The Importance of Bookkeeping

Most people look at bookkeeping as a chore that must be done to simply get back some much needed cash at the end of the year. With this perspective, it is no wonder so many businesses fail from the gate. Actually, accurate bookkeeping and tax reporting (although important) is so far at the bottom of the list, it really is not funny.

Product pricing is likely the single most important aspect of a business. Be it pricing a “widget” or pricing the services you provide, if your pricing is not accurate, you can hang up ever creating a profitable business. It sounds quite simple in the beginning, charge more than it costs, right? Well, several factors can come into play: insurance, packaging, delivery, marketing, etc. All facets of the business must be factored in when considering how much it costs to deliver whatever it is that you are selling.

Cash flow is probably the next largest aspect of a business. Many small businesses do not consider maintaining a positive cash flow as a vital element. Some go into business thinking that the demand will simply cover this element and in conjunction with ineffective pricing, they simply put themselves into the poor house within the first 24 months of operation. It is sad to see, but occurs in the business world quite frequently. Proper small business bookkeeping could have allowed them to grow in proportion to their profits and allowed the dream to flourish.

If you are going to borrow cash to get started, another huge aspect of small business bookkeeping is to get to know your banker well. Develop a rapport and your banker can provide vital assistance if your business takes an unexpected downturn. A good banker will give you credit options and help your business with differing payment plans until things swing back up again.

Small business bookkeeping can be the backbone of your business. As much as it seems to be a laborious task for many, it will make or break your business. Keeping accurate records, especially for the first few years is what will create the wind in the sails of your business vessel. Do Not take your small business bookkeeping lightly. Research these basic aspects and research it some more. Check with local and federal small business administration agencies for more guidance.

Have You Ever Wondered How To Get Facebook Likes and Use Them To Your Advantage?

For those of you who want to find out how to get Facebook likes, this article will prove to be a golden nugget. So, is there life after a like on Facebook? Don’t be surprised if I tell you that yes, there is – and plenty of it!

If you bare with me until the end of this article, not only will you find out how to get those much-desired likes (and how to increase your number of followers, of course), but you will also discover ways to leverage those followers to your advantage.

Shortly put, in the first part you will get all the info you need to start collecting ’em likes, and in the second part you will learn how to convert an inactive follower into a fruitful lead.

Are you ready… ?

Part one – Proven Ways To Get ’em Likes!

  • Add a Facebook widget on your blog

I love the wild web out there. I simply do. What I don’t love, however, is reading an incredibly well-written article and not being able to share it and show it to my friends on Facebook. It’s a pity, really…

Don’t do this mistake. Don’t be among those people who cannot keep track of their articles’ shares and likes and who don’t give their readers the opportunity to make your articles go viral.

A Facebook widget is perhaps one of the best things that you can do in this matter. You can either add it at the beginning of your article, at the end of it, or in a ‘flying box’ on the right hand part of your article. This way you make it easy for people to share your content and you can also keep track of the social activity your article generated.

Cool, huh? Hush, there’s more about how to get Facebook likes…

  • Add a signature tool like WiseStamp

With WiseStamp you put your emails to work. As the name suggests, using this tool you can create awesome email signatures. Awesome… ? Yes! You can include not only your name and email address, but also small icons of social media platforms.

And guess what? Facebook is not the only one you can add. You can also include your Twitter account, your G+ profile, your LinkedIn address and even your RSS feed!

This way all those who receive an email from you have the opportunity to view your social media profiles and become a follower.

Still not enough info about how to get Facebook likes? Well…

  • You can also create a contest

Facebook contests are among the most used features of the social network.

Pay attention, though! The popular ‘Like and Share’ contests are illegal. Not many know this, but there are plenty of people who have woken up one morning and saw their official pages closed. Forever! And this was all because they encouraged followers to like and share in order to win something. So this is not a good answer on how to get Facebook likes…

For you to be able to host a contest on Facebook, you will have to resort to Facebook Adds. They’re great and I’m sure you’ll love them.

  • Ask your friends to like your page

Perhaps the easiest way to increase the activity on your official page is to invite your friends to like your page. They know you personally, so they know you’re an amazingly innovative person who shares cool stuff – so they will like your page.

The downside to this solution on how to get Facebook likes is that they are not necessarily an ‘active’ audience, meaning that they are not 100% interested in your activity. Maybe they are curious, but many of them are not the ‘hungry for a solution’ type of followers.

  • Ask your email list to like your page

So you have these clients in your email list and you keep in touch with them from time to time. You are on the right track but… what about having a more engaging conversation with your clients and prospects?

You know what would be really awesome? A daily conversation where they get to know you better, where they get to know you even on a personal level.

Here’s a secret: you can do this. Send them an email with an invitation to join you on Facebook! What are you waiting for?

  • Add the link to your business card

Business cards – how traditional, right? But you can add a flavour of contemporaneity to it by making it virtual.

How?

Include all your online information on it. Like, for example, your website address, your email address and… your Facebook URL. It’s really easy to increase the number of followers if you know how to get Facebook likes, right?

If you want to go the extra mile, you can create a QR code for your website and your Facebook page and include them on your business card. This way people can access them directly from their smartphones.

  • Add your Facebook link to your “Thank You” pages

Another cool idea is to include your Facebook URL in your Thank You pages. If you made a sale, or simply you have a new subscriber to your newsletter list, it is good for them to know they can stay in touch with you through Facebook.

  • Include your Facebook page in your blog comments

Maybe a person likes your comment and thinks of it as being thoughtful. So they will want to find out more about you. And often times, a search on Google is too much to ask… So why not include a link to your Facebook page in your comments on blogs? It’s a cool way to increase your audience and to keep them updated!

Part two – Going from Likes to Leads in one simple step

Now that you know how to get Facebook likes, let’s see what you can do with them.

Stop!

I am going to share with you one of my secret ingredients that gets me more leads than any other method. To be honest, I am amazed that there are not that many people already using it, because it is THE gold mine of leads. It is a strategy that I have been using for a long time and it is working like crazy – all the time, 24-7!

All you need to do is just include on your Facebook page those pages from your website where you offer free goodies. This is also done using Facebook Apps, but it’s so simple to do, you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed.

Tip: Facebook does not allow unsecured websites to use the Apps feature. This means you will have to have a https:// kind of hosting.

Bonus tip: Boost posts can help you increase the impact of your posts. They will cost you a little extra money, but the bright side is that you have complete control over how much you want to spend. Nothing more, nothing less! And leads will come… like bees to honey!

Now, as always, I want to hear from you! Tell me…

Do you know other answers to this article’s question, “How to get Facebook likes”? What did you try lately and didn’t work or.. did work?

How much time do you spend per week to increase your Facebook likes? Is it worth it or you don’t see any results by now?

Do you have any other tips, tricks, suggestions, or stories that would help everyone else who’s reading?

Let’s talk about it in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to share about how to get Facebook likes!

Did you enjoy what you just read?

Then I have a suggestion for you: share this article with your friends.

Writing – The Breathing Comma

It is said that 90% of all writers use a comma correctly 75% of the time, but only 1% of the writers use the comma correctly 99% of the time. Many of us who write for business are in that top 90%. The comma is important. Commas let your writings breathe.

They are the main device by which the grouping of words, phrases, and clauses are set up. Consequently, commas are misused more than all the other marks combined. There are only four commas, which hardly seem a lot for such a difficult topic. Nevertheless, it is the four that get us all in trouble. The four types of commas are Omission, Bracket, Listing, and the Joiner.

That was simple. Now that you know their names, you know how to handle each one – right? Let’s make sure.

Let’s start with the Omission Comma.

Omission

True to its title, the omission comma replaces a missing word, most often “and.” The rule is – if you cannot put “and” before the word, then you should not use an Omission comma.

Example: As professors go, old man Jerkins is a boring, uninspired, tedious lecturer who will put you to sleep under two minutes.

You can change the above sentence simply by adding a “and” before “tedious lecturer” If you couldn’t put “and” before the word, then the comma is not needed.

Example: By removing one word, we render this sentence incorrect. “As professors go, old man Jerkins is a boring, uninspired, lecturer who will put you to sleep under two minutes.

“And” cannot be put in front of “lecturer,” therefore the use of the comma is incorrect. To make the sentence read right, we must put a comma before uninspired (it passes the “and” test) and a comma after “lecturer.” Example: “As professors go, old man Jerkins is a boring, uninspired lecturer, who will put you to sleep under two minutes.

Now why does this one little shift in comma placement work so well? Say hello to my little friend, the Joining Comma.

Joining Comma

The joining comma joins independent clauses. The rule is each part of the sentence has to be able to stand by itself. Using the example above, we can remove the comma and rewrite the sentence to read: “As professors go, old man Jerkins is a boring, uninspired, lecturer. He will put you to sleep under two minutes. We had to add the subject “He” in order to link the professor back into the second sentence, but even without it, the assumptive subject would have still been the professor.

Be careful of joining commas, they tend to make run on sentences, they are hard to control, so that you feel like you are running out of breath when reading, like they will never end, never letting you stop long enough, and take one little breath.

Whew! Do you see what I mean? There are at least two separate sentences in the previous paragraph. Where would you place the period and start a new sentence? You could also use our little friend the listing comma to make the above sentence work. Let’s try it.

Listing Commas

A listing comma is just as the name implies – it puts things in a series or list. For example: The attributes that make Joe Jones a good candidate for this position are punctuality, a stickler for details, professional leadership, a dedicated employee, and a inspiring team leader.

You can’t make these terms stand alone because the subject gets lost, so a “Joining” comma doesn’t work, and the commas are not “Omission” commas because if you put “and” in replacement of the commas, then the entire sentence becomes awkward and run on. Try it.

Two simple rules for listing commas. Rule 1: You have an option of placing a comma in front of the last item proceeding the “and” in the last item of a list. It is an option, and correct either way. The rule is – don’t let anyone chastise you for doing this – it’s his or her option as well.

Rule 2: Do not place a comma before the first item in the list, or after the last item in the list.

The Bracket (or parenthetical) Comma

The last in our series is the bracket comma. Also called the parenthetical comma it does what it says. It sets off a part of a sentence that contains information that may be nice, but not essential to that sentence. For example: In the development process of the widget, which will revolutionize the widget industry, we failed to estimate its greater value to tire manufacturers.

The bracket commas are separating a part of the sentence that, while informative, is not essential to making the sentence work, just like “which will revolutionize the widget industry” is not essential to making this sentence work. You could write the sentence: In determining the value of the micro widget (which will revolutionize the widget industry), we failed to realize its greater value to tire manufacturers. Here the information – while informative is not required. The subject is the micro widget and its value to tire manufactures.

The Final Word

As we can see here, the old rule of thumb of using a comma wherever you would take a breath, if you were speaking the sentence, is not entirely accurate. This rule of thumb does have some merit as a starting point, but it helps to know what type of comma is applicable when editing your work.

Sony Ericsson K660i – A Popular Cybershot Mobile Phone

Basically Sony and Ericsson are two different companies those merged in the year 2001. Sony which is one of the leading companies in Japan has produced many mobile phones in collaboration with Ericsson those have taken the mobile world by storm. These days, their latest cross-breed product Sony Ericsson K660i has literally made the users crazy. The mobile is empowered by many astonishing feature those can beat any contemporary brand in the global market.

This excellent model belongs from the K-clan which is highly coveted in mobile arena. This Sony Ericsson K660i equipped with Quad Band and 3 G HSDPA support. A card slot of 32 MB internal memory is also given in the mobile phone to extend the mobile memory.

Sony Ericsson always produces something that meets exactly to the need of the users. Actually all the inventions are materialized after immense research that’s the reason they have been capable to produce model like Sony Ericsson K660i which is communicator cum entertainer. The phone has feature in galore to entertain you such as 2MP video QVGA@15fps and MP3/AAC/MPEG4 media player. And to entertain you non-stop it is equipped with FM radio with RDS.

In addition to that you will also be getting CIF video call camera which probably you wont get anywhere except Sony Ericsson K660i. Track ID is also another rare feature of the mobile phone that is used to recognize music.

Sony Ericsson K660i is a 3G mobile phone which carries 2 inches TFT screen display. This TFT screen gives unusual clarity to your wallpaper or screensaver since it can support 256 K colors. Now with this gadget you don’t need to memorize number of your friends since it have space to contain 1000 entries. If you think that this memory volume is not enough then you can expand it to 32 MB by sing card slot given in the mobile phone.

The Sony Ericsson K660i is manufactured in the resolution which suits to all that is 104 x 47 x 15mm and weighs only 95 grams. It is also equipped with perfect images resolution which is 240 320. By reason of its light weight it is easy to carry anywhere.

Free Publicity – How to Get People to Read Your Newsletter

One way to continue to get free publicity is to send a newsletter out to your customers and other contacts. Thanks to the Internet and email, you can create and send a newsletter essentially for free. Newsletters not only promote your products and services, they can establish you as an expert.

But it’s one thing to send out a newsletter, it’s another to get people to open and read it. That’s why it’s critical to have quality content. Here are some of the types of things you can include in your newsletters to keep them interesting:

How-to Articles — help your subscribers learn how to do something that relates to your business. Financial planners can give tips on investing, choosing stocks, tax issues and so forth. Personal trainers can offer exercise and nutrition tips.

Surveys — people love to give their opinions. Ask your customers their thoughts on a variety of topics.

Milestones — tell your readers when you’ve sold your widget 10,000, 25,000 times or more. You can also mention time-related milestones such as your 10th or 25th year in business.

Flashbacks – Relate anecdotes about what your and/or your company were doing this day X number of years ago. They can be serious or funny.

Product knowledge — tell people how they can better use your products or services.

Questions — solicit questions from your customers and prospects about how they can better benefit from your products and services.

Case histories — share how your product or service helped someone solve a problem.

Testimonials — without being too hard-sell, include a testimonial or two in each edition.

Sales — Tell people you are running a sale.

Coupons — put in a coupon that people can print out and bring in to your place of business. While you’re at it, encourage people to share the coupons with their friends. It could bring you new, long-term customers and clients.

These are just a few of the things you can put in your newsletters. You don’t have to use them all in each issue. Just a few. Mix them up so that each new newsletter will arouse interest and curiosity to help you get more and more free publicity.

Nokia Mobiles – the Most Sophisticated Handsets

The companies are launching their handsets after long surveys and researches. To compete with this tough situation, Nokia is introducing Cheap mobile phones equipped with latest techniques. To meet this target, Nokia has come out with Nokia N95.

Nokia N95 is a 3G handset with two way slider opening mechanism with latest technologies. The widget only weighs 120 grams with the fitted battery. The dimensional measure of the gadget is 99 mm x 21 mm x 35 mm. The widget’s 2.6 Inches screen provides with 16 million colour display on a 240 x 320 pixel screen. This Nokia mobiles when fully charged provides with upto 220 hours of standby time and 6.5 hours talk time.

Nokia N95 is available in two versions Nokia N95 and Nokia N95 8GB. The N95 comes with 100 MB of in-built memory, which allows the users to keep a record of their important phone contacts, schedule and images. Where as N95 8 GB comes with 160 MB of in-built memory and the users can extend memory upto 2 GB by using memory card.

The handset is enabled with the Blue-tooth wireless technology, Infrared technology and with a USB port. The users can transfer data or files through their handsets to other compatible devices. The Nokia N95 supports HSDPA which is helpful for transferring data. The gadget supports quad band network which includes GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900. The phone also supports XHTML and HTML Internet browsing. With the help of these Nokia mobiles, users can enjoy advanced Internet experiences.

The handset’s music player supports all the musical formats like MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA. There is an Integrated visual radio with vibration alert radio feature. The built in 5 mega-pixel camera comes with Carl Zeiss optics tessa lens. The Camera allows the users to take a still photo or record video clips. The camera comes with a digital zoom and a flash option. The gadget also has the features like Nokia Music Manager, Voice Commands, Voice Recorder, Handsfree Speaker and with the phone book feature, the users can keep all the contacts of their near and dear. Hence the Nokia Mobiles are the best mobile in all aspects.

How to Develop Flutter App for Beginners & Benefits

There was a time when businesses relied upon traditional avenues such as brick and mortar spaces, telephone and formal letters for sales and service goals. Not anymore! Today, the same business entities exploit desktop and laptop for the said tasks. In fact, even these platforms are shrinking as people around the world have switched to smart phones to buy products / services and that too with just a few taps. How? Of course through dedicated mobile applications.

No wonder then manufacturing, trading and services industries are migrating to this intuitive way of attracting customers, and at the same time engaging and addressing their issues quickly. While the number of mobile app users in developing nations is growing in double digits every year, the developed countries have already reached several milestones in terms of usage. So, what makes these apps so popular? There are several reasons, and some of the compelling ones are mentioned below.

– Mobile apps are intuitive.

– Mobile apps are light-weight and therefore do not hog memory.

– Mobile apps are easy to operate.

– Mobile apps are responsive in terms of display and accomplishing day-to-day tasks.

In short, they have become an integral part of human lives. Whether you want to book tickets, order food from restaurant, purchase goods or watch movies online, the buzzword is Mobile App.

Some of the business areas where these applications play a crucial role –

Healthcare – Companies can quickly update, send important messages and reminders to their customers through these applets. It is not only cost-effective but an amazing way to address customer issues in real-time.

After Sales Service – Now this is one area where businesses can really make a big impact. By responding to service requests quickly, manufacturing and trading companies can build a large base of happy customers. This in turn would provide a span and spike for future growth.

Standalone Application – Standalone mobile applications such as inbound and outbound CRM’s can help businesses connect with customers in a seamless manner, address bottlenecks, liaise with sales folks and schedule meetings to pursue daily goals. Moreover, app data can then be exploited in an intelligent manner to chalk out future plans.

It is because of these reasons that mobile app market is growing at a scorching pace, as more and more businesses realize the benefits of providing one for their customers. Furthermore, apps assure enormous growth and provide that humane touch, and a link between the company and the customers / vendors. That it simplifies business process cycles in yet another feather in its cap.

Interestingly, Flutter Software from Flutter Development Company makes app building process less tedious. Mentioned below is a beginner example on how to build a “Hello World” application in Flutter?

Simply install Flutter application after downloading from the developer website and then run the following command. Incidentally, there is no need for any supplementary compilers or programs.

Check the code here.

So, why do we need to initiate this step? The answer is to know if all the components and dependencies have been registered properly. Mentioned below is a typical output after running the above command. What you need to remember is that not all the components are required, especially the editor which you can choose as per your taste.

Click the above link to see the code.

Once the desired environment is created choose a location for building your first application and then execute the following –

Click the above link to see the code.

The above command / instruction / code will create the following directories and files

Click the above link to see the code.

Congratulations! The raw shell for the application has been created which due to its simplicity utilizes just a single file – main.dart. The next step is to delete the content of this file and replace with the following code.

Click the above link to see the code.

So, what does the above code mean? The first line in the code requests material.dart, a repertoire of various components / widgets existing within the application IDE also called the library. These are buttons, forms, layouts, animation etc. The next line of code “runApp” builds a local widget within the root widget.

As mentioned above Flutter app development is all about widgets ( built-in and customized ).

The next two lines specify the state of the widget ( Stateless or Active state ) which is typically achieved via createState() method. This app fits into the former category and therefore requires “build” command. A stateless app such as those with just text or image is easy to build and execute. The final step is to run this code. Thankfully, Flutter does the same from the same window and does not require different compiler / execution platform. Depending on your preferred method and connected device choose any one of the following options.

Click the above link to see the code.

You can also use built-in simulators in case no devices are connected.

Interestingly, Flutter is based on object-oriented programming framework boasting intriguing concepts in the form of native components which allows programmers to create intuitive and highly complex applications which are flexible, secure and future ready, and demand ridiculously low development period. Tagged as one of the most popular frameworks, Flutter offers amazing application components such as animations, digital motion work and a plethora of native features. Moreover, theses apps are responsive and therefore device independent.

Here are some of the silent features which are sure to make any new app programmer to smile.

Cross Platform Code – Write a single piece of code for iOS and Android platforms. Yes, Flutter uses single source code to build cross-platform applications. This not only saves development costs but also reduces development time drastically.

Built-in Widgets – Built-in widgets and customization allows programmers to create apps rapidly. Materials or widgets form the very essence of Flutter which is easy to deploy and edit.

Quick Deployment – Experimentation with various widgets, code and components is super simple. This in turn reduces testing time and therefore deployment too is also quick.

Hot Reload – This is one feature which makes Flutter stand out in a crowd of other IDE’s and development platforms. Hot reload your application after every bug fix or design modification to see the changes. There is no need for external compiler or decoding platform.

Hassle-free Maintenance – When it comes to application maintenance Flutter is second to none. Because of its ready-made widgets the code is minimized which in turn reduces redundancy.

If you are a beginner mobile app programmer or planning to work for a Software Development Company you should try Flutter. It is a feature rich and future ready IDE that boasts cross-platform compatibility and easy integration of third-party components.

Social Media for Businesses Done Right: Martell Home Builders

A lot of companies have jumped on the social media bandwagon, but not all of them are doing a good job of it. The good news is, some are using social media in unique, creative and successful ways. One such company is Martell Home Builders.

Martell used to rely on realtors to advance their business, but since they started using social media, they created a direct-to-consumer model and they were able to cut out the middleman.

Their online marketing efforts began with a strategy that primarily used blogging and that focused on meeting their customer’s needs by writing articles such as “14 Must-Have Tools for New Homeowners.” They increased their readership by providing an opportunity for people to subscribe to blog posts by email.

They also placed GPS tracking devices on the vehicles of their contractors so that customers always knew where the contractor was, thus easing the customer’s mind.

To make the home building experience more social, they put up photo galleries of homes that were being built. This allowed homebuyers to watch the progress of the house and also enabled them to share their excitement with friends and relatives. Not only was this pleasing to their clients, it also provided an opportunity to gain social proof and visibility through the photos posted online.

Martell added the Facebook Like box to their website. This widget is updated in real time and pulls content directly from Martell’s Facebook Page every time they have a site visitor. The like box is also a great opportunity for social proof because it shows how many people have liked their page.

One of the greatest things about the Facebook Like box widget is that website visitors can become a fan on Facebook without ever leaving a website! Being able to like a Facebook page without ever leaving a site is a great way to encourage visitors to stay on a site longer.

Providing photos of home while they were being built and allowing customers to know where the contractors were at all times were both creative ways of fostering trust with their clients.

Does Your Organization Have a Learning Disability – Disability # 2 – The Enemy is Out There

My previous article I started with the first of seven learning disabilities identified by Peter Senge in his book ‘The Fifth Discipline.’ An organization’s success is usually limited due to the learning disabilities found within it. These learning disabilities keep companies repeating the same mistakes time and again and prevent them from taking advantage of new opportunities.

“The Enemy is Out There’ is not a problem confined to organizations but also to individuals in their daily lives. It is related to the saying ‘A bad workman always blames his tools.’ Nothing is our fault it is always someone else’s.

In an organization this disability can be fatal as marketing blames manufacturing who blames purchasing who blames accounting. Instead of a problem being sorted out someone else is blamed. Blame is easy; it can be passed on and forgotten. However, this is never going to solve the problem and let the organization thrive.

Think of a sales situation. The sales team goes out to sell the company’s widget to a new customer but instead they come back empty handed. The company was dependent on this sale so everyone wants to know why it wasn’t successful. Sales blames marketing as they say the prospect thought the widget solved another problem they had and worked a different way. Marketing blames design as they say that is what they were told. Design blames manufacture as they say the widget obviously wasn’t made correctly. Manufacture blames purchasing saying the wrong parts were bought to make the widget. This pass the blame keeps going round until no one has any idea what the problem was or why the prospect didn’t buy the widget.

To solve a problem someone needs to take ownership of it. They need to make it theirs and then strive to find the best solution. If the solution lands up on their doorstep then changes should be embraced and not avoided. The whole organization benefits if there is collaboration between the departments and there is a common vision of the desired outcome.

The ‘Enemy is Out There’ is not confined to passing the blame within the organization but can also be used to blame external factors for our lack of success. Think of the airlines that blame the rising price of fuel for their lack of success. How then is Virgin or SouthWest operating a successful airline? The Enemy can be government regulations, expensive labor, foreign companies, the weather or any other excuse we can think of. When blaming someone or something else we should remember that there is always another company that doesn’t seem to be affected by this enemy.

The more we take responsibility for our current situation and work as a team to find a solution the more successful we will be. Individuals and organizations have thrived in the midst of enormous adversity. Look for possibilities and solutions and strive to achieve your shared vision.

Remember that the Enemy will only affect you as much as you let it.

Don’t Lose Your Visitors, Optimize Your RSS Feeds

One of many ways to optimize your WordPress blog for search engines is having your feeds working. What are feeds?. Feeds are data format that allow your visitors to subscribe and read your blog’s regular updates in a RSS reader. This can be made by:

1. Entering their email addresses, this way they will receive your blog’s updates straight into their inboxes.

2. Be your feeds reader, they will be alerted if you have recent post.

3. Delivering your feeds to mobile devices, for example iPhones, currently lots of people using smartphones.

You can use feedburner or feedblitz, but this time we will learn how to burn your RSS with feedburner. It has lots of features and easy to configure.

Step 1. Go to feedburner.com and sign up with your gmail account, if you don’t have one, you will want to sign up. Once you are signed in, you will be asked to claim feeds or enter your feed address. Leave this browser window open for now.

Step 2. Go back to your site and look where your RSS icon is. If you don’t have it, set your meta widget in sidebar, just for minutes to see where “Entries RSS” link. In some cases, this link can be found in your footer too. As soon as you found this icon or link, right click and pick “Copy link address”.

Step 3. After that step is to paste this address in a box under this sentence: “Burn a feed right this instant, type a blog or feed address here” (in feedburner window) If you’re a podcaster, tick “I am a podcaster”. Hit “Next” button.

Step 4. Fill in your feed title which describes your blog. Example: Gardening Blog.

Step 5. Fill in your feed address. Click “Next”.

Step 6. Tick three option button under “Feedburner Stats automatically tracks”- Click “next”

Step 7. To get email widget codes, click “publicize” tab Let this window open. In the left sidebar, find “Email subscription” click it, and hit “activate”. Let this window open.

Step 8. Go to your WordPress admin page, install FD Feedburner plugin, activate it. Then go to FD feedburner configurations, and enter your new feeds address in the box under “Redirect my feeds here” hit “save”

Step 9. Go to Appearance/widget choose text widget, drag and drop it to your sidebar, give a title (example: Subscribe me) and go back to your feedburner window find the code, copy the entire code and paste in this email widget code in your text widget.

Congratulations, you have now email subscription form for your visitors and convert them to returning visitors.

Tips: Choose big RSS icon so it’s easier to see.

See you in the top!

Freelance Web Designer | WordPress Developer | Hong Kong