Get "Go To Top" Arrow Button For Blogger.

Get "Go To Top" Arrow Button For Blogger.

This is about creating your very own "Go To Top" arrow button. Sometimes the posts gets a little longer and sometimes the number of comments are so huge that it takes a hell lot of time to scroll upto the top. This is for your loyal blog visitors who would like to go to top of the post with a single click. This button floats at the bottom right hand corner and slides along with the post. When clicked, takes you to the top of the page. Convenient, isn't it? Go take a look at how to create this simple but very useful button.

First get a up-arrow clip art. At the end of the post there are a few of them. Select any one of them, create your own clip art or look for up-arrow clip art in google images. Then load this clip art to image sharing services like photobucket, picasa etc. Note down the link to the image. You will need that in your code.

<a style="display:scroll;position:fixed;bottom:5px;right:5px;" href="#" title="Back to Top"><img src="http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll111/kahaly/BlurMetalLc6.gif" /></a>

In the code above change the content in blue with your own link. This is the link to your clip art image. Click "Add A Gadget" in your Blogger and paste the modified code there. View your blog. Can your see your arrow at the bottom right corner of your blog. If yes, well done or else you can write back to me.

Below are few clip arts. Try them out.

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Create A "Grab My Button" Gadget.

Create A "Grab My Button" Gadget.

In my previous post, I had explained how to create a 125x125 ad or logo (in whatever way you like to call it). I had also mentioned about Entrecard, a link exchange service. I guess you guys already know about Entrecard now. If not, go have a look. People exchange link in many ways both as text link as well as logos or banners. They also mutually exchange text links and logos between one another. "Grab My Button" gadget will help you do just that. A "Grab My Button" will look like the one at the beginning of the post. The picture has been taken from my other blog TechNebula. Now the moment somebody sees this in your blog and if they really find your blog useful and interesting, they will paste it on their blog/site. Another way to do it is to mutually exchange 125x125 ads. But you should be careful in choosing your exchange partners because you have to provide value to your readers and not unnecessarily fill your blog with logos. You should look for people in the same niche to display your logo as it will draw people with similar interest to your blog. And the chances are that they will find your blog useful and place your ad on their blog. Thus, you get free traffic to your blog. Here is a brief post on how to create your own "Grab My Button" gadget.

First create a 125x125 ad and place it in a common location like picasa or photobucket or any other image file sharing service. I used photobucket for mine. This is to make that your 125x125 ad is available globally for your blog to access. If you don't have 125x125 ad, please visit my post on Get A Logo For Your Blog.

<img alt="" src="http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll111/kahaly/TechNebula.png"/><br/><textarea rows="3" cols="15"><a href="http://technebula.blogspot.com/"><img alt="TechNebula promo button" width="125" src="http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll111/kahaly/TechNebula.png" height="125"/></a></textarea>

In the above code you have to replace the contents in blue. For src give the location of your 125x125 ad. In href give the address of the blog where you want your gadget to be displayed. img alt is the name of your gadget. Give any name to describe the gadget. You can see the width and height are given as 125 equal to the ad size.

Now go to "Customize" in blogger. Select "Layout" and then "Page Elements". Then click on "Add a Gadget" and paste the modified code there. The same piece of code will work for other blogging platforms like WordPress, Typepad etc as well. Here you go. You now have your own "Grab My Button" gadget.

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Get A Logo For Your Blog.

Get A Logo For Your Blog.

Do you have a logo for your blog? If not, get one soon. Logos will help you advertise your blog on the web, thus in turn bringing traffic to your blog. You can take part in logo exchange services like entrecard. Services like these will help promote your blog on the web. If you are still reading this, its for sure, you don't have a logo for your blog. And I know why? You think logo creation is time consuming. You think you need to learn Adobe Photoshop, Gimp etc. Moreover, Adobe Photoshop does not come free. Even if you use GPL licensed softwares like Gimp, it will take considerable time and patience to master it. I too used to think the same way, until I came across this.

Here is way by which you can get your logo done. Its fast, does not need any technical skills and above all its free. There is a site called free125cards which has a small utility that helps you build 125x125 logos really fast and easy. Here is a step by step method to create a logo using free125cards.

Go to free125cards and select a 125x125 card and then click on "Personalize".

Now add a text in the text field and click "Add text".

After you click "Add Text" the text appears on the screen. You can resize the text by using the small square (in red circle) at the bottom left corner of the text. Resize and place it on the logo.

After you are satisfied withe logo click "Save Image".

Now right-click and save it to your disk.

Thats it. Bingo...In few easy steps you have got your logo for your blog.

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Add A TweetMe Button For Blogger.

Add A TweetMe Button For Blogger.

This post is going to tell you how to embed a TweetMe button to your Blogger. A TweetMe button helps to popularize your blog. Twitter is the next big thing in social networking and micro-blogging. So, if you are popular on Twitter, your blog can be too. Add this button to let people share the knowledge through Twitter. Go, check it out.

First, log into your Blogger account. Click "Customize".

Click on "Layout" and then "Edit HTML". Expand the widget template checking the check box.

Find the following line in the template code:

<b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>

Place the code given below between the code above and </b:loop>.

<script type="text/javascript">tweetmeme_url = '<data:post.url/>';</script><script type="text/javascript"src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>

If add this code just above </b:loop>, the button will appear at end of each post. If you add the code just after <b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>, the button will appear at the beginning of each post. If you find any problems embedding the TweetMe button, do let me know.

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Start Blogging.

Start Blogging.

Hey guys, as the blog name suggests, I will start from the very beginning, right from the point where you open your first blog account. First, open an account in any blogging platforms like Blogger, WordPress, TypePad etc. I prefer Blogger because I started blogging with Blogger. It doesn't matter which one you are using as long as you are comfortable with it. If you want to move to any other platform from Blogger, its possible with WordPress. You can do an import of your blog from any platform to WordPress.

Next step is to choose a suitable template depending on your blog. Below are given few sites which provide free as well as paid templates. Buying a template wont ensure your template to be unique but it surely reduce the possibility of similar templates on the web.

OurBloggerTemplates: It has a wide variety of Blogger templates starting from newbie templates to pro blogger templates. Most importantly its free.

CMSTheme: It provides templates for almost all platforms viz. Blogger, Drupal, WordPress, Joomla etc. Most of the templates are either free or has a GPL license.

FreeWebTemplates: The name says it all. Go ahead have a look.

ElegantThemes: Its a paid service. You can download all the themes once you register for $19.95 per year. Sounds affordable.

DreamTemplate: It has hell lot of stuff. Just check it out. You get lifetime access to the templates for $59.95. But if you want your template to be unique, you need to pay a heavy price. $2000 to $3000 per template.

TemplateWire: Full access for just $29.

EBlogTemplates: Its a paid service. $19.95 for unlimited access to the templates.

I guess this is enough food for thought for beginners. The best way to learn is to explore yourself. So go ahead and check out some of the listed websites. If you come across any other website which is related to templates please do comment. This will help all of us.

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