Create a Blog Free

The first step in making a blog is to form a reputation. though Blogger permits you to vary your blog’s address once it's setup, it's vital to require time to deem a reputation before obtaining started. The name of your blog ought to be associated with the aim of your blog, whether or not it’s a private blog concerning yourself generally, goals you've got accomplished, a journey you're on, or knowledgeable blog a couple of service or product you offer. If you were blogging concerning yourself, you'll use your name because the blog name (and thus a part of your blog address). as an example, if your name was “ABC” and you used that because the name of your blog, then Blogger would assign your blog address as ABC.blogspot.com. 

If your blog is concerning your landscaping company and services it provides, you may use your company name or slogan. the instance we'll be using throughout this book could be a fictitious company referred to as ''The Perfect Landscape” with the blog address theperfectlandcape.blogspot.com. Once you've got selected

a name, it’s time to form your Google Blogger blog.

Create A Blog
1. along with your web browser open, visit blogger.com.
2. you may return to Blogger’s home page (see Figure 2-1).

 Figure 1-1

3.  Click the Create a Blog button.
4.  On the next screen create a new Google account (see Figure 2-2).

Figure 2-2

5. begin with coming into an e-mail address and re-type it to verify there aren't any typos.
6.  Enter a password of a minimum of eight characters (you can got to conjointly do that twice). It is smart follow to enter a password that contains higher and lowercase letters, punctuation marks, also as numbers, or produce an acronym. this is able to create it more difficult for an unauthorized user to access your blog. as an example, it would not be a decent plan to use your name as your password unless garbled. After you are finished typing your potential password, Google can show your password strength, like weak, fair, good, or strong. Keep experimenting till you enter a strong password.
7.  Enter a show name and birthday.
8.  Enter the characters within the Word Verification box. Don’t worry if you get it wrong on the primary try: The letters and words are meant to be tough to scan. Google Blogger is using CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing check to inform Computers and Humans Apart), a program used to come up with distorted and twisted characters for you to sort in. an individual's will pass this type of check, a laptop might
not. CAPTCHA is primarily used to assist forestall spam on your blog (or internet site).
9.  Check the Acceptance of Terms and click on Continue.
10.  On ensuing screen, enter a Blog Name and therefore the URL as (see Figure 2-3). Click Check Availability and if the name you selected is already taken, keep attempting till you find an on the market one and still suits your interests. 

Figure 2-3

11. Continue with selecting a Template. we are going to be reviewing the Template Designer in Chapter three, but for currently select image Window.
12. Click Continue.
13. you've got currently created your 1st blog.
14. you'll receive an e-mail from Google to verify your account creation. Make sure you verify your Google Blogger account by clicking the link provided within the email.You will have restricted functionality till your account is verified.

Now that you just have completed fitting your new blog account, click the beginning Blogging button, which will bring you right into posting and therefore the New Post space. However, we are going to not produce a post simply nonetheless. Instead, we’ll review the weather of your screen (the Dashboard) that is what you'll usually see when you log into Blogger. Afterward, we are going to review the way to produce, edit, delete, and schedule posts.

Reviewing the Dashboard
From the New Post space, click Dashboard within the higher right corner of your screen. The Dashboard serves as a menu, or the simplest way for you to navigate to totally different areas of your blog betting on the task at hand (see Figure 2-4). we are going to briefly review every possibility (listed below), whereas different areas are going to be mentioned in additional detail later within the book. 

1. Profile
2. View Blog
3. New Post
4. Edit Posts
5. Settings
6. Design
7. Monetize
8. Reading list
9. different stuff

What is Profile ?

This section is that the space where you enter info concerning yourself and what info you'd like to share with readers of your blog (like a standard “About Me” page). you'll enter info including your name, email address, birthday, sex, physical location (city, state, and country), interests, and mini biography. there's additionally an area to upload your image. This profile image are going to be shown on your blog’s sidebar (when inserting the Profile gadget).

Editing your profile:
1.  From the Dashboard on the left aspect of the screen, click the Edit Profile link.
2. During this screen, enter the maximum amount or as very little info concerning yourself that you just would
like to share along with your blog readers. Typically, I check off to share my profile, email address, show name (normally your blog title), photograph, home page URL, location, and typically my general interests. because of the increased quantity of web fraud and security problems, be cautious concerning what quantity personal information you'd prefer to share with strangers. 
3.  To upload a photograph to use as your profile image, click the Browse button to locate {a image|an image} on your pc or enter an online address (URL) if employing a picture from your personal on-line image storage web site, like Photobucket or Flickr.
4. Once you have finished editing the profile, click the Save button.
5. You're back at the Dashboard.

You Know aboute View Blog , Posting , Comments , Settings , Design & Monetise

View Blog
Click the read Blog link to open and think about your blog in an online browser window (see Figure 2-5).

Figure 2-5

Posting

When clicking New Post from the Dashboard, a screen seems where you'll begin coming into a brand new

post. though we are going to be making a brand new post later during this chapter, generally you may enter a title and begin writing content within the giant text box, categorize your posts by coming into what Blogger calls Labels,and click Publish Post. it's then viewable to your blog readers. 

Settings

In this section of the Dashboard, you'll setup formatting preferences, general date/time formats, how your blog archives posts, manage comment settings, or setup a custom name (in the shape of name-here>.com like ThePerfectLandscape.com. In addition, you'll setup your blog to be protected within the sense that you just invite those readers that are allowed to look at your blog. you'll additionally configure mobile settings thus you'll post from your mobilephone or email. 

Among all the settings (many that to be reviewed throughout this book), Comments ought to be setup 1st. this is often thus you'll begin receiving notifications when folks leave comments on your blog, cut down on spam-related comments by enabling Word Verification, and permit anyone to comment.From the Dashboard, click Settings and Comments and continue using these steps:

1. below Who will Comment, choose Anyone.

2. ensure Show Word Verification for Comments is about to Yes. 

3.  Enter your e-mail address within the Comment Notification e-mail section.

4.  If you discover you're obtaining several negative or spam-like comments, come tothese settings and switch on Comment Moderation. this permits you to review the comments 1st and judge whether or not you'd prefer to publish them.

5.  Click Save Settings.

Another setting that ought to be chosen (and could facilitate in making posts) is Updated Editor. While in

Settings, attend the fundamental tab, scroll to the lowest below international, and click on Updated Editor. Click Latest

Features to review intimately all the new and improved options. the rationale I mention setting this selection

now attributable to the new image handling functionality. many folks in forums have had problem inserting pictures where they might like. you'll currently do that simply and still have the flexibility to pull and drop. we are going to review the way to insert a picture after we produce a brand new post .

Design

This is where you'll have some fun in coming up with your blog. Using the Template Designer you'll choose completely different colours for sure components of your blog still as that fonts to use (from the choice

available), insert a background image, modify the layout of your blog (placement of your sidebars), and

adjust column widths.You may additionally drag and drop page components. you are doing this within the Page components choice and you'll add sidebar things for your blog (Add a Gadget) together with a visitor counter, slideshow, picture, links to other blogs, and websites you prefer. 

In the Edit HTML space is where abundant style and layout customization happens. it's additionally during this

section where you've got full management of your blog’s layout and design; where you'll convert a two-

column blog to a three-column format; and where you regulate spacing and margins, colours and borders,

and additional using CSS code. 

When making your blog earlier during this chapter, you selected a template for your blog (I selected image

Window for the right Landscape example). you'll amendment your template at any time through the Template Designer.  

Monetize

Blogger features a built-in feature to quickly add Google AdSense to your blog. In brief, Google AdSense adds content-related ads to your blog within the sidebar or below posts. this can be mentioned any in 

Reading Lists

When you visit alternative Blogger blogs, you'll opt to become a “follower” (a kind of subscribing to

another Blogger blog that we are going to discuss in Chapter 4). Those blogs seem during this section below  

Blogs

I’m Following. There aren't any additional steps required to accomplish this. This section is additional informational and designed for you to scan what’s new with the blogs you're following with Blogger, together with alternative noteworthy blogs.

Other Stuff

In this space of the Dashboard, you may notice links to Blogger facilitate, tools and resources like AdSense and Picasa net Albums (two tools you may learn additional regarding in later chapters).

Posts

Posting is what blogging is all regarding. Posts compose the bulk of your blog and are why readers can

subscribe to your blog or keep coming to examine what’s new. A post will incorporates an image or several

pictures, text, video, and more. Another necessary space you wish to incorporate within the majority of your posts is “Labels.” 

In Chapter four,you will learn additional regarding creating the foremost of your posts, except for currently consider labels as the way to clusteryour posts and at constant time giving your readers the way to look your blog. When guests come back toyour blog, you don’t wish them to scroll through all posts to search out a region of interest. this is often why youcategorize your posts using labels. 

In our example with the right Landscape, if a visitor needed to examineall posts that were tips about the way to higher landscape, they might click “Landscaping Tips” and solely those posts with that label would be filtered and displayed for the reader.

Now we Are Creating a Post

It is finally time to make your initial post:
1.  From the Dashboard, click New Post. If you're currently viewing your blog, in the upper right corner click New Post.

2.  From the New Post space (see Figure 2-6), enter a Title. Enter text that best describes the content of your post, and keep it transient. For this instance, enter “We’re Online!” 

 Figure 2-6

3. The big text box is where you'll be able to begin coming into text. as an example, type “Welcome to my blog” and write alittle additional regarding yourself or your company, and what you propose to bring readers—tips, advice, product for sale, a service, etc. In the Perfect Landscape, a short “We’re Online” was used (see Figure 2-6).

4. Within the Labels for This Post, enter the words “Announcements, Landscaping Tips” to categorize this post. Notice the utilization of 2 words or phrases separated by a comma. you'll be able to assign over one label to a post. 

5.  Click Publish Post if you would like to publish the post immediately. you will additionally click Post choices, and underneath Labels on the proper you may see Post Date and Time. That area is employed to schedule a post to be printed at a future date and time (for example, you'd try this if you're occurring vacation however wish to arrange posts ahead of time and schedule them to be delivered whereas you’re away).

6.  If you would like to save lots of the post as a draft and not publish it, click Save currently and click on to create a brand new post or alternative space of your blog, and it'll be saved as a draft. You may need to save lots of a post as a draft if you would like to analysis additional data or if the post isn't completed.

7.  Click read Post to look at your new post as your readers would see it (see Figure 2-7).
You should post usually, however even be realistic in determining how usually to post. Most people cannot post every day, however to stay your readers fascinated by your blog you must post on a daily basis with relevant content to your blog’s purpose, service, or theme. In our “The good Landscape” example, you would post regarding landscaping, tips about product to use to stay your lawn inexperienced and cut back the quantity of weeds, and promote services you provide or specials you're running. as an example, you'd not post about a Tylenol or Fisher value product recall that you just heard regarding on the news. that will not be
relevant to landscaping. 

 Figure 2-7

In the last , you created a post, printed it, and selected to look at it. When viewing your blog while logged in, you may notice the little wrenches around your blog (see Figure 2-7). These won't be seen after you are logged out. Typically, several applications use a pencil to symbolize editing. Blogger uses wrenches. whereas you're logged in and viewing your blog, you'll be able to click any wrench to quickly and easily edit that specific space of your blog. the foremost standard parts in your blog are known as gadgets. They can be within the variety of a links list, a picture, a slideshow, a counter, or a banner, to call a number of. 

Also notice the Post a Comment space. this is often where readers can post a touch upon your post, and this box isn't seen on the most blog when a reader initial involves your blog. you simply see this space when a reader selects a particular post by clicking the title of the post (if this is often how the Comments settings are
configured).

 
In viewing your post, notice there are default gadgets (or elements) already setup and showing in your sidebar (including regarding Me, Followers, and Archives). In the next chapter we’ll review several standard gadgets, the way to add them, move them around, and remove them. Now that you just have learned the way to produce, publish, and examine a post, within the next you may learn how to edit a post and the way to delete it.

Editing a Post

In this Article you may find out how to edit a post and insert an image:

1.  From the Dashboard, click Edit Posts (see Figure 2-8) and you may see a listing of all your posts (at this point, you've got solely created one). If you're still viewing your blog, click the rear button in your browser, then click on Dashboard from the highest right. 
2.  Notice that you just will kind and notice posts by their “status” or All, Drafts, Scheduled, Imported, or revealed. conjointly note what percentage posts are given the various Labels listed on the left aspect.

3.  On the post “We’re Online!” (or no matter title you had given your post), click Edit to the left to open the post once more.
4.  Click the Insert Image icon on the toolbar to insert an image. it's the third icon from the left.
5.  Click Browse to upload a picture from your laptop (see Figure 2-9). Locate the picture you'd prefer to upload. you may be came to the current screen with alittle picture preview. Click alright to insert the image. Note that you just may also upload an online image employing a internet address.

6.  Once inserted, place your mouse pointer over the image and alittle menu appears (see Figure 2-10) where you'll amendment the dimensions of your image, align it, or take away it.

7. Click Publish Post.
8. If you'd like, click read Post once more to envision how it currently appearance. i counsel doing this
so you recognize how your readers see your posts.

In addition to editing a post by inserting pictures (or alternative media), you will conjointly format text including changing the font, font size, color and alignment, inserting a hyperlink, and a lot of (see  Figure 2-10). Place your mouse pointer over any toolbar icon to envision the tool tip (name of the item like the “B” for Bold). several of those tools are the image of those employed in common word processors like Microsoft Word and are applied constant approach by choosing specific text. 

■ Note: standard keyboard shortcuts conjointly work in Blogger’s post editor, as well as CTRL + B for daring and CTRL + I for italic (where CTRL is that the management key on your keyboard).

Formatting a Post & Deleting a Post

Let’s review some basic formatting techniques:
•  If you would like to format a bit of text like “The good Landscape” within the previous example (see Figure 2-10), initial choose the words “The good Landscape” and click on daring, click the Font Color icon and select a inexperienced, and choose the middle justification tool.

•  If you would like to form a hyperlink, choose a word or phrase, click Link (blue hyperlink), and enter the URL to the net page during which you'd wish to link.
• to start a numbered or bulleted list, attend a blank line and click on the required formatting tool and start typing. once you hit the ENTER key on the keyboard, it'll automatically insert following variety or a further bullet.
•  Before posting, it's a decent plan to click the Check Spelling. it'll highlight the misspelled words in yellow where you'll then click those words for suggestions. When finished, click Done Spellchecking.
• once formatting, continue making the remainder of your post, and publish or save as draft (see Figure 2-11 for a final read of the post).

 

There could also be occasions once you have to be compelled to delete a post. you will try this if a promotion you were running is not any longer active or the post content is not any longer relevant. If you're unsure regarding deleting a post, set it back to draft standing (drafts don't seem on your blog).

When you are finished operating in your blog, bear in mind to sign out. You don’t wish your readers to see all the wrenches showing whereas you're engaged on your blog and whereas you're logged in.

1.  From the Dashboard, click Edit Posts (see Figure 2-8).
2.  To delete the “We’re Online!” post, look to the proper facet and click on Delete. Confirm
the deletion.
3.  If you required to delete multiple posts, you'll check them off using the check boxes to the left of every post you would like to delete.
4.  Click the Delete button at very cheap and once more ensure the deletion.

Creating a Page and Adding the Pages Gadget

Let’s begin with making an regarding Me page. this can be a page regarding yourself or your business, or a brief biography or business history (how and when the business was started, its mission and purpose, or benefits). An regarding Me page or informational page isn't updated frequently. it'd not modification daily

or even monthly, however perhaps once or twice a year.

In the next Article, you'll produce an regarding Me page and add the Pages gadget to your blog for simple
access and to function menu. you'll use Pages to make a textual navigational bar below your banner:
1.  Log in to Blogger.
2.  From your Dashboard, click Edit Posts.
3.  Click Edit Pages.
4. You'll click New Page, that brings up the Pages Editor (see Figure 8-1). 

It looks kind of like the Post Editor you have got been using to date to compose and publish posts.
5.  In my example, I used regarding Us because the Page Title, however you will use regarding Me or
About.
6.  Begin writing your content simply as you'd if you were making a brand new post. The toolbar is that the same. you'll still format your text, insert pictures, etc. something you can do with a post, you'll do here when making a page.
7.  When complete, click Publish Page and you'll be prompted with “How would you like the Pages Gadget to appear?” (See Figure 8-2).

a.  If you would like to feature a fast navigational bar (or menu) to your blog, choose
Blog Tabs (see Figure 8-2). 
b.  If you like to own the links to your pages seem in a very list on the sidebar,
choose Blog Sidebar. 
c.  At now, i'd not suggest the No Gadget choice. Your blog visitors won't have the way of accessing your Pages (without manually having to make a Links List or write HTML code using the HTML/JavaScript gadget).

8. During this example, opt for Blog Tabs.
9.  Click Save and Publish.
10. You'll receive a message that the page was revealed successfully.
11.  Click read Page to look at your new page (see Figure 8-3 to look at the new menu bar under the banner that has Home and regarding Us in my example for the proper Landscape). Figure 8-3 conjointly shows the regarding Us page I created. it's kind of like a post however is missing the Date Header. apart from that, it's a similar formatting, look, and feel of a post.

12. Click the rear button on your web browser and you’re back at Page parts (where you see a visible layout of all gadgets added to your blog within the header, sidebars, and footer areas). The newly added Pages gadget has been added beneath the header (banner) space.

We will revisit the Pages Gadget when we’ve created additional pages. We’ll then review the various choices
and how you'll rearrange page order on your menu bar or sidebar list.

Creating a Services Page
If you clicked read Blog and then used the rear button on your browser, click the Dashboard, Edit Posts, and Edit Pages. If you probably did not click read Blog and are viewing the “Your page was revealed successfully!” message, click Edit Posts and Edit Pages.
1. Once you click Edit Pages, your regarding Us page is listed. Click New Page.
2.  In Page Title (for this example), click Services.
3.  Enter a quick clarification of services you provide and start making your list of
services (see Figure 8-4). though our example is for landscaping services, you can customise it to fit your business or blog purpose.

4.  Click Publish Page to save lots of your work. 
5. you'll receive the message that your page has been created successfully. There is an Edit Page link. we are going to revisit this page shortly when the payment buttons are added.

I am separating the method of making the page and Google Checkout registration. You’ve simply completed
the Services page. within the next exercise, you'll produce a Google Checkout account, and then produce the
buttons required to permit guests to get hold of the services listed.

Using Google Checkout
Now that your Services page is formed, you'll add payment buttons below every service permitting your
customers to pay on-line using Google Checkout. 
Google Checkout may be a quick and secure form of on-line merchant account (an account processing
online payment transactions) permitting your customers and blog guests to create a payment on-line from
your blog with ease and confidence.

In the remaining exercises during this book (beginning with subsequent exercise), you'll switch frequently
between Blogger and Google Checkout (and later between Blogger and PayPal). you'll have a minimum of
two web browser windows open; one with Blogger and one with Google Checkout or PayPal. fitting Google Checkout
1. during this exercise you'll be fitting a Google Checkout account. To begin, open a new browser window.
2. move to checkout.google.com/sell/. 
3.  On the proper, log in using your Google account (enter your existing Blogger password). 
4.  Click register and Continue. You’ll see a screen (see Figure 8-5).

5. as a result of you have already got a Google Account, opt for the primary choice below “Would you like to own one account for all Google Services” stating “Yes, we’d wish to use our existing Google Account for Google Checkout.” 
6.  Re-enter your password and click on “Sign In and Continue.”
7. within the next screen (see Figure 8-6), there are fields for you to enter data about your business.

8.  Click Complete sign on.
9. you'll see “Sign up complete” and a sort of menu for what to try and do next (see
Figure 8-7).

 

Blog Design and Layout

Blog layout and style is one space several bloggers relish and appearance forward to. it's here you'll be able to show personality and make merry experimenting with completely different settings. you may be using the Template Designer to choose a special template for your blog, set the most color theme, opt for a layout and

background, still as customise specific page components, like the colour and font of post titles, page text, link color and additional.You will conjointly learn the way to feature gadgets sort of a calendar or search box, still as take away, or rearrangegadgets in your blog’s sidebar. within the header space of your blog’s layout, you may be putting in a custombanner to use additionally to the required Blogger template.  

Page Elements

When getting into the look portion of your blog from the Dashboard, you may see three tabs: Page Elements, Edit HTML, and Template Designer. Page components displays a visible layout of your blog and where all of your gadgets lie. A gadget is an item in your blog’s layout. once you initial created your blog in Chapter 2, there have been gadgets that Blogger automatically inserted into your blog’s layout (see Figure 3-1): concerning Me, Followers, Archives, and Page Header

Gadgets is deleted at any time.

In addition to the prevailing gadgets in your layout, there are alternative components or areas of your blog that

we'll review, like the Navbar, Header, Blog Posts, and gadgets .

Navbar

The Navbar may be a built-in feature of your blog used to quickly navigate to your style, compose a brand new Post, or to Sign Out, and displays your email (username). On the left facet on the Navbar when viewing

your blog, you may conjointly see a vicinity to report abuse, or the flexibility to travel to subsequent Blogger blog.In the Navbar page component, you'll be able to edit the Navbar color to best match the coloring of your blog.The only choice when editing the Navbar (without using custom HTML/CSS code) is selecting a color. I would suggest one in all the “transparent” settings (see Figure 3-2). 

Editing the Navbar

Choose a clear color for your blog’s Navbar:

1.  From the Dashboard, opt for style.

2.  Click Page components if not already selected.

3.  On the Navbar, click Edit.

4.  From the choices shown in Figure 3-2, opt for clear Dark or clear Light or the other accessible color that best compliments your blog. within the good Landscape’s blog, clear Dark was chosen.

5.  Click Save.

6. Opt for read Blog to look at your changes (notice your Navbar color changed).

 

Gadgets

In the approach posts structure the bulk of your blog, gadgets structure the bulk of your blog’s layout,

particularly the sidebar(s). we'll begin with basic gadgets accessible from Blogger when clicking Add a

Gadget (see Figure 3-3). within the next chapter and throughout the rest of this book, you learn the way to

add further third-party gadgets to push your blog, connect with common social networking sites, make money, or more customise the look or functionality of your blog. 

 Let’s review a listing of commonly used gadgets (see Table 3-1) and then add some common gadgets to

your blog, like a research Box,  you are doing not wish to muddle your sidebar(s) making your blog seem too busy, nor can each gadget fit your blog’s purpose or charm to any or all blogreaders. decide and opt for those who you would like and from that you may profit.