{Blogging 101} Technical stuff

Source: shop.lego.com via Brendan on Pinterest

Once you have your blog up and running set aside some time to learn some technical stuff.

RSS Feed

Set up your own RSS feed for your blog.  There is some debate about the importance of RSS feeds (Short for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary).  Personally I like them.

RSS feeds are simple text files that, once submitted to feed directories, will allow subscribers to see content within a very short time after it's updated (sometimes as short as 30 minutes or less) [Source: About.com].

For me it basically means that blog posts from my favourite bloggers are sent directly to my inbox.

Note that GFC (Google Friend Connect) is only available to Blogger.com uses. Therefore RSS is important to capture Wordpress users.

Google analytics

Google Analytics (GA)is a great free tool. Set it up now because you can ignore it or starting using it. When you do want to use GA you'll be glad it was collecting data from the start.

GA is a service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about the visits to a website... It is the most widely used website statistics service.
The basic service is free of charge and a premium version is available for a fee. GA can track visitors from all referrers, including search engines, display advertising, pay-per-click networks, e-mail marketing and digital collateral such as links within PDF documents. [Source: Wikipedia]

SEO

Get an understanding of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how it works.  SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. [Source: Wikipedia].

There are many companies out there willing to take your cash to assist you with your SEO.  Some of these companies aren't all what they say they are - see Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide - know what SEO is will help you avoid these sharks.

HTML Coding

Learn some basic HTML coding. HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the main markup language for displaying web pages and other information that can be displayed in a web browser. One website that I have found very useful is W3Schools.

By know some basic HTML you can easily link pages, insert graphics and tables, change font sizes etc.

CHA Blogging 101 Series: 

Week 1: Why do I need a Blog?
Week 2: How to start
Week 3: Rookie mistakes to avoid
Week 4: Content & Topics
Week 5: Photos can grow your audience
Week 6: Where do I find readers?
Week 7: If you build it, they will come
Week 8: Technical Stuff

About the Contributor: 
Jeanie is a curvy, accessory loving, blogger. Exploring colour and style to suit a plus size. Jeanie encourages you to be you. Jeanie is for positive body confidence, and wishes all women would feel beautifully confident. Jeanie also gets her geek on with blogging, photography, & photoshop.

Visit Jeanie at inspiredwish.com or follow her on Facebook.