Archive for April, 2008

Here is a compilation of WordPress plugins that I currently use and am satisfied with. I know there are others that do the same thing, so feel free to leave comments and let others know what you are using.

Do-Follow - Disables “no-following” of links. Highly recommended for all bloggers.

Spam Karma – Blocks Spam – Somehow, I do think spam elicits bad karma – as it should.

All in One SEO – Allows for Optimization of Posts for Search Engines. Assuming that a high percentage of bloggers do so for online exposure, this is a must.

Google Analytics – Allows for tracking with Google Analytics. How will you ever sell ads on your blog if you don’t know how many people visit?

MyBlogLog – Adds MyBlogLog Widget allowing you to interact with other bloggers. A nice networking tool (now owned by Yahoo)

Subscribe To Comments – Allows users to subscribe to posts they comment on which helps to increase your return visitors and build community at your blog.

WP DB Backup – Simplifies the process of backing up your blog, which you should do periodically.

YouTube Brackets – Allows for easy embedding of YouTube videos – (thanks to Caroline Middlebrook for a detailed explanation on how to implement this)

Sociable – Simplifies interaction with Social Media websites.

Google AdSense – Allows for monetization of your blog with Google AdSense. Use with caution lest you send your visitors away for pennies.

Hope those are helpful. Let me know if you have any questions about any of them and feel free to subscribe to my blog to get more free online business development tips.

Have you ever found a great article online, one so good you wanted to send it to someone only to find out that it was written by a competitor in your field? This happens every day and with the massive growth of Social Media, people are sharing lots and lots of information. Every now and again, I will read a great article, and as I am about to promote it, I realize that I am going to promote the competition. Sure you can argue that they aren’t competition, you own your market, etc, but the fact remains in the eyes of a prospect from the standpoint of find you online, you are competitors.

So what’s the bottom line? You need to have a voice in your industry or you will be left behind. Some excellent ways to do this are:

1. Blogging. If you don’t have, get one. If you don’t want one, then guest blog for someone in your industry.

2. Writing Articles. Ideally on your own website, but there are plenty of places you can promote your work online and off line.

3. Get in Front of People. Speak at conferences or offer to do free seminars for local Chambers of Commerce, local church business groups, or anyone who will listen to you. If you need to get some speaking experience , I recommend checking out a local Toastmasters group.

I hope this was helpful and I look forward to hearing your success stories. If you want to subscribe to my blog, please use one of the RSS buttons or the email form on the right.