.
First, this post isn't about any one particular person because I see this happen over and over again with my own clients and Rain members who email me asking for help.
Second, I was really hesitant to write this post because I know that a little knowledge is usually a very dangerous thing but... since almost half of my projects and emails for "help" seem to come from people who've tried to do tech stuff themselves, I thought this might be the right time to try and point the "do it yourselfers" in the right direction!
I have no idea why people who would never dream about doing their own dental work think that doing tech maintenance on a blog or website is something they should try on their own. Even those of us involved in tech stuff 24/7 are challenged by keeping up with the never ending cycle of upgrades, options and better ways of doing things.
I do understand that sometimes it's a matter of your biz budget which means if you want to maintain your blog or website yourself... instead of spending $$$ spend the time learning to do it right.
Having a full blown, self hosted blog like WordPress can be an SEO powerhouse, beautiful and totally customized and built to look exactly the way you dream about but...
Like anything (cars, teeth, homes, etc...) there is usually a certain amount of maintenance involved which means the occasional upgrades of the core software, themes and plugins/widgets to be sure everything is current and secure. This isn't always the best option for everyone, especially if you don't have the skills to launch it properly or to maintain it. If that's the case you can always...
- set up a free blog at any of the various blog platforms available
- set up a free blog at any of the various blog platforms available and point a domain name to it
- invest in an affordable alternative with maintenance built in like ActiveRain's outside blogs
- invest in an ActiveRain outside blog or use the AR standard blog and customize it
And if you're really determined to do it yourself, here are some rock solid places to learn the basics of tweaking, pimping and modifying...
- WordPress.org everything you ever wanted to know about installing and tweaking WordPress
- WordPress site maintenance (self explanatory)
- CSS Basics a free, easy to follow course on CSS styling (changing the layout/look of your site/blog)
- W3schools.com CSS Tutorials (more in depth lessons than CSS Basics)
- the AR search feature to find anything you'd like to know about customizing your AR blog
- for tutorials and free graphics to get started on AR, my Rain blog has a ton of info
The point is that you have options and alternatives. Doing your own dental work isn't always the best idea, neither is doing your own tech stuff. OK, end of lecture, have a great weekend!
It's not Twitter but...
Tiny Chat is a very cool little app I found that let's you set up a disposable chat room.
I'm not sure how practical this might be but it's free, it's cute and it works! Check it out here
If you're time challenged like me and there aren't enough hours in a day to sort through the mountains of info being posted on the web, here are some of my favorite reads from the past few days...
- The Psychology of a Linkbait by Ryan Caldwell
- 9 lessons Obama taught us about brand identity by Dick Bondy
- 10 tools for breaking into Twitter by Reid Carr
- Debunking Six Social Media Myths by B.L. Ochman
- Fuel-Making Solar Nanotube Device Eats CO2 by Kit Eaton
- ActiveRain's NEW Membership Plan Brad Andersohn
- The New ActiveRain Badges Brad Andersohn
- Is My Business Worth Investing Seven Dollars A Week In? The Lovely Wife
- Technology: How to mess up your Blog and not even know it Kathy McGraw
- Blogging...Words and Pictures? or Pictures and Words? Jason Neumann
- I had to share how two past AR. blogs, help cement loyalty with a client Steve Loynd
- Humorous but true recount of Listing Presentations in a tough market. Eileen Schreiber
- Close Your Mouth And Eat Blog Feed Through Your Facebook! It's Good! R. Greg Osmond
- Why We Need to Tell Our Stories... Lola Audu
- Marketing Ourselves At What Cost? Sally Cheeseman
- Do You Make House Calls? Joan Whitebook
- Feel the Fear AND Do it Anyway... Liz Moras
- Real Estate Tech Gadgets - Using the Internet to Stay Alert Ryan Shaughnessy
- 99 Cent .com Domain Name! Get in on this Deal Robert W. May
The posts listed above are just a small sample of the news, ideas and resources from the past few days by some of the sharp cookies that hang out in The Art Of Marketing You group
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