Blogs are great, I love them. WordPress is a great tool for a business, no question about it in my mind. I have previously written about how to set your blog up to improve its performance. So what more do I need to give?

You Need Energy

We all need energy

Energy, in a word, energy. The difference between a blog and a static site is that the blog will generally develop and grow, but this won’t happen without some form of input. (my Mac grammar checker told me off for using that term the other day, told me it was jargon).

1. Blog. The first thing to is to actually write some posts, ideally fairly regularly. It’s not rocket science, why would someone visit your site if there is nothing new to read?
2. Keep a Focus. Yes this is a bit ‘do as I say, not as I do’. I have previously commented on the eclectic nature of this blog, but… Keep a focus, yes of course embellish, express your human qualities, but make it clear what the boundaries are.

Hold on there, you haven’t done yet, back to the keyboard.

1. Tag your posts. When you write a post use the “post tag tool” to create some relevant tags. This will help search engines make sense of your post, put it in the correct box if you like. Ultimately it will help people to get to the post.
2. Categorise your posts. Similar to above. A strong category structure is essential for the search facility to work properly. If you have a fairly wide working remit a good set of categories will help viewers mine down to what they are looking for quickly.
3. Social bookmarking. Submit your post. Make sure Twitter, Stumbleupon, and the rest know about the post. Tweet your own posts, this blog has a Share This button, and a Tweetmeme button that allow me to self promote pretty easily. Beware though, no one enjoys total self promotion and adulation, but, if your post helps others, or helps promote your customers then why not?
4. Give something for free. It may be advice, it may be something that will helps others without costing you too much time. What goes around comes around.
5. Blogroll. Well we used to call them links. Again this site has a few and one of the (many) strengths of WordPress is that you can categorise them. A good set of links is a resource to others and a gift to your associates.

So what will my competitors make of this, won’t I be giving my secrets away?

The bottom line is to get real. Your competitors may already know all about you, who your suppliers are who your customers are. I would suggest that if they do you must be doing something right already for them to know about you.

The alternative scenario, the competition hasn’t even heard of you. Now there’s a thought.

RSS? Sounds like a really fast old Ford Escort? Generally people expand the term to “Really Simple Syndication” although Rich Site Summary also explains RSS quite well.

RSS allows you to collect news and postings from newspapers, blogs, libraries, etc. and read them in one place. Popular RSS feed readers include Google Reader and Bloglines.

Putting it simply it’s good way of saving you time, a bit like having all of the interesting articles from various papers and magazines put together in a single folder for you.

How Does RSS Work?

Firstly you need to set up some form of RSS reader. As an example Google Reader is a good option to those who already have a Google account. Simply go to your account and click on the link to it and set one up. That’s about all there is to it. Of course once you set a reader up you will need to subscribe to some feeds. All sounds a bit techy? Think of it like ordering a newspaper from the newsagent and then getting it for free.

The good bit is that when the websites that you are interested in are updated you will be told about it when it happens.

How To Find RSS Feeds

It may be that the websites already have an RSS feed set up with a link. Look at the top of this site and you will see a button that sends you to this link. What you generally see is a cut-down version of the original website, quick, lean and easy to browse through with links back to the original source.

Your RSS reader will include a search facility in it which will allow you to search for whatever floats your boat.

I am interested in Moto Guzzi motorbikes so that is what I type in. I’m also interested in CSS, web-design, WordPress so again I have searched some interesting sites and collect the feeds to browse through over a coffee or two.

Should I Include an RSS link on My Site?

Absolutely! Make it as easy as possible for your readers to keep up to date with your site.

My final top tips are,

1. Once you have set up your reader subscribe to your own site. Firstly it will let you see what your viewers see. Secondly it will aid your SEO.
2. Put your reader on your Start Page. You do have a start page don’t you? Come on please keep up.

an unscientific point of view on the beginning and evolution of life … and how it could probably end.

direction and animation by BLU

production and distribution by ARTSH.it

sountrack by ANDREA MARTIGNONI

Just reminded myself of one of the old ones, the Rollieflex. There was a simplicity to these cameras that still appeals to this day, and also a certain beauty (to my eyes anyway).

Currently I am experiencing a strong desire to do some photography, just for the sake of it and to be honest ideally it would be using a camera something like this, or a Leica maybe. Simple mechanical, silent and strong. Quality whichever way you look at it.

From time to time one hears of elders passing down ‘the lore’ to the younger ones to care for and treasure. History will continue lessons will hopefully be learnt.

A Worthy Bicycle

The other day a dowager lady in a Topsham second hand shop described a suitcase as ‘worthy’ to me, ‘that looks like a worthy suitcase’ she said. The humble Dawes Galaxy is a legend in British cycling history, but, it is remarkably difficult to find anything out about them. Perhaps it is because they weren’t glamourous bikes (I am talking about the older ones here). I suspect the lady might describe an old Galaxy as a worthy bicycle. She would be correct to do so.
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Michael Bierut

Michael Bierut studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, graduating summa cum laude in 1980. Prior to joining Pentagram in 1990 as a partner in the firm’s New York office, he worked for ten years at Vignelli Associates, ultimately as vice president of graphic design.

Gratuitous Rory O'Brien Pic

OK, so this blog has been going properly for about 6 months now and it is interesting (at least to me anyway) to see what people have been searching for. As I write I have just noted “fully clothed swim” was a search string that worked for someone yesterday, not to be confused with “failed fully clothed swim” or drowning. ‘Don’t know what that was about.

In some ways I can be accused of taking the eclectic and making it niche with this blog. An ex colleague Mal Dickson once described it as,

“the eclectic ramblings of Andrew Butler”

Anyway I like to think that here is a continuous thread somewhere in here binding together a rich tapestry. From readers there is clearly a strong interest in Citroen’s (dS3), SAAB 900s, and clearly a number of people willing to help locate “Missy the Cat”.

A lot of people looking for Teo Jakob in Bern, who am I to argue? If you get a chance go, please say hello to Marion for me.
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Many of my website customers forget how to create their posts for WordPress blogs that DesignCredo have created for them.

So, lets see how to,

1. Upload an image to WordPress
2. Create an HTML heading
3. Use a plugin to add a page title and snippet
4. Attach the post to a category and add a tag

This is a simple walk-through, easy enough to follow. It shows how to add some text, upload and insert an image.

In addition it offers a brief introduction to HTML, but nothing to worry about.

If the video seems blurry select a higher quality via the tab on the RH side of the control bar.

For the record this was the first attempt using a MacBook Pro with Quicktime to record. It was run through iPhoto before uploading to YouTube, ain’t macs great?

Breaking all of the rules it was unscripted and a single take. View it as a tester. You can also view the video here

Casio CK200, I bet you want one, don’t you?

These are here pretty much as a reminder to myself and to others who know me. Gambalunga (Long Legs – geddit?). The one below is a to-do reminder and the logo is probably the simplest of all Guzzi logos.

Anyway, a tad busy just now, not as much blogging as I would like, but still here…
…and also easily distracted by Guzzis.