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Hostgator Black Friday Firesale 50% – 80% Off Everything!

Hostgator is having a once in a lifetime sale on Black Friday giving all first time customers 50 – 80% off all hosting plans!

This includes Shared Hosting, Reseller Hosting, VPS Hosting AND even Dedicated Servers! Never before have they allowed discounts on EVERYTHING including reseller, vps and dedicated servers.

This applies to ALL Accounts and ALL Term Lengths. So you have the opportunity to receive up to 80% off of up to 3 years worth of Hosting! That would come out to $35.64 for 3 FULL YEARS!

Why Should You Care?

Well, if there has ever been a a perfect time to start an internet business or a a hobby website, it’s now. How many times have you put off starting a website because you just didn’t have the money? There are tons of ways to start a business with no money, and here is another option to add to the list.

Okay, Well What are The Deals?

• Shared Hosting – $4.95/month AS LOW AS $0.99/month
• Reseller Hosting – $24.95/month AS LOW AS $4.99/month
• VPS Hosting – $19.95/month AS LOW AS $3.99 First Month
• Dedicated Servers – $174/month AS LOW AS $34.80 First Month

I Hate Black Friday

No really I do. I firmly believe there is nothing at the store that I need so bad, which would require me to get up at 4 am to stand in line and fight an angry mob. I don’t have the energy or the patience. I remember one time standing in line for tickets to the Price Is Right (don’t judge me lol) , before Bob Barker left and stood in line for about 10 hours and I vowed I would never do it again. And I haven’t.

So Why Am I Promoting  Black Friday Sale?

It’s simple. It’s a “helluva” good deal. I currently have a reseller account with Hostgator and I WISH I had a discount at the time of signing up. Now you already know why I Love Hostgator and today you have a great and cheap chance to  find this out for yourself.

How Long Does This Sale Last?

Remember this offer is only running for 1 DAY on Black Friday. November 26^th CST (-6 GMT) and will run until 11:59PM CST (-6 GMT) 11/26/2010. Sign up with Hostgator today and get started today! You do NOT want to miss out on this offer.

Rant: The Death of “Web 2.0 Design”

Has the term “web 2.0 design died yet? If not, I can’t wait till that day finally comes. As a full-time web designer, I can’t tell you how the overuse of this word completely makes my skin crawl.

Why? because the people who use it have no idea what they are talking about. At all. Every time I start a new project  I constantly hear the question “Can you design me a web 2.0 looking website?”. Typically my response is, what does that look like? Because I honestly have no idea. They always explain it as bright colors with big, shiny, rounded edge buttons.

Well then, what is web 2.0?

Wikipedia explains the web 2.0 design phenomenon as:

The term Web 2.0 is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site gives its users the free choice to interact or collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumer) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumer) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social-networking sites, blogs, wikis, video-sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies.

The term is closely associated with Tim O’Reilly because of the O’Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.[2][3] Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to cumulative changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web.

So where in that definition does it say anything about bright colors and big, shiny, rounded edge buttons? I’ll wait.

Yeah, it doesn’t. Web 2.0 is a simple technical term that has been morphed into something that is ridiculous and just plain old stupid.

On my journey to figure out what this term actually meant I found a few websites which referred to a web 2.0 design layout  as:

• large text
• simplicity
• strong navigation
• powerful logo
• gradient, shadows and glossy graphics
• bright cherry color palettes
• big juicy icons

But what this sounds like to me is standard web design. There’s nothing web 2.0 about it.

Do you have any web 2.0 design examples?

Well I’m not sure, I don’t know what a web 2.0 design layout actually looks like, but I know how a nicely designed website looks. Web designers, who have been designing since the internet boom don’t conform to these types of labels. Either you’re a good designer or you aren’t.

But I have tried to compile a few ideas of what people think web 2.0 designs look like.

Ok Arsha, these designs don’t look bad to me?

You’re absolutely correct. I don’t have a problem with any of these designs, it’s the term web 2.0 design, I can’t stand. The majority of the people who use it,  have no idea what they’re talking about. I just wish the term would die a slow painful death.

That’s all.  Rant over.

*Disclaimer: Don’t take this post too seriously folks**

How to Make a Website for Kids

Kids are becoming introduced to technology at a much earlier age than their parents were, so it’s no wonder that websites are being built exclusively for them.

If you are interested in learning how to make a website for kids, then there are a few tips to get you started.

Step by Step Instructions on How to Make a Website for Kids

Learning how to make a website is the same regardless of which topic you choose, but in this case we are building a kids website. The general instructions will be the same, but the content of a kids site would vary greatly.

1. Register a Domain – The first step making a kids website is registering a domain. The domain (or url) is the place where your visitors will find you online, similar to an address – www.yourdomain.com. Domains typically cost around $10 to register and they need to be renewed each year. Domains cannot be owned outright, they are leased. If you fail to renew your domain registration every year, someone else can register your domain name. Domains should be purchased at the same time as your hosting (step 2). For more information on domains, tips on domain selection and a little bit of domain history, go to Register a Domain or Go Register Your Domain at Hostgator Now!
2. Purchase Hosting – Hosting refers to the computer (or shared server) owned by a hosting provider, which houses all of the necessary files you need to have your website shown on the web. The files needed to run your website (e.g., html, images, videos or audio) are stored on a shared server and when a visitor types in your domain name, the files are populated in their web browser, so they may view your content. Hosting costs around $5-8 dollars a month. You can pay each month or annually. If you have any trouble with your website, it gets hacked, or your website is down you would contact your hosting provider. Sign up for Hosting at Hostgator Today! Discount Code: If you sign up today at Hostgator for hosting and a domain, use the code ‘brandbuild‘ and receive almost $10 off your first payment!
3. Build a New Website – There are several options to building a new website. You can learn to hard code html yourself, pay a web designer to design a site for you, or use a free and simple cms (content management system) like WordPress or Joomla. For the beginner starting out, I would suggest WordPress. It’s easy to setup, there are tons of great FREE WordPress themes available, and it only takes a few minutes to get started. Here are a few tutorials to get you going.

What cool features should I include?

Kids like to be “wowed” and entertained. Their minds are moving a mile a minute and need to be stimulated every step of the way. Your new kids website should have photos, tons of pictures of kids, drawings, animations, videos, flashy graphics, sound and definitely games.

What topics do kids care about?

Kids are interested in many different topics, so you really could build a website about anything under the sun! Here is a list of possibly topics to consider while making a kids website.

• Animals/Pets – Great for kids who like all kids of animals and love to share photos, stories and information.
• Arts/Crafts – Especially great for children who like drawing, painting, scrapbooking, pottery, designing, sewing, drawing cartoons or writing.
• Books/Stories – Children who love to read can list their favorite books or even write their own stories with drawings included.
• Dinosaurs – Some kids love anything related to the prehistoric era. They are amazed at dinosaurs and how huge and powerful they were. This site can share stories, exhibits and books related these prehistoric creatures.
• Music – Create a website for kids who love playing instruments, singing or performing. You can gather information on local concerts, clubs and even equipment to rent.
• School Subjects – Many kids love to learn. Create a website on science projects, math problems or history lessons to stimulate their brains.
• Outer Space – Topics for kids would include space camps, history, photos from the moon, astronauts and even aliens!
• Physical Activities – This kind of website for kids is geared around outdoor activities like skateboarding, rollerblading, bicycling, hiking and walking. You can give tips on the best equipment, the best places to go and share photos or videos.
• Coloring – Kids love to color. A great website idea is to allow kids to create pictures online, add color and print the final results.
• Comics – Favorite superheroes like Spiderman, Superman, Ironman, the Transformers and much more!
• Girls Interests – Makeup, dressing up, sleep overs, hairstyles, dancing, clothes, gossips, and BOYS are all topics which girls are interested in.
• Boys Interests – Sports, baseball cards, skateboards, video games and afterschool activities could be some possible website topics for boys.
• Online Games – Online gaming sites are just as popular as traditional gaming systems. Create a site where kids can come, play games and record their scores.
• Reviews – This could be a kids website about their favorite books, movies, video games, pets and hobbies.
• Sports Teams – You can create a website around kids sports teams, upload the team schedule, contact info, weekly scores and photos from recent games.
• Television/Movies – Create a website for kids about their favorite tv shoes, movies and cartoons. Kids love watching tv and love swapping stories with friends.
• Video Games – A kids website  on the latest Wii, Playstation, Xbox or NintendoDS games. You can even create a place to sell or exchange games with other users.

5 Tips on What NOT to put on a kids website

1. Confusing language – Kids need information that’s easy for them to understand. Use language and jargin they can relate to without jumping into different topics on one page.
2. Large animations or graphics – Don’t overload your website with too many animations or flashing objects. Not only do they take time to load, depending on how fast a visitors internet speed is, the website may not load at all.
3. Pop-ups – Kids are unaware of how pop-ups work and don’t realize they maybe opening up their home computer to viruses and/or inappropriate content. Don’t confuse kids by tricking them into clicking advertising.
4. Broken links – Kids are savvy with computers, but having broken links on your website is confusing and will eventually cause a new visitor to leave your site. Be sure that all internal and external links are in working order and send users to the correct pages.
5. Loud music or sounds – Music can add to the excitement of your website, but just in case a visitor doesn’t want to hear it, always have a mute or stop button visible.

5 Tips to Keep Kids Safe Online

There are many ways to ensure kids safety while visiting your website. With all the news about kids being harmed via the internet, you always have to make sure you are doing everything to keep them out of harms way.

1. Always make sure they have their parent permission to sign up at your website, by entering their parents email address for confirmation.
2. Do not ask for a child’s full name, address, phone number or the name of their school. Keep personal information private while online.
3. Do not allow kids to post photos of themselves which can be viewed as in appropriate and don’t have anything to do with the purpose of the website.
4. Monitor conversations, chat and comments posted by kids and report any harmful  or potentially threatening messages to authorities.
5. It’s hard to verify the real ages of people online, so try to limit personal and private chats between underage visitors, which may include instant messaging and chat rooms.

Great Kids Examples of Kids Websites

American Girl

Sesame Street

Disney Playhouse

Lego Games

Nick Jr.

Cartoon Network

Elements of an Effective Landing Page Design

People decide to build their first website for many different reasons – to share a hobby, keep up with their families, or to even start a new business venture. Depending on your reason for learning how to make a website will determine if designing a landing page is an option for you.

When entrepreneurs what to archive results and make sales, the most effective way is to build a landing page.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is similar to a website (or web page) but has a completely different purpose than a standard website.

A typical website would include information about your services or product and information about your company. It will usually have an easy navigation that would help guide a new visitor through your website to explore and learn as much about your offering as possible.

On the other hand a landing page only has one function, a call to action and nothing else. Everything on this one page would focus on a visitor completing one specific task – making a sale. This might include, watching a video, reading a testimonial, giving your their email address or visiting an affiliate website.

Landing pages most likely will not have a navigation, except a link to whatever it is you want them to view. The less options a new visitors have to click away from the message of the landing page the better. This way you would be laser targeting your audience to focus on one track and one track only.

Having a landing page with little to no options, is an effective way to generate leads for a specific product. Many times a new visitor will be offered a free gift on this page for filling out a form, completing a survey or joining a mailing list. If any of those options are your goal, then the main focus of the page would be to provide supporting evidence and compelling information about that free gift and the benefits of signing up.

Types of Landing Pages and Examples

So now that you have a basic understanding of the purpose of a landing page, lets discuss a few types. There are 7 basics types of landing pages with examples of each type.

Click Throughs –  This is a the simplest type of landing page. The purpose is to provide details about an offer or product, explaining the benefits and features with the hopes it will convince a prospect to make a purchase.

Lead Capturing – Also referred to as squeeze pages, the purpose of these types of landing pages is to gather personal information for the visitor (e.g name, email address, phone number, etc.) Normally there are no links or navigation, only a form to submit your details and often an incentive is offered in exchange for this data.

The Infomercial - Just as the name states these are considered the equivalent to infomercials in the online marketing world. They tend to be narrow and extremely long so that a visitor has all the information they need to make an informed purchased all on one page. The more a person reads, the more they get sucked into the sales message, which ultimately ends with a call to action (BUY NOW!) button at the bottom.

Viral – Often created by large companies in order to create an internet buzz about a new product or service. This type of landing page in done in order to build brand awareness and usually include flashy games or funny videos.

Microsite (or Minisities) – A microsite is a small and supplementary website which provides specific information to a larger campaign or business. Its usually more than a single page, but is still considered a type of landing page. You will often see this type of landing page utilized by car manufactures and motion pictures.

Product Information – This is a common style of landing page used in the retail industry. This the main page of a website that houses all information related to the product for sale. This kind of landing age will also come come with a navigation, links and well designed graphics.

Website as a Landing Page – This is the least effective type of landing of of all the options listed above. Why? Because it has way too many distractions and can often confuse a first time visitor. It often has link, videos, features, graphics, advertising and maybe even a few interactive elements. When a new visitor arrives to your homepages it easier for them to become overwhelmed by the choices and leave the page without viewing your intended message.

Which Type of Landing Page is the Best?

Well, that hard to answer because it really just depends on the nature of your business and your ultimate goals. While some may argue sending visitors to your homepage may be less effective than a standalone landing page, the product you’re selling and your audience should really be the deciding factor.

1. Find a Goal – Before even considering creating your first landing page you should figure  out your ultimate goal. Whether it’s to sell a products, collect personal information, increase mailing list subscribers or visiting an affiliates website – the goal should be highly focus, so your visitors won’t get lost in an array of unnecessary information.

2. Design a Direct Path to the Call to Action – The last thing you visitors to do is visitors wandering off to another page before completing the call to action. It’s best to remove all distractions include links to other pages or outside advertisers.

3. Stay Consistent – Your message, style of writing and overall design should be the same across all forms of media – whether it’s print, email or online. New visitors don’t want to guess if they are on the right website because it’s looks completely different than the flyer they saw on a bulletin board. For the best results, be sure to reuse the same headlines, snippets of the content and graphics, so that people know they’ve arrived at the right place.

4. Keep the Message Simple and Direct – It’s best to keep the message of your landing page simple and above the fold – meaning at the top half of your website. If a user has to scroll down too many times to figure out what your offer is about, or than likely they will get frustrated and leave.

5. Make the Content “Scan-able”- Most readers want access to information quickly and often don’t have time read each and every word on your website, which is why making websites scan-able is so important. Make sure headlines, sub-headings, graphics and other multimedia quickly lead to the call to action so visitors can learn about the offer, how it will benefit them and take action.

6. Use Graphics and Other Multimedia – Minimize the use of empty white space by adding graphics, videos, and other multimedia. Also use various font sizes and colors (in the headings) to show the importance of certain content and increase “scan-ability”. It’s best to stick with a color scheme of no ore than 2 to 3 colors (including black) to reduce the busyness of the page.

7. Use Forms to Collect Personal Information – Using web forms helps engage a website visitor to complete the form, by keeping it brief. Online forms are typically the first step of the sales process, not to scare your visitor or deter a potential sale. Start by asking for a person’s name and email address in order to keep in contact in the future.

8. Use a Privacy Policy – If you decide to collect personal information through your landing page, it’s important to let your visitors know how their information will be used. The last thing a person wants is to sign up for future updates on a product or service, to find out they have just been added to the national junk mail list. Provide a link to your privacy policy so that users can be reassured that their personal information won’t be sold or shared with another company.

9. Track Your Results – Implement a website analytics program, Like Google Analytics (which is free). These types of program allow you to understand how your website is performing. It gives you a birds-eye view of who came to your site, what pages they visited and what links they clicked on. This information will have you determine which areas of your landing page need to be improved.

10. Develop a Test Plan - Add and remove different elements on your landing page, including multimedia and copy to learn which placements work best.

Theme Tumblr Like a Pro eBook Review

Apparently I’ve been living under rock and didn’t realize a new tutorial ebook has published on how to make a Tumblr theme called “Theme Tumblr Like a Pro“, by Jeffery Way (at NetTuts). Now if you have read my post on How to Make a Tumblr Theme, then you should be familiar with that name already. He is the mysterious voice behind the Tumblr video tutorial located on the NetTuts. He decided to take his very  popular Tumblr Tutorial series one step further by creating a complete guide for newbie Tumblr Themers.

This is the most complete Tumblr resource book I have seen thus far. No one else has even DARED to create a Tumblr Theme Tutorial because of how intense it can be. Not only do you need a clear understanding of HTML/CSS, you will need a firm grasp of Tumblr’s custom codes and some sense of design.

Is this book better than the NetTuts Tumblr Tutorial series?

Well … yes. My biggest frustration with the NetTuts Tumblr video tutorial series is that after I finished my theme and I tried to submit my theme to Tumblr’s Theme Garden I missed a few steps and custom codes which I needed to get my theme approved. Luckily I was able to fix the problems with my Tumblr theme because of all the great information Jeffery provided, but key parts were missing. These essential elements however, are covered in the book.

Also I like the fact that with the book you can follow along with the video. With the original Tumblr video tutorial I found myself pausing and rewinding frequently to help keep up with Jeffery. He moved kind of fast through the steps, which made it tough to follow along at times.

How much does it cost?

The cost of the book is $29. Yes, it costs a bit more than the How to Make a Tumblr Theme video tutorial (which only cost’s $9), but you also get more. You get the ebook, original source files to work from and the video series. So like I said, it costs a bit more BUT, you don’t have to sign up for a subscription at NetTuts to get the tutorial, especially if you are the type that will forget to cancel the $9 payment before the next billing cycle.

What else comes in Theme Tumblr Like a Pro tutorial series?

• The fundamentals: template tags, basic structure
• Blocks
• The various post types and variables
• Build a theme
• Working with the Tumblr API
• Passing Tumblr-specific values to your JavaScript
• Adding enhanced functionality with JavaScript and the API
• A plethora of miscellaneous recipes
• Working with custom meta types to create an options panel, which then provides maximum flexibility for the user of the theme
• And plenty more…

Did you buy the book?

Yes I did. I like to try out everything I buy before I recommend it. After I made my first Tumblr theme, I realized there was still alot more I needed to know about how to make a Tumblr theme. I have a few new ideas I’m working on and I’ll update this page, once I have something to show off! lol

Click here to buy your copy of the “Theme Tumblr Like a Pro” tutorial series.

Are there any other books you recommend?

Yes! If you are new to web design, Photoshop or HTML/CSS, you should strongly consider adding the following tutorial books to your home library.

• Photoshop to Html ($29) – In “Photoshop to HTML ”, Nettuts+ editor Jeffrey Way takes you through the entire process of converting a design from Photoshop into a complete HTML /CSS website! But this is NOT just an eBook. It also comes packed with extras! You also get a directory of Photoshop, HTML and CSS files for you to use as you work through the book AND a series of 14 screencasts covering the whole project from beginning to end.
• Mastering Photoshop ($20) – Mastering Photoshop is written for advanced and intermediate designers who want to brush up on their workflow and improve their Photoshop skills. The eBook contains 178 pages, explaining fundamental techniques that Web designers need to know to produce high-quality work in Photoshop.
• How to Build a Succesful Blog Business ($39) – How to Build a Successful Blog Business is a straight forward guide to building a publishing business online that covers everything from choosing a niche to hiring staff, registering a business to selling it, finding traffic to monetizing it.

I know you’re looking at the prices and shaking your heads, right? But consider this web design is a growing field (especially since I’ve been a successful designer for more than 10 years), Tumblr (and their themes) have grown and a newbie web designer can easily create a steady stream of income buy selling Tumblr designs. Designers on NetTuts can easily make a few thousand dollars a month selling themes. In addition, selling Tumblr themes has become so popular, that even Tumblr has created a premium themes section, where users can purchase top notch Tumblr themes.

With the unexpected popularity of my first Tumbr them “Be Original“, I’ve even considered becoming a professional theme designer myself!

So good luck! If any of you try out the tutorial and have a theme you want to share, feel free to contact me. I would love to post it in my Free Tumblr Templates section! (Even if it doesn’t make it into Tumbr Theme Garden!)

Rio Theme

The Rio Theme for Tumblr has finally been finished. Well actually, it’s been finished for months, but for some reason Tumblr (and Peter Vindani) won’t add it to Tumblr’s Theme Garden. The only response I received was “Does not fit accepted Tumblr blog functionality or aesthetics.”

WTF!?!?!

Maybe it’s because I borrowed the original design from Amy and Pink’s WordPress Rio Theme, but I think the design is HOT! I even went the extra mile to contact Marcel from Amy & Pink to get permission to recreate their WordPress theme for Tumblr. So I honestly have no idea what’s the issue.

With that said, I’m releasing the theme on my own, with the hopes that you will love it just as much as I do! Let me know what you think.

About the Theme

• A fresh and funky Tumblr template
• Narrow tumblog-styled design
• Fully customizable with Appearance panel
• Easily upload new background and header images
• Header image can be replaced with a title

Additional Resources

• Free Tumblr Backgrounds

All About Tumblr Backgrounds

The reason way I love Tumblr as a content management system because of how simple it is to use and customize. One of the easiest ways to spruce up your current Tumblr template is to change your Tumblr background image. Easy enough, right? So today’s post is dedicated to helping you find some cool Tumblr backgrounds and show you how to install it.

Why Should I Change My Background?

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of Tumblr templates available online and the best way to set your tumblog apart from all the rest is by changing your Tumblr background. A new background image can easily add a bright and interesting look to your Tumblr template without much effort.

200+ Free Tumblr Backgrounds

Here I have complied a list of more than 200 hundred free Tumblr backgrounds which can be downloaded and installed into your theme within minutes.

GypsyGarden (1 pattern)

Pattern 2 (14 patterns)

Patterns 2 (6 patterns)

Textured Stripes (6 patterns)

Photoshop Pattern (4 patterns)

Pattern Part1 (9 patterns)

Patterns .24 (33 patterns)

Lace Patterns: the prelude (6 patterns)

Untitled patterns 03 (12 patterns)

Patterns .23 (33 patterns)

Green Patterns (6 patterns)

Patterns .27 (50 patterns)

Patterns 3 (6 patterns)

Softly Plaidly- Peachy Keen (11 patterns)

Black – White patterns (13 patterns)

PINKgossip_04 patterns (13 patterns)

Additional Tumblr Background Image Resources

• Over 1,002,864 user-created seamless patterns from Colour Lovers
• 1000+ Free Background Patterns
• Background Pattern Designs from Behance
• 100+ Seamless Patterns Great for Creating Website Backgrounds

How to Change a Tumblr Background

Now that you have picked out your new Tumblr background and downloaded it to your local computer, it’s time to add it to your theme. There are two ways to add a background to your Tumblr theme. I will discuss them both below.

Option 1: Appearance Panel

If you can add a new background through your Tumblr Customize > Appearance Panel choose this option.

1. Login into your Tumblr account and click CUSTOMIZE in the right side of your dashboard.
   
2. When the customization section opens, click APPEARANCE at the top of the page.
3. When the panel opens you simply click the UPLOAD button to select your theme from your local computer and you’re done! If you have the option for repeating your background choose “repeat-y” if you pattern needs to repeat vertically (from top to bottom). Select “repeat-x”, if you background need to repeat horizontally (from left to right). Choose “repeat-xy”, if you image needs to repeat both vertically and horizontally. You can also choose “no-repeat”, if you have a really large background image that doesn’t need to be repeated.

Option 2: Hand-coding Custom HTML

Use this option if you do not have the Tumblr Appearance Panel available with your theme.

1. Login into your Tumblr account
2. You will need to upload your new background image onto Tumblr’s Static Image Server
3. After uploading your file, make note of your image url. You can copy it to NotePad or SimpleText for safe keeping.
4. Return to your Tumblr Dashboard and click CUSTOMIZE in the right side of your dashboard.
5. Select THEME from the top menu.Click the USE CUSTOM HTML buttonLook for the BODY tags. This is the code we will be editing. (Your coding won’t be exactly like this, so you should look for something similar near the top of the code.)
   

   body {  background: #f8f7e5 url(wdw-bg.jpg) no-repeat center top  }

   

6. Paste your image url  into the CSS
   body {  background: #f8f7e5 url(http://safe.tumblr.com/theme/3383425/) no-repeat center top  }
7. You may need to adjust your background image by changing your background color and whether it repeats or not.
   body {  background: #f8f7e5 url(http://safe.tumblr.com/theme/3383425/) no-repeat center top  }

   Choose “repeat-y” if you pattern needs to repeat vertically (from top to bottom). Select “repeat-x”, if you background need to repeat horizontally (from left to right). Choose “repeat-xy”, if you image needs to repeat both vertically and horizontally. You can also choose “no-repeat”, if you have a really large background image that doesn’t need to be repeated.

8. Click the UPDATE PREVIEW button in order to see your changes.
9. If you are satisfied with the results click the green SAVE & CLOSE button at the top right of the page.
   
10. Your Done!

Additional Resources

• Free Tumblr Templates
• How to Setup a Free Tumblr Blog
• How to Add Google Adsense to Tumblr




How to Add Google Adsense to a Tumblr Theme

Tumblr has become the place where all the cool kids have been hanging out – and I must admit I love it too! Tumblr is cool, convenient and simple to use. I know I have talked before about how to make a Tumblr blog and the confusion over Posterous vs. Tumblr, but today I want to address something a little bit different.

It doesn’t matter what kind of website you want to start, at some point in time you will wonder about how to make money from it. Everyday people are making thousands online and you want a piece of the pie.

Adding Google Adsense is definitely an option to monetize the targeted website traffic visiting your blog. But adding Google Adsense to a Tumblr theme can be quiet tricky, since each Tumblr theme is designed differently.

In this quickie tutorial I will show you  how to add Google Adsense to a Tumblr theme with a 2 column design. For this demonstration we will using the Stationary Tumbr theme.

Have You Applied for a Google Adsense Account?

Is Your Tumblr Account Setup?

Have You Installed the Stationary Tumblr Theme?

Add Google Ads to Your Tumblr Theme

1. Login into your Tumblr account. You should be viewing your dashboard.
2. You will need to customize your current Tumblr theme, so click the Customize link in the right column.
3. Select the “THEME” tab at the top of the screen. This will open the HTML code of your current Tumblr theme. You will be adding your Google Adsense code to this custom html section.
4. Look for the following code:
   

   <div id=”sidebar”>
   <div id=”inner-sidebar”>
   <div id=”authorbox”>

5. Insert your Google Adsense script directly after:
   

   <div id=”inner-sidebar”>

6. You should check the code placement by clicking the “UPDATE PREVIEW” button at the bottom of the code window. Please note that it may take up to 10 min for your new Google Adsene code to appear.
7. Click on the “SAVE CHANGES” button once you are satisfied with the placement and want to save the changes made to your current template.

Note: Since you are making custom changes to your Tumblr theme, you should always save a copy of your current theme, by copying the custom html to a text editor on your local computer for safe keeping.

My 2 Cents About Domains

If you have had a chance to read my post on how to make a free blog, then you will know my position on free blog sites. But just in case you haven’t read this page, here’s a recap.

Free blog hosting sites (like Tumblr) are cool because:

• They’re free!
• They are super easy to setup and configure even for a beginner
• You can get started in less than 5 minutes

But they do have their disadvantages as well:

• You will not have control over your own domain name – especially if the blogging services goes out of business or decide to change the format of their URLs. The future of your blog is the hands of someone you DON’T EVEN KNOW!
• If Tumblr ever decides to close up business http://www.yourblogname.tumblr.com will no longer exist
• Your blog’s domain name holds all the authority, statistics and Pagerank and they are NOT TRANSFERABLE! If you are looking to create a brand or generate an income you will loose money and search engine traffic if you change your url later. If you decide you want to make this blog your own, you CANNOT add a domain name later. You will lose bookmarks, visitors, Pagerank, search engine ranking and MONEY! And worst of all if you ever decide to leave that blogging service for a large scale paid option and close that account, you will be left with nothing. Another person can start a blog with your previous address and take credit for all of your hard work.

How to Resolve the Domain Name Problem

All you need to do is register your domain name. Tumblr allows you to use a custom domain name with your free Tumblr account and you can get a super cheap domain name directly from Godaddy for only $1.99. Go Daddy is a trusted domain registrar, so save yourself a few headaches in the future and register a domain.

Top 10 Ways To Get a Free Domain Registration

When you see the words “free domain registration” your eyes will typically light up, especially if you don’t have much money. Years ago, I probably would have suggested you NEVER register a free domain name, because of all the hidden rules and fees, but in today’s market more and more reputable hosting providers are offering free domain registrations as a part of their paid hosting plans.

With a free domain name registration you can still have your website and can still manage it with a professional address instead of a sub-domain. You will be able to install WordPress, Joomla or any other content management system in order to build your website.

So to make sure you aren’t being taken advantage of I have compiled a list of the top 10 ways to get a free domain name registration online.

1. Hostgator

Hostgator is by far my first choice for getting a free domain name. If you are new to this website feel free to read more about why I love Hostgator. If you use the coupon code ‘brandbuild‘ you will receive a discount of $9.95 and get your first month of hosting for 1 cent!

Okay, I know what you’re going to say. This is a discount on hosting, NOT a free domain. Yes, you are correct, however, Hostgator does have the best customer service on the internet. So with this discount instead of paying for hosting for a month, you will get a 1 cent hosting for 1 month when you pay for a domain, which works out just the same.

2. Dreamhost

Dreamhost also has superior service. I have used them several times in the past and have always been pleased with their level of professionalism and quality. If you use the promotion code ‘brandbuildsell‘ you will get a free domain name forever as long as you remain a customer. Otherwise the domain only costs $9.95 if you would like to move to another hosting provider.

3. JustHost

JustHost offers professional web hosting services with free domain name for life, unlimited web hosting space and unlimited bandwidth. Their basic web hosting service starts at on $3.45 a month with a free setup and no hidden fees.

4. BlueHost

BlueHost is another affordable and reliable web hosting solution, offering unlimited domain hosting, unlimited web space, unlimited email accounts and a free domain name forever! Plans start at about $6.95 per month.

5. WebHosting Pad

WebHosting Pad has hassle free web hosting with the cheapest prices around. Their web hosting is fast and reliable with plans starting at $1.99 a month! This price also includes a $50 MIVA credit, $25 Yahoo credit, $25 Google Adwords credit and of course a completely free domain name.

6. FatCow

Cool name with an even cooler hosting service. FatCow has an incredible deal which includes a totally free domain name. The plans start at $4.58 and you can get an even bigger discount, if you keep reading.

Start filling out your information to get your hosting and a free domain. Once you have filling out everything, DON’T CLICK PURCHASE! Click to close your browser window and before it actually closes FatCow will offer you an even bigger discount of $42 off the regular price.

Click CANCEL to be forwarded to the additional discount page. Click ‘Get your Special Offer‘ to receive your discount.

7. Green Geeks

Is the worlds #1 green energy hosting solution. They have an energy efficient infrastructure which is 300% wind powered. They also provide free website builders and templates when you register free domain name. Green Geeks has a 30 Day Money Back guarantee.

8. iPage

A quick and easy web hosting option which is perfect for people with no experience. They offer free personal domain names, unlimited disk space and bandwidth, a free security suite and free site building tools.

Similar to FatCow, start to register your new site, by typing in your new domain name. Once your domain has been verified and you reach the order page, click the button to close your browser.

An alert message will pop-up, click CANCEL and iPage will give you an additional 60% off hosting discount for signing up, which costs only $2.95 a month!

9. Hostmonster

Hostmonster is another free domain name provider. According to them they have the best customer support in the industry, but in my book they are only second to Hostgator. They offer all the same features as any other hosting provider, plus Frontpage extensions, if by chance you are still using Microsoft to build your sites.

10. InMotion

In addition to award winning technical support and 99.9% uptime, InMotion Hosting offers an absolutely free domain name with the setup of a their Business Class Hosting, which starts at $5.95 per month.

I hope this comprehensive list helps you on your journey of learning how to make a website. Many people will try to discourage you from signing up with hosting for a free domain, but don’t be fooled by what they are trying to tell you.

This list proves that it can be done. Good luck!

Additional Resources

• How to Start a Website
• How to Register a Domain Name
• How to Purchase Hosting
• Learn the Many Different Types of Websites
• Blog vs. Website – What’s the Difference?
• How to Start a Business with No Money

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