MelvinBlog

A blog that chronicles my journey on online marketing, blogging, social media, technology and life.

Search Results for: feed

Make Sure You Upgrade Your Feed Link

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It has not been new to everyone that Feedburner has been acquired by Google. Because of it we have to upgrade basically everything and migrate and lose some subscribers in the process.

Anyway this is just a very short reminder to everyone to please update your feedburner url. That is because the current url of the feed is not redirecting to the new feed address which gives you a ‘page cannot be found’. If you’re using Feedburner FeedSmith plugin (which you should be using anyway), just change the previous url (‘feeds.feedburner.com/blogsname) to the new one (feeds2.feedburner.com/blogsname). I do also suggest to update your feedcount chicklet’s url and image url so that your feedcount can be shown. It can be done by simply appending ‘2’ after the word ‘feeds’.  Most of us have our feed address set at http://blogname.com/feed, if you try to click it, it would just give you an error page. Not sure though how long it would last.

What I have noticed is that a lot bloggers, even big bloggers haven’t changed it yet. So what to do now? Change it! Believe me folks, you’re letting a lot of potential subscribers go away by having an erratic feed link, even if its just for one day.

The RSS FEED

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Ok everyone knows what an rss feed is right? And I’m sure most people have different ways on how they would increase their subscribers from feed. Actually I have really invested some thoughts about feeds. Why? Because if you work hard on getting rss subscribers and end up getting more from it than from your site itself, then I guess monetizing your blog would be somehow difficult or maybe earnings maybe lesser than what you should get.

So looking at techcrunch’s rss subscribers a year ago, I was amazed how they are getting so many readers to their site especially most coming from their feed. And I am even more amazed when I learned that an ad spot on techcrunch costs $10,000 per month.
So getting back to rss, to be honest I was not really trying to focus much on promoting my rss for some reasons:

  • Because there are tons of feed scrapers out there
  • I would rather have people visit my blog’s page rather than an RSS.

I don’t really know why but my basketball site before only an rss button because it’s pretty much included in the theme. Though I have never ever promoted its feed I was surprised to see that I got at least 30 subscribers for about 6 months for not even asking them to subscribe. Then through my analytics I have realized that most people who comment and visit there came from feeds So that’s the time that I have really seen the importance of getting people into your rss feed. Right now, my plan for this month is to increase my rss subscribers and hopefully get into a hundred before this year ends. That’s a pretty realistic goal I must say…

New Blog Design (v6) and Direction

New Blog Design (v6) and Direction

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You may have noticed the new design layout as soon as I published the previous blog post but I wanted to dedicate a blog post about it which details why I went with a design like this plus the blog’s new direction.

I may have been excessively using the phrase ‘new direction’ in my posts as that’s something I seem to be throwing around ever since I got a day job and had less time to write. But the reason why I wanted to touch upon that is because the new layout is very clean and also doesn’t have any sidebar anymore.

Sidebars are synonymous with blogs especially if the blog aims to monetize through ads however this blog hasn’t been really making any money anymore nor is it pressured to do so. In the past I’ve made money through advertisements in general and even when I became less active, I still kinda left a section for ads in the sidebar which was  usually plastered with affiliate banners of products/services that I use if the ad spot is not taken.

Now without a sidebar, coupled with a pretty clean  layout, it becomes even more of a personal blog where I can focus on writing things as they come to mind without any pressure whatsoever of appeasing potential advertisers. It also allows me to focus on the blog as a personal brand where the look can reflect back on me as a person and what I do career-wise.

It’s almost like an online portfolio, but not strictly since I’m not really showcasing anything other than my crappy writing. So it’s quite different than say a portfolio of a graphic designer or a web developer where they can easily showcase their work quite prominently. Mine is really just a blog, a personal one that highlights my personality and perhaps the nature of what I do albeit in a very subtle way.

The layout  forces me to make use of images and photos that blend with the design. I’ve dabbled with photography years ago and maybe this allows me to rekindle and refresh my interest on the hobby. Some of you know that I’m allergic to making use of imagery in my blogs so this gives me an opportunity to change that.

All in all, the design changes mirror my blogging journey and the direction I’m heading to. Majority of my time spent with it was with the aim of making money having started during my college days, scrimping money to pay for a domain name and hosting, and staying up all night writing up content and networking with as many bloggers as humanly possible.

I made some money here and there and enjoyed the whole ride but I ultimately took a more normal path after school. Found a job that allowed me to grow but at the same time still continued blogging with a different goal.

Hope you like the new design and if not, feel free to leave comments with your feedback. 🙂

Points To Consider When You Sell In Ebay And Trade Unwanted Items

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This is a guest post by Richard Peterson.

Ebay is one of the most popular and trafficked sites on the internet. The auctions on eBay can be the right time to make great deals on several products. If you want to set up your own store or sell unwanted products, you can explore the selling options which are provided by eBay. If you are selling for the first time take note of the fact that you have zero reputation. Start by selling small and cheaper items which buyers are more likely to gamble on. After selling the product make sure that you as ask for feedback from the buyers.

Ascertaining selling position

When you sell an unwanted item on eBay, there will be another 300 sellers who will be selling the same product. This makes it necessary that you do your homework and fix the price strategically. Before you list the product find out how common or unique it is on Ebay. Find out whether someone has sold the same product and at what price. eBay offers a feature with which you can search for past auctions and sales. You can conduct a search with the help of a keyword. By evaluation of the bidding activity, you can find out about the demand.

Fees you have to pay

When you sell on eBay, you will have to pay a listing fee and a final value fee. PayPal is the preferred payment method in eBay. You can consider taking a photograph of your product in a white background. Visuals play an important role as you interact with an online audience. A strong and high-quality image will have a stronger impact. Make sure that there is adequate lighting when you take an image of your product. You can consider taking images with your phone. You can make use of eth filters and applications to create better images. You can make use of the Ebay mobile app and upload images directly from your phone.

Attracting buyers

Include all details about the product which you want to sell. This will make the item more searchable on the internet. Include relevant words in the listing title. Address the questions which arise in the mind of the buyers. You can make use of a colorful image to describe your item. Describe the product in bullets and include information on the brand and features. Include words which attract the attention of the buyers. If you are planning to sell a designer tem you will have to tell the buyers where you got it from

Selling products successfully

On eBay, you can see how much the other items have sold for. You can find out how other sellers have described their products. If a product is listed in red, it indicates that the product did not sell. When you sell a product on eBay, you will have to pay an insertion fee and a final value fee. The insertion fee is the basic fee which you have to pay to sell an item. If your item sells successfully, you will have to pay 10% of you final sales price as the final value fee. Selling in eBay will be easier if you take note of the policies.

Fixing suitable prices

When you plan to sell a product, you must lower the start price. It will lower the listing fee and your product will attract greater attention. An auction on eBay with modest start price will bring about more bidding and high final price. When want to sell a product think about the season. Make sure that you sell the product at the right time of the year. Be careful with the descriptions which you include with the product. Buyers will be eligible for refund if the product is not as described.

Author Bio: Richard Peterson wanted to sell some of his unused garments in eBay. Selling in eBay was easier for him when he described the garments in details and included eye-catching images. He received several bids when the products were auctioned.

Advantage Of Phones For Visually Impaired In The Life Of The Users

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This is a guest post by Tom Harrison.

Smartphone has in store various advantages. It has the power to expose you to the world of entertainment and connect with the friends all over the globe. For the visually impaired the Smartphone offer more than this. The use of the phone is not restricted to connecting people but also it has become a guide that helps them to conduct their daily activities seamlessly. So be it counting the bills after any transaction, or locating any bus-stop in any unknown location, they can do the same by touching the icons on the screen. Connecting the internet and seeking information is also easy with this phones

Use of touchscreen

It might seem that the flat glass screen of the Smartphone might not be the best option for the visually impaired people, but in reality it is not so. This touchscreen has turned out to be of great benefit to the blind users. It is known that the blind user generally use their sense of touch to navigate through the Smartphone and also perform different functions. The Smartphone uses this concept and couples it with the voice commands for the convenience of its users. Only the phone that uses braille does not use the voice commands.

Aids in various activities

The manufacturers of the phone have also introduced apps that can help them to gather different information and perform various actions. Audio books, playing games with the help of sound and touch and matching the color of clothes are few of the function that can be conducted with these apps. If you are planning to visit a new locality, then with the help of voice command, the phone can guide you towards your destination. So, when you are out just switch on the GPS and you can reach the desired location without getting lost.

Spots your bus easily

Few of these phones come with in-built applications that can guide you to appropriate bus terminus or bus-stop. Al you need to do is feed in the details or the number pertaining to the bus fleet. You can also mention the nearest stop or your destination. You can hear a recorded voice directing you to the top and also the details of the route and once you are on the bus, it will tell you the number of stops that you need to cover to reach your destination. In this software or application, information related to the routes is already recorded.

Various other benefits

There are also applications in these phones that forecast the weather of a particular area. If you want answer to your queries, all you need to do is ask a question and you will receive an answer in an audio format. If you need any assistance for any task, you can also seek the same with the application. Connecting to the social media sites is easy with the phones for visually impaired. Your photographic spree will also be answered by the applications. You can click the photograph and you will be told what it is about. You can also transform a sound clip to an audio aid and the same can be saved and can be utilized later.

No need of any human help

The general functions of the phone that is calling up people and sending messages and emails can be done with ease with the help of voice command. A Smartphone loaded with these applications can help you to enjoy the world without the help of any third person or human assistance. Another worth mentioning help catered by these phones and their apps are that the bill that you pay as part of the payment can be counted easily by them. They can also recognize the currency easily.

Author Bio: Tom Harrison writes blogs regardingSmartphone and the different applications that are built in the same. In his latest one, he has written about the phones for visually impaired and the advantage they have.

How B2B SaaS is Stimulating Entrepreneurial Growth

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This is a guest post by Danny Roberts.

Becoming a small business owner is both challenging and exhilarating. It often represents the coming to fruition of what started as an idea and is now a reality. You now have offices, a legitimate business, letterhead, staff, etc. But with great power comes great responsibility, and so the entrepreneur is also in need of making decisions regarding services, applications and infrastructure needed to support the business.

A trend that is continuing to gain momentum among small business owners and entrepreneurs is the incorporation of B2B SaaS applications into one’s startup or growing enterprise. SaaS entails the hosting of software on the cloud that is accessible to anyone (with the proper credentials) from anywhere around the globe (provided they have an internet connection). Mostly handled through subscriptions and memberships, SaaS has gained in popularity because of its flexibility and affordability for many small entrepreneurs. There are many advantages to using SaaS apps for small business, a handful of which are outlined below.

Before SaaS came into the picture, deploying a new system in an organization could be extremely costly in terms of time and resources required to manage a full-fledged implementation. Customizing a software product to a business was normally not within reach for smaller businesses, and even larger ones struggled with the cost of consultants, IT resources, and upkeep. Now, with the advent of SaaS, these barriers-to-entry have been all but eradicated. Smaller companies are able to pay a subscription and have access to software solutions that would have been previously out of reach. Providers take care of updates, patches, and other technical maintenance needed for the software, which frees up resources that were once designated for costly IT departments. Additionally, unlike the implementation of a proprietary application which requires a significant commitment of company funds and resources, SaaS solutions can be terminated or shifted as the business requires. By capitalizing on the advantages of cloud hosting, the business owner can explore new products with far less restrictions than a proprietary product would allow.

SaaS solutions afford business owners a greater flexibility to grow. The way usage is structured, SaaS is able to meet a company’s needs in the now, in terms of size and number of users; but should the business grow, cloud-based solutions are inherently scalable and can thus relatively easily serve the needs of the organization in the future. Knowing that the incremental cost of growing an IT infrastructure that supports the business is manageable, the entrepreneur can spend more time on the organization’s core business rather than being held back by the cost of expanding. What’s more, because SaaS solutions are able to handle the needs of a growing workforce, more customers, increased inventory, etc. the marginal cost of hiring one more worker, or adding additional clients becomes more economical.

The multi-tenant model in which SaaS applications are offered is another way these solutions are stimulating entrepreneurial and small business growth. By engaging clients from several industries and organizations, these solutions promote a constant two-way flow of feedback. This allows the user to enjoy a state-of-the-art SaaS application that is continuously updated by like-minded business owners, making it a better and more up-to-date product. Because SaaS applications are being constructed and renovated based off of crowd-sourced wisdom, this essentially makes them tailored solutions for specific types of business problems.

Business owners looking for SaaS solutions should take advantage of online marketplaces to research and compare SaaS apps that can suit their needs. An extremely flexible and affordable alternative to proprietary applications, SaaS allows the entrepreneur to devote more time to core business functions while being assured that support systems are safely in place. The future for small business owners is looking bright indeed!