tnpprimer
\\ Wordpress Themes
==> WordpressProTheme.com
- My personal favorite, I use it for all my personal and professional blogs;
+ Last count 76 plugins included
+ Drag and drop easy sidebar feature arrangement
+ 6 theme designs
+ 11 font choices
+ 9 layout styles
+ 12 header background, or create your own
+ Even comes with audio and video plugins to make PIMPing your blog that much easier!
Get it here:
==> WordpressProTheme.com
\\ Multi Wordpress Installer and Manager
==> WPManagerSoftware.com
The latest version - to be released in 3 weeks with a price increase - will enable you to install multiple wordpress blogs in one go, with a host of other impressive features. If you get it now, you'll be grandfathered in to get the latest version upgrade at the current price offering.
Get it here:
==> WPManagerSoftware.com
\\ Email Blog and RSS Subscription Services
==> aWeber.com
==> FeedBlitz.com
==> Feedburner.com
\\ 400 monthly PLR Articles & 15 High PageRank Announcement Blogs for Faster Indexing
**119 memberships left - as of this writing - get going before its closed!
Get it here:
==> ArticlesUnderground.com
\\ "Connect Safely Wireless Security and Privacy Guide" - by my good friend Dave Taylor - man did I learn critically important steps to secure my wireless security and privacy. Thanks Dave!
==> http://www.prcq.com/cs
\\ Are you a 'Flock-er'?
Haven't you heard? There's a new free browser called Flock, at www.flock.com.
What do I like about Flock?
a. Flickr-Flocker-Photos: What the flock!? They make sharing photos and connecting with my online friends super easy, integrating with Flickr and PhotoBucket apps.
b. Uploading Pictures: What a 'drag'! Getting pictures online is as simple as dragging pictures onto the Photo icon to upload them, batch upload with their photo uploader, or even drag and drop pictures onto any form field on the web.
c. Right Click Blog: Right click any picture and blog it - cool! Or drag a photo thumbnail into any comment field on the web. Or drag a picture from your desktop into a comment field. Then blog about it.
d. All platforms - If you swing towards Bill, or Steve, or the Linux gang for your OS, you can use this flock-ing browser. Sorry, I'm having to much fun with their name
It's a real fun browser to use. Try it, you might be a flock-ing fanatic too
- - - - - - /Sherman's Recent Discoveries - - - - - -
- - - - -
That's it for this issue Thanks for reading. Let's chat again soon, k? Till then…
Live Well, Live Strong, & Live Your Best Life!
Sherman Hu
P.S. Please forward this newsletter to your friends
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