First time blogger

[kiwinvan]

So I posted way back in January asking about people's blogging experience and have been meaning to start my own since then...where does the time go?

Anyway, I finally started. I'm using blogspot.com to host and just getting going. Address is at http://leannescherp.blogspot.com/.

Can anyone tell me how to link the logo at the top so that it goes to my website?
Also, I tried to wrap text around th photos and when I published it there were large gaps between some of the images which I couldn't get rid of.
Do you a) write all text and then upload images and place them within the text, or
b) upload images and write the text around them?

Is there anyway to add a counter so you can track how many people view?

Thanks :confused: I wish I had learnt to use computer stuff when I was a kid.

[sapearl]

Hi leanne, I'm not at home now so I can't research your questions at the moment, but I started using blogspot myself a couple of weeks ago:

http://pearlphoto.blogspot.com/

I don't know how to link the logo back yet either, so for the time being I just planted my url in a few conspicuous places.

Regarding text, I've done it both ways. Most of the time I'll do a rough draft in Word sometime during the day as time permits and then do a copy and paste when I decide to "publish." I will also have formatted the photos in advance, guessing at approximate pixel size with the intent being to give it more of a "magazine look." So far my efforts are in the basic amateur category :D

I find their interface isn't too bad. You just have to practice and experiment a lot with it. I don't know html which is why this whole thing appeals to me, but I will peak at the code now and then and even make a few tweaks.

My main goal is NOT so make daily posts - there just is not enough time for that - but rather to post occasional articles on photography, announce gallery showings, talk about current projects, point people back to my website and proof galleries.... that sort of thing. I hope you have as much fun with it as I think I will ;) . Stu

[kiwinvan]

Thanks Stu,

I've done the same - added a link under the title, but I know a link can be made directly from the header - I've seen it on many a blog.

I'm going to be using my blog to keep in touch with past, present and (hopefully) future clients. I'm also going to use it as a way of keeping my family in New Zealand up-to-date with what I'm doing and to display new work. It's also a great way to be able to post photos that I like that don't belong on my webpage.

Anyone else able to offer incite and advice on blogs, both on content and the technical side?

[Banbert]

Mines a different layout so I cant say for sure but I think when people have done that they have done it via editting to template code directly rather than the blogger GUI as there doesnt look to be a way to do it there.

If your not into HTML coding then that may sound a little scary but all you have to do really is edit the section of code in your template that the link is currently set to, so this section below change to the link you want. As with all things like this its best to backup the template you have to start with before you make any edits so you can revert back to it if you make mistakes, although blogger protects you against that issue anyway as its fairly easy to go back to default.

When I first set mine up I decided to put a few links into my site instead of just one so i created a menu on one side similair to how people navigate round my site and thats been working really well for me and feedback has been very good from clients about it saying its very easy to navigate, just another option to consider.

<div id='header-inner'>
<a href='http://leannescherp.blogspot.com/' style='display: block'>
<img alt='Leanne Scherp - Vancouver Photographer' height='176' id='Header1_headerimg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2406/552132504699058/1600/z/458924/gse_multipart35925.jpg' style='display: block' width='429'/>
</a>
</div>


..

[sapearl]

I'm considering the "client contact route" also leanne...I see a lot of people using that and it certainly would be a good way of maintaining some modest site traffic; probably not a bad idea at all.

Family contact is another attractive feature of blogs. Although I am a little reluctant to put TOO much personal info out there for the public to browse. I see a lot of people going overboard on this. In this age of scams, ID theft and other online aggravation, the paranoid side of my likes to keep a portion of my life private. ;)

Thanks Stu,

I've done the same - added a link under the title, but I know a link can be made directly from the header - I've seen it on many a blog.

I'm going to be using my blog to keep in touch with past, present and (hopefully) future clients. I'm also going to use it as a way of keeping my family in New Zealand up-to-date with what I'm doing and to display new work. It's also a great way to be able to post photos that I like that don't belong on my webpage.

Anyone else able to offer incite and advice on blogs, both on content and the technical side?

[kiwinvan]

Mines a different layout so I cant say for sure but I think when people have done that they have done it via editting to template code directly rather than the blogger GUI as there doesnt look to be a way to do it there.

If your not into HTML coding then that may sound a little scary but all you have to do really is edit the section of code in your template that the link is currently set to, so this section below change to the link you want. As with all things like this its best to backup the template you have to start with before you make any edits so you can revert back to it if you make mistakes, although blogger protects you against that issue anyway as its fairly easy to go back to default.

When I first set mine up I decided to put a few links into my site instead of just one so i created a menu on one side similair to how people navigate round my site and thats been working really well for me and feedback has been very good from clients about it saying its very easy to navigate, just another option to consider.

<div id='header-inner'>
<a href='http://leannescherp.blogspot.com/' style='display: block'>
<img alt='Leanne Scherp - Vancouver Photographer' height='176' id='Header1_headerimg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2406/552132504699058/1600/z/458924/gse_multipart35925.jpg' style='display: block' width='429'/>
</a>
</div>


..

Thanks - I did have a look at the "edit HTML" section but I couldn't see anything that looked like a link to edit - I can't find any part which matches the code you have highlighted there.

Perhaps a menu is a good way to go - I had a look at your blog and it IS very easy to go to and fro.

I'm considering the "client contact route" also leanne...I see a lot of people using that and it certainly would be a good way of maintaining some modest site traffic; probably not a bad idea at all.

Family contact is another attractive feature of blogs. Although I am a little reluctant to put TOO much personal info out there for the public to browse. I see a lot of people going overboard on this. In this age of scams, ID theft and other online aggravation, the paranoid side of my likes to keep a portion of my life private. ;)

Yes, it'll definitely be more of a general update and into to Canada (for those who've never been here) rather than anything too personal.;)

[Banbert]

Thanks - I did have a look at the "edit HTML" section but I couldn't see anything that looked like a link to edit - I can't find any part which matches the code you have highlighted there.

Perhaps a menu is a good way to go - I had a look at your blog and it IS very easy to go to and fro.



Sorry lisa thats me being a numpty, the code will always look different because its dynamic, so what I see this end when viewing your source will be different to the template your looking at in the edit function.

Do you have a blog example of what your looking to do and then maybe I can see how they did it, just been flicking through a few now and I cant find one the way your described.

I do think the more links back to you site the better so a menu may be a good idea, certainly seems to work for me atm anyway.

[kiwinvan]

Here is one:
http://chrispluslynn.blogspot.com/
If you click their title bar, it takes you to their website at http://www.chrispluslynn.com/detected.php?page=&pass=
Would it help if I pasted the code that I can see when I try to edit my blog?
Thanks.

[Banbert]

Found a handy turtorial that talks you through this, may give it a bash myself now

http://tips-for-new-bloggers.blogspot.com/2007/03/add-picture-banner-link-to-blogger.html

[kiwinvan]

Thankyou!!!!!!!!!!

That was EXACTLY what I was looking for!
I have now linked the blog to my website homepage and just need to add links from the website back to the blog (MUCH easier).

I'll definitely look at doing some menus on the side of my bog also - perhaps slideshow links too.

What a great find that tutorial was - I've bookmarked it as I'm sure I'll be visiting it again.

Thanks again - your help is greatly appreciated!:D :D :D

[Banbert]

No worries always happy to share with you guys.

I was quite sceptical about the value of blogging to start with but now that I see the way customers react to it and the other ways it can bring in new business I am a definite convert and a big fan of it.

[MrsOpie]

thank thank thank you for this post. I'm been wanting my blog to have a certain look but I couldn't figure out how to do it. I included a header but I still can't figure out how to get it to link to my website. I posted a link on the right instead. thanks for your help

http://opiefoto.blogspot.com/

[Banbert]

Regarding what I was saying previously about building a menu on your blog that links to different pages on your website. I was reading an article yesteday on SEO that was talking about the benefits of multiple entrance points into your website. Apparently this is something that the search engines look favourably on more than if all external links point to your index or entrance page, another good reason to build a menu of links on your blog into your main site.

This is something that you can bear in mind when posting to your blog as well, if you talk about your main site or direct people to visit certain pages on your main site then even though you may have a fixed link to it on your blog menu's put a direct link in the post as well to what part your talking about, search engines like this sort of thing.