Web Business Academy.com

Part 2 of a 12 Part Series- Blogging for leveraged web marketing and clever customer relationship management. The following information is an extract from The ‘120 DAYS TO $120K’ Web Entrepreneur Success Program created and presented by Jennie Armato.

What Key Features Must I Have On My Blog? 

-       Blog Key Features

Following is a checklist of some of the necessary features you will want to have installed and activated on your blog, so that you gain maximum benefit from the mass exposure of a well structured online marketing plan.

• WordPress Platform blog (this has fast become the world favorite).  A basic wordpress blog can be added to any site instantly (via cPanel –> Fantastico) and you can do this for free.  However, all you get is the ‘shell’ of the site with absolute bare-basic functionality.  You can ‘add a theme’ using a template design and/or you can engage a web designer to create a custom theme for you - you will want to do this if you want your blog site design  to include specifics about you – like your own photo.  In this example, you can see what a standard wordpress blog looks like – upon being ‘born’ and then a theme template is added to it as well as a designer customizing it, to be specific to me.  This is the cheapest way to get a custom-built blog designed to be run as a business to build your business and your brand. 

In this example, you see a basic blog transfored in to a theme-based then customized version.  This cost me less than $350 to get done.  I could get a theme added to a blog – easily and cheaper than that BUT getting a professional business web customization, I got a blog that will work for business.  There’s a HUGE difference between a web SITE and a web BUSINESS – and the same applies for blogs too.  Many people are fooled by the idea that they can get a cheap (and even free theme) added to a basic blog and that’s it!  BUT all they have is a template theme design, not a system for selling, as a web business.

BASIC (Original) WordPress Blog	……..	Theme-added and Customized version

Once you have your design and business presentation sorted out for you, you want to add plug ins to your blog.  Web Developers (these are the techno-geek peeps) around the world have created ‘plug-ins’ that are added to the basic blog to further enhance the power of the theme design and customization.  Together, the developers and designers improve functionality and also the impact your blog can have as a marketing tool.  Some Web Developers have no or very little understanding of design and many web designers have no or very little understanding of web development.   And soYOU as the web business owner need to have an understanding of what expectations to have, what person or persons you need to recruit and most importantly, what outcomes you need to achieve.  Remember, there is a great big difference between a web site and a web business – and the type of blog you have is as equally important. 

Web Developers have created amazing, powerful plugins to make your blog work at its best for you.  You will receive our list of recommended web business blog plugins later in this series.   

We recommend you set up your own site with a wordpress blog and never host it on a 3^rd party site like Blogger or WordPress.org – not only are you limited in functionality and impact, you have absolutely no control over the ‘real estate’.  Any decsions and changes they make, can affect you, without recourse.  You can use these 3rd party sites as a supplementary tool – in an advanced strategy – after you have built your own foundation.

• Be sure to have a VERY SECURE password for the wp-admin – login to your blog dashboard.  Make it as complicated as possible as hacking and hijacking is a constant pursuit of the underground on the inter-webs.

• Comments box:  This is critical, as mentioned previously.   Make it as easy and quick as possible for people to leave comments on your blog.  Avoid security checks as this can ‘kill the party’.  Experienced bloggers will use “gravatars” (explained later) so be sure to include these fields in your comments section:  “Name”, “Email” (not published), “Website”, “Comments”, “Submit”.  Ensure your comment box is at least 12 lines in height and at least 1/2 the width of your posts. 

• RSS Feed:

This should come standard with your blog, be sure it is activated as it is key to building your influence via many of the social media sites.  We recommend you add “Feedburner” to your RSS Feed set up.  More information about this will come in Part 6 of the series.

• Social Engine icons (placed above the scroll on your blog).

Add links to your social sites via image buttons (icons) on the side menu of your blog.  Ensure they appear ‘above the scroll’ – that means that they are visible upon loading a page on your blog, without scrolling.  You can do this quickly and easily by adding a social media links ‘widget’ to your blog side bar.  The widget we are using on this site is called ”Social Media Widget”.  You install it then add links to your different social profiles and channels and your links go to the relevant social site via its icon.  (Scroll back up the page to see ours if you missed it.) 

You add a widget via the plugin section of your wordpress blog dashboard (wp-admin)  Dashboard –>Appearance –> Plugins –> New.  When installed and activated, go to –> Widgets and activate it then customize it.

This video explains what a Widget is and how to manage them:

Do you have any questions about blogging or do you have some ideas you would like to share too?  

We would love to help you and also, if you have ideas, we would LOVE to promote you.  Please share your questions, comments and ideas via the comments box below.  

Need a cheap yet powerful blog in a hurry?  The VERY BEST and Cheapest Self-Start Blog Kit we have found, that comes to you ‘ready-to-activate’ is under $350.  It is incredibly easy and very powerful to get started with your own new break-through blog today!   

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Jennie Armato (affectionately known as The Godmother of the Internet) is Head Coach and Success Mentor at Web Business Academy.   She provides education programs, marketing strategies and systems plus the most powerful tools to manage and accelerate your web success.  Jen’s “120 Days to $120K – The Web Entrepreneur Success Program” offers you an extended report plus a one hour complimentary webinar where she reveals the keys to moving forward faster to your best year on the web yet!   Grab your FREE ACCESS to the webinar PLUS learn more about the entire Web Entrepreneur Success Program.

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Part 1  <——>  Part 3