Written on October 15th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 12:10 am by Darren Rowse
Yahoo! Search Index Update
Did you notice any changes in the incoming traffic that Yahoo! sent you this week? If so, it’s because they did an index update according to their Yahoo! Search blog. It doesn’t look like a major update from what I can see but I’ve heard from two bloggers who reported significant improvements and another who suffered a loss of ranking position through it.
Written on October 14th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 02:10 pm by Darren Rowse
What do You Think About Sponsored Posts? - Have your Say
A question that I’m increasingly being asked about is whether I agree with sponsored posts as a way to make money online from blogging.
Sponsored posts are nothing new - bloggers have been doing it for years - writing posts in exchange for payments. What is new is the organized way that the practice is happening with services popping up that match bloggers with those wanting to get blogged about.
PayPerPost is perhaps the most prominent service that does this but there are others too. They include CreamAid, inBlogAds and ReviewMe (others are popping up as well).
- So what do you think about sponsored posts as a concept?
- Have you used them?
- Would you do them?
- Under what circumstances would you do them?
I’m interested in people’s experiences and opinions on the topic and won’t cloud this post with my own thoughts on it (I’m happy to write my own opinions on it at a later point once others have had their say).
I know people feel pretty strongly about the topic either way so expect this to come through in your comments but simply ask that you keep to the topic and not take it into a personal flame war if you disagree with what others say. All opinions will be listened to and are welcomed.
So - what do you think about sponsored posts?
Written on October 14th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 12:10 am by Darren Rowse
Chitika Launches Official Forum - Sphere
Chitika have today Launched a forum for its publishers called Sphere. I’ve been using it for the last few days and its been a good way to chat with Chitika developers and other publishers. It is another forum to have to keep an eye on (I don’t really need yet another one) and I do wish it had an RSS feed to follow it - but it will come in handy from time to time - especially there are issues with the ad system.
Written on October 13th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 11:10 am by Darren Rowse
AdSense add Multiple Custom Channels
AdSense have added the ability to use multiple custom channels on the one ad unit.
I have to admit that when I first read it when I got up this morning that it made my head hurt a little but I can see it being a useful option for some publishers who are really into tracking their statistics. The example AdSense use to explain it is probably the best:
“What’s the benefit of tracking with more than one custom channel? Well, multiple channels can be very useful when you want to track one ad unit across several different metrics simultaneously. For example, let’s say you run a sports website and you’ve placed a leaderboard at the top and bottom of every page. To track the performance of the ad placement, you’ve created two custom channels — ‘TopLeaderboard’ and ‘BottomLeaderboard’ — and regenerated your ad code appropriately.
But what if you also want to compare your football pages and your baseball pages at the same time? With multiple custom channels, this isn’t a problem. Just create two new custom channels called ‘FootballPages’ and ‘BaseballPages’, and add them to the appropriate ad units. Now your leaderboards will each be tagged with two custom channels that let you know which position they’re in (top or bottom), and the type of page on which they appear (football or baseball).”
I suspect that the majority of AdSense publishers will never use this - but that a small number of publishers are busily adding multiple custom channels to their sites as we speak.
Written on October 13th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 04:10 am by Darren Rowse
This Post may Offend some Readers… Twice…
Warning: this post contains a little language that some might find a little offensive. If you’d rather not read it you might like to do something else (like join the conversation in this recent comment thread which is fast approaching my most commented upon post).
Ok - those of you still here…
I was out at our local shopping centre today escaping the heat (Summer has come early here - it was 37 degrees Celsius) and was in a bookstore when a book titled 100 Bullshit Jobs…And How to Get Them (aff).
The book caught my attention on the shelf - mainly because of the title.
However the moment I saw it I just knew what I’d find if I turned to the ‘B’ section of occupations.
Yep - number 13 (lucky for some) on the list (between ‘best-sellingn author’ and ‘book editor’) is ‘Blogger’.
I’m not sure whether to be proud or offended :-)
The chapter on Blogging as a BS job didn’t really have much of value to say - the book was in the humor section - and referred to Nick Denton and encouraged readers to start a blog and write about their lives.
Of course - other bullshit jobs include ‘advertising executive’, ‘Being Donald Trump, ‘Closet Organizer’, Economist’, ‘Lawyer’, ‘Poet’ and ‘writer of this book’ so we can’t take it too seriously… or can we? :-)
Photos taken with Sony Ericsson K750i
Written on October 13th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 12:10 am by Darren Rowse
Amazon adds features to aStore
Bloggers using Amazon’s aStore will have received an email today announcing some updates which include (the below is a direct quote from the email):
- For those of you linking from your website to your aStore rather than embedding it, we have added the capability to put a link back to your website in the store navigation.
- Advanced users can now remove both the header and category navigation when embedding the aStore within existing websites.
- The custom product description length has been extended, allowing you to say more about the products you recommend to your customers.
- Product detail pages now display a “crossed-out” list price followed by the Amazon.com price.
- The page title in the browser now displays the name of the aStore combined with the category name or product name, making aStore more search-engine friendly
Written on October 12th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 10:10 am by Darren Rowse
Blog Juice Calculator
Text Link Ads have created a new toy for bloggers to play with called the Blog Juice Calculator (aff) which gives your blog a ranking on how much ‘blog juice’ it has in comparison to other blogs in your niche.
They measure your blog juice by looking at Bloglines subscribers (40%), Alexa ranking (15%), Technorati ranking (30%) and Incoming links from Technorati (15%).
It’s more about fun than anything - although being able to see how your blog ranks alongside others is interesting.
This morning when I checked my ranking was 8.5 but now it’s down to 4.2 because it’s not pulling in my Technorati information for some reason (not sure if it’s a technorati issue or a TLA issue).
update: actually it lists enternetusers twice - once at 8.5 and once at 4.2. I guess that means I’m actually a 12.7!
Written on October 12th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 01:10 am by Darren Rowse
10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog
Only 1 out of every 100 readers of this post are likely to interact with it by leaving a comment…
Below I’ll outline 10 ways you can increase the participation rate in the comments section on your blog.
Jakob Nielsen’s latest study finds that 90% of online community users are lurkers (read or observe without contributing) with only 9% of users contributing ‘a little’ and 1% Actively contributing.
So 1% of your blog’s users are Actively engaging with your blog and the rest are at best occasional contributers.
The study isn’t just on blogging so the actual numbers could be more or less than these and would no doubt vary from site to site anyway - but the principle is true. The vast majority of readers leave a blog without leaving a comment or contributing to it in any way (and some bloggers like it like this and switch comments off - read more on whether to have comments on or off here and the up and downsides of comments on blogs here).
To some extent this is just the way it is and we probably need to just get used to it - however when it comes to comments there are some ways to encourage more interactivity on your blog:
10 Ways to Increase Comment Numbers on Your Blog
1. Invite Comments - I notice that when I specifically invite comments that people leave them in higher numbers than when I don’t. To some degree this confuses me as most of my readers know that they can leave comments on any post - but I guess inviting a comment triggers a response to some extent. Also keep in mind that new readers that are unfamiliar with blogging don’t always know about comments or how to use them - invitations to participate in well laid out and easy to use comments systems are good for helping them participate.
2. Ask Questions - Including specific questions in posts definitely helps get higher numbers of comments. I find that when I include questions in my headings that it is a particularly effective way of getting a response from readers as you set a question in their mind from the first moments of your post.
3. Be Open Ended - If you say everything there is to say on a topic you’re less likely to get others adding their opinions because you’ll have covered what they might have added. While you don’t want to purposely leave too many things unsaid there is an art to writing open ended posts that leaves room for your readers to be experts also.
4. Interact with comments left - If you’re not willing to use your own comments section why would your readers? If someone leaves a comment interact with them. This gets harder as your blog grows but it’s particularly important in the early days of your blog as it shows your readers that their comments are valued, it creates a culture of interactivity and gives the impression to other readers that your comments section is an Active place that you as the blogger value. As the activity in your comments section grows you may find you need to be slightly less Active in it as readers will start to take over on answering questions and creating community - however don’t completely ignore your comment threads.
5. Set Boundaries - I noticed that shortly after I set the rules for my comments section (with a comments policy) that my comment numbers jumped up a little. I’m not sure if it was just a coincidence or whether readers responded to knowing what was and wasn’t acceptable. It’s just a theory but I think a well managed and moderated comments section that is free of spam and that deals with well with people stepping out of line is an attrActive thing to readers. I personally don’t mind people expressing different opinions to one another in comments but when I sense things are getting a little out of hand and too personal I often step in to attempt to bring some order to the situation (I rarely delete non spam comments). I find that people have responded to this and that comment threads generally stay constructive as a result.
6. Be humble - I find that readers respond very well to posts that show your own weaknesses, failings and the gaps in your own knowledge rather than those posts where you come across as knowing everything there is to know on a topic. People are attracted to humility and are more likely to respond to it than a post written in a tone of someone who might harshly respond to their comments.
7. Be gracious - Related to humility is grace. There are times where you as the blogger will get something wrong in your posts. It might be spelling or grammar, it could be the crux of your argument or some other aspect of your blogging. When a someone leaves a comment that shows your failing it’s very easy to respond harshly in a defensive manner. We’ve all seen the flaming that can ensue. While it’s not easy - a graceful approach to comments where you admit where you are wrong and others is right can bring out the lurkers and make them feel a little safer in leaving comments.
8. Be controversial? - I put a question mark after this one because it doesn’t always work (and I personally avoid it as much as I can these days) - but there’s nothing like controversy to get people commenting on your blog. Of course with controversy comes other consequences - one of which is the risk of putting off less vocal members of your readership.
9. ‘Reward’ Comments - There are many ways of acknowledging and ‘rewarding’ good comments that range from simply including a ‘good comment’ remark through to highlighting them in other posts that you write. Drawing attention to your readers who use comments well affirms them but also draws attention of other readers to good use of your comments section.
10. Make it Easy to Comment - I leave a lot of comments on a lot of blogs each week - but there is one situation where I rarely leave a comment - even if the post deserves it - blogs that require me to login before making a comment. Maybe I’m lazy (actually there’s no maybe about it) or maybe there’s something inside me that worries about giving out my personal details - but when I see a comments section that requires registration I almost always (95% or more of the time) leave the blog without leaving the comment that I want to make. While I totally understand the temptation to require registration for comments (combatting spam in most cases) something inside me resists participating in such comments sections. Registration is a hurdle you put in front of your readers that some will be willing to leap but that others will balk at (the same is often said about other comments section requirements that go beyond the basics). Keep your comments section as simple and as easy to use as possible.
So - what do you think? How have you increased the levels of comments on your blog (had to ask)?
Find this Post Helpful? - Digg it here
Also - check out our Blogging for Beginners Series for more blog tips.
Written on October 12th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 12:10 am by Darren Rowse
Amazon launches Product Preview to Associates
The Amazon Associate Program emailed their publishers today to let them know that they are officially launching their ‘Product Previews’ service to all Amazon publishers.
This has previously only been a beta test with a select group of publishers.
The ‘Product Previews’ allow you to promote Amazon products and give your readers more information about the product that you’re linking to without them leaving your site through a small popup window that opens up when readers hover the cursor over Amazon text or image links. Here’s a screen cap of an example (click for full size).
To add Product Previews you need to a script to your page’s templates and it will automatically convert image and text links that you’ve already got on those pages.
I’m not really a fan of any type of ad that pops up over a page although these ones are not nearly as bad as some other pop up ads which the user has little or no control over. At least with these ads the reader can make them disappear after they open up.
I’ve included the information page on Product Previews that Amazon provides publishers below instead of regurgitating all of the information.
Product Previews Page
Have you ever wondered how to give visitors to your site more information about the Amazon products you merchandise - without taking up more space? Or how to keep visitors on your site until they’re ready to buy? If so, Product Previews is the product for your site!
What are Product Previews?
Product Previews are a portal into Amazon.com - directly on your Web site. When users hover over a preview-enhanced link, either a text link or image link, a small window appears containing valuable content and information about the product you’re advertising. Our test results show that visitors who see a Product Preview have high click-through and conversion rates — helping you earn more fees.
Simply click here to see the Product Previews live.
Product Previews FAQ
1. How will Product Previews work?
When a visitor hovers over an enhanced text or image link for 400ms, a small window will appear next to that link. That window is the Product Preview. When a user’s mouse is within the window, the window will remain visible. When they move their mouse outside of the window, the window will disappear. If a user clicks on the window, the window will remain visible until the user clicks the window’s “Close” button. Users can also click and drag on the top border of the window to move it around your web page. Please note that the 400ms delay is a common period for triggering user-activated events on web pages, and is the same timing we use on our retail site for similar features.
2. How do I add Product Previews to my Web page?
Currently, Product Previews only work with Basic Display Product Links (text and image only). Support for other link types, including served links, may be added in a future release.
To build Basic Display Product Links, go to Associates Central >> Build Links >> Product Links. Search and select the product you would like to add. Choose “Image Only” or “Text Only” links. Follow the instructions on the page to add new links. The script you will need to add to the page to activate the links is the last step listed on the page. The code should go after your content and before your closing “body” tag. If your site is built using templates, you can paste this code into the “footer” or other end-of-page template, just as long as it comes after your content and before the final “body” tag. Once the script is added to the page, all Basic Display Links on the page will be activated.
3. What link decoration will my visitors see on my Web site?
Product Preview Links match the style of the other links on your website.
4. Will Product Previews affect my page’s performance?
Our testing indicates that several hundred links can be counted and decorated within the maximum time we allow the link enhancer script to run, 2 seconds. Since the script will be located at the bottom of your web page, it will not affect the rendering of any other elements on the page. Your visitors may notice their browser continuing to “work” after your page has loaded. This will only happen the first time a visitor comes to your page and loads the libraries required to support the link enhancement functionality. After the first download, a visitor’s browser will only download the libraries again if there is a newer version available on our servers or if they expire or are deleted from the user’s browser cache.
5. What happens if someone clicks on a text or image link enhanced with a Product Preview?
A click on an enhanced link will behave exactly the way it was designed when you built the link, sending the visitor to the Amazon.com site.
6. What are the privacy implications of Product Previews?
A visitor’s web browser automatically sends any Amazon cookies on their computer when a Product Preview is displayed in that visitor’s browser. That happens because the content in the Product Preview is served from the Amazon.com domain. Amazon.com does not share any personal information we may collect about customers who view, click, or purchase through Associate links with third parties – including Associates – except as described by the Privacy Notice governing the Amazon.com website.
The link enhancer script you add to your Web pages will make a call to http://www.assoc-amazon.com. Because we are hosting the script on a different domain than the Amazon.com retail domain, https://www.amazon.com, we do not receive a customer’s Amazon.com cookies when the script runs, but rather only after the product preview appears.
7. What do visitors to my Web site need to do to see Product Previews?
Product Previews are rendered using JavaScript. Therefore, visitors to your site must have JavaScript turned on in order to see them. If visitors to your site don’t have JavaScript enabled in their browsers, they’ll simply see standard links; the display of your Web site will not be affected. Your visitors will also need to have cookies enabled.
8. Where will I be able to find Product Preview performance data?
Product Preview performance data will be added to all relevant Associates Central reports.
9. What browsers do Product Previews work in?
Product Previews are certified to work in Internet Explorer 5.5 and higher (Windows XP only), Firefox 1.07 and higher (Windows XP, Macintosh OS X, Linux), and Netscape 6 and higher (Windows XP, Macintosh OS X, Linux)and higher.
10. How do I remove Product Previews from a page or Web site?
Simply remove the code that adds Product Previews to that page or to your Web site.
11. What other technical information do I need to know?
Frame Support: Due to restrictions imposed by DHTML, Product Previews cannot cross frame borders.
Mouse Handlers: Some Web site publishers prefer to have alternate text display in browser status bars when users hover over the hyperlinks on their page. Many Web site authoring tools, as well as Web site owners, do this by setting different mouse handlers for their hyperlinks, such as ‘onmouseover’ and ‘onmouseout’. When these properties are set, client-side JavaScript is executed to display and hide status bar text when a user scrolls their mouse over, and then off of a link.
Product previews are generated via client-side JavaScript as well. Since hyperlinks can only have one ‘onmouseover’ and ‘onmouseout’ handler, if you’ve already added ‘onmouseover’ and/or ‘onmouseout’ properties to your links, those links will not generate Product Previews. Try removing the ‘onmouseover’ and ‘onmouseout’ handlers from your links to get previews to display.
NAME Attribute: Product Previews are not generated for links with a pre-existing NAME attribute.
Support for sites built using Microsoft FrontPage: Many sites built using Microsoft FrontPage include a script called animate.js. We’ve seen this script cause a JavaScript error in Firefox, preventing additional JavaScript on the page from executing. Since product previews are generated using JavaScript, users who visit sites containing the animate.js script will not see Product Previews unless the animate.js script is located after the link enhancer script at the bottom of the page.
Malformed HTML: Product Previews will not display on Web sites containing invalid or malformed HTML.
12. How do I provide feedback on Product Previews?
We’re eager to hear what you think of Product Previews. Send comments, suggestions, questions, and issues directly to our development team at associates@amazon.com.
Written on October 11th, surf Active Apparel website Sell Homemade Video zone.at 05:10 pm by Darren Rowse
Adbrite to Group Publishers in Channels
Adbrite publishers received an email today announcing (without details) a new system that will cluster ‘the best’ AdBrite sites together in channels. The email reads:
We’re testing a new system for advertisers that may result in many more ads for you to approve.
More details to come, but the gist of it is that we’ve taken the best AdBrite sites and put them into channels such as sports, gossip and cars.
Now advertisers can buy across channels rather than finding sites individually. This change makes it easier for them to advertise on high quality sites that would normally be too small for their radar.
You don’t need to do anything - just thought you’d like to know. :)
This is something that BlogAds did with their ‘hives’ and that other ad networks have been trying also - sounds like a good move for both publishers, advertisers and Adbrite as it’ll hopefully make ads easier to sell.
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