Let’s have some typography talk now. We will talk about the fonts you could use on the internet. Fonts that are safe to use in your website to produce a quality layout with the fitting typography choices.
Why safe?
I realize myself almost every day there are so many awesome fonts out there. A couple weeks back I looked at a post over at Noupe that featured some great fonts from deviantART. Lovely, those fonts. I want to use them, but I simply can’t, because it doesn’t show on every computer. Why? Because not every visitor has that font installed on their computer.
What can we do about it? Nothing. It’s the same problem we have with Internet Explorer 6, it just doesn’t leave the scene, because there are still too many people who use it. We just can’t say, “All computer users, install this disk with free fonts”. Even if we did that, not everyone will install the fonts, and the problem isn’t solved.
So, we have a problem. Where the solution? We always have those people that started to look for some inventive solutions. They found them, take a look below for at a couple of ‘em.
Web Safe Fonts
To give your paragraphs, headings and titles a somewhat special look even with normal fonts, we have to improvise with the possibilities that are available (take a look around, we all have to deal with the problem): fonts that are installed by default on most (if not all) operating systems and therefore we have the best chance these fonts work.
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Man, that is hard. The last two days (and the following three), I have been working. I really don’t mind and I even like it.
The only thing I mind about working is the fact this blog doesn’t get the updates it deserves and got a couple weeks back. I was posting one or two quality posts a day and I wanted to keep that ritual going. But, I am sorry, but it is at the moment, too hard to keep up. I simply just doesn’t have the energy and inspiration to start writing an in-depth article.
When I read the interview with Jeffro for the first time, I was confused about the amount of work he could produce. That guy is making around 20 hours a day and he is still able to catch up with the flow!
I want that too. I want to devote a lot to blog and the visitors. I want to produce quality Wordpress themes. I want to produce articles that face the frontpage of Digg. I want to become a blogger that is able to make a living out of his adventure.
It is always hard when you are not a full time blogger unable to make a living from your blog and you are pushing things around to earn your 7euro per hour rate. Because you have to work, you can’t grow your blog. I don’t like the circle we are getting into.
Simple said, hard days for me.
I do the best I can people.
Yeah! For the first time in my life, I had the chance to interview someone! It is also the first interview here on DivitoDesign and I am sure many will follow in the future.
After reading the answers this guy gave to the questions, I started to look from another side to him. I learned about how blogging is done when you are full-time employed and you are blogging beside that. It is important for you as readers as well!
The introduction
Therefore, I would like to introduce you to Jeffro! His real name is Jeff Chandler and he is the writer and owner of the blog jeffro2pt0.com. Recently, he decided to jump in a exciting job: Writing for performancing.com and he was (unfortunately it stopped..) also the host of the WP-weekly podcasts. Enough things to talk about! He is also showing his online adventures on his new personal blog, jeffc.ME.
The Interview
1. Hey Jeff! Thanks for taking the time to do a little interview with me! How are you today?
First off, thanks for making me feel special by asking me for an interview. Secondly, I’m doing pretty well.
2. A position at performancing.com opened up some time back and you jumped in. How is life treating you there? Are you enjoying the new experience and challenge?
Well, so far so good. The job at Performancing has helped me pay the bills. What is great about this opportunity is that I am writing for a site that my pal, James Mowery is also writing for. I admire his writing ability and his work ethic. Together with the rest of the writers of Performancing, I fee like we are slowly but surely bringing Performancing back to the pillar of excellence it once was.
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In the latest couple of days I have found a couple very interesting articles and I couldn’t let you miss them. Here they are for August 9th. Btw, I have had a great birthday!
1. CSS Feeder - Why search the web for interesting articles if there is CSS feeder who reads some of the most important CSS/webdesign feeds for you?
2. Blog tips that work - Blog tips based on the enterprise and experience of the owner (or editor) over at blogsessive.com. Great article my friend.
3. You’ll never know unless you ask - I am usually not the one that asks for favors. Not in real life, not in the blog-o-sphere. I contacted a couple bloggers, but that’s it. It’s time to change that and get over the barrier.
4. 19 Websites to Promote your Design News | part II - I found these posts today and I’ve tried it with my latest “start blogging guide”. Let’s see if that works. I think so.
5. BerganBlue - A webdesign company I stumbled upon a couple days back. Man, I love the simpleness and the awesome use of color and design in the website is outstanding. Bookmarked.
What’s next?
I have been working on a new Wordpress theme. It is going to be very simple, yet very elegant, clean and organized. Maybe I will release it as a free Wordpress theme like Minimalist, or maybe I will use it in some sort of blog (maybe this one).
If you have found some interesting articles around the net and you think my readers will like that, drop me an email. Don’t be shy, I don’t bite!
Hello boys and girls! Woow, it is 01:09 where I live and one hour and 9 minutes ago, I just turned eighteen years old. That’s a crazy feeling!
It is going to be an interesting yet important year. I have had a serious injury on knee and therefore I will be operated this month. I will need a recovery (loads of time for the blog!) and I will try to get back in the football game after six years of absence. I will also try to graduate from my school and I hope this blog is going to bring out awesome Wordpress themes, interesting links and articles and helpful tutorials.
Thanks for the great comments I received in the ’start-up’ of this blog and that really kept me going. Thank you, readers. I love you.
It’s time for bed now. Tomorrow is the real birthday party.
See you!
Content Table
0. Welcome to the Guide
1. What is a blog
2. What pages should a blog have
3. Choose a Niche
4. Store your blog
5. Blogging software
6. Blogging Tips and Tricks
A few blogging tips and tricks
Here are a couple tips and tricks to get you going after the basic and more extensive articles. This latest post will include a couple tips about every topic around blogging.
General
- After you read this article: Don’t be afraid to make faults. Just do it.
- Focus on content because content is king.
- Use Feedburner to keep track of your subscribers and use Google Analytics as your statistics program.
- Staring at your statistics three hours a day will not get you more visitors, focus on writing and promoting.
- Tag your posts to keep things organized for your readers.
Writing
- If you aren’t familiar with the English language, learn. Writing in English will get you in potential much more exposure then all other languages together.
- Use a spell checker and a translating tool. That will improve your writing.
- Proof-read. Always remember to read your article over and over again, edit what you don’t like and read again. You will get a better article.
- Write quality headlines to get the attention from potential readers.
Search Engines
- Do not add your site to the add-your-site pages on Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Just Write quality content and get links from other sites, that will get you in the results.
- Focus on Google. Do not forget Yahoo! and MSN, but Google will bring the most traffic in, so optimize your blog for that engine.
- Install search engine optimizing (SEO) - friendly plugins to improve your visibility in the search engines.
- Try to get as many links to your blog as possible. You can do so by link-exchange with bloggers in the same niche or writing great content that people would love to link to.
- Read SEO-blogs from time to time.
- Write awesome content + do a bit search engine optimizing = #1 spot
- Optimize your URLs: we call those Permalinks.
- Use h1 tags for your article title and h2 for keyword-rich subtitles
Network
- Try to network with bloggers in your niche. They are people just like you and me who need to focus as well. If they get a nice appreciation comment from time to time, they are happy. They might link to your blog or a blog post.
- Make friends. Friends will help each other if things do not run smooth.
Comments
- Reply to the comments you get. Remember those people have busy days and they took the time to reply to your article; make sure you pay them to back to answer their question or by saying thanks.
- Comment on other blogs with a constructive and on-topic reply. You network, you might get a link to your blog (DO-follow blogs) and you will get some visitors as well. What do you want more?
- You should install a do-follow plugin yourself and post about it. You will get more quality comments because people get something back for their efforts.
Wordpress Theme
- Install a search-engine friendly theme.
- If you installed Wordpress (Ofcourse you did!), search the themes directory of Wordpress. Or get the best themes from wpthemez.
- Don’t forget accessibility and usability.
- Keep your sidebar clean. Remove what doesn’t add any value to your readers.
Promotion
End of Lesson #6
You are ready for the stage. You have learned the basics of blogging and you are ready to start your own blog in a very interesting niche. I hope to see many new blogs out there and make sure you send me the link over!!
I hope everyone has enjoyed the series and there will be more good content on the way! Subscribe to our RSS feed and get that great content in your RSS reader, or in your mailbox (click the link and look in the upper left corner of your screen!).
Thanks for reading and see you next time!
Content Table
0. Welcome to the Guide
1. What is a blog
2. What pages should a blog have
3. Choose a Niche
4. Store your blog
5. Blogging software
6. Blogging Tips and Tricks
Blogging Software: Pick one!
Blogging software takes all the hard work out of your hands. The only thing you have to do is write your articles, the software will take care of the rest: posts, comments, structure etc. There are many blogging software engines out there but I will only talk about four because they are in my opinion the best around.
Hosted solutions
Wordpress.com - This system is the hosted based version of Wordpress. When you sign up you get a subdomain (divitodesign.wordpress.com) and the powerful Wordpress engine. You can choose from free themes and you are set up in a minute. This is my recommendation for the hosted-based solutions.
Blogger - The leading free hosted-based blogging solutions. It currently is the biggest free online blogging services and you can choose from many free blog templates for your blog along with other free services and features.
Host your own blog
Wordpress.org - I love Wordpress. Wordpress is free, has a real powerful engine and has an active community. It is the leading software out there with thousands of themes and plugins available to make your blogging experience as smooth as possible. This is my recommendation for the self-hosted solutions. Later on in this guide I will provide you with resources for your Wordpress installation.
MovableType - I have never used this software personally because you have to pay for it, but there are a many people swearing to this piece of software. For those who want to pay for your blogging software, this is the best available.
End of lesson #5
We are almost finished with the guide as lesson #5 ends now. Tomorrow you will get blogging tips and tricks. Tips and tricks everyone could use, even more experienced bloggers. Make sure you don’t miss that chapter.
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