Blogger Vs WordPress Comparison: Which One Should I Use?

Blogger Vs WordPress Comparison: Which One Should I Use?

ADMIN   07:10

WordPress and Blogger are two well established content publishing platforms. “Should I use Blogger or WordPress for my new site?”, is a frequently asked question from newbies. This comparison post will help you answer that question.

My recommendation is WordPress – this is why

I have experienced many wonderful benefits achieved by having my own site and this has made an amazing difference for me in my life. There is a great value in building your own online presence and growing your audience. Having the complete control, ownership and freedom over your site is why I pick WordPress as my preferred content platform.

Blogger is a nice and easy to use platform, but it just doesn’t cut it in terms of flexibility and customization. That is where WordPress excels. Over 60 million people have chosen it to power their sites and use it to create a wide range of beautiful and impressive sites. Majority of the biggest sites run on this platform. I run all my projects on WordPress. WordPress actually powers 25% of all websites online while Blogger powers 1.2%.

For beginners there is a bit of confusion surrounding WordPress so let’s clarify that first. There are two WordPress versions: the self-hosted and hosted. Like in Blogger vs WordPress, the difference between the two WordPress versions is like owning or renting a house. The self-hosted WordPress is where you actually own your house (you own your site) and this is the recommended version. If you want the full run down on the differences between the two versions, click here.

How to launch a blog with WordPress

Self-hosted WordPress needs a domain name and a web server space to work. A domain name is the address people will type to access your site, and the hosting server is where you will store your content and files making it all accessible to anyone in the world. For the easiest possible install of a WordPress, I recommend Bluehost. It is simple to use, offers a free domain name, an affordable hosting account with unlimited space and is officially recommended by WordPress. Click on the image below to get the process started:

For full step-by-step instructions on install WordPress take a look at this.

Disclosure: I do earn a commission if you signup to Bluehost using my link at no additional cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products and services that I find helpful and useful. If you do choose to purchase through my affiliate link, thank you for your support!

Blogger – Summary

• It’s got all the basics covered
• You don’t own your site, Google owns it
• You need to have a Google account
• Very simple and easy to use
• Your URL is yourname.blogspot.com but you can transfer your own domain name
• Limited choice of design templates means it is hard to make your site look unique
• Template Designer makes it easy to change background, column width, font and colors
• You can do HTML changes to your template through a browser interface
• No access to FTP
• There are no plugins
• There is a decent number of simple gadgets that you can use to improve your sidebar and footer
• Integration with Google Adsense account – add ads and start making money
• Integration with Google+ – Post to Google+, pull Google+ comments instead of default Blogger comments
• Might not be a viable option in terms of sustainability. It doesn’t get much attention from Google currently and everyone has seen the fate of Google Reader and some other Google products
• In case there are issues like someone reporting that you use copyrighted material like pics or videos, Blogger may shut down your site. Same can happen if the algorithm thinks your content is spam. Most sites won’t be affected by this but it is important to be aware that you do not have the full ownership of the site before making your decision on what platform to use.

Blogger is a nice place to start your blogging adventure and see what blogging is all about, but it is limited, outdated and not very future proof. If you have bigger ambitions like creating a professional web presence or building a business, it is not the optimal long term solution.

There’s been minimal or no development done on the Blogspot platform for a long time now so the interface, the usability, the look and the features feel outdated compared to modern platforms. Some of the few changes Blogger has done in the recent years have impacted users negatively such as trying to restrict users from posting sexually explicit content, limitations of pagination and even blocks to certain countries.

WordPress – Summary

• WordPress is a flexible solution with many different design and functionality options, room to grow and expand your site
• It is also the platform to go for if you want freedom in terms of control, flexibility and ownership
• What’s great about WordPress is that it’s an open-sourced software with a large and vibrant community of developers and designers
• A wide range of design templates to help you create a pretty and unique looking presence
• There’s a plugin for anything you want to do that allows you to make changes and add features without needing any coding skills

Take some time and make the right decision

It is best to make the correct decision in the beginning and not have to make some big changes to your site a year in. Making big changes after your site has been established might mean a loss of search engine rankings and/or a drop in traffic so making the correct decision at the start is important. If you are on Blogger and want to move to WordPress this is your guide.

Whatever platform you use for your site you have my full support. Blogging is such a nice activity, a great way of spending your time and I recommend it to everyone. I’m very happy you’re considering this and encourage you to do so in hope that you will get to experience some of the great benefits. It is amazing to see all the people taking up blogging, starting sites of their own, sharing their knowledge and their skills with the world, building audiences and making friends, and even making money and building careers from their online projects.

Why You Should Use Blogger

Why You Should Use Blogger

ADMIN   07:03

Blogger is the only free and robust content management platform but in spite of getting the credit and appreciate people always degrade it for its sluggish and rusty behavior.  Have you looked at blogger lately? 7 years ago it had just 250,000 active users, but today it is the only platform which has over 400 million active users. That’s more than the entire population of South America. Over the past couple of years, Blogger has evolved as a versatile CMS platform. We have seen that many top industries like Twitter is using blogger platform to host their content. It is not just an ordinary a platform. It is a powerful tool with robust features. We have collected a few reasons that why you should use Blogger, What are its key features, And Why Blogger is better than others.

Blogger a Free-to-use Platform:

Blogger is an open source platform, it other words we can say it is free. Unlike others there is no need to purchase hosting because blogger sites are hosted at Google Servers. It can be used for any purpose either personal or industrial without any cost.

Who would wish to pay thousands of dollars in buying a CMS platform which almost has the same features as Blogger? Why a person would hire a developer if he knows all the skills himself? Many CMS companies require a yearly license which means you have to pay them a hand full of money every year.     On the other hand, Blogger is free from such limitations. It even does not force you to put their backlink in footer. However, some die-heart fans like us link back to show our appreciations

Professional Templates Support:

You would never feel difficulty in finding a Free Template for your site. Blogger has a wide range of free themes collection. If you are unable to find a proper theme, then you can check out some free professional themes developed by over developers at Templateism. However, if you still did not find a free theme then you can hire us to develop a robust theme for your site at reasonable rates.

Comprehensive Widgets:

Blogger uses widgets and plugins that help you to build a better and healthier site. It has a wide range of free Widgets inventory that enables us to add more spark to our site. There are some reputable developers like us who keeps on developing new widgets to keep this platform alive. You can access our Widget inventory or can even request us to develop any plugin that you need.

Almost ZERO Downtime:

Pingdom quotes once “Since Blogger was the only service with zero uptime at all. We skipped the chart here. We hope you did not mind. It simply would not have that interesting”. We do not have to prove that it is the only platform which has zero downtime. It gives to stability and you can always relay with your eyes close.

User friendly Interface:

You do not need any developing skills to use blogger on your site. The whole interface is not complicated at all. From the dashboard to the setting panel everything is arranged in a systemic manner so that a beginner would not feel any difficulty while using it. Aside from basic use tweaking and modifying the skins is fairly straightforward as well.  MyBloggerLab has tons of free tutorials so users can learn every bit of it.

How to put Adsense ads on Blogger/Blogspot

How to put Adsense ads on Blogger/Blogspot

ADMIN   22:26

How to put Adsense ads on Blogger/Blogspot

If you want to earn money from your site/blog, Google Adsense is the most popular service to monetize your blog or website content. When implemented, Adsense will display targeted Google ads on your blog and they can generate revenue on either a per-click or per-impression basis.

In order to display ads on your site, you should first Sign Up to Google Adsense program.

Before adding your ads, keep in mind that Adsense allows only up to 3 ad units, 3 link units and 2 search boxes per page.

In this tutorial i will show you the three ways you can add Adsense ads to your blog.

1. Adsense Gadget

Use this method to add ad unit as a widget, in places outside the blog post area. You can position it by simply dragging it in Page Elements, just like any other widget. To add the Adsense Gadget, follow these steps:
Step 1. Log in to your Blogger Dashboard, go toLayout and click on the "Add a Gadget" link on the right side.

Step 2. From the pop-up window, select theAdSense Gadget

Step 3. Configure ad format and colors (see the screenshot for more details)

Step 4. Finally, click on the Save button and you're done.

2. Inline Ads

This will display an ad unit at the end of each post. To show ads between posts:

Step 1. Go to Design > Page Elements and click the Edit link in Blog Posts gadget box.

Step 2. Check the "Show Ads Between Posts" box.

Step 3. Configure ad frequency, ad format, and colors. Live preview is provided beneath the settings.

Step 4. Click on the Save button to save the settings.

3. Adsense code

The most notable benefits of using this method are:

• You can place ad anywhere in your blog
• You can add the code anywhere in your blog template - in your post content or page.
• To find out which format perform the best, custom channels will help you to track the performance of specific groups of ad units.
• You can choose types other than ad unit i.e. link unit, search box.

To create an ad unit:

Step 1. Go to Google Adsense website.
Step 2. Click on My ads tab, go to Ad units and then click on the "New ad unit" button.

Step 3. Choose your ad type, choose format and colors and assign channels.
Step 4. When you have finished editing, click on the Save and get code >> button and copy the code provided.

To add an ad unit to your blog, you have the following options:

• Paste the code in a HTML/Javascript gadget
• Paste the code in the blog post or page HTML section, or
• Paste the code direct in your template. (if you choose this option, first you should convert adsense ad code)

How to Record GTA V Videos and Share Them on YouTube

How to Record GTA V Videos and Share Them on YouTube

ADMIN   13:12

The PC version of Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) has taken almost two years to launch after the game initially released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013. But it comes with its own unique features. Of these, the most convenient one is in-built recording and editing. What this means is, you don't need a third-party solution like FRAPS to record your GTA V gameplay on PC. Instead, everything can be managed within the game. Here's how you can make the most of it.

1. Recording your clips
Holding ALT and pressing F1 turns on Manual Recording. This lets you start and stop recording during gameplay. Pressing Left ALT and F1 saves it while pressing Left ALT and F3 cancels it. Saved clips will playback in-sequence.

Pressing F2 lets you use Action Replay. This allows you to save gameplay moments right after they have happened. The game will constantly buffer recorded data in the background but it will not save anything until you decide to create an Action Replay.

When an event worth sharing occurs you can choose to capture it by holding ALT and pressing F1 to choose 'Save Action Replay', similar to how tapping a button on the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One lets you record gameplay footage after it happens.

Cancelling the recording (Left ALT and F3) will delete all data recorded since the last clip was saved.

Clip details

The duration of an Action Replay clip depends on the amount activity during a recording. If it's a segment that's not too busy, it will be up to one minute and 30 seconds. More chaotic scenes will clock up to 30 seconds. If you want to have more control over the clip, you can use the manual recording instead.

Clips are automatically titled when saved. This is in the format 'Month DD YYYY Clip XXXX' (e.g., 'Apr 11 2012 Clip 0021').

You can manage the amount of space used to store clips by going to Pause Menu > Settings > Rockstar Editor. And you can go to Clip Managementto delete unwanted clips and free up more space.

Editing clips

Press the pause button and selectRockstar Editor. You can view your clip in Clip Management. Then openCreate New Project. Choose Add Clip.

Select from your recorded clips and place them on the timeline. Once you've placed a clip press ENTER or double click each clip to edit.

Use the mouse wheel to scroll through each frame in the video.

Delete clips with DEL, duplicate a clip with LEFT CTRL and C. Press LEFT CTRL and X to 'pick up' and move highlighted clips on your timeline to a different location, or click and drag them.

You can also use a variety of effects such as adjusting depth of field, adding audio, speed and in certain cases, manipulate camera angles too, which are all available as options to click on.

Saving and exporting your video

Pressing F5 allows you to quick save to prevent any untoward data loss. To change the name of your project or to save different versions of the same project use Save Project As.

Export your project once you are done by selecting Export in the Project Main Menu.

Cost Per Click vs Cost Per Impression

Cost Per Click vs Cost Per Impression

ADMIN   13:06

Recently I was reviewing some online advertising for some of my clients and I realized maybe I have been doing things inefficiently. In all of my campaigns I have been selecting the cost per click payment method but never really looked at the cost per impression method. In this article I review the advertising I have been doing on Google Adwords, Facebook Ads and Linkedin Ads to see if I have chosen the most efficient payment method or if going forward I should be selecting the cost per impression model. As an extra bonus at the end of the article I also include a free guide on the top 3 things that will improve your online advertising ROI and point #2 issomething that no advertising agency will to you. In the report there is also an offer to get $300.00 in free Google Adwords or Bing Ads advertising. 

What Is CPC And CPM Anyways?

Cost Per Click (CPC) - is an Internet advertising model used on websites, in which advertisers pay only when their ad is clicked, not each time an ad is shown.

Cost Per Impression (CPM) -  is an Internet advertising model used on websites, in which advertisers pay for the number of times an ad is show regardless of whether it is clicked on or not

For more marketing term definitions refer to my post Small Business Marketing Terms Dictionary. Below are the total amounts I have spent on Google Adwords, Facebook Ads and Linkedin Ads for my clients. Lets take a look at whether CPC or CPM is better for each.

Google Adwords

What is it? - Google Adwords allows to you place text ads within Google search results and image ads on websites that are part of their display network. See below for an example of an image ad and a text ad.

Advertising Method Used To Date = CPC

Total Spent = $323.83

Impressions = 174,751

Clicks = 204

Click Through Rate = 0.12%

Cost Per Impression Using A Cost Per Click Method = $1.85 per 1,000 impressions

Now lets talk a look at how many clicks and impressions I could have got for my clients if I would have used a CPM model assuming spending stays flat at $323.83. To do this I would have to change from search ads to all display ads as you can only go to a cost per impression model with google on their display network (website where you can advertise with image ads, not text ads). Below is an example of the two different kinds of advertisements.

I have not been able to find much information on what an average CPM cost is on google adwords. On one forum one guy said he gets $4.00 per 1,000 impressions. If we were to use this assumption using a cost per impression model would look like this.

Total Spent = $323.83

Impressions = 80,957

Click Through Rate = 0.12% (assuming the same click through rate, because it would be all display ads the click through rate may be different)

Clicks = 97

Conclusion:

Without actually testing this I don't know that I can make a clear conclusion. I would hypothesis that the CPC method should be better based on the above but without testing I will never really know. The problem is I don't know what CPM rate I would pay, if the click through rate would go up or down and if I get a better customer conversion rate by using display ads then text ads. At the end of the day the real metric that matter is the customer acquisition cost, and without testing this I won't know which method has the better customer acquisition cost.  Going forward I am going to test this and see how a CPM method will perform.

Top YouTube CPM by Country

Top YouTube CPM by Country

ADMIN   13:01

Are you worried on how to make high CTR in order to get High RPM or revenue per impression in YouTube?, Today I would like to share on how to increase your video CPM - cost per impression in youtube to get potential viewer's, user's subscriber's and youtube searcher's.
To get High CPM,RPM in YouTube you must Target your video Audience in high CPM Countries below.

40 Top YouTube high CPM/RPM Countries,

1 United_States 0.8396
2 United_Kingdom 0.5848
3 Netherlands 0.5786
4 Germany 0.5672
5 Malaysia 0.2989
6 Switzerland 0.2437
7 Spain 0.2072
8 Sweden 0.1979
9 Norway 0.1785
10 Ireland 0.1779
11 Australia 0.1744
12 France 0.1592
13 New_Zealand 0.1576
14 Canada 0.1338
15 Denmark 0.1331
16 Greece 0.1293
17 Belgium 0.1168
18 Italy 0.1124
19 Singapore 0.0974
20 Taiwan 0.0943
21 Poland 0.0900
22 Finland 0.0897
23 Turkey 0.0766
24 Portugal 0.0735
25 Brazil 0.0693
26 Romania 0.0677
27 Mexico 0.0666
28 Croatia 0.0647
29 Czech_Republic 0.0611
30 Hungary 0.0604
31 Argentina 0.0568
32 Chile 0.0560
33 Colombia 0.0550
34 Serbia 0.0550
35 Venezuela 0.0507
36 India 0.0230
37 Unknown 0.0192
38 China 0.0161
39 Hong_Kong 0.0159
40 Egypt 0.0116

How Youtube Ad Revenue Works

How Youtube Ad Revenue Works

How Youtube Ad Revenue Works ADMIN   12:56

Most internet browsers think of YouTube(GOOG) as a place to waste time, watch silly clips or the latest music video. To others, it is a place to upload and share videos from concerts, a newsworthy event or even family events with friends online. A smaller group thinks of YouTube as a central part of their online income strategy.

Earning with YouTube is easy, but making big money with the platform can be a challenge. Here is how YouTube ad revenueworks and how to get started making money though the platform

Enable AdSense for YouTube on Your Account

The first two steps in earning online revenue with YouTube is to open an account and turn on account monetization. Enabling monetization requires accepting YouTube’s advertising guidelines and connecting to an AdSense account for payment. Enabling ads on your YouTube videos requires agreeing to Google’s ad revenue share for YouTube. There is a 45/55 split for all content creators, so Google keeps 45 percent of all YouTube advertising on your videos, and you get the remaining 55 percent.

Upload a Video and Promote

In order to earn revenue on a video, you need to first post videos on your YouTube account. You can create and edit your videos in advance using an editing program such as Adobe (ADBE) Premier or Apple’s(AAPL) iMovie, or you can upload a raw video from your phone or computer and use the YouTube video editor. Once your video is online, you need people to watch it. Promote your content on social networks, to family and friends, on blogs, Tumblr(YHOO), and any other possible digital outlet. More views means more money in your pocket.

In 2013, the average cost per thousand (CPM) for YouTube was $7.60. CPM (cost per thousand) is an industry term that represents revenue per thousand views. In 2013, the average income for each YouTube content creator was $7.60 per every thousand views. A video with 500 views would have earned roughly $3.80. A video like Gangnam Style with a billion views would earn $7.8 million. Some videos earn a higher or lower than average rate depending on the video content. Videos containing copyrighted music do not earn revenue for the video creator, and some topics may not attract advertisers. Others have a strong draw from advertisers and drive up the CPM.

If you’re having trouble getting views, try to be creative on where you share your videos. Targeting an audience with an interest in your type of content works better than trying to appeal to a general audience, so you may find better results from a Facebook(FB) group, sub-Reddit or forum about the specific topic. Also be sure to set up your individual channel settings so if one video becomes popular visitors can easily find related videos you’ve created.

Get Paid

Once you link your AdSense account to your YouTube account, you will receive credit for each video’s monthly revenue. Once you accumulate $100 in earnings, Google will issue a payment to your bank account. You can choose to be paid via direct deposit (not available in all countries) or check—direct deposit is the fastest method and has no fee. If you are located in the United States and earn more than $600 per year, Google will issue a 1099 form. Either way, you are required to pay income tax on your earnings.

The Bottom Line

Individuals and businesses make millions of dollars through YouTube advertising, but there are risks to using a platform controlled by another company. Not only is there a chance that a change in Google's search algorithms could make or break video traffic, but Google also takes a hefty 45 percent cut of revenue from video advertising. Nevertheless, YouTube is a massive platform and is the world's second largest search engine after Google, which includes YouTube videos in search results. If the benefits of reaching YouTube's large audience and having Google handle the most labor intensive parts of building an advertising network outweigh the costs and risks, this platform is a great resource for turning videos into cash.