Blogger VS. WordPress
Pros of Blogger
Blogger.com is a free blogging platform and is fairly simple to use. Anyone can sign up and begin writing their first post within 10 minutes. There are quite a number of free templates for use, use CSS to customize the design to your liking or you have the option of hiring a designer if you desire. You can purchase a domain name to use with your Blogger account to shorten the url, make it more memorable and professional looking such as http://YourBlog.com rather than http://YourBlog.blogspot.com.
Cons of Blogger
Design. While you can customize and tweak the designs, you are not 100% in control of the outcome. Many designers charge more for having to work with Blogger’s XML coding than the more widely used XHTML and others choose not to work with it at all.
In the past few months, quite a few issues with the ‘ease of use’ within the Blogger Platform have arose. Many once found Blogger to be easy to use due to the gadgets and the ability to add or remove them as well as ‘rearrange’ or move them around in the Blogger Dashboard. Now, after Blogger made some changes, many people can no longer arrange those gadgets around as they please. While the Blogger help forums are filled with complaints, one is able to use a different browser and cross their fingers with the possibility that it might work – but of course, no promises.
There have also been numerous bloggers with the complaints that their blog has been marked as spam and their blogs being removed (deleted permanently) without warning. These ’spammers’ have included some that were quite innocent such as Frugal bloggers sharing coupons and deals or Mommy bloggers with product reviews or parenting tips. Google/Blogger does own the content and has the authority to shut down any blog/account without warning if they choose. While Blogger does allow you to publish to your own domain name, they own the database that holds the content to your blog.
Of course the list doesn’t end there. The disappearing act of comments with no way to retrieve them, errors during the process of adding or removing a gadget, deletion of gadgets upon changing layouts and all the downtime due to ‘maintenance’.
Pros of WordPress
Design. You, or a designer, have the ability to customize or create your blog design 100% to your liking. CSS, XHTML, JavaScript, Plugins, etc. You name it, it’s most likely able to be done! The WordPress Community has developed hundreds of plugins to boost the functionality of WP. There are plugins for SEO, Social Networking, Related Posts and everything in between including using WP as a CMS to turn your blog into an all-in-one site Website, Blog & E-Commerce Boutique! And, if you have a question regarding WP, the forums are filled with answers.
With WordPress.org you have full control over your blog. As it is self-hosted, you don’t have to worry about anyone considering your writings to be ’spam’ or wandering if your blog will be disappearing overnight. You own the domain and it is hosted on your own account so you have FULL control over your content.
The software is free and most hosts offer one click installs. Only costs are hosting and domain; realistically that shouldn’t be more than $75 a year (in most cases less). You can choose from hundreds of free themes with WordPress as well to get started.
Cons of WordPress
For a personal blog, if you aren’t worried about it having any downtime or possibly disappearing at anytime, the cost of hosting and a domain name may be a con. For any business and any person that has numerous readers and numerous posts in which they count on being there for future reference, that cost would be well worth it.
Final Word
WordPress can do everything that Blogger can do and more. Even though Blogger is free all around, in the end, I still believe you get what you pay for.
If you happen to be ready to transfer from Blogger to a self-hosted WordPress blog and are interested in how Sashwhy’s Studio can help, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
New Blog Launch: What Balance?
Client requested a blog design for the Blogger.com platform that was not only professional but showcased who she is – “a working mom and wife in the ‘hood”. This 3 column design includes sidebar gadgets and a horizontal navigation bar using the link list gadget for ease of editing on the Client’s behalf.
Custom Blog Design
Having a custom blog design is important. Why? In short, blogs are popping up all over the internet…what is going to set yours apart? I know you don’t want to look like the billions of other blogs out there – especially if you are attempting to make money online through your blog – so why are you settling for a ho-hum, run-of-the-mill blog design? In this article, we’ll look at the basics of a custom blog design, starting from what a custom blog design is, to how you can get a custom blog design.
What is a Custom Blog Design?
A custom blog design is a blog template that is designed with certain specifications in mind in order to give the blog owner a unique presence on the Web. A blog owner could venture out to create his own custom blog design, but he would need to know how to code HTML and possibly some CSS.
Each blog is different and has a different “feel” because each person writing a blog is a unique individual! That being the case, each blog should reflect the uniqueness of the writer by the way that it looks. Setting up a custom blog design for your blog can take some time and energy (and most likely some money) but it will be worth it in the long run and will please both you and your readers.
Why Need a Custom Blog Design?
With the “blogosphere” booming, you need a blog that “stands out” in the crowd! While “content is king” and will always determine whether or not you receive a good page rank, if you have a crummy design, readers will leave your site sooner. A custom blog design is a must!
What’s worse is that if you keep your “default” template that was given by your blog platform (whether Blogger, Wordpress or whatever platform you went with) you will look just like the thousands of other bloggers who kept their default template too!
How to get a Custom Blog Design?
As mentioned earlier, if you are saavy at HTML or CSS and design, you may want to try your hand at creating your own custom blog design. You would need to familiarize yourself with your current blog platform to see what kind of features and functions they have for designing your blog and whether or not they will host your images.
If you are not interested in designing your own blog design, you can hire a custom blog designer. Blog designers are experienced in coding and design and will be able to create a beautiful and unique look for your blog. Take note of blogs whose design you really like and try to find out who designed it (you can usually find this out by locating a link or button in the blog saying “designed by”.
No matter what, your blog will have better success if you have a look and feel that represents you and that pleases your readers! It’s time to invest in a custom blog design!
Free Blog Backgrounds for Blogger
Are you looking for a free blog background for your Blogger blog? We have created a number of free backgrounds that are easy to install! Click thumbnails to view a larger screenshot and for the installation codes & instructions.
Victoria
Pretty in Pink
Violet Scroll
Festival
Rustic Meadow
Blogger Installation Instructions
First…
Sashwhy’s Studio will e-mail you the header image file (it will be either a .jpg or a .gif file) and HTML file (word document) (as well as any other graphics you ordered: button, signature, etc.)
Save these files to your computer
Second…
IMPORTANT. Backup your sidebar content because it will get lost when pasting in your new HTML. Do this by copying the codes from each sidebar item (or widget), and pasting the codes into a word document then saving it to your computer.
Third…
Install Your Design
- Log in to your blogger account
- Click on “Layout”
- Click on “Edit HTML”
- Delete the current HTML
- Paste the HTML that you were sent into the HTML box and click “save”
- You may be given a message saying that your widgets will be deleted, click “ok”
Install Your Header
- Click on “Page Elements” (still under “Layout”)
- Click “Edit” on the Header block
- Under “Image” click on “Browse” and find the header image that you saved to your computer
- Once it has uploaded, look under “Placement” and select “Instead of Title and Description”
- Click save changes
- View your blog to make sure that the design and header uploaded successfully
Install Your Signature (Deluxe Package only)
Click on “Settings” in your blog dashboard, and then “formatting”. Scroll down to the bottom where it says “post template.” Paste the signature code into that template. When you next go to make a new post, that code will already be in it. Just make sure you type your post *above* the code, or your signature will come first in your post.
Fourth…
Go to “Page Elements” and copy and paste the sidebar codes (that you backed up earlier) into the sidebars and organize them as you wish.
You’re all done!
We Can Install The Design For You
If you would like Sashwhy’s Studio to install it for you, send us an e-mail and we will be happy to install if for you. In order for us to log in to your account, we will need to know your login name and password.
Once the design has been installed, you will receive an e-mail from us stating that the installation has been completed. You will want to change your password at this time.
Sashwhy’s Studio Button
Most of our clients like to put a button in their sidebar stating that the header was done by Sashwhy’s Studio. This is always a blessing to us as it is a way to spread the word about our business. If you would like to add this to your sidebar, simply add the following code to your sidebar text widget (I will e-mail this code to you as well for easier copying and pasting):
Or choose a different button HERE.
To insert this code into your sidebar, go to “Layout” then click on “Page Elements”. Select “add a page element” wherever you would like to add the button. A new window will open – select “HTML/JavaScript”. A second window will open – click “edit HTML”. Now, in the “content” area, paste the code then click “save changes”.
The Ultimate Residual Income Guide
Earn $$$ Passively!
Simple Ideas for Making Residual Income Online
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Residual Income – The Snowball Effect
What is “Residual Income”? Some call it “Passive Income”, and it is when a person sets up a stream of income which continues to build over time and eventually begins to snowball – earning that person money in the long run that he barely has to touch in order to keep it going.
And the best part is that every income stream I will show you is done completely ONLINE! You don’t have to GO anywhere and you don’t have to BUY anything. It’s all free. The only thing you need to invest is your time.
In a nutshell…
1. You work hard at the beginning to set up your streams of income
2. The money snowballs over time
3. You have little to no upkeep but money keeps coming in!
Easy to Implement
What I’ve been learning online is actually very easy to implement. Making money “passively” doesn’t seem realistic, but it is…
Have you ever heard of eHow? People are making a serious killing off residual income there.
Have you ever heard of Adsense? Even more people are making residual income with them.
It’s not a myth, it’s true…and you can do it!
Six Easy Streams of Income
In “The Ultimate Residual Income Guide” I’m going to show you SIX of the best ways to set up residual income online.
What I’m going to show you is humorously EASY – anyone can do it! But what you will need in order to be successful is commitment and hard work – that’s what will set you apart from others. Earning money is never easy – it never has been – it never will be.
But with this system the hard work takes place ALL UP FRONT. Once you have your streams of income in place, the upkeep is minimal and the money continues to roll in. I’ve even known people to completely leave their stream of income alone for months – without even touching it – and are still making great money!
So are you ready to begin learning? Start now!
$2 bucks is not a bad price when you think of the potential hundreds and thousands of dollars that you could be earning with “The Ultimate Residual Income Guide”.
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DIY: Install a Custom Header (Blogger)
If you need to install a custom header into blogger, we have an easy tutorial for you. A custom header always gives that special finishing touch to a blog. The best part is, anyone can design and install their own header! Here are a few steps to help you on your way:
1. DESIGN A HEADER
You’ll need some sort of paint program. I use Photoshop, but you could use Paint or any other similar program if you do not have Photoshop.
I made my header size:
Width: 660 pixels
Height: 100 pixels
Once you are please with your design SAVE it by selecting “Save for Web & Devices” (this keeps the file size down which your help your blog remain fast-loading). It doesn’t matter whether you save it as a JPEG or GIF.
2. LOG IN TO BLOGGER ACCOUNT AND CHANGE SOME CODE!
Now you are ready to install your header…and do a little HTML editing.
- Click on “Edit HTML”
- Click on “Layout”
- Search for this code:
#header-wrapper {
width:660px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:1px solid $bordercolor;
}
Now, change the width to whatever you set your header width to be (mine was 660 pixels, so I won’t be changing it).
Next, you’ll type in the height of your header as shown by example in the following code (in red) :
#header-wrapper {
width:660px;
height: 100px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:1px solid $bordercolor;
}
- Click “SAVE”.
3. Install Your Header
Now you’ll click on “Page Elements”
Then click the “Edit” button on your header box.
A dialogue box will pop up. Upload your file from your computer, select “instead of title and description” under Placement, then click “Save”.
Now take a look at your design to see if it uploaded correctly.
You’re all finished! Good job!
DIY: Remove the Blogger Navigation Bar
Have you ever wanted to remove the blogger navigation bar that is integrated into your Blogger design? Do you know what I’m talking about? Here’s a picture…
Well, if you’ve ever wondered if you could get rid of it, take heart, you can! It’s fairly simple, though it does include a tad bit of coding.
- Sign in to your Blogger account
- Click on “Layout”
- Click on “Edit HTML”
- Copy the code below and paste it anywhere after the /* Variable definitions code and just above the body { code:
#Navbar1 {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
display: none;
visibility: hidden;
}
5. Click Save. You’re all set!
Free Backgrounds
Two of our newest additions are FREE blog backgrounds!
Each design is ready easy to install (we have installation instructions ready for you!) and ready to download in minutes!
Browse our free backgrounds now! We know these will be a blessing to your pocket book. 
You can also stay updated on new designs by 
subscribing to our feed!
Linen Flowers
Installation Instructions:
- Sign in to Blogger.
- Once you are in your dashboard, click on “LAYOUT”.
- Click on “PAGE ELEMENTS”.
- Click on “ADD A GADGET”.
- Scroll down until you see “‘HTML/JavaScript”. Click on the + sign to open.
- Under “Content” paste the HTML code below.
- Click “SAVE”.
- You’re finished!
HTML Code (copy & paste this):
<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B%20background-image%3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/sashwhy/Design_3.gif%22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20background-attachment%3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute%3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A10px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.sashwhystudio.com/free-templates/%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src%20%3D%22http%3A//i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/sashwhy/Credit.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/%20%3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0A%23Navbar1%20%7B%0Amargin%3A%200%3B%0Apadding%3A%200%3B%0Adisplay%3A%20none%3B%0Avisibility%3A%20hidden%3B%0A%7D%0A%3C/style%3E"));</script>
