Showing posts with label Blogger Tips & Tutorials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogger Tips & Tutorials. Show all posts

Monday, August 17, 2020

Writing: Website, Blogging, & Book Publish Tips Reviewed on Review This Reviews!

writing reviews collage

Treasures from the Archives of Review This Reviews! 


Every writer needs a little help at times. Whether you are writing online, or writing a book, there are moments when you are stumped or don't know how to do something.

Starting a new blog or website can be a daunting task.  Self-publishing a book is equally, if not more so, challenging.

Writers want to focus on writing.  We don't want to get bogged down with the "mechanics" behind it all.  However, there are necessary elements that are requirements of any art form.  Writing is no exception.

Don't let those irritants, or your lack of platform or software  knowledge, end your dreams and ambitions because you give up due to exasperating chores.  

Several of our contributors have taken the time to write easy to follow tutorials and writing tip reviews.  We have all benefited from experienced writers who are willing to share the secrets of the trade.  Well, they feel like secrets because information is elusive.


Writing: Blogging Tips


Many companies self-promote with blogs.  Even if they own a website, they have a blog writer to keep the website current and relevant in the search engine's "eyes".   

There are thousands of individuals who work from home as promotion affiliates.  In fact, all of the contributors of Review This Reviews are promotion affiliates.  Several of us work on multiple websites.  This makes us uniquely qualified to help other writers who are seeking help.

Blogger, aka Blogspot, and Wordpress are the most commonly used online writing software.  They each require a writer to jump in and learn through experience.  Once a writer gets past the basics of writing with online software, they want to know how to do things they see on other sites.  Therefore, we publish how-to articles for specific tasks such as using link jumps in an article that allows your reader to "jump" to a specific section of an article.  

If you wish to have your Blogger blog use a custom domain name instead of a blogspot domain name, we have an article that shows you how to set that up.

You can check out our Blogging Tips & Tutorials by clicking here!  Plus, if you see something on our site that you wish to do on your own site, simply ask us.  If we don't already have a published tutorial, we will try to write one.


Writing: Book Publishing Tips & Tutorials


A few of our contributors self-publish their own books.  Barbara Tremblay Cipak (Brite-Ideas) has written several in-depth and informative reviews on writing and publishing your own book.

If your dream is to be an Indie Writer (an author who self-publishes), than Barbara will be your best friend!  She shares writing tips and publishing recommendations based on her own experience.  You get the benefit of her publishing pains!

Book Self-publishing help can be found by clicking here.


Writing: Website Reviews


Our contributors have reviewed websites that are available to help online writers create beautiful promotion images, banners, & introduction images.  These image websites are essential, especially when preparing images for multiple social media sites.  Most of these sites offer a free version.

If you are a promotion affiliate, Easy Product Displays (linked here) is a website that helps you search and set up a beautiful display of items from Amazon, Zazzle, and ShareASale.  This is a tremendous help if you don't like writing your own html code, but want an attractive display of products.  




You will find dozens writing articles on Review This Reviews to help you create the blog, website, or published book you desire.  


A Review This Reviews Pinterest Board - Writing


The board below features 30 of our most recent reviews.






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Review of Medium Partner Program: Should You Pay to Earn?

What is the Medium Partner Program?

Review of Medium Partner Program: Should You Pay to Earn?
Image by PixLoger from Pixabay, edited on PicMonkey


I joined the Medium blogging platform in 2016, before the beginning of the Medium Partner Program (MPP.) A blogging friend had said the platform was a good place to have a presence. I discovered it was a good place to keep some of my posts from sites that had died until I could post them elsewhere. So in 2016 old posts I'd republished were all I had on Medium, and only a few of them. I didn't post anything else because at the time there was no way for someone like me to earn money at Medium.

In February 2019, my HubPages friend Glenn Stok told me about the Medium Partner Program that now provides an opportunity for writers like me to earn money. But there's a catch.

It takes money to have that opportunity. One must pay $5.00 a month or $50 a year to join the Medium Partner Program. That link provides all the program details and everything else you need to know in order to join the MPP. Only you, though, can decide whether it's worth the money to get this opportunity.

Should You Join the Medium Partner Program?


I asked Glenn, "Is it worth the money to become a MPP member?" His answer convinced me to give it a try. No one gets any affiliate commission by recruiting members, so he had no reason to exaggerate his results and I don't think he would anyway. He wrote a comprehensive article on Medium and the Partner program so I see no reason to try to rehash it here. He did an excellent job. Here's the link to Glenn's article: How to Make Money Writing Articles Without Ads on Medium. I prefer to tell you my own opinions based on my results and the other opinions I found was I was surfing the web.

My Experience as a Medium Partner Program Member


February 2019


I joined the Medium Partner Program on February 5, 2019. At the time I had nine posts there left over from 2016. I put five of them behind the paywall. The other four did not meet the content guidelines for the program. The pay period ended on February 24, so my work was only behind the paywall for 19 days in February.

Here is a chart of my first payday on February 27, and the money did go into my account on time. Post titles are on left. Earnings for each post are on right. Red letters are for posts removed from dead or non-paying sites. Green letters show posts I removed from HubPages, revised, and reposted on Medium. Blue letters show the name of Medium publication where a post was accepted and now appears. You can see that not all my old posts made money, but some did. Articles published on Friday-Sunday of a week often don't start getting views counted until the next week. Pay weeks go from Monday - Sunday. Where there is no publication, it means I didn't submit to a publication or the publication didn't accept that article.

During this same period, with 44 featured hubs, I earned $5.10 on HubPages.


Review of Medium Partner Program: Should You Pay to Earn?

March, 2019

In March I revised and republished more of my old stories and added some new ones. Here are the results. Again, the blue script shows what publications accepted the articles. The red shows where the revised articles originally appeared if they weren't on the last February image. PP stands for Persona Paper. Bub stands for Bubblews. Some articles from either of those sites may have appeared on both and I can't always remember which only came from Bubblews. Green still represents hubs (HP) revised and moved here.

During this same period, with 44 featured hubs, I earned $9.27 on HubPages.

Review of Medium Partner Program: Should You Pay to Earn?

April 2019


I have not repeated the sources here, but I have included the publications that accepted my posts. I did not  repeat the publications for the articles that earned nothing this month. You can see that although I made more money this month, some of the articles that earned money last month earned nothing this month. Unlike sites like HubPages, an article may have a short earning life.

During this same period, with 44 featured hubs, I earned $12.45 on HubPages. (Note: I have not written anything new on HubPages for a long time and interact there rarely now, but I do publicize my Hubs on social media. )



Review of Medium Partner Program: Should You Pay to Earn?

Update January 29, 2020


I added many more posts in 2019. The list is so long now that it would not fit on one screen in an image. There were only three months when I did not make at least $5. Those three months occurred during and just after the time in July when I went back to listing and selling books online and had to transfer a lot of records and establish new selling venues.

Selling on Instagram took much more time than selling from my Biblio store. In spite of not having time to write more than about 2-4 posts a month during and after July, my total earnings for 2019 were $123.61. After taking out my membership fee, I still had $73.61 left. This month, I've earned $5.58 so far. I will renew my membership next month.

 Even if I'd not broken even, I still would have been happy with the value I received from all the posts I read by others daily. Many were on subjects like brain health, written by experts, that I might not have searched for, but were conveniently served on Medium.

Conclusions from My Results


Unpublished Posts Moved from Other Sites Can Earn On Medium


I currently have thirty posts on Medium. Twenty-six are behind the paywall. Four are not. Of those behind the paywall, only eleven were written just for Medium. "Starved for Attention," which made the most the first month, made nothing the next two months. It was previously on another site, revised, and moved to Medium. "Jason, I'll Always Love You" was picked up by a popular publication, P.S. I Love You, and earned only .18 in February. In March it was my highest earner. It still did well in April.

Articles Published by Publications Usually Get Seen by More People than Those Published Independently


In the second month, some of the articles were picked up by publications, some of which I didn't even submit. Articles that appear in popular publications with lots of subscribers are distributed more widely than those one self-publishes. However, inclusion in a publication does not guarantee more earnings.

Curated Articles Get Wide Distribution and Usually Earn the Most. 


My three curated articles have performed best for me so far. When you put your article behind the paywall you can also choose to have it sent to the curators for consideration. They pick which articles Medium itself will promote in its newsletters that go out to all Medium subscribers. Curation gives articles the best chance to be seen by lots of eyes. These are my curated articles so far.


Medium Earns More for Me Than HubPages on New Articles


On the other hand, older Hubs retain more earning power than older Medium posts. Working together Medium and HubPages give you the both of best worlds. Would I make more on HubPages if I kept submitting more hubs and interacting as much as I do on Medium? Possibly. The statistics I gave for HubPages above my earning charts are for my original account. My Squidoo transfer account makes almost nothing there, and it's those articles I plan to revise and transfer to Medium or somewhere else. 


Review of Medium Partner Program: Should You Pay to Earn?
Image by isuru prabath from Pixabay, edited in PicMonkey 


Medium Is a User Friendly Site for Readers and Writers

After a struggle with the quirks of the WordPress and even the Blogger editor, Medium's editor is simplicity itself. One can just concentrate on writing. It's the words and the images that are important. No quizzes, polls, videos, etc. are considered important post ingredients as they are on HubPages. The focus is on what you say. I  like not having to sell anything to make money. I would like to focus on stories and ideas as opposed to products. 

As a reader, I also like reading Medium posts because they're not full of affiliate links and ads. You can read all the way through a Medium article without encountering one pop-up asking you to subscribe to a newsletter. Readers can concentrate on content. I think many people subscribe for that reason. 

There is a wealth of interesting content on Medium. Many Medium members are not writers, but readers. They are not part of the Medium Partner Program, but they are the ones who read our work and help us earn for our writing. 


What I Like Best About the Medium Partner Program


Medium allows me as much freedom as I want. I can write in any genre. I can apply to a publication or not. I can write on any subject, though some subjects won't earn as much as others. As long as I follow the guidelines for the Medium Partner Program, I can put any article I want to behind the paywall. Of course, that doesn't mean it will earn anything. 

Medium treats me like an adult. It lets me take responsibility for my own work. I can publish it independently without submitting it to a publication editor and waiting for approval and publication. That means I am also free to publish inferior work that is less likely to earn than more polished work.

Proofreading is my responsibility alone. Publications want quality, so they do have editors to make sure what they publish is worth reading and is free of errors. But they don't correct it for you. They send it back to you or reject it outright. If a publication rejects your work, you are still free to publish it yourself. 

For an article to earn, other Medium subscribers need to see it, read it, and interact with it. Curated articles are most likely to get a kick start leading to more views on Medium. Articles in publications also get help from a newsletter the publication sends to its members listing new articles. In late 2019 this payment plan changed. Now payments depend on how much time paying members spend reading one's work. This suits me even better. A writer will be read more, not just clapped for by people wanting return claps. It's harder to game this system. 

Views from promotional links on social media don't usually bring in paid views. Traffic from Twitter automatically gets past the paywall for free. Most writers usually post a friend link when they post to social media so that readers can bypass the paywall if people click through. That means a well-promoted post with lots of traffic may not earn much if the readers aren't Medium members. 

Writers for publications often have their own Facebook groups for promotion. Koinonia is one of my favorite publications for Christian writers and it has an active Facebook Group. I know of three other active Facebook groups that are open to any Medium writers for discussion and threads for sharing posts. All these promotion opportunities and the support from other members is very helpful to new Medium writers. 

Most Medium publications encourage personal articles. They like authors to share what they've learned about  relationships, family life, work, mental health, business, and a number of other topics. Unlike HubPages, they prefer articles written in the first person rather than the third person, unless they deal with science or other very objective subject matter. Articles that speak directly to readers with a personal voice seem to do best.

Medium makes it easy to build your own following. You can even start your own publication on Medium if you don't find another that suits you or you want to keep your work in one place to make it more accessible to your followers.




The Downside of the Medium Partner Program


You are making an investment of five dollars a month or fifty dollars a year. There is no guarantee you will earn it back within those time frames. I'm on my eleventh week. If my earnings hold to their current pattern I will have covered my first year's membership by the end of the twelfth week and the rest will be profit. There is no guarantee that will happen. But I've never yet earned back with ads and affiliate links what it cost me to self-host a WordPress blog, and that was a far larger investment. My membership also allows me unlimited reading behind the paywall, and that's been worth the fee by itself.

You cannot include affiliate links or a call to action in a post that goes behind the paywall. You can, however link to another Medium post you have not put behind the paywall. In that post you may have an affiliate link or a call to action. You just need to make sure it's not interpreted as writing a post behind the paywall that only exists to point to another site.

If your posts aren't curated or promoted by a publication, they may not get much traffic. I have four posts that have received no fans or applause. Three were first published somewhere else between 2014 and 2016 and their original publishing dates followed them. If I publish older posts again, I will not use the importer which retains the original date. I will unpublish from the first site and revise for Medium.

The other unloved post was a rant published just for Medium. A few people read it, but no one liked it enough to applaud. That happens. I'm wondering if I should tweak the title and republish it.

If my current results on Medium hold up until the end of the year and my earnings keep growing, I will join again next year. A full year will help me see whether this is the direction I should go. But even if it's a wonderful year and I earn even more than I expect, there is that final downside. Medium can change the terms of the MPP any time they choose. They could stop paying. They could even close the site, though I think that's unlikely.

I have written the obituaries for many sites. One was What Can We Learn from the Fall of Bubblews? It was first published when Bubblews was still alive -- to answer questions about the living site. Some of the original predictions remain intact, but the post itself has been updated many times as things changed. I updated it once again and changed the title when when Bubblews finally died. Many of us who used to rely on Squidoo for income were crushed when it died.

We can never depend on any site we don't own for future income. It's always better to own your own site if you can make a profit. Meanwhile, as we build an audience, we can introduce ourselves to new readers on sites like Medium and  HubPages.

Possibly the biggest downside to writing for Medium is that you may be tempted to to neglect your own blogs. I have. I've also neglected other sites like HubPages. It's always a good plan to back up one's work on all sites, just in case, and not to put all one's eggs in one basket.

Basket of Eggs




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, June 22, 2018

How to Create a Link to Jump to a Specific Part of a Page - Step by Step Instructions

How to Create a Link to Jump to a Specific Part of a Page - HTML Tutorial First, let me define "page jump link".  If you wish to have a link to a section or paragraph in an article, you can create a page jump link that can be inserted anywhere in an article.  You can even use jump links to "jump" to a section in another article on a website.  Or use one to jump to an article section on a totally different website that you manage by simply using the link to the jump link itself.  


Like this: 


I used page jump links at the top of our Review This Site Directory so visitors could quickly skip to the category of articles they wish to see. I've had several fellow bloggers ask me how I created those indexing page jumps and I happily shared my code.  However, it is easier for me to simply publish this article then to continue sharing the code individually each time it is requested.
 

FAST CLICK INDEX - Click the Category Title to Jump to Specific Section of Our Site Directory
BOOKS    CRAFTS    DECOR     ELECTRONICS     GARDENING    GIFTS    HOLIDAYS    MOVIES    MUSIC    PARTIES    PHOTOGRAPHY    PRODUCTS    RECIPES    SITE REVIEWS    SPORTS    TIPS FOR WRITERS    TOYS    TRAVEL    WEDDING    SPECIAL TRIBUTES        ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS    ARCHIVES    




ONE VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS CODE MUST ALWAYS BE ADDED OR CORRECTED ON THE HTML, NOT COMPOSE, OPTION WHEN WRITING ON BLOGGER.

If you ever use Compose on an article on Blogger where you use the jump skips, your jump link code will be lost.
As an example, if I ever wish to add anything to this article, I will have to do so in the html tab. Should it open to compose, click the html tab and close the article immediately without making or saving any changes. Keep opening it until it opens in the html. Never update or save an article that has page jumps while working under the compose tab.


HTML Code to add Jump Links


I'm showing the actual html code that you would need to create a jump link.  This is the code I used in this article to skip to the end.

This code should go at the top, or section where you want to place the option to jump to another section.  Replace the title text with your own descriptive text.

<a href="#the_end_HERE">Skip to End</a> 


And this code should go at the beginning of the section you wish to skip to.

<a id="the_end_HERE">The End!</a>


The id link text must be exactly the same in both links.  As you can see, the visual title text can be different.



Easy Jump Links

Adding page jump links to an article is actually very easy if you are careful and remember to stay in the html tab area on Blogger. I do recommend keeping a copy of your original article html text on a file saved to your computer. Accidents happen, especially if we get in a hurry and need to make a quick change or update an article.

This html jump link code also works on Wordpress!


Happy Blogging & Jumping!


 
 


House of Sylvestermouse











Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, September 8, 2017

How to Add Tabs to the Top of a Blogger Blog - Step by Step

Instructions to Add a Navigation Menu to Your Blogger Blog


How to Add Tabs to the Top of A Blogger Blog Blogger offers a great way to start a free blog, but there are a few things you may want to do to improve the navigation of your blog. One of those things is adding category tabs to the top of your Blogger Blog to make it easier for guests to find subjects of interest by category. This horizontal line of tabs is often referred to as a Navigation Menu or Bar because quite simply, it helps visitors navigate your site and find exactly what they are seeking. 

As you add new posts to your blog, you will discover that it becomes really difficult for visitors to find your older articles. Therefore, labeling your posts by category and than creating tabs at the top of your blog becomes essential. 

Be sure to bookmark these easy to follow instructions for adding tabs to your blog. As your blog content grows, you may wish to revisit and change your tabs. This article will then serve as a great refresher on how they were initially set up, therefore you can easily see how to change or add to them.


Easy Instructions on How to Add Tabs to Blogger 


I am going to take you to the layout of Review This to show you step by step how to create your navigation menu.  This is the method used to create our top navigation menu that is a simple list  of our Contributors names.  If you click on either name, you will see that it redirects you to posts that have been published by that one author.  You decide what category labels best suit your blog.  For instance, a recipe blog might have labels for Appetizers, Main Course, Desserts, Snacks, and More.


How to Add Tabs to the Top of a Blogger Blog - Step by Step Instructions


The secondary navigation menu of our categories is a drop-down menu.  A separate tutorial on creating a drop-down menu will be published at a later date.


(See Tutorial Images in Slideshow Below Written Directions)


  1.   Add a Category Label to Each Post.  Labels are on the right side of each post draft under Post Settings.
  2.   Go to the Layout Tab on Your Blog Dashboard 
  3.   Click "Add a Gadget" in the Cross Column Section under the Header Section
  4.   Select either the Labels Gadget or the Page Gadget.  We used the Page Gadget on Review This because we had Page Links we also wanted to add to our Nav Bar in addition to the labels.  (Contributors & Quick View Home Page Links)
  5.   If you Use the Label Gadget, simple select the labels you wish to have as tabs, and save.
  6.   If you Use the Page Gadget, select the pages you want to use, plus add other labels as external links, save link, and save gadget.  
  7.   You can change the order of the tabs by simply dropping & dragging them within the gadget.
  8.   View Your Blog in "Preview" to See Your Arrangement  
  9.   Save Arrangement (button in upper right corner of layout page) 

 

CONTROLLING THE SLIDESHOW ABOVE
Use the Arrows at the Base of the Slideshow to Move Through the Images
and the stop button to pause the playing slideshow on a specific image
slidebar directions

 

More Tips & Tutorials for Blogger
(Including Instructions to Create an Image Slider Like I Used Above)




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, August 4, 2017

How to Create An Image Slideshow & Add Image Slideshow in Blogger Post Reviewed

How to Create An Image Slideshow & Add Image Slideshow in Blogger Post

Easy Instructions for Creating a Slideshow for Blogger Posts


Blogger is a fabulous free blogging site, but it does have it limits.  While you can easily add single images to a blogger post, there is no slideshow option available.  Therefore, we must improvise by creating and adding our own slideshows to our Blogger articles. 

Last week, I featured a slideshow in my How to Grill the Perfect Steaks article.   While the images were not especially "pretty", the pictorial tutorial would be extremely helpful to a grilling beginner.

This week, I will show you how to create and add your slideshows to your own Blogger posts.  If you follow these few simple instructions, you will find out for yourself just how easy it is to generate beautiful image slideshows to feature on a Blogger post.


How to Create An Image Slideshow for Blogger

You do need a Google account since we will be using the Google Slides.   Follow these very easy steps to create your own slideshow.

  1.   Click here to open Google Slides
  2.   Select "Blank" under Start a Presentation
  3.   Select "Insert" then "Image" from the Drop Down Menu
  4.   Upload Your Image 
  5.   Add Additional Images by Clicking the + sign on the top left
      and repeat Step 3 until all of your images are added.

Slideshow Showing Images of Steps


 

How to Add an Image Slideshow in a Blogger Post

Once you have finished adding all of the photos to your slideshow, it is time to publish and embed the slideshow in your Blogger post.


  1. Select File and scroll to "publish to web"

  2. How to Add a Slideshow to Your Blogger Post


  3. Copy the Code
  4. Add Image Slideshow in Blogger Post

  5. Paste the code in the html of your Blogger post
How to Create An Image Slideshow for a Blogger Post

 

This is How It Looks on Compose in Your Blogger Post

How to Create An Image Slideshow for a Blogger Post


Additional Options In Google Slides for Creating Slideshows

  • You can change the background color under the Layout Tab
  • Change the layout to accommodate 2 images instead of one
  • Images can be Cropped
  • Change the layout to Combine Text and Photos
  • Text can be Added on Photos 
  • Add Links to Photos
  • Rearrange the Images by Simply Dragging Image
  • Add or Change Photos after the Slideshow is published
  • Built-in Spell Checker
  • Undo & Redo Buttons


Example Slideshow



 

 

More Tips & Tutorials for Blogger




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, April 7, 2017

Add a Large Image to Tweets on Twitter with Twitshot

Add a Large Image to Tweets on Twitter with Twitshot
Twitshot makes adding large images to your Twitter tweets easy! 

Most of us don't have enough hours in the day to spend a lot of time on each social media site to share each article.  Finding an easy way to share eye-catching images quickly, makes every blogger's daily schedule more manageable.  


Twitshot is my all time favorite shortcuts to beautiful tweets that include big images with the necessary textual information.

Normally a tweet includes a thumbnail size image that is often overlooked when scrolling through tweets.  Large images are not as easily overlooked or bypassed.  

Getting traffic to your article often starts with catching a readers attention.  The best way to do that, is with images and not words.

NOTICE:  Unfortunately, Twitshot has closed.  We do not know if this is temporary or permanent.  I recommend using Buffer (there is a free option) instead.  Please check back later.

 

Appearance of a Regular Tweet 

If you use the Twitter button on an article, this is the way a published tweet will look.  As you can see, it has the small thumbnail picture.

 How to add Large Images to Tweets on Twitter


Appearance of a Twitshot Tweet

If you use Twitshot, this is the way your tweet will publish.  The photo is center stage and very eye-catching due to the size of the image.

 
How to add Large Images to Tweets on Twitter!


You can even include a short text description if you need or want that article summary normally shared beside the thumbnail image.  140 characters are allowed on Twitshot with your large image.  In the case of the movie review below, I had to shorten the summary for it to fit, but the text is still descriptive enough for readers.

Learn How to Add Large Images to Tweets on Twitter

How to Use Twitshot


It is so easy to use Twitshot.  You simply enter the article url into the box on Twitshot and select the image you want to accompany your tweet.   

Hover over the image to optimize your image to the recommended Twitter image size (1135 x 600).  However, you can select an image that is square instead of oblong.

When You Enter The Article Link, This is What You See
Learn How to Add Large Images to Tweets on Twitter




Here is a Mark-Up of Exactly What to Do to Add and Tweet With a Large Image
If you don't like the images that are auto selected, you can paste an image url, search for an image, or upload an image.  
How to Add a Large Image to Tweets on Twitter


Click Here to Visit Twitshot Today and Start Tweeting with Large Images!

You can also add a TwitShot Button to your Site for Sharing.  Click Here to Get the Code


More Tips & Tutorials for Blogger


Add a Large Image to Tweets on Twitter with Twitshot Written by:
House of Sylvestermouse




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, August 12, 2016

Using Easy Product Displays to Create Home Page Featured Articles

How to Create a Blogger Home Page Review and Tutorial

Create Home Page Featured Articles

Previously, I published How to Create a Static Home Page on Blogger.  In that article, I shared that I used "Easy Product Displays" to generate the code for our Quick View Home Page here on Review This!   With EPD, I can easily create a truly awesome code that features the article images, with captions, set side by side.  

This provides a viewer friendly page that our guests can view quickly and select an article on Review This that they wish to read.  Because each photo is linked to the review article of origin, a visitor need only click the photo to be redirected to that page.  

It truly is the perfect Home Page set up for Blogger.



How to Make Your Own Home Page Features Using EPD


I was asked by several people to share a step by step tutorial on how to use Easy Product Displays (EPD) to create the Home Page features.  Since I change our Quick View Home Page features each week, that is a very easy request to fulfill.  

I will show you step by step photos of the process, but you will need to join Easy Product Displays to use their service and generate the code.  You can join for your free trial and set up your first home page code, by simply clicking the box below.

Note:  Setting up a featured article page is not the intended purpose of EPD, it is just a fantastic alternate use of their service.  
What Easy Product Displays offers to affiliate marketers with their search tools, buttons and displays is much more valuable.



Step by Step Instructions for Creating Your Featured Article Page

  1. Select Your Setting on the EPD Dashboard - Be sure you Select "None" for the Button Type.  I also select "No Border" for the Border Style
    dashboard for Easy Product Displays

  2. Add the Number of "Boxes" for Photos/Articles You Wish to Display
    dashboard for Easy Product Displays

  3. Fill in the Spaces with the Article URL, the Title, and the Photo URL
    dashboard for Easy Product Displays

  4. Select Your Layout - As you can see the the screenshot below, there are a variety of layout styles.  
    dashboard for Easy Product Displays

  5. Click the "Get Code" tab in the upper right corner, then select "Copy to Clipboard"
    dashboard for Easy Product Displays

  6. Move to your Blogger Page and paste the code copied to clipboard on the Blogger post using the "HTML" tab page.
    dashboard for Easy Product Displays

Additional Notes:

If you wish to add line spaces in the captions under the pictures, you would simply add <br /> <br /> where you want the break.  


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Using Easy Product Displays to Create Home Page Featured Articles Tutorial Written by:
House of Sylvestermouse




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