Blogs bring a lot of pleasure to their owners for many reasons, and one of the things I like most is the fact that you can tweak your blog to your heart’s content. Widgets are one of the most useful tools that you can employ to make your blog look just like the way you want it to.

Widgets may sound cool, but do you have a clear idea of what they are and what they can do? Again, let’s go the most basic route: widgets are basically groups of code that can be used in various web sites (including your blog). They do not require any additional programming work on the par of the end user (you and I). All that you need to do is copy the code to your blog, and you’re good to go.

That’s the (slightly) technical part. Now let’s focus on the more practical aspects of widgets. Basically, you can find widgets of any kind that can add visual appeal to your blog. More than aesthetic value, widgets also offer a lot in terms of usability. Think clock widgets, calendar widgets, countdown widgets, map widgets, comment widgets, popular post widgets, and so on. In fact, there are countless widgets available online today, that it is probably impossible to count them!

As you start your blogging journey, you may be tempted to grab each and every widget that catches your fancy. Trust me, this is NOT a good idea. There is such a thing as having too many widgets in your blog, and if this is the case, you will probably end up with confused or irritated readers – both having negative implications for you.

So what are you to do then? Let’s begin with the most essential widgets that you are going to need. After a few weeks or months of blogging, you will have enough experience to pick out more widgets that will be beneficial to your blog.

Popular Posts Widgets
I think that this widget is one of the most important tools out there. Once you amass a lot of posts in your blog, it could be hard for readers to find older posts, even if they are your best posts. The solution is to use a popular post widget which will highlight these posts. Making it easy for your readers to find these excellent posts works in two ways: one, you give quality content to your readers, making them happy; two, you increase your chances of having readers subscribe to your blog.

Labels or Tags Widgets
Blog platforms usually have these widgets as a default, but you should always make sure that your widget is up and running properly. The reason is quite similar to the rationale behind the first widget I mentioned – you want readers to navigate your blog more easily and to find the posts most relevant to them. Just remember, though, that you have to label or tag your posts properly in order for these widgets to work the way they ought to.

Related Posts Widgets
Do you want to get more page views and promote posts that may not be as popular as the others? Then get a widget that provides links to posts with related content. Again, this will give your readers additional information and give you benefits as well.

These are only some of the most important widgets that you can use for your blog. As you go along, I am certain that you will find more.

If you’ve taken a look at other blogs – which I assume you have – you have probably noticed that many of them make use of pictures and photos within the posts. While this makes sense to me, I don’t want to assume that everyone else has the same idea, so let me ask you, why is it important to add pictures to your blog? I could go on and on about the reasons for adding pictures to blog posts, but let me just stick with the most important ones.

1. It adds to the whole visual experience. I am talking about color, texture, and the like. Many people are visual; that is, they have a better reading experience when they see illustrations and graphics. Using relevant pictures in your posts will make these people happier, and that is what you want.
2. Pictures help break up long chunks of text. Whether you like it or not, not everyone likes seeing long blocks of text without a break every now and then. This is where pictures come in. If you have 10 paragraphs of interesting text, use two or so pictures to provide breaks. As interesting as the topic may be, the pictures will make it even better!
3. Pictures add recall value. Again, a lot of people are visual, and they remember images better than text. If you want to make a greater impact on your readers, then adding eye catching pictures is the way to go.
4. Pictures say a thousand words. Cliché, I know, but true nonetheless. There are just some things that cannot be described by words in a single post. With a picture, you can achieve things that may not be easily done by merely using pure text.

So now that I have convinced you of the importance of pictures, what next? Let’s take a look at how you can find images for your blog. One thing to remember: make sure that you are not “stealing” photos off of someone. While everything can be had online, you have to be careful of copyright issues.

The good news is that there are many resources online which can help you find photos without worrying about ethical issues. Try iStockphoto, which provides excellent pictures for blogs. You would have to pay for their service, though. You can also take a look at PicApp, which allows you to link to photos for FREE. Other free sites include Stock.Xchng and Freepixels.

Another thing that I like to do is go to Flickr and search for relevant photos. The thing is, you have to click on the option that says Creative Commons License. This will give you results of images that you can use for your blog, as long as you give the proper credit to the owner.

The bottom line here is to find pictures that are related to the content of the post and that are “available” for use. Follow these two simple guidelines and you will have much better posts (visually) without the headache of copyright issues.

If you have taken a look at our page on the most common blogging terms (if you haven’t, NOW is a good time to do so!), you should at least recognize the term “blogroll.” Just to make it easier on you, though, let me reiterate what a blogroll is. This is simply a list containing other blogs which you (the blogger) visits or reads regularly. Sometimes, blogs are listed in the blogroll even if they are not visited by the blogger often. The main point is that the blogger is recommending or plugging these blogs. The blogroll is oftentimes found on the right column of the blog. This does not mean, however, that you cannot place the blogroll in other locations.

More than the name or title of the blog, readers are also treated to links. That is, the names of the blogs in the blogroll are often hyperlinked to the blogs themselves. This makes it easier for the reader as she or he merely has to click on the blog name to see the content for herself/himself.

Another element of a blogroll, which is fairly new, is the link to the most recent post. That is, more than the main URL of the blog, readers can also click on the link to the latest post. This is a great way for you to monitor if a blog that you like to visit has new content. This eliminates the need to visit the blog just to check if there is something new that you have not read before.

Based on the information given above, it is easy to see the importance of a blogroll. On your part, you get to provide additional information to your readers. This is especially true if the blogs that you include in your blogroll have content related to yours. More so, getting YOUR blog on other blogs’ blogrolls will increase your exposure, which is always good.

So how do you decide on what to put in your blogroll?

Obviously, you will place links to the blogs of your friends who have their own blogs as well. This is the most common start for those maintaining personal blogs. Alternatively, you might get to meet other bloggers. Sooner or later, you will get a request to exchange links – you put their blog in your blogroll and they’ll do the same for you. While this is a great way to gain more exposure, you have to take into consideration the content and the quality of the other blog. The bottom line is to make sure that you are not associating yourself with a shady blog that has nothing but ads and copied content. Your best route is to follow the blog for a while and then make your decision.

For those whose blogs are of a more focused nature, the content of the blogs in your blogroll are even more important. Remember that more than recommending these blogs because you like them, you have to provide quality AND relevant content to your readers. So if your blog is all about food, it would be great to put your favorite food blogs in your blogroll.

No, I am not talking about stuff that you can buy and ingest to fortify your body. If you have been reading the other pages that we’ve created for you, you’ll realize that I am talking about feeds that are one of the most important tools in blogging. Feeds are basically an alternative way of accessing the content of a blog (or any other web site for that matter) without having to actually visit the blog in your web browser.

Try visiting various blogs and web sites, and you will see some buttons saying “Atom,” “RSS,” or “XML.” These are all types of feeds which you can also use in your blog. Let us say that over the course of time, you stumble upon many blogs that you would like to follow, or read regularly. Now this should not be so difficult if the number is a mere 10 or so. What if your list of blogs grows to reach 50 or a hundred? It would be such a hassle to regularly open each blog.

This is where feeds come into the picture. Blog platforms have a built in feature which come up with code – automatically – that allows readers to subscribe to a blog. This means that they can subscribe to as many blogs as they want, and use a feed reader or aggregator to read the contents of each blog as it is updated. The need to actually open a tab or window to visit a blog is done away with.

Now how do you add feeds to your blog? This, again, depends on the blogging platform that you are using. Let’s just say that you are using WordPress – perhaps the most versatile and feature-rich blogging platform today, and the one which this blog uses as well. Most WordPress themes have built-in feeds, meaning that you do not have to add a feed! Try scrolling down to the bottom of this page, and you will see two links saying “Entries (RSS)” and “Comments (RSS).” The first one is the feed URL for the blog posts while the second one is for the comments. It is that easy!

If you want to use a third party service for feeds, you can do so as well. Perhaps the most popular is Feedburner. This service is chosen by many bloggers because it makes it easy for readers to subscribe to the feed. It also provides additional features such as the ability to track statistics, which is quite important for a lot of people. Feedburner is compatible with various blogging platforms, and you can get step by step instructions on how to use it in their web site.

One last thing, remember that you want your readers to immediately see the subscribe button. As such, if you’re customizing your blog’s look, make sure to place the feed button somewhere on top where it can be spotted without the reader having to look hard for it. In this manner, you don’t lose out on subscribers simply because of inappropriate location.

The ability to comment on each post is one distinct feature of blogs. Comments provide an additional dimension: interaction. This interaction can be between blogger and reader as well as reader to reader. As such, blog comments play an essential role in the success of a blog.

Let’s look at this role – why are blog comments important? Try visiting some of the most popular blogs in the Web today. Whether you look at blogs with an international scope, or more localized blogs, you will see that the most popular ones have LOTS of comments linked to each post. This is because being able to start or join a “conversation” about a particular topic – that which is contained the blog post, usually – is what makes blogs interesting for people. Even if the comments are not so positive, the fact that your post has created a discussion is enough to make you make your mark.

Another thing that bloggers have to realize is that blog comments can have an impact that extends to beyond the blog itself. Those readers (who are probably bloggers as well) who leave comments in a blog will probably link back to that post in their own blogs. It is easy to see that this can attract new readers to the blog in question.

Now let’s look at some technical issues that you may have to consider when it comes to comments. Blog comments may be presented either chronologically or in a “threaded” manner. The former view simply shows comments based on the time that they were posted while the latter shows comments which are related to each other – just like a thread in a forum. The chronological view is simple – all the reader has to do is to scroll down to see all the comments. However, the threaded view provides the additional advantage of clumping replies together, making the conversation more coherent.

The layout of blog comments may also be tweaked, and the options will depend on the blogging platform that is being used. Comments may be shown in the most straightforward manner – a line by line presentation of information (Commenter’s name, time and date, comment, etc.). Alternatively, comments may be shown in two columns, with the commenter’s details in the left and the main comment in the right. Sometimes, it is possible to use three columns.

The blogger has the option to set restrictions regarding comments. The “loosest” setting is to allow comments from anyone and everyone without any restrictions at all. This may prove to be problematic if spammers start messing with the blog, though. The strictest setting is to have people register before they can leave comments. A happy medium is to allow people to leave comments without having to register but requiring certain information to be inputted. Usually, this is done using “captcha,” or code that is automatically generated, which the commenter has to manually input. Furthermore, the blogger can choose to view comments and approve them first before publishing. This provides more control over what is shown.

The bottom line is this: comments are an integral part of a blog, but the blogger can employ measures to make the most of comments while at the same time make it easy enough for the readers.

A blog is not much different from any other web site in that it aims to present information, albeit with some specific differences; and just like all the other web sites that can be found on the Web today, a blog has elements or parts that make up the whole. As you are on your way to become a prolific blogger, let me help you become familiar with the various elements of a blog. Knowing about each of these elements will equip you to make the most of your blogging experience and perhaps even take it to a whole new level.

Blog Header
The name actually is pretty self-explanatory. The blog header is found at the top (at the head) of the blog and, for me, establishes the theme and focus of your blog. This is because it usually contains the name of the blog as well as the logo. What better way to make an excellent first impression than with the blog header?

Blog Posts
Posts are the “meat” of any blog. The posts, or entries, contain the information that the blogger wants to share with his readers. These can be likened to the news articles and other features that you can find in other kinds of web sites. The posts are usually presented in reverse chronological order – the most recent one shown at the top of the page.

Comments
This is one distinguishing feature of blogs. The comments section is present at the end of each post, and provides the interactive aspect of blogs. Readers may write their thoughts and reactions to each post, and the blogger may also respond to the readers in this section. Comments may be restricted to certain people, and bloggers may also opt to delete inappropriate comments.

Archives
A blog that has been up for quite some time will have a lot of posts, granted that the blogger publishes content regularly. The archives section provides a way to gain easy access to older posts. The archives can be presented in various ways – some use calendars while others use drop down links using monthly or weekly options.

Categories
Another way to easily find posts within a blog is to use categories. The blogger has the option to label or categorize posts using terms. These terms are also called labels, tags, and categories. The categories section is not always used by all bloggers, but it is a very good way to make your blog user friendly as readers can merely browse through the topics to find posts catering to their interests.

Blogroll
Blogging is more than writing content for one’s blog. It is also all about interacting with the rest of the blogosphere, and it is inevitable that a blogger gets to create relationships with other bloggers. One way to further relationships AND to offer more content to readers is to promote other blogs in your own blog. This can be done through a blogroll, which shows links to other blogs. Readers can then simply click on the links to discover more information.

Search
This is another blog element that is not always present, but something that is important if you want to make the lives of your readers easier. Much like Google, readers simply have to key in search terms to find relevant posts within the blog.

RSS Feeds
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a standard way of sharing web site content. Various blog platforms offer RSS Feeds, which allow readers to subscribe to a blog to automatically receive updates and access contents through a reader.

If you’ve read the introductory article on what a blog is, then the idea of different kinds of blogs will not be new to you. Blogs, just like other web sites, have their own special characteristics that may set them apart from one another. In this article, let us look at some of the common types of blogs that you will encounter, or that you can create.

Wikipedia provides a very useful list of types of blogs, depending on the content as well as the means by which the content is delivered. WordPress, perhaps the most popular blogging platform these days (which is what we are using, by the way), also provides its own list of different blog types. Another good list is from The World of Blogs. I have compiled their lists into one compact reference material for you.

The Personal Blog
This is perhaps the most common and broadest type of blog that you will encounter. A personal blog is what a lot of people think of when blogs are mentioned. It is the earliest form of blogs, and basically consists of anything and everything that the blogger may think of. Topics range from personal issues to milestones to music to politics to love life – practically anything! This kind of blog gives the blogger the most freedom with regard to the content and design of his blog.

The Business or Corporate Blog
Obviously, this kind of blog is created and maintained for a purpose other than to write down one’s thoughts. The business or corporate blog is used by an individual or a company to make their presence felt online. Blogs of this type may be used privately – for internal communication – or as a tool to market the business or the professional.

The Non-profit Blog
Technically, this kind of blog may fall under the corporate blog, as the aim is for non-profit organizations to extend their reach. However, one big difference is that this kind of blog focuses more on the awareness part and not the profit part, although of course, raising funds is part of it.

The Topical Blog
Also a blog categorized based on genre. This type of blog has a very specific focus with regard to the topic. It is easy to see that there can be as many kinds of topical blogs as there are topics in this world. Some of the most popular topics used for these blogs are travel, music, art, cooking, health, parenting, entertainment, real estate, and sports.

The School and Research Blog
The sources I mentioned above make special mention of school and research blogs. These blogs are used for academic purposes and related activities. Updated information about the educational institution may be presented in the blog. Alternatively, students may interact with each other with regard to their academics. Professor-student interaction is also an option.

These are only some of the common kinds of blogs in existence. It’s a good place to start, but don’t think for one moment that all blogs can be labeled based on this list. Who knows, you may even be able to create a category of your own? Whatever type of blog you choose make sure you select the right hosting provider as blog hosting is also one important factor to take into account while making a blog.

You have probably heard of the word “blog” so much that you’re starting to wonder what it is all about. Indeed, blogs have been around for many years now, and it has quickly become a popular means of expressing one’s self and sharing information through the Internet. The popularity of blogs has exploded so much so that practically everyone has at least dabbled in blogging. For those of you who are new to this, let me help you out a little bit. Let’s start with this: what is a blog?

If you’re the kind who likes “official” definitions, here are a couple. Wikipedia defines a blog as:

A blog (a contraction of the term “web log”)[1] is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

Webopedia says:

Short for Web log, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.

I chose these two definitions (out of the countless definitions you can find out there) because of key points. One, a blog is simply a web site. It does have differences from the “regular” web site that you see, but the essence is the same. Two, a blog is authored by an individual – most of the time that is. There are blogs which are authored by several people. Bottom line is that there are distinct authors behind a blog. Three, a blog is commonly perceived as a journal which is shared with the world. While blogs have evolved much over the years to serve purposes other than “diaries,” the characteristic of being an open book to share thoughts and ideas remains the same. Four, a blog is updated regularly – not necessarily daily, but often enough – to provide fresh content. Five, the content, or entries, are usually presented chronologically, with the most recent one being first.

So basically, a blog is a web site that offers new content frequently. This content may focus on a narrow topic or be about a broad range of subjects, depending on what the blogger (that’s the person one who writes for the blog) has in mind for the blog. There are blogs which have a tight focus regarding its subject. Some blogs may have broad topics such as art and music while other have more specific topics such as the life and work of a specific artist. Examples of these blogs are Celebrific, Brewed Coffee, Forever Geek, and Yurto. There also a lot of blogs out there which do not focus on a single subject, more often than not, they are referred to as “personal blogs,” and they are actually the blogs which conform more to the diary-type label. Personal blogs can be about anything and everything under the sun – it totally depends on the blogger.

So now you know the general idea behind a blog. Is that all there is to blogging? Definitely not! For more in depth information, check out the other pages I have prepared to give you specific details on blogs and blogging.