Blog commenting as strange as it sounds has become somewhat of a science. In the past few years alone there have been trends that still exist in order to help bloggers obtain the comments they want. If you give good comments, there are noticeable results.

1. Your blog receives comments back that may also be great feedback.
2. You meet others with the same interests.
3. You are creating a link back to your website for others to follow.

There have been quite a few ways to allow people to connect with other bloggers throughout the past few years.

1. Plugboards like Shameless-plug.com. Sites like these have been open since 2004 and allow people to enter their link and a site button for others to be able to click on. This is where the term ‘plugging your site’ really took off. The only downside a lot of people just plug their site and then be on their way without visiting others. Originally the plugboard was designed that if you plugged, then you visited the others that plugged. In return, the people who plug after you will also visit.

2. Comment Exchange sites like Despair.nu (currently the site is closed until they have revamped the site.) This site you can sign up for and you get to comment on several sites, and in return, you get also receive comments. This is great if you are able to take the time. This site has emails sent out 3 times a week, so that means you have to comment on 9 blogs. The problem is that some bloggers do not return comments, some blogs might have uptime issues, some do not even participate or those who do are not reporting those who are not commenting.

3. Banner and Link Exchanges. This is probably one of the oldest versions to attract bloggers. Like plugsites, your link or your banner are the face for your site.

3. CommentLuv. This tool gives the commenter a way to leave a little preview of what to expect at their website for both the site owner and other visitors.

4. Twitter is becoming a titan in social media. There are new tools created on a daily basis to allow Tweeps to fully use the site. Twitter Tools and Tweet This are some of the best tools out there for bloggers. Twitter Tools allows the blogger to tweet the new post while Tweet This allows the user to tweet the blog post if they like what they have read

5. Backtype is a social venue that runs on giving people a run down on where and what you have commented. This program recognizes your comments from Twitter, LiveJournal, social bookmarking sites, and your blog. In general, it is a way to archive your comments.

Of course, there are other tools out there like other social networks (example: Facebook), but to me, these have been the ones to stand out the past few years. Perhaps you have used a couple of them in the past? What have you noticed… care to share?

Related posts:

1. Blogging and Social Identities: Make Yourself Available
2. The Art of Blogging: Do Not Be Afraid To Leave Comments

If you freelance, you may have done the job bidding sites. For example, if you list that you work $20 per hour, then do not bid for a job any less what you are worth. However, in the same breath, do not overcharge.

If you are conducting business with a client, remember to get the agreement on some type of contract whether a digital email, or an actual signed paper by both parties. It is also important to work out a payment method whether you require a non-refundable deposit, barter in exchange for a service, or require immediate payment at the end of the contract. Also, always try to get credit for your work. That text or small graphic defining that you completed the project is proof that you did that website and could help lead to more jobs.

Here are some guidelines to consider when pricing your work:

1. What does the job entail? What kind of graphics and design work needs to be done?

2. How much time will it take for you to complete a project? Sometimes knowing ahead of time how many pages that you need to design and how much time it takes can allow you to give a quick price.

3. Does the client need the project done within a certain time? In this case, make sure you can meet the scheduled agreement before agreeing and consider how many hours you will probably designate to complete that project on time.

4. What is your experience? Can you code in php, html, xhtml? Can you design on several graphic programs? The more experience you have, you are entitled to price your projects to reflect your talent. Also, compare to other web designers. You can look online and find out pricing to determine what you should be charging for your work.

5. Are you asked to possibly be the site maintainer after the large project. Ideally, you should be paid by the hour. Remember to get this down in your original contract. You can phrase it like: “Site Maintenance done outside the contract will be done on an hourly fee basis.”

In the end, it is your work, so be honest, knowledgeable, and overall, proud. If you are, then your clients will probably even recommend you to others for more work.

What other ways do you decide what to charge clients?

Related posts:

1. 4 Ways To Prepare Yourself For That Freelancing Mentality
2. Ideas to Help Get Out of That Design Lull

As a web and graphic designer, there are a few options to choose in creating a portfolio, a tangible printed version, and an online version. A tangible version, like a printed copy would include quality prints of your best work as a visual example. An online version, is where you can create a website to place your work.

A website is the most popular of the two and allows your potential client a way to privately view your work and give references of what they like of your work that you can incorporate into their project. Your portfolio should be the best of your work, not everything. Of course, you might get the urge to archive your work, but with time, some of your past work may not be considered the best.

Here are some things you should consider when creating your own portfolio:

1. Invest in your own webhosting space for your portfolio. Do not use a free host. You will have more control over your material and you will be able to harness the tools you need to give your portfolio the look you want. In a way, even freelancing, you are conducting a business and you should invest some to put forth your best effort.

2. Quality Images. If you make logos or banners, show your best. Be critical of your past and current work, and display those that will shows your talent.

3. Screenshots of websites you designed are great and even better, a list of websites too. Even if you only did minor work, list the job and the site.

4. If you offer other abilities like Search Engine Optimization, Marketing, or if you write articles, show examples or explanations of these talents.

5. Organize your portfolio so it is easy to get around. Do not stick everything together as it will look cluttered.

6. It is optional to post your resume, but post it with care, omitting information you do not want directly visible to the public. Your portfolio should speak for itself, but if you have gone to school, or have been employed in a related company to your skills, at least be prepared to offer the option of sharing an official resume.

Any other tips you might recommend? Are there actually any free services that might be good for design portfolios? Despite the first tip, I am unaware of any free sources that have yet to impress me as a place to recommend.

Related posts:

1. A Few Handy Web Design Articles
2. Ideas to Help Get Out of That Design Lull
3. 4 Ways To Prepare Yourself For That Freelancing Mentality

Sitemaps are important because they allow the search engines like Google and Yahoo! to index your entire site and leave it available for other internet users to find. A sitemap is defined:

A site map (or sitemap) is a representation of the architecture of a web site. It can be either a document in any form used as a planning tool for web design, or a web page that lists the pages on a web site, typically organized in hierarchical fashion.
From Wikipedia. Original definition by Peter Morville, Information Architecture on the World Wide Web, Feb 1998, pp:58

A sitemap allows search engines to crawl your site more efficiently and index fresh material from any website. If a webmaster has move or deleted material, the search engine would recognize and change the search engine results to reflect the website change. Although having a sitemap eliminates most of the work that a webmasters takes in submitting a website to search, it does not totally eradicate the effort.
Sitemaps accepted by search engines are general coded in XML format, not HTML. However, a webmaster may create a sitemap structure with HTML for their visitors. For WordPress users, this can be easily done with the installation of Dagon Design Sitemap Generator. (Of course there are plenty of other sitemap plugins too.) Currently, the Dagon Design Sitemap Generator plugin is not an accepted sitemap, however, there is a great plugin that Google recognizes, which is the Google XML Sitemaps plug-in. Once one or both of the plug-ins mentioned have been installed, it is best to go to Google Webmaster Tools to inform them where to find the sitemap.

Sitemaps are not another new fad as they have been around for years. It was not until 2006, that search engine moguls like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN got together to create the guidelines behind a proper sitemap. Since then, sitemaps have been used as a vital technique for search engine optimization. Why? Well, as said earlier in the article, a sitemap would tell the search engine how fresh the content of a page is on any website and post it so internet users can find information they need. Sitemaps would recognize new material and direct crawlers to the information for indexing.

Outside Related Links:

• Sitemaps XML format – Sitemaps.org
• Major Search Engines Unite to Support a Common Mechanism for Website Submission

Do you have a sitemap for your site? Any other benefits you can think of when having a sitemap for your site?

Related posts:

1. Google Webmaster Tool Benefits
2. Articles for Webmasters
3. Recommended WordPress plug-ins for blogs

Having a blog is a wonderful tool. It opens the possibility for the writer to give a piece of their mind to the world. However, for those starting out and not knowing what to do, it can be frustrating. Some bloggers just have a web journal to post their daily ramblings without expectations of driving traffic to their websites. This article is for those who want traffic and wonder what they can do to set their site a bit above others.

Of cource, there are naysayers in blogging that do not wish to have content, but really, how interesting is a site with just a blog and nothing interesting to learn? Publishing content does not have to involve allowing visitors to download graphics or programs, but it is a plus. It is all about sharing quality information.

Here are some tips.

1. Write what you know and are interested in doing. There are so many hobbies and activities that the topic possibilities are literally endless. Some people feel like this tip would interfere with their privacy. It may, but it also depends on how it is written and what the subject may be about. If a person knows their business is going to have easy access. Do not blog defamatory statements about work. Writing about the people and situations at work are fine and may lead to some backlash, but on a legal standpoint, if the information is not libelous about the persons and events stated, and the company is in no way used in a defamatory manner, then by all means, write away.

2. Write in-depth articles. Do not leave an issue unexplained or open-ended.

3. Write frequently. The more you write, the more the search engines will crawl your site and index your pages with the updates.

4. Do not write to stuff your content section. Stuffing content is easy to spot as most articles will be written poorly and hold no genuine information for a visitor to bring away from the site.

5. Do not be afraid to use outside sources to help your articles. No one is perfect or knows everything, so linking resources are a nice way for your visitor to read information, and in the end, your article will not be open-ended.

6. Do not write fad articles. Be unique! Fad articles are articles that are seen a lot and give very little information that is different from one site to the next. If you write on a particular subject that might be considered a fad article, make it yours if you know something that no other has addressed on that same subject and convey it in a way that does not make it sound monotonous.

Content is important. Within the content a search engine like Google can index a site and make the site easily accessible. So, in the end, be unique, write frequently, and write proudly!

How do you keep your content unique?

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1. SEO 101: The Article And Its Content
2. Content Writing and Methods of Building Linkage
3. Articles for Webmasters