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Best of the Web: Easy non-techy tech tools and sites for non geeky people

Best of the Web-I have been all over the Web trying to read what others have recommended. Whew, a daunting task at best, but I just hate it when my friends know more than I do. I also found where everyone I knew went. So, thanks to Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin I have found the people that I missed,some new people, and new places and things. What a time it's been :)

As an Active Rain Member I thought I would share the following with you. Here are a few of the places I've been, and what I learned. I am sure most of the techy people know of these and so many more, but these are for us non-techy people.

http://short.to/ this site is like Tiny URL, a site to shorten your URL.This one I loved as the name of my blog is pretty long: CaliforniaRealEstateAndLife.com and that's not even counting if I have to type the http:// or the WWW. Look at the difference this site made http://short.to/7zc , nice and easy and fits into most of the forms.

FREE Listings site (Postlets) this is a great site and you can make fliers and post them into your blog, or other online places. Most of us that have been blogging for awhile use this, or other similar sites. And on your Active Rain Blog just make sure you save your work before going into the HTML tab on your blog, and save afterwords too, as the 2 tabs are not interchangeable. This site is easy to use. The first time may take a little set-up but then it's pretty easy, with great looking results.

www.Websitegrader.com You can put your site in here and get a lot of useful information back in just a couple of minutes. I found out one of my sites didn't have any meta tags, while another one had too many. I know I saw this site last year, but last year I knew nothing, so it meant nothing. You can print the report or get a link to it. I highly recommend if you've moved to the point of having an outside Blog, or your own site to use this FREE 5 min tool.

And just to keep this Post short and easy here is a site for Twitter Users..

Twitter Grader

www.twittergrader.com one of the things I liked best was it gave me a list of some people with similar interests that I might want to follow, and also gave a list of the top Twitters...

Amazing that I didn't see anyone from the Real Estate Industry. I am pretty new to Twitter, and I have figured out how to use it to keep in touch, as well as to follow breaking news, and other tidbits from people that I am interested in. The important thing is the Grade is not like a School Grade...it is just kinda fun :)

And today I found this: http://vectortuts.com/articles/web-roundups/best-of-the-web-june/

I found this and thought of my friend marti so marti if you're reading this....this ones for you (just in case you didn't already have it).

OK, I am going back to reading some of the things I have found and bookmarked. The thing I wanted to stress is we don't have to be a techy to learn how to get the benefits of some of these sites. Active Rain Blogs, Outside Blogs, and Localism- These are our first steps into the Social Media World, and it helps us non-techy people to have better blogs, better websites, and better relationships when we help each other.

One step at a time for us non-techy people....one step at a time :)

By: Kathy McGraw- CELLing Realty in Riverside County

Posted by Kathy McGraw, Riverside County CA Real Estate on 11/08/2008 10:01 PM

Comments (33)

WEB 2.0 in the Technology and Tools Channel

technology, web 2, twitter, active rain

Post is included in group: Active Rain Newbies
Post is included in group: e-PRO Internet Technology
Post is included in group: Gadgets, Tools, & Extras
Post is included in group: SO CAL Pass Area Communities and other Interests
Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You

33 Comments on Best of the Web: Easy non-techy tech tools and sites for non geeky people

NOV

2008

Kathy - Aren't you just the sweetest non-geeky person to take the time to put this all together. I'll definitely be bookmarking this for future reference. Thanks so much!

THanks so much for this information. I feel like I am just starting to learn Active Rain. Everyone is so helpful and I am learing so much. THanks Kathy!

Donna-Well, I don't know about the sweet part...LOL, but I do know I'm not the most techy person :) I do love to learn though as much as my non-techy self can handle that is .......

Vickie- that's great news that you feel you're learning Active Rain. Once you get to that point then it's easier to get to the next step. I wish I had thought of this Social Media stuff as steps when I started....:) Keep at it Vickie....it just keeps getting better.

NOV

2008

I so love free sites like this, I know they are trying to sell a service, but it gives us a true idea of what we are doing wrong and most of the time it is an easy fix.

I absolutely love the websitegrader! thanks for finding it -- I discovered I don't have any meta tags either! Going to checkout the twittergrader too --although I am just in early stages of twitter!

What a great list! I'll bookmark this one. There are some I'd like to try. You know, when you think that someone has thought of everything, someone else comes along and puts up another innovative site!

Thanks for sharing the information. I am still trying to get used to Twitter and all of the other places to get great info, sometimes I am overwhelmed. Website grader is great.

Thanks for the information. I haven't gone into twitter or facebook but shoule; I need to do that today. I am into YouTube and am trying to figure out how to post my listings on this site. They mostly do video but I think there's a way to put up still pictures.

Kathy - I just tried the website grader and the report is so detailed.....and I have much to work on! I have just started twittering....it will be interesting to see what that report looks like.

Have a great week and thanks!

Morning Todd- I love Website Grader. I had already gotten an evaluation of one of my sites (paid) and so knew of improvements needed. But this FREE site gave me many of the same things. I too loved the price, and it checks your blog also which I liked.

Alex- what is so good about it is that now we know we don't have any tags, we can search the Active Rain site for something on tags....and fix the problem. One of my sites it said I have too many tags, and that they can be confusing to Google....well that's easy to fix also. Yep that was probably the best half hour I spend in awhile :) Let me know how yours works out.

Bruce & Mary-Are you in the Art of Marketing you Group? Every week, now probably twice a week, marti puts up a best of week post. You will find a little of everything in that group, and marti is extremely helpful. Also Brad Andersohn has written tons of tutorials.....the thing is they can all get overwhelming p0 quickly.....so go one step at a time.....

Think of the one thing you want to learn-and after you get that then move on. It helps, and it helps when you teach someone else what you learned. It helps the community, and reinforces the new skill for you :) Let me us know if there is anything specific you need...if I don't know I probably know who does :)

Home Realty Group- The thing about Active Rain is the sharing....I share, you share, we all share :) :) Now good luck, and don't be afraid to ask if you don't know something. Plenty of people will guide you in the right direction.

Jon- Twitter is easy to set up, and don't worry about "not getting it" Ryan Martin did a very good video the other day on Twitter. Go to this Group http://activerain.com/groups/epro and look on the top/the Dashboard. Ryan's Twitter Post is very easy to understand.

Don't be a Qwitter, Stick with Twitter (Ryans Twitter Post)

The one thing I would say is read the comments..and when you are on Twitter and find someone you like click on who they follow...(right hand side says view all under the pictures) and then follow people you know from here or somewhere else to start. I had 17 to start and was very happy :)

FREE Listings site this is a great site and you can make fliers and post them into your blog, or other online place.

Allan- Good for you....and yes the report is detailed. So depending on what you want to do with it......you at least know more than you knew before :) Good luck with Twitter...see the comment above :) And you too have a good week :)

Hey..you're getting pretty techy there....thanks for info...need to check out maybe?

Sally Hi there my Graphics Queen Friend- Well don't you think it's about time I caught up to you and some of the others :) I really have been all over, and I love that site I found on vector graphics...now I just need to figure out what Vector means LOL :) And the Website Grader....go try it, then I am coming to you to learn tags, as I know you know them well :)

hi Kathy, well I guess my work is done here, you're officially a geek, welcome to the club! Thx for the excellent list of resources, I know a lot of people will appreciate & benefit from this. thx so much K!

Marti my friend...well if I had to join any club, this looks like a good one LOL :) And your job is never done my friend cuz' if I learn something this morning, it changes by dinner time :) You're the BEST, have a good week my friend :)

You are more techy than you're admitting....but you give hope to all.

Great post with lots of helpful info.

Team Honeycutt-Thanks. I work at trying to learn stuff. Marti Garaughty is one of the best Graphic Artist's on here, and his Group always has a ton of useful information : The Art of Marketing You. I was not kidding when I said I learned because I don't like it when my friends know more than me....they inspire me. And believe me I can do many things, but there are just as many that I am lost at........like changing the margins in Word. LOL that one will drive me crazy.

I mention Word because if marti has told me once he has told me a dozen times NOT to use Word to write my Blogs in and put on my Outside Blog. Why because of formatting incompatibilities....ahh but I found a way around that too :) I found another site that gets rid of all the formatting and lets you post in plain text: http://SteveMiller.net has a tool for converting...now all I have to do is figure out what plain text means in English :) I did figure out how to check the formatting :)

But for your Active Rain Blog.....use word, it saves you a ton of stress in case something happens you don't lose your work. And believe me we have ALL had this happen :)

Kathy--These are some great sites that I hadn't heard of...I guess I am just not geeky enough either. Thanks!

Kathy there is so much out there that you can make a full time job of just trying to keep up with it. It is nice to be on top of all the techy stuff, but when it takes more time away from work then it should, then it is time to strike a balance.

Teri-If we were really geeky we wouldn't be able to get off the computer :) I prefer to spend time face to face with people as much as I can ......but that's why we don't make our living doing web sites and stuff :)

George- Oh wise one....your comment is so true...we need a balance. Thanks for sharing that, as sometimes we forget.

Twitter Grader...I'm off to check that out...thanks for sharing! I had not heard of this one...

Kathy - some of these would be good for the "share your freebies" group you may also find some more there as the collection is growing.

Kathy, This is bookmarked! I am SO untechy it's not funny. I try a little bit when I can...and then something NEW comes along--faster then a speeding bullet! But I'm trying..........I think Marti is terrific too, I learn something with every single blog he writes! Thanks for all this wonderful information!

Sonja- Yes that one has some good stuff..just scroll down after you get your grade :)

Kathy- I don't know that Group...I will go check it out, thanks :)

Carole-Faster than a speeding bullet is so true. And we have to be Superwomen (or men) just to stay abreast. I think I am almost where I want to be, at least for the time being :) marti taught me how to do the Wallpaper from his Posts, and now each month I have a free one too. That has been one of my favorite things from his Posts...but there are so many to mention actually. I even have the Blog Separator he made :)

Kathy - thanks for the site tips. I will check them out and short cuts are great!

NOV

2008

Nice sites to take a look at. I have been here for over two years and I still feel like a geek!

Thanks Kathy. I always love to hear about frre tools.

Kathy,

Thanks, I am always in a hurry and that always means that you are going to feel "geeky" in some areas when you are not taking your time. I appreciate the new information.

NOV

2008

Fred- Hopefully at least one of them was useful :) Thanks for coming by.

Hi Karen- 2 years....it's amazing how fast time flies when you're haveing fun :) Geek or no geek there sure are a lot of sites out there :)

Keisha- You're welcome...the website grader is very worth the 5 min. Put your blog in there and see what it says :)

Derenda-Today I know exactly how you feel. I am swamped and have to finish working on some FREE Photos for Bloggers :)

Thanks for all the great sites! Non Techie...this is right up my alley! I am bookmarking this post. Lot's to do....................

Nice list Kathy. I am curious how you scored on your website and Twitter grade. I scored an 81 on my website and a 97.7 on Twitter. BTW: I think that we should thank Hubspot for creating both of these fun and cool tools.

Hi Janice- For being a non techie we are doing OK :) the Website Grader is pretty good...I liked it, althought I didn't like my score.

Hi Ryan- Well my website(s) scored horribly....one site was a 54, and one was a 23 :( Those scores were/are enough to make me want to either just pitch them and start over, or #%&#%&* I think I'll just have to get to work on them. The big problem is one of them, the one with the lowest score is a custom site, and no one wants to help fix what someone else did . My Twitter was a little better...see the graphic in the post...my Twitter Score was a 98.3 when I wrote this, but it fluctuates :) And yes, I think we should thank Mark.

NOV

2008

Kathy - website grader sonds like something that I need to check out. Thank you for the info.

Pam- Not a Problem.....now you will have to find the time to implement LOL :)

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