RosalindGardner.com

Learn Blogging & Affiliate Marketing with Rosalind Gardner

Blogging with Wordpress

Blogging with Wordpress is the simplest way for a beginner to start a blog, aka website. Rosalind Gardner has been using Wordpress since before it's inception and knows all the ins and outs of how to create a blog and use the best themes and SEO tactics to attract visitors to your new blog. Learn how to start a Wordpress blog here.

Do You Have Cookie Control?

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Unless you are an affiliate who can afford to pay a fine of about £500,000 ($616,173 US at time of writing), you should read this. 🙂

The EU ePrivacy Directive passed last year went into effect on May 26th, 2012. Sites that are not in compliance are subject to the fine — and that doesn't just affect affiliates in EU countries.

A site in the U.S. that targets U.K. consumers will also have to comply with the new policy.

Basically, that means:

  1. Users must be given the option to opt-in if your site uses cookies.
  2. You must inform visitors of the type of information the cookie captures and how long that information is kept.

How to comply

You will need to run javascript or install a WordPress plugin specifically for this purpose. Currently, there are 3 sources that I can recommend:

  1. Cookie Control Plugin a mechanism for obtaining a user's explicit consent for the use of cookies on their computer for WordPress from CivicUK
  2. Cookillian Provides extensible support for EU/UK compliance of the EC Cookie Directive (2009/136/EC), based on a visitor's location.
  3. EPrivacy Plug-in for Publishers from Affiliate Window (more complex than the other 2)

I was running Cookie Control on this website for purposes of example (see graphic below) and will HAVE to run it on my book sales site ASAP.

Although these directives are not currently mandated in North America and other regions, doesn't mean that you should consider implementing the practice.

Visit the ICO website for more information about the ePrivacy Directive and the new rules on cookies.

Turnkey Websites – An Online Marketer’s Heaven or Hell?

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Turnkey websites have been around for years and just as long as they have, people have been debating about their pros and cons. Of course, both sides have equally good points, but is there a way that you can pick a turnkey website which will allow you to reap all of the benefits while avoiding the negatives? Let’s take a look at each side and see if we can answer that question.

What Is A Turnkey Website?

I know most of you will already know, but for those that don't, a turnkey website is one that is already pre-built. This website should be a completely operational and functioning site that comes with scripts, affiliate programs, pre-written content and images already built in. In essence, it is the fastest and easiest way to get a website up and running today. But is it the best?

Are Turnkey Websites an Online Marketers Heaven?

To answer that question, we must first take a look at who a turnkey website benefits the most. Of course, the most obvious answer is those who are just getting started on the Internet and may not have the time or skill set to set up and develop a website. It takes a lot of time and effort to learn how to properly develop a website on your own, and purchasing a turnkey website can eliminate that.

A turnkey site can also benefit the average entrepreneur that is just looking for a new way to communicate with their clients and branch out into the Internet. If this is their first foray into the online world and they are just looking to test the waters, a turnkey site might just be exactly what they're looking for due to the low time and monetary investments involved. This is especially true if their real area of expertise is marketing, promotions, sales or communications.

Besides just being a first, kind of experimental site, a turnkey website can be used for many other things including backlinks. For instance, let’s say you already have a site that’s up and running; one that you’ve had done professionally or done yourself. A turnkey website can be a great way to generate links back to your main website. Not only that, you will be sending customers directly to your main site from your turnkey site.

Are Turnkey Websites an Online Marketers Hell?

Now that we have taken a look at the positive side of turnkey websites – it's time to look at the negative.

When purchasing a turnkey website you should remember that just because it is advertised as being set up and ready to go, that doesn't mean you will get lots of traffic and income straight away – or even at all. You will still need to market your website in just the same way as you would if you had built it yourself.

As mentioned earlier, a turnkey website will already be pre-loaded with content and images. However, if the website is sold multiple times, this content will not be unique. In order to get the most out of your purchase you will need to edit the articles and images to make your website different from the rest.

Some turnkey website providers mislead first time buyers into thinking that they can make $1000's overnight just from purchasing a single website from them. Perhaps this is what has given turnkey websites a bad rep.

However, for those that are interested in turnkey websites, you can avoid the above pitfalls by searching for a reliable and trustworthy provider.

Things To Look Out For In A Turnkey Website Provider

  1. Avoid vendors who sell unlimited copies of the same website. This will flood the market with your exact design and content. While a turnkey is meant to be patterned on a design, it is not meant to be parroted.
  2. Look for providers that sell limited copies of each type of website. This will ensure that your unique vision and input on the site will be enough customization to make your site singular.
  3. Avoid purchasing bulk turnkey websites. Some places will offer you a discount on 100 or more websites. These sites have been floating around the web for ages and are owned by hundreds of other people. Your website will get lost in a sea of sameness.
  4. Look for a reputable seller who offers support. Make sure that there is some form of comprehensive support team, most preferably live and unlimited, that will be able to help you through any problems or questions you may have, especially if this is your first foray into the online world.
  5. If you need web hosting, make sure your provider offers it. This is an even more “hands-off” benefit for those trying out experimental sites.
  6. Look for a seller that will allow you to view and test functional turnkey sites that they provide. Most will offer a link to preview the website in advance. Play around with the site and see if it is aesthetically pleasing as well as has an ease of functionality. After all, this is what your customers will be seeing as the face of your business.

Have Turnkeys Gotten A Bad Rep?

In conclusion – are turnkey websites all they’re cracked up to be? Or is their time up in an online world where search engine rankings have come to recognize unique content as the key to being relevant?  

Let us know what you think!

WordPress 3.3 Fights with Akismet

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Here's a heads up about what happens to your Akismet plugin once you install WordPress 3.3

First, ALL comments posted to my blogs were going into spam after I installed WordPress 3.3. Ergo, I wasn't getting email messages about comments being held in moderation. Thought no one was enjoying my latests posts until I found nearly 100 ‘good' comments in the Spam box.

Then the BBPress Forum on Affiliate Blogger PRO stopped working. I got a message from one of our members that they couldn't post to the forum. I checked and it seemed to work, so I asked him to try again and never heard anything back. I received an email about the same problem from another member this morning and discovered that new posts to the forum were automatically being deleted.

Suddenly something in my tiny cranium clicked that the problem must have something to do with Akismet.

Sure enough, when you install WordPress 3.3 and do the Akismet upgrade, things go awry.

The fix?

Easy enough. Go into the Akismet configuration panel on your WordPress blog and you'll discover that the API key is no longer there.

Once you re-enter and save it… all is well once more.

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Ros

WordPress Theme SEO: 5 Things to Look for

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Are you looking into SEO for your website, desiring more traffic, and wanting to progress to the next level? Believe it or not, your choice of website actually plays a significant part in determining your keyword-friendliness and Google Panda/Penguin readiness.

Most new website designers make a choice based on the price (or perhaps looking for a free website) and based on the color scheme. That makes sense…you do want an attractive color scheme, and the standardized themes for WordPress are oftentimes very alluring. However, it’s also important to remember that WordPress themes are all customizable. You can manipulate colors and text position by accessing the CSS files in the editor tab on your dashboard, or if you have a user-friendly theme, you can just select your color choices automatically with theme settings.

Of course, you don’t really want to go at it alone if you have no web design knowledge. This is precisely why many website owners choose these “prefabricated” themes, because of the elegant design and feel of the site.

However, when it comes time to choose between all of the themes that you generally like, you have to consider more than just visual elements. Let’s consider five important points.

  1. Easy Customization
    It’s no coincidence that most commercial themes allow plenty of customization, while free themes only give you the bare minimum. Easy custom design features are always a priority on all users’ lists, which is why designers allow so much freedom on the paid versions. It’s not just a matter of color either. Users want the ability to design their own layouts, their own column/frames features and their own widgets. And the fact that they use CMS software just proves they don’t want to mess heavily with CSS code—which is comparable with HTML in terms of technical terms.
  2. E-Commerce
    Chances are, your company can’t afford to promote a promotional site alone—you want sales, and the best way to get sales is to create an online store. While there are plugins for online stores available, the best store features (with graphics and java scripts) are usually included with commercial WordPress themes.
  3. SEO Plugins
    Your site needs plenty of SEO help, and the more plugins you have to install, the more time it takes out of your busy day. Therefore, you might try to choose a WordPress theme that provides all sorts of SEO help for you—without any extra installations. The best SEO features might include meta tags and descriptions, as well as automatic keyword density measuring tools, and perhaps even special plugins that help you evaluate the competition, and your own site’s SEO-readiness.
  4. Excellent Customer Support
    Free WordPress themes don’t offer much of anything besides a free ride—but commercial WordPress themes mean serious business since a lot of money goes into these projects. This is why the best themes all include customer support, just in case you have a technical issue with your theme. Don’t just settle on a knowledge base…make sure the company offers an online forum, email support and a live phone number. This will ensure you keep your site in perfect working condition.
  5. Dynamic Content
    Lastly, why pay for a boring theme? All the little touches go a long way in professionalizing the look of your company, whether you’re looking for sliders (which can rotate through several of your favorite product pictures), or separate index pages apart from the blog site, or even custom post sites, that let you design individual pages apart from one another.

Remember, you don’t pay for colors or for fancy design ideas…you pay for the functions you need to do business.

146-Point Checklist for Affiliate Marketers & Bloggers

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OK, this might be the world's longest checklist for affiliate marketers and bloggers.

But don't let that deter your interest in becoming a blogger who does affiliate marketing, as many items on this affiliate marketing checklist need only be done once (i.e. install your blog), while a number of others are tongue-in-cheek, i.e. eat and sleep. 🙂

Most items on this checklist are linked to blog posts on this site where you'll find more information about the topic.

Important list items WITHOUT links (i.e. choose your niche, assess affiliate programs, create an autoresponder series, etc.) are covered in detail in my book.

I hope this affiliate marketing checklist helps with your business.

Happy Blogging!

  1. Determine whether blogging is right for you.
  2. Are you able to finance a blogging business?
  3. Learn and understand industry terminology, i.e. do NOT say ‘affiliate' when you mean merchant!
  4. Ask LOTS of questions!
  5. Consider your interests (food, going green…)
  6. Assess / research markets for profit potential
  7. Consider the state of the economy
  8. Confirm that there are products to sell in your niche.
  9. Choose your niche. Be happy, avoid the BizOp niche.
  10. Decide whether to use your real name or a pseudonym
  11. Think up a good name for your business / blog
  12. Protect your computer against spam and viruses
  13. Arrange computer backups – backup power unit or at Carbonite (or both)
  14. Register your domain name
  15. Arrange web hosting
  16. Familiarize yourself with host's operating system, i.e. cPanel
  17. Learn and exercise patience
  18. Confused? Evaluate educational opportunities
  19. Be careful to avoid scam artist ‘teachers'
  20. Setup email forwarding addresses, i.e. me @ mydomain.com
  21. Install WordPress
  22. Install Akismet for blog spam protection
  23. Buy a professional WordPress theme
  24. Design or hire a professional to create a logo
  25. Install multiple web browsers to review blog design
  26. Configure your blog backup schedule.
  27. Setup comment moderation preferences.
  28. Write a Comments Policy.
  29. Add a ping list.
  30. Setup user registration preferences, subscriber vs. author, etc.
  31. Get a Gravatar.
  32. Write your Author bio.
  33. Setup a PayPal account for commission payments.
  34. Get a Google account.
  35. Set up a Google Feedburner feed
  36. Sign up for Google Adsense.
  37. Set up an autoresponder account to build your subscriber list
  38. Create an autoresponder series
  39. Install autoresponder code on blog
  40. Setup Blog Broadcast functionality with Feedburner feed info
  41. Setup a Facebook Profile (here's mine)
  42. Setup a Facebook Page
  43. Install Facebook code on your blog
  44. Register at LinkedIn
  45. Setup a Twitter account
  46. Install Sexy Bookmarks to allow readers to share your posts
  47. Install the Contact Form 7 plugin
  48. Create a Contact page
  49. Create an AboutUs page
  50. Add Disclaimer page
  51. Add Disclosure page (to keep FTC happy)
  52. Create blog categories
  53. Write blog category descriptions
  54. Get a text or HTML editor to write your posts offline
  55. Write a series of ‘starter' posts
  56. Use multiple browsers to see how your blog appears in each
  57. Tag posts with relevant keywords
  58. Buy graphics / images to enhance posts
  59. Use your own images with a Flickr account
  60. Monetize your site intially with Google Adsense.
  61. Join the Amazon affiliate program (if you are eligible)
  62. Join Clickbank
  63. Join other affiliate networks, e.g. CJ, ShareaSale
  64. Supply networks with direct depost information
  65. Apply to affiliate programs
  66. Appeal to merchants directly if declined
  67. Evaluate and compare affiliate offers
  68. Choose best offers and products to promote
  69. Organize your affiliate information
  70. Learn how to cloak your affiliate links
  71. Write product reviews
  72. Get affiliate code from merchant
  73. Install affiliate links in product reviews
  74. Monitor sales statistics
  75. Confirm commission checks and bank deposits are accurate
  76. Set a goal to double earnings each and every month
  77. Assess why commissions may not be as high as expected
  78. Tweak posts to increase conversion rates
  79. Review sales statistics again
  80. Monitor you email list for unsubscribes after publishing posts
  81. Assess best ratio of promotional to informational posts
  82. Create a publishing plan to follow
  83. Continue writing informative articles
  84. Create a swipe file to prevent writer's block
  85. Buy and use PLR content when writing bores you
  86. Respond to blog reader comments (good and bad)
  87. Use reader comments to get ideas for content **

    88. fd

  88. Build relationships – respond to Facebook friend comments
  89. Setup a polling plugin
  90. Create polls to get reader feedback
  91. Send out a press release with poll results
  92. Create an Android or iPhone app for your blog
  93. Build trust – respond to email submitted via Contact form
  94. Write standardized responses to frequently asked questions
  95. Create a F.A.Q.
  96. Check email regularly for new affiliate offers
  97. Monitor website traffic with Google Analytics
  98. Use Google Reader to stay abreast of industry news
  99. Comment on relevant blogs to build traffic through backlinks
  100. Comment on relevant forums for backlinks
  101. Set up a Yahoo! account
  102. Make video product reviews (you'll Flip for this)
  103. Upload videos to YouTube and post to blog
  104. Connect your YouTube and Facebook accounts
  105. Monitor and respond to YouTube user comments
  106. Add monetization to YouTube videos
  107. Assess popularity of blog posts
  108. Create a list of popular blog posts
  109. Create a list of your best blog posts in a single category
  110. Sign up for Klout to check your ‘influence'
  111. Check your ‘bounce rate'
  112. Write additional articles for placement on article directories
  113. Re-invest earnings in software and hardware upgrades
  114. Buy PPC advertising on Google Adwords
  115. Perform WordPress and plugin updates (but not TOO quickly)
  116. Figure out which plugin is causing blog bloat
  117. Fret over database errors and other traumas
  118. Prepare for possible server outages
  119. Clone your blog
  120. Check site for broken links
  121. Look for links that still work but do not go where intended
  122. Link posts together with relevant keyword phrases for better SEO
  123. Hold a contest to encourage reader feedback and additional traffic
  124. Invite guest bloggers to write articles
  125. Guest post on other peoples' blogs
  126. Write stellar responses to questions on Yahoo! Answers
  127. Find out how much Klout you have
  128. Take a course or buy software to improve your copywriting and writing skills
  129. Tackle and take down copyright thieves
  130. Attend an industry conference
  131. Implement lessons learned at conference
  132. Turn your blog into a membership site … I did
  133. Translate your site
  134. Get success tips to stay inspired, focused and motivated
  135. Learn how to manage your money
  136. Subscribe to industry trade magazines
  137. File your taxes
  138. Sign up for an affiliate marketing / blogging course
  139. Celebrate and monetize the holidays
  140. Eat
  141. Sleep
  142. Get some exercise
  143. Have some fun
  144. Make time for your family
  145. Give to others
  146. Enjoy your disposable income
  147. Wash, rinse, repeat

Have I missed anything? Comments, questions or suggestions? PLEASE let me know by leaving a comment below!

Cheers,

5 Ways to Make More Money Blogging in 2012

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I am willing to wager that one of your goals for 2012 is to make more money online than you did in 2011.

If so, great! I want to help you figure out whether you need to do more of what you did last year and/or add new business-building activities to your repertoire.

Read the recommendations below for ideas that will increase your bottom line.

  1. Test Your Market and Commitment

    If the blog you started in 2008 has never made a dime and the thought of trying to write yet another blog post about contact lenses leaves you cold; it's unlikely that the blog will start producing big fat commission checks this year either.

    Take a good hard look at your blog topic.

    Is there a market for its related products and services or did it decline with middle class disposable incomes during the recession? If the market has vaporized, it's time to reassess your investment in that blog. You can let it age and return to it when the market improves — or sell it.

    You should also re-evaluate continuing your blog if the market remains strong, yet your interest in the topic has vanished. If you can find the spark that originally inspired you to start the blog, fuel that fire! Otherwise, let it go and spare yourself the pain of boredom. Let it go, try to sell it or find someone to write for you on a regular basis.

    If you decide to let your blog go, start another in a more profitable and interesting niche.

    At a bare minimum, start building your portfolio / business card site this year.

  2. Use the Right Tools

    Bloggers have access to many awesome free tools such as:

    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google Analytics
    • Google Reader
    • Google Webmaster
    • and many more…

    Making good use of those tools can help you make piles of ‘extra' cash in commissions.

    For example, you can decrease your blog's load time by using Google's Page Speed. When readers can access your content faster, your conversions will increase and you make more money.

    However, there are a few essential tools on which bloggers must not skimp — even if free options are available.

    Those who want a hobby site to entertain friends and family, can do so for free with Blogger or WordPress.com. Or, just stick with Facebook.

    However, to be a money-making blogger; you must invest in their own domain name and a web hosting service for that domain. (NOTE: Bluehost offers free domain registration with their hosting service).

    Need convincing that owning your own domain is an absolute necessity?

    OK, here's one of the most compelling reasons — Merchants decline applications of affiliates who use third-party hosting providers, i.e. WordPress.com, as they are regarded as unprofessional.

    You also need an autoresponder service.

    If you rely on Feedburner for blog broadcast delivery, make this the year that you start building a real list of blog subscribers whom you contact, even when you don't post to your blog.

    Every successful money-making blogger uses a professional autoresponder service to build their subscriber lists. I've been using Aweber for over a decade, and recommend them above all other services. If you're a new customer, you can test out an Aweber account for just a $1.

    A list of people who are interested in your topic and what you have to say will always be your greatest business asset.

    Better yet, you might make some friends amongst those readers…

  3. Start Connecting with People

    I've remained in this business for over a decade because I enjoy connecting with the people I meet online who share my interests.

    Feedback – positive or negative – helps me make my business better. Positive feedback tells me I've hit the mark and that I need to do more of the same. Negative feedback indicates that I need to review and revise my approach in one or more areas.

    Learning something new everyday encourages me to foster even more relationships and there are so many different ways to connect with people online.

    Responding to folks who comment on your blog is first and foremost. Not each and every one, but certainly to those who have asked a question or left a very thoughtful and detailed response. In doing so, you forge relationships and build credibility as a trusted authority in your niche.

    Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Flickr accounts increase your online presence. When those accounts are properly connected, posting to one will show up on others, i.e. with your YouTube and Facebook accounts connected, a video upload to YouTube will result in a notification on your Facebook page or profile. Each notification is an opportunity to bring visitors back to your blog or find new readers.

    Posting thoughtful comments on others' blogs not only builds backlinks, but your reputation as well. Make sure the blogs on which you post comments are in a niche relevant to your own — and don't pull any ‘cheap shoes‘ tricks.

    Meeting with merchants at an industry conference is another fine way to build relationships and increase your commissions as many will offer higher payouts to affiliate marketers whom they meet in person. Trading war stories with fellow bloggers is also fun, highly educational and bound to increase your bottom line.

  4. Blog Early, Blog Often

    If you blogged once a week last year, try to double or triple your output in 2012.

    Increasing the amount of unique content that you publish is a sure way to get Google to reward you with more free traffic. More visitors always means better earnings.

    Don't have the time to blog more often? Consider partnering with a writer, hiring a freelancer or buying PLR.

    Review, revise and re-use your existing blog content.

    Frustrating readers with out-dated content or broken links is a sure way to make LESS money, so review your blog for posts that are out-dated or no longer relevant… but do NOT delete them.

    Old posts that still attract traffic can be used to redirect visitors to newer, more relevant material. Simply add a bolded notice to the top of the post with a link to the new material. Make the sentence highly noticeable by using a color not used elsewhere on your site.

    Check your blog regularly for broken links – I use the Broken Link Checker plugin.

    Check for links that DO work, but which do not link to the site or product that you intended! Sad, but true – I've come across a small percentage of merchants that will change the landing page in such a way that you will no longer be compensated for referred sales.

    Another option is to update and re-post articles. For example, if you promote a particular event every year (such as I do with Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar), simply put the post back into Draft mode, enter the new information and re-publish it.

    Too, review posts for opportunities to link to other relevant posts on your blog. Consider creating a new post that lists 5 – 7 articles and call it a ‘series'. 🙂

  5. Make a Plan and Work Your Plan

    Read the Affiliate Marketing: Month-by-Month series of articles which highlights holidays and events.

    Use it to create a publishing schedule for your blog and get suggestions for products and services you might consider promoting throughout the year.

    To help you create a plan and stay on track with your plan without getting overwhelmed, here are some helpful articles.

    1. Wash on a Monday
    2. End Procrastination: Eat that Frog
    3. Feeling Overwhelmed? Here’s My Cure

I wish you all the very best of blogging success in 2012!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Ros

Hello Sonny

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WordPress 3.3, released on December 12th, is nicknamed Sonny, for jazz saxophonist, Sonny Stitt.

Honestly, I wasn't too jazzed about Sonny when I immediately got a “Fatal error: Call to undefined function is_rtl()” message after the upgrade. Couldn't even log into the Admin Panel. Grrr.

Fortunately, I wasn't the only blogger who experienced this, so it was easy to find a solution to the WordPress 3.3 Fatal error installation problem.

After getting back into the Administration Panel and reading about the upgrades, I think the most beneficial change is the use of liquid layouts that will scale output to fit any screen size. In the age of increasing mobile media usage — this is a huge benefit.

Too, as someone who uploads a lot of pictures to my sites, I will also appreciate the drag-and-drop media uploader… once I figure out how it works. When I tried it, it opened up a new browser window to the location of the picture on my computer. Thought I'd lost my new post. That wasn't the case but Hmmm…

The good folks at WordPress describe this iteration as having “significant polish around the new user experience, navigation, uploading, and imports.” There is a short video about Sonny on the WordPress site that summarizes the things they think you’ll find are the cat’s pajamas.

See the WordPress 3.3 release notes for a complete list of changes and new features.

Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Ros

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