Understand and Visualize Your Visitors with Crazy Egg

This is not a new tool, it is used to analyze your traffic and to track your visitors, with this application you can easily visualize where your visitors are clicking and where they’re coming from. Recently I signed up for an account with CrazyEgg it is very easy, it takes just 5 minutes and it is also very easy to use and to manage. Here are some thing you can do with this tool.

• Test different versions of a page to see which works better
• Discover which ad placement gives the best results
• Find out which design encourages visitors to click deeper
• Learn which content leads to improved sales

You can sign up for a free account, but you’ll be able to visualize just 5,000 visitors each month. Or you can have an Standard account for $19/month and you’ll be able to track 25,000 visitors each month. CrazyEgg has other options, go here to check the available plans. As I said I’m using this application with Bloggerlounge.net and let me tell you that it is really amazing, it also has a “Heat Map” to see where your visitors are clicking. Here are some screenshots. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

This view is called Overlay

and this one is called Heatmap view.

Habits and Values of Success

Let me ask you something, do you think there is a secret formula to achieve our goals?, in this post I wanted to identify some habits used by successful people that can help you achieve your own goals. After analyzing a large number of successful people and entrepreneurs I came up with a list of the habits, practices and values they use. When we think in someone that started a project and achieved success, we usually consider it as luck, this is an important factor that contributes a lot but there are other things to consider. It is true that there are some qualities and elements that contribute with goal achievement some of them are personality and character.

An entrepreneur is always feeling a constant impulse to innovate and create. There are some specific habits that can take us much closer to success, some of them can be learned and its effectiveness can improve with each action. Ok, now let’s see what really matters to us. Here is the list of habits.

Always be responsible. This is also associated with the value of commitment, you have to be responsible with each task you perform. You have to be capable of making decisions and assume the consequences.

Always be persistent. Keep trying until you achieve what you are looking for.

Always give more. You have to make a big effort to achieve your goals.

Always be positive. No matter what, you have to have a positive mind, specially when you fail because that’ll give you the strength to continue trying again and again.

Always be creative. This is something 90% of successful entrepreneurs find useful to achieve their goals, some say: “The key to success is to create something that no one else has ever imagine.”

Always be visionary. Good entrepreneurs see opportunity where others don’t.

Dare to dream, but most important, dare to act.

Now let’s see the list of values, take a look and see which ones you have and which one you don’t have.

• Honesty
• Loyalty
• Trust
• Ethic
• Commitment
• Responsibility
• will
• Vision

Now, let us know what you think, and what other values and habits you consider important to achieve your goals, write them in your comments.

Update Your Blog Via Email from Anywhere

Here is a very good option for those bloggers that travel a lot and that need to be updating your blog constantly; remember that if you want to be a successful blogger you have to update it frequently. I´m talking about BlogMailr, it is a tool that lets you add post to your blog just by sending e-mails. There are many blog platforms that offer you the option to post to your blog via email, but sometimes it is a little bit difficult to manage and to setup. Believe me when I say that this is a very useful tool, I´m glad there are solutions like this for all bloggers.

BlogMailr is a very versatile application, it works with Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal and other popular blogging platforms. So, let´s go to the beach and start posting!.

Create a Transparent Favicon for your Blog

The other day, while surfing the web, I came across with a very useful tool to create favicons, the difference between this one and the other favicon tools is that it allows you to use .gif and .png images with transparency. I´ve been looking for a tool like this for about 5 months., it is called Favicon Generator by Dynamic Drive and it is very simple to use, you just have to browse the image you want to use and click the “create icon” buttons and that’s it! as simple as that, your favicon will be automatically generated and ready to download. After downloading the file, upload it to your public_html folder (if you are using WordPress).

If you want to know more about favicons and how to use them read this post. And if you are looking for inspiration I’ve also found a very nice collection of 50 favicons in the Smashing Magazine blog. Give it a try and improve your blog branding.

Reduce Stress While Blogging

Let´s face it, blogging is sometimes a little bit stressing even if you are a professional blogger with 3 years of experience. Ok you are your own boss and you don’t have strict rules to follow but it can be stressing because you have to be constantly writing and updating your blog with fresh content almost everyday, another reason why blogging can be stressing is because you have to be promoting your blog to get more and more readers, I am assuming you are blogging for profit, and that you actually want to make a lot of money from it.

When you are relaxed and without stress it´s easier for you to write and to think. If you are working in a comfortable environment your mind is going to start generating creative ideas, that´s why it is important to relax and to get rid of stress. Lose stress and you´ll gain more money, here are some techniques for bloggers, you might want to try.

Relax. Play some music while you are blogging or before you start, not too loud. I prefer to write when I am listening to calm music, not classical, but calm, such as chill out and lounge music, just listen the music you like. It is a very effective way to calm your harried mind. Music helps by calming you down, giving your mind a chance to relax if only for a few minutes. Experiment until you determine which sound makes you feel relaxed and calm. Let your muscles relax, one at a time. Let yourself just get lost in the music and start writing.

Breathe. This techniques is very helpful and can be used almost anywhere. It is very easy to perform and the results are amazing, find a quiet place to sit down. Close your eyes and take a deep breath, then let it out. Take the next breath slowly, counting to five, hold that breath to the count of four, then release it very slowly. This works particularly well if you feel a bit panicky. When in panic mode, the body tends to breathe very fast and shallow, intensifying the feeling of fight-or-flight. Doing this breathing technique for fifteen or twenty minutes will be very calming.

Do exercise. This is another great way to de-stress your body and your mind. It improves blood flow to the brain, bringing it more oxygen. Believe it or not, long hours of sitting and thinking cause the neurons of your brain to build up toxic waste products. Most bloggers feel that their brain is going to explode after 3 hours in front of a computer. Try stretching, stand up of your chair and move your body, bend and touch your feet with your hands. You’ll stay healthier, and you´ll be able to write more and more without stressing. Another way to reduce stress while blogging is to walk about 20 minutes, remember 2 hours working = 20 minutes walking.

Positive thinking. It’s a fact that optimist bloggers enjoy writing and posting, they have less stress, and are able to move forward and succeed where others might quit. We all have to expect some failures, some sorrow and frustration, but don’t give up, keep trying until you succeed. Focus on realistic goals and remember that failure isn’t fatal. And don’t be so hard on yourself. Tomorrow will be another day.

Remember that blogging is like any other business, but you have the advantage to be at home without rules and without a schedule, so make the most of this situation and practice this techniques, you´ll find yourself more comfortable and more relaxed and you´ll be able to write high quality content for your blog.

The Power of City Blogs

In February I announced this post. As you know there are a lot of niches and a lot of topics to blog about, but there’s one type of blog that has an incredible potential and that is very popular among readers, I’m talking about City blogs, if you don’t know what a city blog is, let me give you a brief explanation.

A city blog is defined as a blog which main topic talks about what happens in a certain city or region (ie: LondonBlog ). The posts may cover general aspects such as:

• The weather
• The traffic
• Current events
• A directory of local services

But also specific aspects like: a local party, an exposition ,the daily news, a tournament, stories about it’s citizens and other things.

The real power and importance of this blogs is that they have a very targeted audience and this makes more attractive the space for advertisers and sponsor of that city, the main income of this blogs comes form local advertisers. And you have the advantage that each day something happens , no matter what you’ll have always something to post. Your potential readers are going to be people living within the city, in the suburbs, but also tourists , travelers and business people. If you have a city blog or if you are planing to start one here are some tips you might want to consider:

• Do some research, look how other city blogs are organized and managed here is a list of some of them.
• Start promoting your blog in your own city, and then promote it online and worldwide.
• Look for sponsors, local companies and explain them the advantages of your project.
• Recruit local writers, like your friends or family they can help you with your daily stories.
• Be sure to have a good number of readers before you invite advertisers.

Top 5 Secrets of The Most Successful Blogs

When I started blogging, I noticed that only a small number of blogs are truly known in each industry, as an example of this we have engadget and techcrunch for the tech/gadget industry, and the same happens with other niches. These sites are valuable sources of information for thousands of readers. But how are these amazing money making machines managed? Well, here are some of the best secrets of these giants, learn them well because these points can change your future. Here are the top 5 secrets of the most successful blogs.

1 Choose a profitable market. or industry, what I´m trying to tell you here is that you don´t have to write a blog about the same thing other 1,000 are writing about, be creative and do research there are still some niches unexplored or with few players. If you are going to play in a crowded industry with thousands of blogs, add your own personal style, give your readers a bonus and add to your blog an extra value, combine topics but blend them.

2. Provide high quality content. write timeless content but also cover the current events and news. Timeless content is the one that never changes, this kind of information can be read in the future and the results will be the same. But your readers are also looking for current information, news and trends. Remember that blogs are like magazines and journals, this is why your readers visit your blog each day.

3. Update daily. This is maybe one of the most common tips in the blogging world and that is because it´s true, if you read my previous post: “how often should you update your blog?” you can find some tips that can help you with this. All successful blogs are updated frequently with fresh news about their industry. If you want to become a winner in this business you´ll have to play by the rules, and believe me , this is a very fast business.

4. Interact with your readers. As I said in other posts, that’s what this medium is all about. It is about relations, it is a social thing, your readers are the most valuable asset of your blog, without them you’re nothing. You’re giving them information, but you can also learn a lot of thing from them, read their comments and answer them. Let them feel that you care. A good strategy to increase loyalty and to build a solid relation with your readers is to make contests. They want to be part of your blog.

5. Be creative. Use visual media like graphics and images. People hate boring blogs, and a good way to create a nice environment and a comfortable space is by adding visual resources. If you have a very good article about a new cell phone , your reader will want to see how this new gadget looks like and if they don’t find it in your blog they will look for it in other places.

And as a additional tip 6. Interview industry experts, this is a very good way to drive traffic to your blog. Nothing speaks with more authority than an interview with an expert. This is an essential reason why so many people return to the most popular blogs over and over again. Another great secret has been posted here. I’m sure there are other important things to consider, if you’ve noticed another strategy used by successful blogs please let us know in your comments.

How is the Power of a Brand Measured

I Have explained in previous posts how important is a brand for any business, also for blogs. There are companies spending a good part of their budgets to increase the value of their brand and to make it stronger, in a few words to make it powerful. But, how is the power of a brand measured? this is a question that only experts can answer. I found an article on BusinessWeek that explains how brand power is measured, it is a brief explanation on which elements Interbrand and BW consider at the moment they rank global brands. The process is not simple, there are a lot of things to consider to measure the real value of a brand, some of them are:

• A brand must derive about a third of its earnings outside its home country.
• Be recognizable outside of its base of customers.
• Have publicly available marketing and financial data.

Those are the just the element to be in the list. But let´s go to the main purpose of this post, the power of the name or of the brand is calculated. According to the article “The first step is figuring out what percentage of a company’s revenues can be credited to a brand.” and “Finally, The brand’s strength is assessed to determine the risk profile of those earnings forecasts. Considerations include market leadership, stability, and global reach—or the ability to cross both geographic and cultural borders” As you can see it takes a lot to be consider a global brand and much more to appear in the list of the most valuable. Here is a good article about how to measure brand performance.

Selling a Blog in Parts … is it a Good Deal?

What´s up bloggers. Today I wanted to write a post about selling blogs, it is a little bit related to the one I wrote a few days ago but it has a different perspective. This time I´m going to write about selling your blog in parts, not as a full blog, jut to see if it is a good idea or if it is better to sell it complete.

As you know blogs and all the Web 2.0 stuff are very popular (not all). When a blog reaches a certain age or a certain level of popularity and quality, then it is maybe the moment to sell it, but the real thing comes when you ask yourself, for how much am I going to sell it? or , who is actually going to buy it? well in this scenario, in case you want to sell it or in case you thought about it sometime, you have two options, to get rid of it in parts or as a full package, if you are going to sell it as a complete blog you have to determine its market value, here are some things you have to consider to determine how much is your blog worth:

• The age. How old is your blog.
• The rank. What position has in search engines or other sites, as Technorati.
• The number of posts. Content matters.
• The quality of your posts. same reason as the previous point.
• The number of links you have.
• The power of the brand. Determine if your blog has presence and relevancy.
• Traffic. Unique visits and page views per day.
• Subscribers. Your readership base is very important.
• Income. How much money your blog makes from advertising and affiliate programs.

Now, those are the main things you have to consider if you want to sell it as a whole. But the main purpose of this post is to see if the other option is a good idea, let me explain what I am talking about, your blog has all the elements I already mentioned, but, what if what you really want is to sell just the content to other bloggers? yes, your posts, how much money are they worth? here is one possible scenario, remember this is just an example to make my point clear.

Your blog has 100 high quality posts about money making ideas for small business and you decide now is the right moment to start doing something else (different from blogging) well you decide that you are going to sell your content, this is what you have to consider to sell a single post.

• Age. how old is your post.
• Relevancy. Maybe the topic is too old that no one cares about it.
• Number of words. But be careful what really matters is quality, not quantity.
• Number of comments. It is a reflect of the quality and relevancy of your post.
• Number of backlinks.It is almost the same reason as the previous point.

Considering this elements you can sell your posts lets say from $5 up to $100, and if you have 100 posts, just imagine, now you decide, is it a good deal? what do you think? and what would you do?.

The Importance of Setting Blogging Goals

How many bloggers set goals when they start they blogging experience? The answer is simple, not too many. Do you remember that post I wrote about some of the most common mistakes of new bloggers? Well, that day I wrote that it was very important to realize that a blog is like any other business, therefore you have to set some goals in order to be successful with your site. Glen Wolsey has a great post about htis, it is called “Set blogging goals and stick with them” here is a fragment of his article.

” Over the past year I’ve seen many start blogs, and give up after a couple of months, if not weeks, because of the lack of daily visitors and traffic streaming through the tubes […] Goals are important. Without goals you are just going with the flow, with goals, you have something to work towards, something lying up ahead in the future to aim at.”

He is absolutely right, I agree with him, your blogging goals are going to give you a direction, they are going to become the compass of your blog, here are the goals Glenn suggests:

Posts Made
RSS Readers
Daily Page Views
Technorati Rank
Blog Comments
New relationships made

I would add : “Contribute with others blogs” because I think that´s what this medium is all about. What do you think?.

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