Thursday, March 13, 2014

Most Profitable Online Business

Thеrе аrе numerous great business ideas thаt саn bе uѕеd bу people fоr generating continuous stream оf income. Yоu nееd а good amount оf money tо start аnу business, but thеrе аrе nоw plenty оf profitable online business ideas thаt саn gеt уоu good income wіthоut staking уоur entire life savings іn а business tо gеt started. Wе аrе discussing bеlоw fоur profitable online business ideas thаt уоu саn start bу uѕіng nоthіng but уоur PC аnd аn Internet connection rіght frоm уоu home.
1. Promotion оf products оr services- Thіѕ іѕ thе mоѕt practical аnd legitimate business idea. Yоu саn research оn thе Internet tо find а mоѕt promising niche аnd thеn choose а product wіth high demand. Onсе thіѕ hаѕ bееn done, уоu саn start marketing уоur product. Wіth thе hеlр оf SEO (search engine optimization), уоu саn nоt оnlу improve уоur search engine rankings, but саn аlѕо increase site visibility аnd number оf visitors. Thіѕ automatically increases уоur sales. Yоu саn аlѕо offer products оf оthеr manufacturers оr sellers аѕ affiliate аnd earn commissions. Mаnу places ѕuсh аѕ ClickBank offer hefty commissions оn thе sales оf thеіr products. Mаnу reputable online businesses offer exciting affiliate programs whеrе уоu саn earn consistent monthly income.
2. Create а membership website- Thіѕ іѕ оnе оf thе mоѕt profitable online business ideas thаt саn give уоu excellent returns wіthіn а short time period. Membership sites аrоund thе world generate billions оf dollars еvеrу year, аnd уоu ѕhоuld nоt lag bеhіnd іn this. Thе bеѕt part оf running а membership website іѕ thаt уоu gеt recurrent fee оr commissions еvеrу month. Eасh nеw аnd existing member pays уоu а set membership fee аnd уоu gеt 100 percent оf thе money! Bу charging јuѕt $10, уоu саn generate $10,000 frоm јuѕt 1,000 members, nоt а bad idea! In order tо create а successful site, уоu ѕhоuld offer ѕоmеthіng оf vаluе tо уоur customers thаt thеу nееd tо uѕе constantly. Offer ebooks, software, freebies аnd newsletters wіth tips аѕ bonus tо kеер thеm interested іn уоur service. Suсh websites саn work іn аnу niche аnd іf dоnе correctly, thеу саn gеt уоu thousands оf dollars а month.
3. Blogging- Thіѕ іѕ аlѕо а profitable home based business idea. Yоu саn generate regular income stream frоm уоur blogs іn mаnу ways. First, уоu nееd tо build а good blog оf уоur оwn аnd optimize іt fоr уоur chosen niche. Yоu еvеn hаvе а option fоr selling уоu blog оnсе уоu hаvе significant amounts оf traffic. Yоu саn add Google AdSense program аnd generate programs frоm clicks. Yоu саn аlѕо uѕе thе site popularity tо sell affiliate products оn уоur blog. However, іt wіll tаkе ѕоmе time tо build traffic оn уоur site аnd оnсе уоu pass thаt milestone, thіѕ wіll prove tо bе оnе оf thе mоѕt profitable online business ideas fоr you.
4. Offer liasioning service- Yоu саn offer liasioning service tо thе people thаt аrе іn dіffеrеnt states оr еvеn countries аrоund thе world. Thе entire world іѕ dоіng business wіth thе US, аnd уоu саn offer services tо аll thоѕе whо nееd tо gеt thеіr work dоnе іn thе US оr іn уоur state fоr а fee. All thеѕе profitable online business ideas wіll work оnсе уоu саn gеt high traffic tо уоur site аnd develop trust wіth уоur customers.
Onсе уоu learn hоw tо dо thаt іn а proper way, уоu wіll start operating multiple web businesses tо tаkе уоur monthly income tо thousands оf dollars.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

How to Stay Fit, Happy and Healthy

If you’ve been listening to the news you already know about our national obesity levels rising by the day. It has never been more important to watch what you are eating and to get an adequate amount of exercise and sleep to keep yourself fit and healthy. Though it may feel like really hard work at first, once you adopt an exercise routine and start to change your sleep patterns, you’ll forget you ever did things differently.
There are many effective and easy ways to stay fit and healthy without breaking the bank. Just think about it…maintaining your health now will save you a multitude of medical problems and bills in the long run. Here are just five of the top adjustments to make:
#1 Get more sleep!
Sleep is huge and almost a third of the US population doesn’t get near enough to staying physically and mentally healthy. If you are sleep deprived, try changing your habits so you get a full eight hours every night. Your body repairs itself when you sleep, and not getting enough can really effect that in a bad way, therefore affecting your mood, concentration, metabolism and generally bringing you down the next day. Best of all, a good night of restful sleep won’t cost you a thing.
#2 Strive for a better diet
Look at your diet and what you’re eating now and make changes where you see fit. If you are susceptible to snacking, keep a piece of fruit or a few nuts at hand. The key is eating small meals throughout the day which are balanced and nutritiously rich. Reduce portion sizes, take out white bread and replace with whole grains and make sure each meal contains at least one portion of fruit and – or vegetables. Healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive in the least bit, and you can get an abundance of low priced fruit and veggies, like apples, carrots, bananas, potatoes and peas. These items will last all week for less than $10. Stick to value produce  and buy frozen if you’re on a tight budget.
#3 Stop all those bad habits
Take a look at your current lifestyle and make a small list of everything you do that is not good for your health. This could be anything, from eating too much junk food or drinking too much caffeine, to smoking, drinking, drugs, or having unprotected sex. Start the process of breaking these habits one by one. Some will be easy, while others may take months or maybe years to get rid of and eradicate completely from your life, but the sooner you start fighting, the better.
Some addictions (like smoking, drugs or alcohol) are incredibly bad not only to your health, but also to your pocketbook. If you smoke and – or drink, start by cutting back on how many drinks you have, or cigarettes you smoke, in a day, and if necessary, seek medical advice and assistance to make further steps towards stopping completely. Deposit the money you’ve saved into a separate bank account to track your progress and use as motivation to keep going.
#4 Exercise, exercise, exercise
We all should be doing at least 30 minutes of exercise, 3 to 4 or more times a week, to maintain good health and keep fit. This can be pretty much anything that is physical, like walking, cycling, running, swimming to weightlifting, etc. This too does not have to be expensive, and you can get a great work out without joining any costly gyms. Most of these exercises are inexpensive, and just doing a cardiovascular exercise, like walking, jogging, or walking on a treadmill a few times a week will do your body (and heart) good.
By surrounding yourself with other people who are in the same shape as you are is great motivation and can make exercising fun. Sign up for a local exercise class like yoga or dancing. If you are thinking of taking up cycling, check online or auction sites like eBay, for cheap second-hand bikes. Consider cycling to work or the shops around your home a few times a week. This will definitely save on gas while keeping you at the same time.
#5 Drink lots and lots of water
With all this exercise we’ve been talking about definitely going to be thirsty and your body will crave water. Water is one of the best ways to improve your overall health and keep your body happy. It’s really important to keep hydrated if you live in a hot climate (like the South) or do a lot of physical work and exercise. Water will also help to curb your appetite throughout the day, which means you will be less likely to fork out on expensive, fattening and sugary snacks. If you buy bottled water, stick to supermarket or off brands. You can also invest in filters that connect right to your tab.
So there you have it. Five rock solid ways to improve your health without spending a whole lot to do it. Do you have other ideas that can help motivate those around you? What seems to work for your diet and your exercise patterns? Chime in and let us know.

Source -  http://primacare.com/how-to-stay-fit-happy-and-healthy/
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Choosing Wordpress as Your Blogging Platform

I have told you before that WordPress is the industry standard for bloggers. Certainly you have options (e.g., Blogger and Typepad), but if you want to put a more professional edge on your blog, add more functionality, and simply take it to the next level, you need to be looking at WordPress.
There are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Both are free, but one is hosted and one is not.
WordPress.com is the free, hosted version of WordPress and is a great place to start your first blog. You won’t have to worry about finding and paying for a server, but you’ll still have the functionality of WordPress and can learn the ins and outs before you commit to WordPress.org. WordPress.com does not allow you to run your own ads, but does occasionally run their own text ads on your blog (that’s how they keep it free).
WordPress.org is the free version of WordPress that allows you to host your blog on a third-party server and gives you free reign over everything related to your blog. You can mess with the CSS and PHP, put up ads, etc. From their site: “WordPress is what you use when you want to work with your blogging software, not fight it.”
Lisa at Simply His big-red-puffy-heart-loves WordPress.org and explains why:
Easy to use: I think WordPress is very easy to use once you give it a try. I know many people who think that WordPress is difficult to use when in fact, they are having trouble with css or html in their theme. And really, if you had WordPress set up for you — theme and all, it would be a piece of cake to go in and just write.
Widgets, Plugins and Themes: Because WordPress.org is open source [which means that the code is freely available and can be modified by anyone with the skill and inclination], many programmers out there have shared widgets, plugins and themes with you for free. You can find a Plugin to do just about anything you would want to do on your blog. A widget is basically a block of code you can add to your sidebars to customize what’s shown there. Themes are plentiful and customization is easy if you know html/css. [And, sometimes, even if you don't.]
Jendi, at Jendi’s Journal, writes about why she loves WordPress. She started out with WordPress.com (the free, hosted WordPress) and eventually moved to WordPress.org (free, non-hosted WordPress) with her own domain name. Jendi says there was a bit of a learning curve at WordPress.com, but it was worth it. Her main reasons for loving WordPress are
  • thousands of free themes
  • easy-to-follow tutorials and forums
  • hundreds of plug-ins work with WordPress
  • control of your design and content
If you’re just starting out with a blog, WordPress.com may be a good option for you. You can learn how to use the WordPress interface and learn the basics via the tutorials and videos. Then, as you’re more comfortable and would like more control over your blog’s look and feel and it’s code, you can move to WordPress.org. Because they are essentially the same software, the migration should be fairly seamless.
I have only recently started using WordPress.org and wish I had known about WordPress.com and WordPress.org when I started. It would have been much easier to start with WP.com and move to WP.org when I was ready. Even so, I’ve found that any questions I have can be answered with a quick search. WordPress is so prolific there is no shortage of tutorials.
Also in this series:
Further Reading & Tutorials:
Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/02/choosing-wordpress-as-your-blogging-platform/
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Blog Design: Keep it Clutter Free and User Friendly

According to Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report in 2007, there are 120,000 blogs being created every day. How can you possibly make your blog stand out in a sea of new and established blogs? Compelling content, certainly, but what about your blog design? Will new readers dismiss your blog out-right if your blog design isn’t appealing or usable? If they dismiss you, how will they know your content is compelling? Let’s face it: like it or lump it, looks matter. Even in the blogosphere.
So how do you make your blog design stand out? Make it clutter-free and user-friendly.
When a reader visits your blog, she’s looking for something. That “something” could be entertainment, education, or community. She may have found you via a search or via someone else’s bog. The point is, she’s here now, how will you entice her to stay?
For starters, make sure your blog has plenty of white space (the space that surrounds your graphics, text, and paragraphs). White space helps lead the eye and compartmentalize each part of your blog. For example, your side bar(s) should have some white space between them and the main column of text. You may even want to include white space around each section of your sidebar (e.g., Categories and Archives in a chunk, then white space, then contact information, then white space, then outbound links or buttons). By breaking up the flow of information, you are showing your reader that each section is separate. This “chunking” also helps your reader quickly find what she is looking for.
In addition to chunking your page elements, make sure each paragraph has white space between them. Using headers above sections will also help break up the page.
Clear your sidebars. There is certain information you really need to have in your sidebars simply for ease of navigation, but many times blogs clutter sidebars with badges and links that are less important to readers. Sidebars should include links to
  • Search. Believe it or not, people are reading what you’ve written. Sometimes they’d like to find a specific post they remember. Or they know you’ve written about a certain topic and they’d like to link to that post. How will they find it if not via search? You can also use links to your archives, but I think a search is more useful for your readers. They may not be able to remember the exact time when they read a certain post. If they can search for a few key words rather than digging through your archives randomly, they’ll thank you by coming back.
  • Contact information. Yes, they could leave you a comment, but sometimes a reader or friend would like to contact you personally (perhaps with an issue that is best left off the comment page). If you are hoping to work with marketers and PR reps at all, they will need a clear way to contact you.
  • Simple navigation. Look at your stats to determine what your readers are doing at your site. What are they searching for? Which posts are receiving the most traffic? Linking directly to a page with your most popular posts, advertising information, etc. makes it easy for your reader to use your site. Readers appreciate simple and apparent navigation.
  • Links to categories. I find this useful when reading an interesting blog or looking for specific information. Providing clear categories for your reader allows her to read several articles on the same topic without having to comb through archives to find related posts.
Finally, your blog is an expression of you, but, like all good media it should be user-friendly. Two simple things you can include in your design are ensuring the font is large enough for visitors to easily read and links are clearly recognizable. Links are generally automatically underlined, but some designers dislike the underline. If you don’t want underlined links as part of your look and feel, at least use a link color that will make the link stand out, but which also flows with your design.
More articles on designing an attractive and user-friendly blog:
Tracey Grady discusses the Fundamentals of good design: Colour schemes:
The importance of colour in design can never be overstated. Colour choices influence mood, emotion and tone; a carefully chosen colour scheme can clearly express a specific design style.
Karla at Looking Towards Heaven wrote a guest post Blogging Basics 101 about Basic Blog Design Principles. She discusses and provides examples of
  • the rule of threes
  • color balance
  • readable fonts
  • keeping your sidebar tidy
  • well-done blog banners
Lorelle VanFossen cautions bloggers against too much blog clutter in Blog Clutter: WTF Is That Doing There?
A visitor stumbling upon your blog is honestly looking for only two things: an answer to their search and any excuse to dismiss your site for not having the answer to their search. If the blog’s design, structure, layout, and content doesn’t give them the correct answer, you’ve given them just cause to bounce away fast.
This post was cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2008/12/blog-design-keep-it-clutter-free-and-user-friendly/
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Advice for Blog Design and Blog Goals

I recently found some notes I took from an interview Darren Rowse (Problogger) did this summer with The Blog Squad and thought I’d share them with you. He has some basic, but unbelievably useful tips. The following are my notes and thoughts from his interview in August. His key points are the bold bullet points. My thoughts follow that bold type. When the notes say I this or that, they are referring to me, Melanie.

Blog Design

  • Think about what is showing above the fold. (Above the fold means the content you see when you first view the blog. It’s anything you don’t have to scroll to see.) You should be showing recent content above the fold. I see many mommy bloggers in particular who have large title banners that take up the entire space above the fold. I would suggest making these banners smaller and focusing on providing your audience with as much info as possible above the fold.
  • Make your blog sticky. Sticky means you are encouraging people to return to your blog. To make your blog sticky, create a path to more of your blog with backlinks to previous (relevant) articles. The more they read, the more likely they are to subscribe to your RSS feed. Another way to make your blog sticky is to invite readers to subscribe to your feed and make your RSS feed available with the click of a button.

Blog Goals and Advice

  • Find a niche. It’s true that there are blogs on every niche. However, if you look, you’ll see that there are holes to be filled. Find a need and fill that need. I started Blogging Basics 101 (at the urging of Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer) because there are many intermediate and advanced tech sites for bloggers, but there wasn’t a place for beginners.
  • Don’t be afraid to self-promote. I think many bloggers (mommy bloggers in particular?) find self-promotion difficult at first. The key is to find a balance between promotion and humility. If you’re in blogging for the long haul and want to make some money, you have to put yourself out there. You’ll need to use Twitter, Facebook, and other social media to bring attention to yourself. You will have to comment at other blog posts and become part of relevant blogging communities. You will have to toot your own horn sometimes. Be careful not to spam your friends and readers with too much, but don’t be afraid to draw attention to yourself when it’s warranted. Why do you think businesses have commercials?
  • Build on what works. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new weekly columns, placement of ads on your site, or guest posts. Use your statistics programs to gauge your readers reactions. If you can’t garner information from your stats program you should a) ditch the stats program and try something new and b) ask your readers for feedback on what they like and don’t like. Then implement any ideas you receive.
  • Look for ways to extend your blog. Problogger suggests considering forums, job boards, newsletters, podcasts, and videos as ways of extending your blog’s reach.
  • Content is King! Everyone says it and it’s true: without compelling and well-written content, your blog will go nowhere. Yes, blog design is important, but they’ll stay if you have great content they need (and that ‘need’ can encompass learning or entertainment).
Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2008/12/blog-advice-for-design-and-goals/
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Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform

Blogspot) is a free blogging platform run by Google. My opinion is that it’s a great platform for beginning bloggers who may be unsure about whether they are going to embrace blogging for the long-term or who may be unable (or unwilling) to pay for blog hosting.

The Pros of Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform

Blogger is owned by Google so it integrates easily with Google Analytics, PicasaWeb (which gives you 1GB of free storage), and Feedburner. In addition it offers
  • an easy-to-use set-up wizard. You can be up and running with your blog in under five minutes.
  • intuitive software. Tabs and buttons are easy to navigate.
  • the ability to easily incorporate RSS and advertising scripts if that interests you.
  • the option to use your own domain (.com name) instead of yourblogname.blogspot.com.
In addition, if you are comfortable with HTML and CSS you can tweak your template so it stands out from the rest. There are many free and customizable templates available for Blogger.

Cons of Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform

There are cons to using Blogger as your platform, though. The biggest one is that Blogger blogs are sometimes considered less professional than those using WordPress.org as their platform. However, by tweaking your template and using your own domain name, it’s becoming ever harder to determine which platform someone is using. The key to having a polished look on Blogger is to use your own domain name, use a unique template, and ditch the Blogger NavBar.
  • Some people complain about the commenting feature and that it isn’t easy to use.
  • Many schools and public institutions block the Blogger platform which could significantly limit your audience.
  • I have found the Blogger Help files to be less than helpful. Even the forums are not as effective as the WordPress or TypePad help files. However, there are several blogs that explain the answers to common problems with Blogger. One of the most popular is Blogger Buster by Amanda Fazani.

Further Reading

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/01/using-blogger-blogspot-as-your-blogging-platform/
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Choosing a Blogging Platform

When you decide to start your own blog, there are many choices to be made. The very first choice is which platform to use. The most popular blog platforms are Blogger, WordPress.com, and WordPress.org. This article will explain the basic differences of these platforms and the pros and cons of each.
When choosing your blog platform, you’ll need to determine whether you would prefer a hosted or non-hosted blog platform. A hosted platform is one that is housed on the platform’s server. In other words, if you have a Blogger blog, your blog is hosted on the Blogger server; if you have a WordPress.org blog, it’s housed on the WordPress.org server.
A non-hosted site is a blog that is housed on your own server (usually a third-party you pay to host your site; I use Hostgator.com and I like them a lot). For example, if you use WordPress.org as your blogging platform, they do not host your blog for you. You will have another company host it. Paying for a host isn’t very expensive — Hostgator starts at $3.96/month.
There are pros and cons to both hosted and non-hosted blogging solutions.

The pros of having a hosted site (like Blogger or WordPress.org):

  • A hosted site makes it extremely easy for you to start a blog and see if you like it without spending any money up front. Both Blogger and WordPress are free.
  • Hosted sites are generally extremely user-friendly and fairly intuitive (meaning it’s easy to figure out which link to click to do certain tasks like linking or italicizing text).
  • Hosted sites also offer WYSIWIG editors. (WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get.) Most platforms offer a way to type your blog post and see how it will appear when it’s published. They also offer a tab that allows you to see the HTML of your post if you need to see the code.

The cons of having a hosted site:

  • Blogger and WordPress.org don’t offer domain names by default. For example, if you create a Blogger blog, your URL (or domain) will be similar to http://BloggingBasics101.blogspot.com. Unfortunately, blogs without a customized domain (e.g., http://BloggingBasics101.com) can appear to be less professional. This is a bias in the blogging community. Having your own domain, such as http://BloggingBasics101.com instead of http://bloggingbasics101.blogspot.com, shows people you’re taking this blogging thing more seriously. The good news is that you can install a custom domain on both Blogger and WordPress.com!
  • You will generally have less control of your HTML or CSS. Blogger allows you to change various parts of your HTML, but not everything.
  • Theme customization is limited. Both Blogger and WordPress.com do come with over 100 theme options, but if you use a hosted platform (like WordPress.org), you’ll find literally THOUSANDS of theme options (some paid, some free).
  • WordPress.com does allows limited advertising on your blog, but you have to have a certain amount of traffic. You also can’t run sponsored posts or affiliate links. That could hinder your blogging for profit dreams.

The pros of having a non-hosted site (via WordPress.org):

  • You have control over how your archives are managed.
  • You have control over all of your HTML and CSS.
  • You have control over permalinks. This means that instead of the platform choosing the name of a post, you choose a name. This will help not only with managing permalinks, but with managing your SEO (or search engine optimization).
  • There are many plug-ins for the WordPress.org platform that allow you to do everything from managing advertising to managing and responding to comments more efficiently.
  • You own it all, you control it all, you do it all. The great news is that there thousands of websites that can answer all your questions
The cons of having a non-hosted site is that you are going to need to start getting comfortable with HTML and CSS so you can work with your templates and customize your blog. The good news is that plugins and widgets are abundant and are an easy way to add functionality to your blog (like a search bar or managing ads) easily — without needing to code anything!
It is widely regarded in the professional or semi-professional blogosphere that if you have a WordPress.org blog you are more serious about your blogging. Blogger or WordPress.com are low men on the totem pole. However, as I mentioned, many bloggers do very well on Blogger blogs. Blogger is also an excellent choice for beginning bloggers because it is free and easy to use. I recommend it for those of you just starting out who aren’t sure if you want to stick with it or not.

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/01/choosing-a-blogging-platform/
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New Blogger Checklist

When I started blogging, I jumped, nay, DIVED, right in without looking. I didn’t have much of a choice at the time. I started blogging right at the tail end of the wave just before blogging really exploded, and at that time, there wasn’t much information on doing it well. You just did it.
Not that there is some manual on how to blog. When it comes down to it, all you need is a blog account on the platform of your choice and then type away.
But if you want to do it well? Now, that is different.
What does it take to do this blogging thing? This thing that everyone is addicted to?
Here is a basic run-down. It is by no means inclusive of every detail, but it is a good solid list to get you off on the right foot.
Decide what and whom you are blogging for.

{This is also referred to as finding your niche.} Are you blogging to share with family and friends (that is the way most of us got sucked into it)? To make money? To promote your business? Consider this first, because this will help establish the tone and voice of your blog. This can always change. But if it changes drastically (ie: switch from writing about family to mainly promoting your business) you may need to start a new blog altogether.
Think good and plenty about what you’ll name that blog and what you’ll go by (if you’ll use your real name or a nickname).

You’ll be glad you did. For every Bossy and ProBlogger, there are people who are stuck with names that were created at a frat party. It’s not always a simple change, if you decide to go by something else. Remember what happened to new Coke? Change confuses people and sometimes irritates.
And make sure it doesn’t just identify that specific time of your life. My First Year of Underwater Basket-Weaving School may be appropriate now. But some day, you may be an underwater-basketweaving school dropout. And then what?
Draft your posts in reader friendly formats.

If you want people to stick around and read your blog, please please please consider some visual basics. There is more to creating a reader friendly blog than just a nice design. One very simple suggestion is to break your text up into smaller paragraphs. Seriously.
When a post is written in one long paragraph, only your mom will stick through to the end. And she may have to bandage her eyes after doing so.
(For info on the design aspect of your blog, see my post on Basic Blog Design Principles.)
Provide a way for readers to contact you.

Comments only go so far. Sometimes, people may want to contact you and ask something behind the scenes; maybe just a sincere “thank you” for something you wrote. It’s just nice to have that available. Create an address dedicated solely to your blog if you are worried about spam.

How will you deal with comments?

Eventually, you will have more people reading your blog than just your mom or BFF. And when that happens, you’ll be glad you have some sort of commenting policy in place. Will you delete comments by trolls? What about people who disagree (vehemently) with a point you’ve made? Don’t wait until something happens to determine what to do.
Along with this, how will you respond to comments? In the comments? Or via email? Remember, blogging is a lot more fun when you can create a sense of community and be an active participant in it.
Once you get yourself set up and ready to go, enjoy the ride.
Blogging is fun; there is no doubt about it. If it’s not fun, consider your reasons for continuing. Or just scratch what you are doing and start all over. You may not be the next blogging rock star. But is that really the only benefit to blogging? It’s so much more than that. I’ve seen blogging open up all sorts of opportunities for people off of their blogs. (hello, HP? Disney?)

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2008/07/here-is-the-new/
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Choosing a Blogging Niche

I tend to approach blogging from a “passion” angle and not so much the “money” angle. I don’t think I’m alone, either. I know there are women out there who want to have their voices heard and the income (if any) is secondary to that goal. (Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great perk, but it wasn’t what made me start blogging and it isn’t what keeps me going.)
My feeling is if you write about your passion, you’ve found your niche. Choosing your niche based on its potential profitability rather than your passion will lead to burn out and dissatisfaction. The key behind every successful blog I read (and the authors I’ve met) is this: they love their topic. These people didn’t choose their topic or niche because it was profitable; if it is, that was most likely a happy coincidence. Blogging is the closest I’ve come to the adage Do what you love and the money will come.

Finding Your Niche

What if you have many passions and no focus? What if you’re not sure how to find your niche? In Finding Your Niche Online and Succeeding In It Amandalyn advises making a list:
If you have a hard time finding your niche, then ask yourself a few questions and write down all of your answers to make a list.
  • What are your hobbies?
  • What things do you like and enjoy doing?
  • How do you spend your free time?
  • What are your favorite topics to talk about?
  • When you were young, what was fun for you?
  • What topics do you know more than most about?
  • Are there certain classes that you have taken extensively?
Finding your niche can be daunting at first because, truly, there are blogs in every niche. You are not going to be the first. However, if you look, you’ll see that there are holes to be filled. Find a need and fill that need. I started Blogging Basics 101 (at the urging of Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer) because there are many intermediate and advanced tech sites for bloggers, but there wasn’t a place for beginners. Blogging about blogging wasn’t my first niche, either; it evolved from my first blog (a personal blog where I certainly didn’t even consider a niche as part of my blogging plan) where I was receiving a lot of questions about how to do specific things with a blog (like crossing out words or adding things to a sidebar). Let that last part be a lesson too: You may start out with one thing and move to another. Sometimes the best-laid plans are just a stepping stone.

Dominating Your Niche

Now you have your niche, but you want to do even more. What’s the next step? In How to Dominate Your Niche, Brian Clark suggests
What you’re looking to do is intensify the niche by doing something more, or differently (or maybe even better) than the existing players. You do this by first evaluating and understanding where the niche is currently, and position your content in a way that pushes the envelope.
You can evaluate your niche simply by being part of the community of that niche. (Is it me, or do I always come back to community in my articles?) As you read and comment at other blogs in your niche you’ll have a sense of what is being covered and what is not. You can start to fill the holes in the niche or take a new approach to an old issue.
This, I believe, is where you’ll start to position yourself to make some money from your passion. As I wrote in my article Advice for Making Money with Your Blog, if you have a product (via your blog) or are representing a business niche, it’s easier to sell that product or specific niche to advertisers. Advertisers know who they want to reach and if your product or business is complementary, then they see the value of advertising with you more readily than they would if you were just a blogger without focus.

You Niche & Your Network

How does being in a particular niche translate to being part of a network (something many bloggers are doing these days)? Deb Ng cautions you to be careful. In Earning Money as a Blogger: Are You Too Nichey for Your Network? Deb writes
[S]ometimes being nichey in a network isn’t always the best career move. . .If you do want to touch upon a niche, my recommendation is that it will probably be just as profitable, if not more, to start your own niche blog. This way you can post on your own schedule and keep all the profits for yourself. Yes, it’s slower getting started, but if you rock the promotion and know what you’re doing, you’ll do well.

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/04/choosing-a-blogging-niche/
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How Do I Start a Blog

So you think you’d like to try blogging? Well, I think that’s an excellent idea! Blogs are a great way to express yourself, connect with others who share your passions, and share information. Before you start, though, I have some articles you might want to read. They cover everything from helping you choose which blogging platforms fits your needs to choosing a name for your blog to choosing the design of your blog. In fact, you may want to start with this article: How do I start a blog?

Skip the Newbie Blogging Mistakes

We were all blogging newbies at one point. True, bloggers come to the table with varying degrees of online and social media experience, but we’ve all made more than a few newbie mistakes. These articles may help you avoid some of the growing pains of your first blog.

Choose Your Blogging Platform

A blogging platform is just the software you’ll use to blog. The most popular platforms are Blogger, TypePad, and WordPress.org. These articles will help you decide which one is right for you.

Make Your Design User Friendly

Your blog’s design should reflect your niche and your personality, but should also be user friendly. In fact, your blog design is one of the most important decisions you’ll make besides choosing your platform and your blog’s name. Sure design is sort of subjective art, but you know good design when you see it and you can tell when someone’s taken the time to really consider how a blog is used and viewed. The face you show to the blogosphere can affect your credibility and authority.
Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/how-do-i-start-a-blog/
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