Tips Tuesday and Measuring Your Site Performance
Hello Happy Site Owners! This week’s Tech Tips section features plugins and plugins. Oh, and did I mention plugins? Blog Tips features a follow up to a tip I mentioned last week about StumbleUpon. Plus, the Social Media section features two of my fave Facebook folks. Enjoy!
Featured
Sarah Gooding writes some of my fave posts on WPMU.org. Recently she posted Googlyzer For WordPress Puts the Power of Google Analytics In Your Admin Dashboard. It’s a plugin and I tried it.
It has some nice charts (see her post for a screenshot), but it doesn’t actually put them in the main WP admin Dashboard. I’ve been using the Google Analyticator plugin because it does have a little module for the Dashboard, and it tells me much the same info as Googlyzer. However, Googlyzer updates more often, instead of reporting data that’s delayed 24 hours.
Do you use a plugin to get a quick view of your site metrics and see what’s hot? What do you use?
And, if want even more on metrics, here’s everything you could possibly want to know about Google Analytics. It’s the updated Google Analytics Resources Guide for 2011 from the nice folks at Kissmetrics.
Tech Tips
If you read my post on using the More tag and agree that it’s a good idea but want an automated way to achieve it, check out this recently updated plugin called the Auto Read More Generator.
Do you offer download files on your site? Then you’ll want to check out this excellent how-to on a plugin to manage your WordPress downloads.
Do you need to make a mobile version of your blog? The WP Touch plugin does it for you and it has just been updated. If you’re already using this plugin, tell us what you like most about it and about having a mobile version of your blog.
Katherine Meyer has a very nice post on the V3 Integrated Marketing blog about tools to check your page load time. As we all know, load time affects your SEO ranking. And, if you want to see something else really cool on their site, highlight the author’s name (just under the title). A little Learn More bubble pops up. Click it to see web results for her.
Blog Tips
In a previous Tips Tuesday post I included a couple of posts about using StumbleUpon to get traffic to your site. Here is the flipside of that coin. It’s a post by Francisco Rosales on Social Mouths titled Should You Focus On StumbleUpon Now That It Passed Facebook As A Traffic Generator?
The Big Thing Missing on Your Facebook Page
I’m absolutely amazed with how many folks are missing something critically important on the Info tab of their Facebook business (fan) page, especially among coaches and solopreneurs. You’ll be slapping your forehead if it’s missing on yours.
Beyond Brand
Okay, no more suspense. The number one thing missing on your Info tab is your name. I see page after Info page that has beautifully written copy about how “I” can help you without ever saying who “I” is.
Don’t Make Me Work for It
Most of the time, I have to jump all the way back to the About page of the owner’s website to find the name of the person in the picture. Most folks aren’t going to do that much work.
If you’re providing a personal service, folks want to see you and know your name.
They can’t talk to a logo, you know.
Did You Miss These?
Folks have their picture, their contact info, and a link to their site, but never once introduce themselves. But, while you’re checking your page, ensure you’re not missing any of the above must-haves either. And, even if you’re using a contact form on a tab, make sure folks have a way to connect with you from your Info tab too.
Sign Your Comments
I regularly converse with B2B folks via my Facebook business page. And when I leave a comment on one of their posts, I always sign my name. Why? Because I want them to know “who” is engaging with them.
‘Fess Up
Okay, time to come clean. I’m betting you checked your Facebook page the minute you read what was missing. Did you turn into Homer Simpson and say Doh? What other improvements did you make? Would love to hear your suggestions.
MaAnna is a geek who can still speak in plain English and mashes up her background in both the techie and artsy worlds to teach non-geeks, authors, artists, and other creative folks the ways of WordPress.
Tips Tuesday and Get Your Facebook Fan Page Squared Away
Hello Happy Site Owners! Hope you had a wonderful end of summer weekend holiday. Things have been cranking up at BlogAid with the new WordPress Video Tutorials. Guess everyone is in the mood for back-to-school and learning how to make their site better. It’s inexpensive and you learn on your schedule.
I cull the best tips from all over the ‘net for Tips Tuesday. And, if you’re an author, or if you want to self-publish an ebook for your business, you’ll be delighted with all the tips just for you this week. If you know an author or pro writer, be sure to share this post with them.
Featured
Facebook announces October 1st deadline for having all of your fan page embedded content stored on a site that has an SSL Certificate. Here’s my post about Facebook iFrames and SSL Certificates Explained without all of the geek-speak.
Tech Tips
If you use the popular TimThumb plugin to manipulate your site images, you probably know about the hacker attack last month. Here’s a nice follow-up from Phillip John on WPMU.org on How to Protect Your WordPress Site as Hackers Exploit TimThumb Security Hole.
Part of your site’s Google ranking has to do with your page load time. Faster loading means better SEO. But, the really important stat is that most viewers expect a page to load in three seconds or less. If it takes longer than that, they bounce without ever seeing your site. Here’s a handy online page load time checker from Pingdom.com Scroll below the chart and look on the right for the How it Works section to see an explanation of the bar colors. Keep in mind that everything you’re seeing in the chart is for the one page you are checking. You may be amazed at all of the objects that have to be loaded just to display a single page.
This is good news. Plugins that have not been updated in two years will be hidden in the WordPress Plugin Directory. Now we won’t have to filter through dead plugins to find the currently supported ones.
Got Gmail? Now you can use Google Docs with Gmail as a Mail Merge program with HTML templates for sending personalized mass mailings on the go.
Shelley Hitz has gone and done it! What a great list of tools she’s made. In fact, she’s made two – one for PC tools and one for Mac tools. She made them to help authors who want to self-publish, but if you run an online business, you’ll find all of them helpful too.
Blog Tips
Facebook iFrames and SSL Certificates Explained
On October 1, 2011, Facebook fan (business) page owners will be required to have an SSL Certificate to fully secure their custom embedded content. This is usually the Welcome page. Here’s an overview explaining all the geek-speak with tips to help you square this issue away quickly and cheaply.
What is an SSL Certificate?
SSL is an acronym for Secure Socket Layers. The Certificate part of it means that the security of it has been verified by a trusted source. Any site that takes credit card payments and such has an SSL Certificate.
Why is Facebook Doing This?
There was a perfect storm earlier this year when Facebook put a deadline on anyone creating tabs on fan pages using their proprietary coding language called FBML. Shortly afterward a hacker found a way to hijack a Facebook user’s login info when they logged in on wi-fi. (Read Are Facebook Business Pages Too Complex for New Users?)
That caused everyone to switch to secure logins using https instead of http. At the same time, Facebook wanted folks to start using iFrames for tabs instead of FBML. Unfortunately, they didn’t work when folks used their secure login. So, everyone with an iFrames tab had to host the content on a secure server. (Read Where You Host Facebook iFrame Content Matters)
Now Facebook is requiring everything coming in and out of their space to be secure. That means the following will have to be on a secure site:
- Embedded content hosted on another site including anything using a tab
- Anything that requires folks to login using their Facebook profile
The real reason that Facebook is making you jump through all of these hoops is that it’s the only way to secure your Facebook page and account from getting hijacked. And it’s the only way to keep your Facebook account safe when you visit other pages, especially those running apps.
Two Types of SSL Certificates
The first type is a Shared Certificate (also called variable). It is available to folks who have a shared hosting account, also called shared IP. (This is the type of hosting most site owners have. Unless you specified a Dedicated Server account and paid an extra premium for it, you’re probably on shared hosting. Same is true if you got your hosting through a reseller such as your site designer.)
The second type is a Private SSL Certificate (also called static). This is one that you purchase for your primary domain on a Dedicated Hosting package. They will not work on a shared IP.
Where Do I Get an SSL Certificate?
Tips Tuesday with G+, Sidebars, MailChimp and More
Of course, the big news all over the Internet is the buzz on Google+ (pardon the pun to the forerunner). My last Tips Tuesday post got preempted for a how-to, why-to post on G+. But, I’ve made up for it this week with a little Fockers post of tips, you know, double dose.
And, I’ve found a cornucopia of more helpful G+ tips in the past week. You’ll find them at the end of the Social Media Tips section below.
Tech Tips
Looking for an e-commerce plugin for WordPress? This nice list on Mashable should help get you started.
This is a great post from One Extra Pixel that tells you nearly everything you need to know about website sidebars including content, design and examples. Couldn’t have written it any better myself.
I have to admit, this post from Tanya Smith sent a chill down my spine. She tells how she, and other folks, suddenly found one of their accounts shut down, and then how they recovered. She temporarily lost her MailChimp account and what she did to get it back is a lesson for all of us in how to do it.
If you’re a local business, I hope you’re using Google Places and/or Google Maps. And, if you are, I hope the temporary disappearance of them didn’t scare you too much. Here’s what happened and how it got fixed.
Is it time to get rid of trackbacks and pingbacks? That’s what Kevin Muldoon asked on WPMods. And, I’m sorry to say that he might be right.
Blog Tips
What do your call-to-action items look like on your site? Aaron Bradley has a very nice post on Search Engine Land about the Anatomy of a Compelling Call to Action Button.
Quality content is why folks come to, and remain loyal to your blog. Kipp Bodnar has 9 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Content on the Hubspot blog. Continue reading
The How-to and Why-to on Google+
I just received a working invitation for Google+ and wanted to make a good tutorial for folks just starting out. So, this post is long, but it gives you the how-to and why-to of getting your Google+ account started on the right foot.
People First, Business Later
Like Facebook, Google+ wants to establish itself as a personal social media site. So, the rules are that business accounts are not allowed – yet. They’re coming; however, several business entities have already created accounts. Since this is still in Beta, not sure that Google is policing their policy yet. I bet they’re far too interested in all the buzz these folks are helping to generate, but don’t count on that lasting. I want both a personal and business account, so I’m following the rules and starting with my personal first. And, with the Circles feature, one profile may be all you need.
Google Account
To use Google+ you need a Google Account. If you’re a site owner, you need one of these anyway to use Google Analytics, RSS feeds and more.
Read
- Why You Need a Google Account
- Free Google Account Must-Haves for Site Owners
- Life Imitates Art and Google Imitates Facebook with New Profile
When you have your Google Account, be sure to update your profile there too, because if anyone clicks your name in the Google+ stream, that is the profile they will see.
Invitation Only
Right now, Google+ is still in Beta test and you’ll need an invitation to get on it. So, this tutorial is written from that perspective. I’ll do an update when that changes.
Lots of folks who are signed on are referring to it as a G+ Account.
Profile on Google+
Once you log in to your invitation, the first thing you’re presented with is your profile. Upload your avatar picture. If you’re a business owner, be sure to list it as your employer. You’ll also have the option of adding the year you started, or simply choosing the Current checkbox. And, you can make all this info Visible in Search or not.
In the About section of your profile, you can include links, QR codes, and more photos. Continue reading
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