Blog Followers

I visit several blogs from time to time and even flow many. Something I have noticed myself doing is leaving pages that do not have follow options. I find it is far easier to click a follow option for a blog that I can see the updates each time I view my dashboard than trying to remember the page or having an endless list of bookmarks that I do not often remember about. It all boils down to if there is no follow option on a blog, I don't return.

Now here is where I come to my readers. Do you revisit blogs that do not follow options? Are you more likely to revisit a blog that you can follow when this option is made available? Does it matter at all? I have added a poll in the right to see what you think. This information can be very useful to those trying to build traffic or how better to accommodate their reader's needs.


Olivia Vidal
© 2009
http://sochicbagboutique.com

Increase Blog Traffic

Whether you are blogging to make money, personal, or to bring about awareness, you need readers. To gain a large following takes time and work. Get the ball rolling and bring in readers.

Here are a few simple ways to increase blog traffic.

1. Invite others to view and comment. This seems like a given but many forget to do so. Posting a new blog will not automatically generate traffic. If nobody knows your blog exists, nobody will visit.

2. Visit other blogs and comment. Visit blogs that interest you. Comment on blog postings. Others who visit your favorite blogs generally click on profiles and follow those that interest them. Open yourself up by drawing interest to yourself and getting involved.

3. Follow other blogs. Following other blogs allows you to get updates. This way you are notified of the newest posts. Most whom you follow will return the favor and follow you. This allows anyone visiting various pages and profiles will see your link and again visit and follow. Add a follow option on your blog to make it easier. It's hard to follow then they can't remember what your blog is and not everyone bookmarks pages.

4. Update your social network status with new blog posts and link. Don't just post you have a new blog post. You must include a link. This is the easiest way to update others about your blog. Use social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and the growing Ning sites. Every new blog, post a direct link to the post with your blog title.

5. Place your blog URL in your email signature. Every person who receives an email from you will see your link. Approximately 50% of email receivers will click on links in your signature. If you are willing to change it with each new blog or weekly with the basic topics of the week.

6. Join blogging communities. Their are various blog groups all over the Internet. There are dedicated groups on Cafemom and Facebook. Also check out Yahoo! groups, message boards, and websites dedicated to bloggers. There is more out there than your probably thought. Share and connect with your fellow blogger. A couple to try are themomblogs.com and blogcatalog.

7. The most important of all these is keep your blog up to date. If you only update your blog monthly, chances are you efforts to draw traffic will be worthless. Nobody wants to keep checking a blog that is not updated. This is especially important when you plan to make money blogging.

8. Use a ping service such as pingomatic.com. With each new blog, ping the search engines with this site.

9. Have a quality banner made and list on top 100 lists. People look at this and not just add. You can and will get traffic.

These are just a few of the basics and not a complete list. This list gets your started in bringing people to your blog. There are many factors that keep them there and keep them coming back. For more detailed information about blogging, visit our previous blog Blogging For Success.

Happy blogging!

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
http://sochicbagboutique.com

FREE Advertising

Some say there is no such thing but there is. You can advertise your business and sales for free on several areas of the Internet.

Some examples of free advertising are message boards, top 100 lists, traffic exchanges, link exchanges, blogs, plug boards, social networks, and even your email.

Message Boards:
Message boards are great because not only do you post ads but you also get to know your target market. Building relationships is essential in online marketing. Because you are at somewhat of a disadvantage of not being able to show product up front, you need to find creative ways to work around this.

Here are a couple message boards to get you started:
http://thecinnamonhollow.com/smf/index.php
http://wahmgina.proboards.com
http://shoppingbuddies.proboards2.com/index.cgi
http://wahmaddicts.proboards67.com/index.cgi
http://wahmspace.forumarena.com/forum.html

Top 100 Lists:
Top 100 are great for page rank and getting web crawlers all over your site. The more your link is out there, the better. Many of those submitting to these lists also click on your site. These generate traffic that can result in sales or even team members. While many feel they are a waste of time, take advantage. These can be your best friend. The more people see your site, the more likely they are to remember it when it comes to shopping.

Here are a couple top 100 lists to get you started to get you started:
http://sochicbagboutique.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=101
http://shopatlivs.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=103
http://topwahmblogs.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=101
http://lunawolfsmysticalessence.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=113
http://readybanner.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=478

Traffic Exchanges:
I know some are not a fan of these and while they can be work to keep up with, these can be very rewarding. This is especially true when first starting out. The main thing is to get your name out there. These do just that. You may reach an audience you had no access to previously. I do recommend not signing up for several. Find a few that are recommended to you, have a professional appearance, and are targeting your needed audience. Example is if you are selling diapers, you do not want to get on an exchange that is geared towards techs or men. Periodically change your sites in these, stop and start your site in rotation (meaning only apply a certain amount of rotation credits and stop when these run out for a short time). While you want to get your name out there you do not want over kill. You can have the best site there is but if that is the only thing you see all day, every day, your audience is bored. Think about this when you are watching a show and the same commercial is played over and over again. Another great way to use a traffic exchange is they almost all have a chat or shout out box. Each day you log in to surf, post a quick blurb with your link or any specials you have going. You can also do this in the surf and chat sections.

Here are a couple traffic exchanges to get you started to get you started:
http://www.thecinnamonhollow.biz/?r=57978
http://wahm-trade.com?r=58332
http://www.shoppingwithmoms.com/?r=59068

Link Exchange:
This can be the tricky one but can work very well. This is where you and another person place each other's link on your website. This is why this one can be tricky. If you do not have a website this is not able to be done. You can however setup a free website using hosts such as webs.com. While I don't recommend these for everyday business these are great for helping each other out and using these. Just make sure you site is not like everyone else, you are not filled with nothing but banners, and you offer some great information. Just links and banners will not work and most people will not click on them because of it. Use this valuable space properly. If you are selling an item, have a picture, and a pay button. Do not have your products set to take you off on another site. It defeats the purpose. If you do not wish to sell product, offer helpful tips, recipes, even a blog.

Social Networks:
Social networks are sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Cafemom, Tagged, and so forth. These can often be over used but the potential to use and how they are used are dramatically under used. These pages are there to be social not just one big advertisement. Gain friends and get to know them. Post the occasional ad but keep these fun. This is why many go wrong on these pages. They use them as ads and people get tired of them. Facebook allows you to create a page just for your business. In this case make it about your business. Many social networks allow creation of groups. Create groups. These can be groups for fans of your product, team members, or groups just to network with others in your niche. DO NOT directly sell products on these sites. Many times these are in direct violation. These are not for you to sell such as a shopping website. If you are caught or reported your page will be deleted and you may be banned. Nobody wants to do business with someone who cannot follow the rules.

Blogs:
Everyone has a blog these days. They go from personal to informational to advertisements. If you have a business, you need a blog. Post sales, teach people about your product, address a need and why your product satisfies this. Don't stop there. Post your tips as a mom balancing work and home. Post your own recipe that you have created and been serving to your family. Have a holiday coming up? Share why this holiday is special not just a holiday sale. Blogs are online journals. Use them as such.

Plug Boards:
These are a bit old school but still widely popular. Use them. These are more exposure for those not only visiting the plug boards but also visiting the site these are placed on. I personally recommend plug boards for 125x125 banners or 468x60 banners. These are more visible and more easily found. The smaller 88x31 will get your link out there but can often become lost in a sea of mini banners.

Email:
The last place your link should always be is your email signature. Many times people are clicking on these to see what you offer. This is traffic and traffic can equal sales and recruits. Your signature should always be attached to all outgoing emails no matter new or replies.

Newspapers:
While these paid ads can be expensive, some papers offer free ad space when they need fillers. College papers are a great example of this. This may take some leg work but find all the papers available in your area including free papers and see who offers this.

City websites:
How many cities these days do not have a website. Many are offering free classifieds on their site. This is very useful. Not only are you getting the attention of locals but also those interested in visiting or relocating. This is a great place to post recruiting ads. Contact your local chamber of commerce to inquire about all websites available for your city. You will be surprised as there may be a few brand new sites who are needing exposure. This is when you can also give back. Get your ad space then pass out the new site.

This list is not all inclusive. These are just a jumping off point to show you free ads are possible. You have to look for the right spot. Just placing your website and ad anywhere will not cut it. Be selective and where your target audience will be exposed to what you have to offer.

What is PageRank?

We all hear about PageRank and wonder what that really is. We hear is it based on visitors and traffic. We hear it is based on repeat keyword use. There are many reasons that others contribute to what your PageRank is. Most of them are wrong while others are correct but not in the list or priority.

A little technical information first...

Google assigns a numeric value from 0-10 for each web page on the Internet. PageRank shows denotes a site’s importance in the eyes of Google. PageRank results from a voting type process from other pages on the world wide web. This voting process determines how important a page is. This is your PageRank. The higher the value, the higher importance your page is. A hyperlink or back link to a page counts as a vote in this process. If there are no links to a web page there is no vote for that page. Another way to understand this is you place you exchange links with another this is your voting process. The more clicks your link receives from said exchange, the more votes you get and raise your PageRank over time. Keywords also assist in this. The higher the page rank of the page your link is listed on, this can also raise your PageRank. To scale it down PageRank of your page is mostly based on the quantity of inbound links listed on other pages to your page as well as the PageRank of the pages your link appears on.

So how do you make this work for you? When you exchange links, you are placing your link on a page that someone will promote. More people will place links on this same page. This allows you to reap the benefits. Others will visit and click on these links. With all this cross linking, traffic comes in, clicking begins. Traffic increase, so called voting increases, PageRank increases for everyone. The better everyone's PageRank the faster your site rank increases.

How do you find your current page rank? Click here and enter your sites URL
http://www.prchecker.info/check_page_rank.php

Is it that simple? Yes. Is this all I need to know? No. Go do some reading on PageRank. It is easy to accomplish with a little elbow work, networking which every wahm should be engaged in, and patience.

Ready for your product to be reviewed?

Our reader list is increasing (not the same as followers) and that means more opportunity for your product and name out to a larger audience. Starting in January product reviews will become a regular sight here are Liv's WAHM Blog. With 150+ unique visitors a week and a 60% return rate, this is a great opportunity for your product to reach the audience your deserve.

Why do a product review?
How many times have you seen a great product but unsure if it is something you should spend money on? A company you have never tried and nervous about the outcome? A consultant you just met and no relationship built? A product review allows potential customers to search out experiences and see how others have felt about your product. Many times this speaks volumes louder than a simple ad. Many people seek these out but rarely find an experience by someone not associated with the product and only wants to sell them a product or service. This can lead to lost sales. I have 2 product reviews currently available for review here at Liv's WAHM Blog. I know of 3 people who contacted me to let me know they purchased the pedipaws simply because of my personal experience. It was a simple unbiased documentation of my experience without anger or expectations.

What is included in a product review?

I will answer the following questions:

Name of Company
Name of Consultant or Owner
Website URL (if available)
Contact Information
How to order
Product(s) received for review
How long take to receive product(s)
Condition of product(s)
How and what product(s) is used for
Ease of Use
Communication during process
Qualities of product(s)
Overall opinion of product
Any additional information I feel is pertinent to your product review

The question I get frequently is do I post negative reviews. The answer is yes. Here is my reasoning. If someone sends me a product to try and review and there are several reasons for me not to recommend a product, I will post that information. Our readers want real experiences by a real person not trying to sell them a product. They are not looking for glorified advertisements. In a virtual world customers cannot try products themselves. Product reviews by someone who has tried the product and are willing to give an honest and fair observation and experience. This is how they can decide whether a product is worth purchasing. Of course I will not post a negative review for someone who's package arrived late for situations beyond their control (ex. bad weather). These are case by case and during this process communication is key.

What is required for product review?

Product- This can either be sample sizes or full size. Which every is preferable for you. Samples can be easiest to allow for more than one product(s) to be reviewed. More than 1 sample of each product is recommended to allow a fair assessment and review of the product(s).
Your full name - Potential customers want to know you are a real person and possibly conduct their own investigation as to who you are. This is not a scary thing. People just want to know you are trust worthy.
Website URL - Potential customers many times wish to view the product on the site and obtain any additional information about the product and/or company
Company name - This is quite obvious
Are you a consultant (or preferred title) or owner - potential customers want to know who they are dealing with.
Contact information to include email - If you cannot be contacted most will not want to purchase from you. They want to know they can contact you with any questions, concerns, or additional information.
Any special instructions needed for use of product - I need to know exactly how a product is used. If I use a product incorrectly, your review may be inaccurate for various reasons. If instructions are not included I need these as well as your customers can use this information in their decision making.
How to order - Does ordering take place via website, email, in person. Also include accepted payment types. If a customer has a specific credit card they wish to use, they need to know they can use it to make a purchase.
Shipping times - This is only to show when a product is expected to arrive from the time a potential customer orders to the time it ships. Also include how an order is shipped (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc)
Send pictures of your product or I can take my own pictures to post - This is so customers have a visual reference to the product you offer. Many people are visual people and will remember what a product looks like before they remember a name. This gives a face to the product name.
Include a banner (if available).
Include any other additional information you feel is necessary for your review.

IMPORTANT: Do not send your product for review package in any extra special way. It needs to come as though any customer has ordered. How your package arrives will be documented. You do not want to hurt your future sales because you sent it extraordinary and others only receive the ordinary. While the gesture is very much appreciated, just send your product in the way you would normally ship.

If you choose to send a product that would require a length of time to review (ex. change or improvement over 7 days) send enough product for this. I cannot offer a fair review if it needs to be used or observed over a period of time and all I receive is a one time use.

There will be occasions where I will hold a review party. At this time these will be held every other month starting in February. What this means is I will gather a group of ladies to try your product and issue their separate review. They will receive a questionnaire outlined above. I will post the groups review individually. If you wish your product be part of a review party you will be asked to send multiple samples or full product of the same product. As an example only, you may be asked to send as many as 10 or as little as 4. I will post about an upcoming review party and list how many women will be attending.

Your review will appear here and I will also send a copy to you. I will also include a link so you are able to use your review in your chosen advertisement. We are looking for items a woman would use. Whether an item strictly for a mother or an item both a man and woman can use. I will not be accepting men only items at this time. This may change at a later date.

Are you ready for your review? Have questions? Contact Olivia at disneyandmickeyfan@yahoo.com with Product Review in subject line.

For a limited time only!

NEW ad spots available now on So Chic Bag Boutique .

In our efforts to sponsor a family in need this Christmas we have opened up ad spots for your 125x125 banner.

Starting at just $5 a month get the exposure you desire. With more than 2000+ visitors a month your exposure will greatly increase. This is for a limited time and will not last so get your spot today!

Visit So Chic Bag Boutique to get your ad spot before they are gone.

http://sochicbagboutique.com/