Handy Tool: CatchFree.com

As I am sure you have noticed, NighLon has a new look.

Even though I had been wanting to redesign, I accidentally changed my them (more on that and tips later). I wasn’t going to take on that challenge quite yet because I am participating in The SITS Girls 31 Days to Build a Better Blog.  I have learned many things, and this is just the start of the second week. This week, I am taking a “look under the hood” of NighLon. This will include: checking for broken links, creating a best of page, making NighLon mobile friendly, and some other nitty gritty stuff. (I promise that you guys will benefit!)

I have already made some great blogging buddies and have some project in mind to work with them on. These guys have inspired me to write this post. We have all had so much fun sharing our tips, tools, secrets, and favorite websites.

Today, I am sharing one of my favorite websites, that I only discovered this week. I am already addicted.

Catchfree.com is basically my new go-to site. Catch free highlights the best of the web. There’s a catch though: Its only free services. AMAZING! Their tagline describes it perfectly: Perform everyday tasks for free.

One of the features I really like about it is that Its not just site-owner opinion, users also rate services and give critiques.  You can even narrow searches down and see how closely the service matches your criteria. I have only begun to explore. This will definitely be my first stop when searching for useful web services.

Google: Watch out, I won’t be spending as much time sweet-talking you!

Some of the services featured on CatchFree are:

listen to children’s books

backup computer files

share files

build a website

build a landing page

creating surveys

I stress that this is just a very few services highlighted at Catchfree.com

To all my readers (and SITSTAS) I hope you find this as beneficial as I do.

Now You Know: Convert Your Blog into and Ebook

I’ve wanted a BLOOK now for a while, so here goes!

I decided to try my hand at turning NighLon into a BLOOK…

Here are my results

Booksmith

With Booksmith, you can choose to either include up to 100 posts or within a certain time frame (this would be great if you want to do it annually or semi-annually)

1. Go To http://blog2book.pothi.com/
2. Select how many posts you want to include -or- the time frame to include
3. Select the posts you want to include
4. Customize

• do you want to include images?
• do you want to include dates?
• customize cover
• add dedication
• add preface

5. Click create my Ebook

You now have a BLOOK

here is mine: http://blog2book.pothi.com/app#page/0/mode/2up

BlogBooker

1. Go to http://www.blogbooker.com/index.php
2. Click on your blog platform
3. Enter your url
4. If you need help with your xml file, just follow the directions (that’s what I did)
5. Select the options you want
6. Click create ebook
7. See your Blook

here’s mine: http://www.blogbooker.com/pdf/h0mpgkjd-book.pdf

I do like the final look of BlogBooker better

I think I will keep playing with it to find other tips and tricks.

This was just a quick run through, but I will keep you updated.

When you create your ebook, this allows your readers to download content

It also makes it available to read offline from a computer or an ereader.

I think this could create a solution for so many bloggers.

Especially those who tell a story with their blog.

The blog I want to see as an ebook:

http://a-paranormallife.blogspot.com/

Happy BLOOKing

Now You Know: Adding a Newsletter Signup to Your Website

In this post, my main goal is to show you solutions for adding newsletter signups to your website.

I chose to base it on websites because with a blog, Its more automated. Just add a Widget.

Websites get a little more complicated. But, all-in-all, its pretty simple.

I will share some websites that offer free newsletter services, as well as how to do it without the assistance of a service.

1. MailChimp

From my experience, MailChimp offers the best free service for creating and distributing a newsletter.

They also offer paid services.

source: mailchimp

With the free plan, you can:

• store up to 2000 subscribers
• send up to 12,000 emails per month
• keep track of VIP subscribers
• customize
• send mini newsletters
• add signup form to your Facebook page
• enable comments on your newsletter
• customize signup button
• so much more

Just to to MailChimp, sign up for your new free account, and get started.

They will walk you through the process

2. MadMIMI

MadMimi is simple, yet powerful. It is utilized by Squidoo and Northwestern University.

It is free for up to 100 contacts with limits to the features available.

It requires no prior skills and is customizable.

3. Simply Cast

Simply Cast offers a free for life plan for sending unlimited emails per month and storing up to 1000 contacts.

Features:

• drag and drop customization
• free HTML templates
• customize with fonts colors and company logos
• tracking tools
• content checker
• image hosting
• text only messages available
• opt-out management
• customer care

source: Simply Cast

Another Solution

If you want to manage your subscriptions yourself and send out forms, there is a way to do it.

1. Use ZOHO CREATOR to create a form that will send to your email.
2. Use FOXYFORM to create customizable forms with anti-spam capabilities.
3. Sign up at EMAIL ME FORM. Create a Form with enless possibilities.

TIPS

• Make sure to send newsletters out on schedule
• Include information that is exclusive to the newsletter
• Include offers for subscribers only
• Include a coming up section with what to expect from upcoming newsletters
• Make it interactive. Encourage readers to give feedback
• Make it visually appealing
• Have fun with it, your readers will appreciate this

I hope this information helps

If you have other tips or questions you would like to share;

or even a revue of the sites mentioned,

just leave a comment

EmailMeForm

What Is Your Preference?

I have been toying with the idea of using a different newsletter

Or possibly adding another option for my newsletter

Please let me know what  you think.

My Latest Obsession: PINTEREST

I want to share with you my latest antipsycotic: PINTEREST!

It seems to be an overnight phenomena.

Note to whoever marketed Pinterest: I would really love to pick your brain!!!

I often enjoy going “brain dead” and browsing what others have pinned.  I scroll through the pin boards (virtual idea boards) of those I follow,  and see some of the most amazing things.

As I was browsing earlier today, a lightbulb came on:

Why not use pinterest to market my blog?

Its visual… Pinterest is visual.

Seems like a match made in heaven.

Adding a “pin this” button to my posts was pretty straightforward.

1. Of course, you have to have a Pinterest account first. GO HERE

2. In the ABOUT tab, click PIN IT BUTTON

3. Scroll down until you see the “Follow button for websites” area

     Place the provided code on your website or blog where you wish

4. After where the follow button code is, you will find the

     GREATEST THING EVER… “Pin It Buttons for Websites”

5. Follow the directions and place the provided code on your post…

6. Let the pinning begin!

I’m sure that as Pinterest ages a little,  there will be more sharing tools with Pinterest buttons.

For now, however, this is the easiest way for WordPress(without using a plugin).

I then had another epiphany…

There has to be many more uses for Pinterest.

I was amazed at the things I thought of

Here are some uses for Pinterest:

1. Promote your blog

2. Gather ideas for event planning

3. Inspiration (gather pins that will encourage you or get you moving)

4. Home decorating ideas

5. Really cool products

6. collecting recipes

7. Organizing ideas

8. Styleboards

9. Plan a wedding

10. Gather craft ideas

11. Gift giving ideas

12. A visual to-do list

13. Gather ideas, no matter the project

Hop on over and glance at my pinboards, maybe something there will inspire you!

My absolute favorite thing about Pinterest,

besides that it makes life as a procrastinator so much easier:

Its so new that all of its potential has not yet been released!

Pin It

Tutorial: Snag My Button

While redesigning Beautiful Imperfection, I decided to put a snag box below my button.

I had no idea how difficult It would be to find the information to do this.

In fact, I had to go several places and combine the information.

I then got on a roll, and created one for this blog as well.

Because I had such a difficult time with this, I am sharing my own tutorial with you!

Hopefully my frustration, and almost giving up will be beneficial to other bloggers in the blogosphere!

What you will need:

1. A button. You can create one yourself, or find one ready to use on sites that share blog backgrounds and headers.

2. URL to your blog

3. Image hosting platform (such as photobucket). You will need access to the direct link for the image.

Directions

 Upload your button/ badge to your image hosting platform

 Install the code

           WordPress

              1.   In your dashboard, under Appearance, click on Widget

              2.   Select the [TEXT- arbitrary text or html]  widget, and place 

              3.   Insert the following code:

[a href="your blog url"][img src="your image url" width="125" height="125" alt="My Button" style="border:none;" /][/a] [div style="border:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background:#ffffff none repeat scroll 0 0; width:130px;overflow:auto;height:120px;line-height:1.5em;margin:auto;padding:5px 10px;"]<a href=”your blog url/” title=”blog title”> <img src=”your image url” width=”125″ height=”125″ alt=”My Button” style=”border:none;” /></a> [/div]

              4.  Find and replace the following:

                           [] with <>   (note: i had to change these, otherwise it would have shown up with the button and scroll box)

                           your blog url   with your actual blog url

                           your image url with your actual image url

                            Blog Title with your actual blog title

             5.  Save

         Blogger

1. Under your design tab, in page elements, click add a gadget

2. Scroll down and select ADD HTML

3. Insert the following code:

[img src="your image url" alt="" /]

[br /][textarea cols="20" rows="3"][a href="your blog url"][img src="your image url" alt="   "

width="125" height="125" /][/a][/textarea]

 4. Find and replace the following:

                                 [] with <>

                                 your image url with  your actual image url (from photobucket, etc)

                                 your blog url with your actual blog url

             5. Save

View your new button and enjoy… LET THE LINK LOVE BEGIN

I would truly appreciate it if you would let me know if this tutorial worked, as it is my first real tutorial. If it didn’t work for someone, I will gladly tweak it!

Also, Share my button on your blog if you like.

Facebook Love: Wix

 Behold the email I received today!

I enjoy playing around with Wix to create webpages.

However, I have discovered that for my own personal style, WIX is best for splash pages ; versus full blown websites.

I wanted to make an amazing landing page for my Facebook fan page, but honestly thought that I would have to do some serious coding to accomplish this. Then, like magic, this email appeared in my inbox!

PERFECT TIMING!!!

Just go to WIX

Sign up for a free account

Choose a Facebook template

Edit to your liking

Save (choose name)

Publish

Then, WIX will walk you through setting your site as your landing page in Facebook

It’s really pretty simple!

This is what I came up with

I still want to play around with it and tweak a bit, but this is a start.

There are so many things you can incluede:

Slideshows

Collages

Contact

Extra Pages

Store Items

Play around with it, and let me know what  you come up with.

Get Featured

Interested in being featured on Nighlon’s Featured Friday?

Just go here and answer some questions!

If you are featured, you will get a custom tag and a blog link button for your participation!

I will always let you approve the post before I publish!

Thanks for your support.

Registering with Technorati

This is a must for all blog owners, Technorati is the biggest source of tags and key word submissions. Just go to Technorati, create an account, and claim your blog. You will then be given a claim code like this one: XJBFV8XYQM4A . Create a new post and place the code in the post. This will allow you to claim your blog, just like I did!

Catch Up: A Little Behind this week

This is turning out to be a crazy week.

My little prince is turning 1 and his party is SATURDAY!

[and my mother is coming in from Panama City]

I’m working on the hubby’s new gaming site

[which is going quite slow]

There’s a lot more chaos too, that I’m not going to bore you with.

I also have a fabulous FEATURED FRIDAY  lined up.

So…… I’m doing 3 posts in one tonight!

You guys get some News, A Fabulous Tip, and an amazing website all thrown in.

HERE GOES!

Facebook changed ONCE AGAIN

I hate the new layout, but some seem to like it.

All day it has just irritated me, I’ve barely been on today

But, I have good news!

I found a GUIDE to the new facebook

CHECK IT OUT

This tip is great for marketing!

Schedule facebook to update your status with SENDIBLE

This is great for specials, sales, new releases, special promotions, or to let your customers know you have something in stock.

LISTGEEKS

This site is amazing for anyone who writes lists.

I, personally, am a huge list maker.

In fact, sitting in front of me is my to-do list.

I would be lost is lists were outlawed…..

At LISTGEEKS, you can even compare your lists.

Does it make me obsessive to have a lists of lists to make?

For bearing with me while I got caught up, here is a special tag for you guys

grab it here

let me know if there are any tags, tips, or websites you would like to see on my site

please, be sure to read my terms of use