Resources for Bloggers
*This posts contains affiliate links that would give me a small commission if you sign up through them, but it won’t cost you any extra for that.*
I always love to check out resources for bloggers, each blogger has their own point of view and they always share something new. I learned so much from them that I thought it would be a good idea to share my own resources and a list of products and services that has helped me based on my own experiences and also some that people tend to use and say they are good and worth it!
DOMAIN NAME SET UP
I got my titicrafty domain through Google but the provider is ENOMS. I’m really happy with them, no problems so far. But the other two domains I have, I got them with iPage
I also know that many, many people buy their domains through:
HOSTING SERVICE
BigScoots may not be the most established brand in the hosting industry, I recently heard from them for the fist time but it has become one of the most reputable companies because of its commitment to superior support and enterprise-grade infrastructure. I recently moved my site to their servers and I just can say WOW. They are amazing so far.
Their servers are optimized for WordPress. Unlike many providers of managed WP hosting, BigScoots doesn’t arbitrarily limit the number of monthly visits, their entry plan thus capable of handling over 250K visits. All the plans include website staging, 10 GB of email, off-server backups, free SSL certificates and free migration which is A LOT less headache. They did it all for me and I’m seriously telling you they didn’t say NO to anything I asked. Every error I got they fixed it. I’m really glad I switched.
Everything sounds great, right, of course, like anything, not everything can be roses. BigScoots’s Optimized WordPress isn’t cheap at first glance. It took me a little while to digest it. But if you consider the full range of features you get, however, pricing is very reasonable. The service doesn’t have a control panel as such, but it does have all the necessary tools such as PHPMyAdmin and FTP. The entry plan limits bandwidth to 1 TB which is more than enough to start, but all higher plans include unlimited data transfer.
A lot of people have told me this host is very good. I’m not using it but I know many of my fellow bloggers do and they say great things about it. They have also good prices to start, not as cheap but the regular price is not so high so it’s kind of even. It’s a good deal. I can’t tell about customer service for myself only what I’ve heard.
To be honest, sometimes Host service is about a bit of luck. I’ve read all kind of reviews from almost all of the hosting services. Some people say iPage has terrible customer service but maybe that day the guy who talked to him was in a bad mood or something or was the guy who didn’t know about that specific issue, who knows. The thing is that sometimes we need to take risks and be prepared for anything that can happen hoping for the best of course. So far it’s been great for me.
WORDPRESS THEMES AND BLOGGER TEMPLATES
TCN Design Studio. Websites and Blog Designs made with love.
We proudly offer our services for a 100% customized blog/website. We don’t have pre-made templates or themes. I design based on each person’s style, needs, and desires. I try to connect with my clients and understand how they are, how they feel and how they see themselves as bloggers or websites owners. We work on both platforms: Blogger and WordPress. We DO NOT work with Genesis Framework because we offer a complete and customizable theme template, which will have your name on it.
We like to be able to help people understand better the web business, to project the right image and to become a branded business owner. At TCN Design Studio we are 2 bloggers working for you. Me Cami, Crazy Designer, Visual Communicator, and with extensive knowledge of CSS and HTML. And my Mom Ruth from Programando la Vida who is the expert programmer and web developer and the one behind all the installation and setups of each blog and website. She’s who makes my designs possible!
PHOTO EDITING
PicMonkey. I’m taking this from the point of view of the 90% of my fellow bloggers who use it. It is easy to use and reasonably priced. It’s a great graphic design tool that is really easy to catch on to, and they keep adding more and more options and making it better and better. Not only can you create graphics and labels in PicMonkey’s “design” feature, you can also edit photos and create collages as well.
I personally use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom for editing and Adobe Illustrator for designs and logos.
WORDPRESS PLUGINS
Akismet: It’s a great tool. Protects your blog from spam comments and trackback spam.
Jetpack: Adds numerous advanced options to WordPress that are usually only available to WordPress.com users. {Use caution: though I have never had a problem with Jetpack, I have heard that others have had issues with it during upgrades.}
W3 Total Cache: Easy Web Performance Optimization (WPO) using caching: browser, page, object, database, minify and content delivery network support. Speed-enhancing website cacheing plugin. It has a million settings, many of which are confusing, so make sure you seek help as you setup this plugin OR if you are scared to do it or don’t have who can you can use these 2 together {never use these when W3 Super Cache is installed}: DB Cache Reloaded Fix and Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions
WordPress SEO: Helpful plugin that allows you to edit post metadata and other SEO options. I love it, It’s easy to use and highly recommended. It’s a lot better than All In One SEO Pack.
Catablog: allows you to catalog pretty much anything you would want and share it through your blog in a simple but elegant gallery. Upload images, give them titles, links, descriptions and then save them into your catalog. Use categories to organize and filter your catalog items into multiple different catalogs.
CommentLuv: Allows your commenters to display a link back to one of their blog posts when they leave a comment on your blog. I’ve been trying to set it up but for some reason, I haven’t been able, but trust me I will!
Reply Me: Sends an email to your commenters when you reply to their comment so that they don’t have to remember to come back to your site to see your answer.
Related Posts by Jetpack: Puts related posts at the bottom of each post I write based on the Category of the post to grab readers’ interest and get them clicking around my site, increasing pageviews.
jQuery Pin It Button for Images: Puts a “Pin it” button on my pictures when readers hover over them for super easy pinning!
Google Analytics Dashboard for WP: Displays Google Analytics Reports and Real-Time Statistics in your Dashboard. Automatically inserts the tracking code in every page of your website.
Shareaholic: I love this plugin! Whether you want to get people sharing, grow your fans, make money, or know who’s reading your content, Shareaholic will help you get it done.
Tweetily: This plugin will periodically tweet a random post or page automatically from your blog to promote your content and drive traffic to your Web site! You set the time, number of tweets, and just let Tweetily do the rest!
Ultimate Nofollow: A suite of tools that gives you complete control over the rel=nofollow tag on an individual link basis.
Add Signature: I love this plugin because it adds a custom signature to the very end of the post automagically you can also add some Ads code to it and it will appear at the end of the post. is very versatile and helpful!
AdSense Now!: Easiest way to show AdSense and make money from your blog, you can place ads ate the beginning, middle and at the end of your posts. You just place de codes where it shows and the plugin does the rest.
BACKUP AND ONLINE STORAGE
Dropbox: It’s an amazingly simple service to send and share large files. It works on Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, and the web. We both have free accounts and that’s enough for us right now.
Google Drive: I use Google Drive mostly for sharing documents and spreadsheets more than standard file storage but it has been very useful.
MONETIZE YOUR BLOG
Google Adsense: The biggest supplier of Pay Per Click advertising and the one you will see most often. It’s easy to set up, and once established you don’t have to do anything to update the adverts unless you want to change the placement on your site.
Amazon: An affiliate program with the biggest household name. You can include sidebar banners, in post widgets that showcase particular products or text links to pages or products
Well Hope that all these tips can help you in some way!
“DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME OF THE LINKS ABOVE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS, IT WON’T COST YOU ANY EXTRA BUT I WILL EARN A COMMISSION IF YOU PURCHASE THROUGH THOSE LINKS. I PERSONALLY USE MOST OF THE PRODUCTS LISTED ABOVE ON TITICRAFTY AND RECOMMEND THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE HELPFUL AND ARE COMPANIES THAT I TRUST, NOT BECAUSE OF THE COMMISSIONS THAT I MAY EARN FROM YOU USING THESE PRODUCTS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO THE LINKS ABOVE.”