Creating a Hyperlink: How do you make a "word" or "phrase" in a post link to another page or site?

Here is a recent question posted to Blogs By Heather, and one that I am asked often. Ask away! I'd love to help and I know others will benefit as well! 

QUESTION: Creating a Hyperlink

I know you must think I am crazy, but I have typepad. Instead of linking the whole http in your post I want the word that I choose to go to that specific site or page in my blog? Thanks so much for your assistance.

Basically, he/she is asking how to create a hyperlink. How to create a hyperlink where you are using a word or phrase as the "anchor text" instead of showing the entire address in the form of http://www.blogsbyheather.com (for example if linking to my site).

If you have done this in Microsoft Word, it is very similar.  In any case, you will see how easy it is to do :D

SOLUTION: How to Create a Hyperlink

Begin writing your posts as you have always done.  When you are done and are now ready to choose a word or phrase to link to another page on your site, do the following:

1. First, be sure you note the URL/address to the page, post or site you want to link to. For example, if you wanted to link to my site, http://www.BlogsByHeather.com.  If you wanted to link to my post series on SEO: How do I get found on the web, you would use this URL: http://www.blogsbyheather.com/series-how-to-be-found-on-the-web/. 
2. Select and COPY the URL (you are going to link to).
3. Next, you select the word or phrase you want to use to link to that URL.  So in this example, I am going to select the phrase "SEO: How do I get found on the web".
   
   
   
   
4. With the word or phrase selected, click the link button on the toolbar (it looks similar in all the blog platforms, this is TypePad's).
   
   
   
    
5. Then PASTE the URL in the URL box area, enter the Link Title (if that option is available) and check to open in a new window (if that option is available in your blog platform).
   
   
   
    
6. Click OK (or Insert Link) and you're done.

 

SEO friendly tips to remember when composing your posts:

• Use keywords in your hyperlinks when appropriate.
• Use keywords in your post title and in the top of your blog post content.
• Use your formatting tags - Heading 1, Heading 2, Bold - in highlighting key content.
• Categorize your posts.
• When inserting image like in this tutorial, but sure to add or modify your ALT tags. In TypePad and Blogger you need to go to HTML view to do this manually. In WordPress you can do this when inserting Media (pictures).

 

Ask away! I love questions!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com
To ask a question, you can do so on the Blogs By Heather Q&A page :D 

Q&A: How do you change "Comments" to read "Testimonials"

Bloggers welcome comments and I'm sure as a blogger you leave comments on other blogs. Typically, you find the word "Comments" in the post footer area and click on it to then enter a comment form area.  In Typepad, in the Post Footer area you see "Comments(29)" for example; which means 29 people have commented on that given post.  So, can you change that word "Comments" to "Testimonials"?

NOTE: Although this is a TypePad question, in the resolution area of this post I will also discuss Blogger and WordPress solutions as well.

Question: 

Hi! In the comment link of a typepad blog, I would like to change the word 'comment' to 'testimonies'. Is that something you can do?

Answer: 

In TypePad:

If you go to Settings and then Comments you will find many settings regarding your comments, such as setting comment moderation. However, there is no place to change the label for leaving comments.  The only way you would be able to do this is if you converted you blog to use Advanced Templates. Click here to learn more about Advanced Templates.  I normally do not recommend people convert to Advanced Templates unless there is an absolute, real need for something with high importance and/or specific functionality, as it is heavily based on writing HTML and CSS code.

In Blogger:

Go to your blog, then Design, then Page Elements.  And click Edit in the middle or wherever your Blog Posts section is. If you are using the new Blogger Dashboard, then go to your blog, then Layout and click the Edit for the Blog Posts area.

Then, you will see this screen where you can change the word "Comments" to "Testimonials" if you wanted.

In WordPress:

You would go to your Dashboard, then Settings, then Discussion.  In there, go to the bottom and you can modify the text "Leave a Reply" to "I would love your testimonial" for example.

Hope this helps!

Up next...more great blogging fun and how to use a free program like Paint.net to resize photos and create your own watermark!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com 

 

Q&A: How do pages work?

I'm having fun going through a bunch of questions being posted on my blog in individual posts as well as those posted in the Q&A area.  I will get to all of them and now answer them individually for better SEO results (so I can put each question in the Title) :D However I am still categorizing them with the Catetory "Q&A" so you may quickly review all of them.

This next question is about working with pages and then also how to setup a Popular Articles or Top Ten type of page where you link to popular/certain posts. 

Question: How do pages work?

Hi do you know how "pages" work? i want put many posts in the same page but i don't know how do it... is that possible? the idea is create one page like "notices" and inside that page posts notices when i want like we do in the main page.

Answer:

As previously stated this is a loaded question (LOL) and we'll review it in pieces. Pages are more for static information, such as information "About You" or on your services or even a page setup like a store displaying products and paypal buttons. 

They are created in the same fashion as posts, but posts are what you write with frequency and those of which your blog followers get updated with. When you create a page, your subscribers do not know about it unles you post about it!  Such as you are stating a new Club, so you create a page about it. When you're done you may write up a post about it and link to your new page for more details and registration.  I have done this with the Stamp Out Breast Cancer event I was part of during the summer. I posted about it but also had a page about it to then link to.

You also use pages to reorganize your blog. You can create a page called "Recommended Services" like mine which contain a list of badges of your favorite, recommend sites for example. This would mean you would remove them from your sidebars to free up space.

Okay, however, what I think you want to do is actually create a "page" that links to other posts, similarly of what I do in my Popular Articles Round-Up posts (but you would create a page). First you find the post you want to link to, right-click on the Title and select Copy Shortcut/Copy Link Location.  Then you create the page and the text and title about that post.  Then highlight the text and click on the Insert Link button from your post editor toolbar. Then Paste and it will paste in the link/URL you just copied. You would continue these steps for as many posts you want to link to.  Then remember to publish you page! Then be sure you add a link to your Nav Bar area to link to that new page (in TypePad), WordPress will auto add the page to your Navigation Menu, and in Blogger you would click Add Pages Gadget).

Hope this helps!

Happy Blogging :D
Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com

Q&A: If I change my blog platform will I lose my subscribers?

At some point during your blogging experience or growth, you may consider changing blog platforms, moving to say Blogger to WordPress or Blogger to Typepad and vice versa.  The question is what happens to your current blog subscribers? Do they get "lost" and you have to start over?

Question/Comment: Hi Heather, I am considering changing blogging platforms. Will i lose my subscribers?

Answer:

If you are using FeedBurner, which I setup for my blog customers as part of their Blog Setup, then you can edit your feed details therefore keeping your subscribers updated even if you "move" your blog (to another platform).

• Login to Feedburner, http://feedburner.google.com.
• Click on your Feed title.
• Click on Edit Feed Details at the top under your Feed Title
• Then in the 2nd text box/line, Original Feed
• Replace what is there replace the original feed with your new feed URL.

Example - Blogger to Typepad move. Replace the Blogger feed URL (original URL) with the new, Typepad Feed URL: http://<your blog name>.typepad.com/<your blog name>/atom.xml (conventional TypePad feed address).  For example,http://heatherporto.typepad.com/blogs_by_heather/atom.xml.

Example - Blogger to WordPress move. Replace the original feed shown (for your Blogger blog) in the Original Feed field with your new Wordpress feed URL (typically <your blog address with the .com>/atom.xml). Such as this one I used in my Creative Blogging book, http://creativebloggingwithwordpress.wordpress.com/atom.xml

• Save Changes and you're done.
• Make sure you have the Feedburner subscription gadget on your new blog :D

I have used this method for a few customers now and it's worked beautifully for all of them.  If you are using anything other than Feedburner, you need to consult their help site to see how to edit the feed URL.

Happy blogging!

Onto the next question....thanks for following me and asking your questions :D

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com 

 

Q&A: Do "hidden" pages show up in blog feed (to subscribers)

After posting the 3-Part Series on Membership sites there was a question about whether or not blog subscribers would be updated when a hidden or protected page was published. It's a great question!

Question/Comment:

Thank you Heather. I've enjoyed this series of posts and you have answered a lot of questions that I have. I have one more question. How do the feeds handle a post like the one described above. Does it show up in google reader? I know you'd have to enter the password to see the whole page, but would the post title or anything show up. (hoping the answer is no.)

Answer:

You are right? The answer is NO.  Blog subscribers (people who follow your blog via email subscriptions, a reader like Google Reader, the Followers widget or simply bookmark your site) are NOT updated when new pages are created or when existing pages are edited. Blog subscribers are only updated when you "post" new articles to your blog.  Not pages. So your "hidden" pages stay "hidden" (unless someone feels like sharing the URL with a friend).

 

On to the next question....Thanks so much for posting questions on my blog. I will get to all of them.

Happy blogging,
Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsbyHeather.com 

Blogs By Heather Q&A - Feedburner vs. FeedBlitz delivery schedules and more!

Here is the latest Blogs By Heather Q&A. Don't be shy about asking questions. I'd love to help and I know others will benefit from the solutions as well! 

Discussion This Week:
FeedBurner vs. FeedBlitz

For this week's Q&A I would like to focus on a very popular discussion of Feeburner vs. FeedBlitz, especially surrounding update delivery scheduling.

How it all began...

For me, when I first started blogging, both professionally (this TypePad blog) and personally (my stamping, papercrafting blog on Blogger), I signed up for both Feedburner and FeedBlitz. At the time both were free. I created the FeedBlitz account first as a fellow demonstrator told me about it.  When creating my TypePad blog, under the Widget Gallery they used to have, Feedburner was under the Subscriptions widget area so I used that one. They both pretty much do the same thing - keep your subscribers updated with your new posts!

QUESTION: Why don't my subscribers get notified of my new post right away?

However, many people have recently asked why they're subscribers didn't get their post until the next day.  And the answer was that they were using FeedBurner, and FeedBurner presently only has one set delivery time.  So if the delivery time is set between 7 am - 9 am and you posted at 5 pm in the evening on a Friday, it is after the set 7-9 am delivery time and therefore will be included in the next round of updates to go out (7-9 am the next day, on Saturday).

RESOLUTIONS

In FeedBurner

It depends on your posting pattern. I have been posting every other day and I normally schedule them to post at 8 am if I'm ahead of the game and scheduling. However, in FeedBurner, I have my delivery time set to between 7 - 9 pm just in case I want to write a post after dinner and still have it delivered that evening.  I think this time slot, 7-9 pm would suit most bloggers who post once on any given day (every day, every other day, weekly, etc.).  

However, if you are a blogger who posts several times a day, say three times, this option still works for you but in the delivery between 7-9 pm, all three posts would be included in the email that went out to your email subscribers.  

In FeedBlitz

On the other hand, many bloggers prefer to have their email subscribers updated ASAP whenever they post.  This is NOT an option with FeedBurner!  However, FeedBlitz can "check for updates" every hour, every two hours, etc.  You could choose a delivery option that best suits your personal blogging habits.  

FeedBlitz, however, is no longer a free service and your monthly fee is based on your number of subscribers; the more subscribers you have, the more you pay! Click here for pricing.  

FeedBlitz vs. FeedBurner Comparison

• Prompt corporate support and ongoing development;
• More consistent and reliable RSS stats tracking and updating;
• Greater email design flexibility (e.g. add your own sponsorships to the mailing);
• Multiple email scheduling options;
• Ability to send an email newsletter blast to your list without a blog or feed entry;
• Custom fields, personalization and segmentation;
• Autoresponder capability for drip marketing or simple incentive mailings;
• Extensive email reports for click, bounce, open tracking and more;
• Automatic subscriber management, including automatic dual opt-in reminders;
• Better email deliverability to major US internet service providers, such as AOL;
• Greater integration with social media.

Are you interesting in switching from FeedBurner to FeedBlitz?

I'm not recommending you to "jump ship" as I believe FeedBurner is great for most bloggers. But if you are a frequent blogger, professional blogger, and post several times a day, every day for example, FeedBlitz may be a better option for delivery and corresponding with your followers/subscribers. 

Click here for the whole scoop - FeedBlitz vs. FeedBurner Comparison.

Click here to migrate Email Subscribers.

Click here to migrate RSS Feed Subscribers.

Click here to learn about the migrations process in its entirety.

FeedBurner Tutorials

Lastly, FeedBurner does have great abilities as well, such as Email Branding (adding your logo and color scheme to coordinate with your blog design) and socialization with Twitter. Most of all it's free.

Here is the bunch of tutorials I've written for FeedBurner. With the increased interest in FeedBlitz, I will begin writing those!

• Add FeedBurner as a Widget in your blog's sidebar.
• Looking up your FeedBurner Stats.
• Changing your blog's feed address!
• Changing your Delivery Time.
• Email Branding.
• New Blogger Widget - Follow By Email.
• Update your Twitter Account automatically with FeedBurner.

I hope this has helped answer your many questions on FeedBurner vs. FeedBlitz.

Happy blogging!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com 

Blogs By Heather Q&A - Subscriptions and Followers - What do they mean? How do they differ?

As promised, here is the latest Blogs By Heather Q&A. Every week I would like to try and recap all the questions and answers as I feel many would benefit from the answers and I appreciate the questions and love to help!

Discussion This Week: Subscriptions/Followers

 

Many of us have newsletters, blog subscribers and follower-type gadgets on our blogs; but many ask or want to understand what each is for and how do they differ?

Newsletter Subscribers

In addition to your blog and other social networking sites, you may use a email marketing/newsletter service like Constant Contact, Aweber, MailChimp, iContact, or Vertical Response (to name a few).

This list of "newsletter subscribers" is separate from and in addition to your blog subscribers. Additionally, you can't simply export your blog subscribers (from Feedburner/FeedBlitz) and import that email list into your email marketing/newsletter contacts list w/o authorization from those subscribers.  Therefore, on your blog what you should have is a separate "Sign Up For My Newsletter" area (separate from and in addition to the regular blog subscription area). Then you can write a post to inform all your blog subscribers that you are starting a newsletter and direct them to your blog's sidebar and the new "Newsletter" sign up box!

Click here to learn how to add a sign up box to your blog using Constant Contact.

So with your new list of newsletter subscribers, you can send them weekly, monthly or periodic newsletters sharing with them new promotions, upcoming events, special coupons and announcements, etc.

Blog Subscribers

Blog subscribers are those who have signed up to follow your blog via their email address or by in a Reader (like Google Reader).  The two most popular "subscriber" widgets are Feedburner and FeedBlitz. FeedBlitz used to be free but now charges. Feedburner is owned by Google and continues to be free. The one thing I love about FeedBlitz is the delivery options where your subscribers can be updated as soon as a new post is published; where in Feedburner you set one delivery time and your subscribers are only updated once a day with x-amount of posts you may have published within the last 24 hour period.

Blog subscribers are updated when you publish new posts to your blog. (Again, this list is separate from your newsletter subscribers.)

Click here to learn how to add the Feedburner widget to your blog.

Followers

This is a popular Blogger gadget that TypePad had also acquired; however as a TypePad user you can still have the Blogger-like Followers gadget through Google Friends Connect. And if you are a Blogger user moving/transferring to a TypePad blog, you can bring that gadget along with you!!!!

A friend of mine, Dale Morin of Dale's Designs, uses the Google Friends Connect gadget in her TypePad sidebar here.

Click here to get started with Google Friends Connect.

So what is Followers and how does it work?

Basically what happens is if I go to a blog and click on the Followers (or Google Friends Connect) gadget, it adds that blog to my "I'm Following" area in blog's dashboard area and quickly get updated on their most recent post(s). It's just another way to keep updated with blogs you like, right in your own blog's dashboard and instead of or in addition to email subscriptions or readers.

Hope this post helps describe the differences between the different subscribers you may have on your blog and/or newsletter. 

Happy Blogging!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com 

Blogs By Heather Q&A - Dropdown Menu Code, Sidebar Moved, Add Feedjit and more!

As promised, here is the latest Blogs By Heather Q&A. Every week I would like to try and recap all the questions and answers as I feel many would benefit from the answers and appreciate the questions.

 

Discussion This Week: 

1. Dropdown menu code questions
2. Sidebar moved beneath posting area
3. How to use a watermark
4. How to make a button point to a specific URL/address
5. How to add the Live Traffic Feed (Feedjit)
6. Tiny URL - what is the difference between that and a hyperlink

Dropdown Menu Coding Questions

In my last Q&A I mentioned how to create a dropdown menu and the code I used (as a base, to get started), here are a few follow up questions:

1. How to create a link to a post from the dropdown menu
2. How to link it to a category (of posts instead of individual posts)

How to create a link to different posts in the dropdown menu

It would be the same as if you were linking to a page or external site.

For example….this is a part of a dropdown menu for Recent Posts.....

            <li id="main">

            <a href="#">Recent Posts</a>

                <ul id="subnav">

                      <li><a href="http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2011/06/papers-pixels-june-2011-issue-are-you-using-google-places.html">Are you listed on Google Places?</a></li>

                      <li><a href="http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2011/06/blogs-by-heather-weekly-qa-1.html">Weekly Q&A</a></li>

                      <li><a href="http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2011/06/printer-friendly-blogs.html">Printer Friendly Blogs</a></li>

                      <li><a href="http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2011/06/using-a-store-page-template.html">Using a Store Page Template</a></li>

                </ul>            

            </li>

How to create a dropdown for certain categories

It would be the same but the HREF is to your category (which you can get by displaying the categories list in your sidebar and then right-clicking on a specific one and choosing Copy Shortcut (Copy Link Location)).

For example….this is a part of a dropdown menu for some of mine.....

            <li id="main">

            <a href="#">Categories</a>

                <ul id="subnav">

                      <li><a href="http://www.blogsbyheather.com/seo-tips/">SEO Tips</a></li>

                      <li><a href="http://www.blogsbyheather.com/weekly-qa/">Weekly Q&A</a></li>

                      <li><a href="http://www.blogsbyheather.com/did_you_know/">Did You Know</a></li>

          

                </ul>            

            </li>

Sidebar Moved To Bottom

When your sidebar seems to disappear or moves under the main post area, that means there is an HTML error on your site - normally in a post you just created or in a new sidebar gadget you've added.

So whatever new HTML you may have added, such as installing a new blog template or a badge from another site; there may be something wrong with the HTML code provided. Therefore try removing the recently added gadget or revert back to an old template and see if that solves the problem.

On many occasions I have had to go to each individual "post" and set it to draft, view the blog, see if the problem is there or fixed. If it is fixed, then you know there is something wrong in that specific post and its easiest just to redo your post rather than trying to figure out where the error is.

How To Use a Watermark

Okay, so you've been given a watermark to use on your artwork (by your blog designer) or have created one yourself…but how do you get it on, how do you use it? You want to use a watermark to help protect your artwork, creations, images on the web.  I have these sources and tutorials for you:

Creating images:
http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2008/08/create-image-fo.html

Tutorial on creating a watermark in Photoshop:
http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2008/11/how-to-create-a-watermark-in-photoshop.html

FREE program for PC to resize images, crop images and add watermark and more:
http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2008/10/free-image-resizing-and-watermark-program.html

FREE iWatermark program tutorial for the Mac.
http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2008/11/iwatermark-for-the-mac-free-watermark-program.html

Another FREE program, GIMP for PC and Mac tutorials:
http://www.blogsbyheather.com/2008/11/using-gimp-a-free-program-for-mac-and-pc-to-create-a-watermark.html

 

How to make an image/button point to a specific URL

This again refers back to my last Q&A post in adding a sidebar gadget and having it link to a location (Typepad).

However, here are additional tutorials on how to upload an image in your blog's sidebar and have it link to a specific URL/location:

Click for Blogger

Click for TypePad

Click for WordPress

Add a Live Feed - FeedJit

Go to www.FeedJit.com

Click the button "Choose Your FeedJit".

On the left, click Sign Up under FeedJit, Completely Free.

Enter your information and click the Get Your Traffic Feed.

Choose a color scheme (in this sample you see White Ice).

Adjust the size. In this sample I set it to 180 as most sidebars are 200px wide by default and this will fit best for most.

Adjust the length. Default was 10 but then that takes up a lot of sidebar space. So in this sample I set it to 5.

Then click on the bottom to install the gadget, where you see "Blogger Blog" as a default. If you click that dropdown you will see Blogger, WordPress, TypePad and other.

Click your blog platform, click GO and it will do the rest (adding a gadget to your blog).

 

What is the difference between Tiny URL and a Hyperlink

They are the same in that they are both hyperlinks.  Tiny URL is a service that simply turns a URL that is very, very long, into a smaller one.

You can see an example on their site: http://tinyurl.com/

 

I hope you enjoyed this Q&A - great questions!!!!!!

Until next time….

Happy Blogging!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com 

Blogs By Heather Weekly Q&A

As promised, here is the Blogs By Heather Weekly Q&A. Every week to recap all the questions and answers as I feel many would benefit from the answers and appreciate the questions.

 

Discussion This Week: 

1. Creating a Notes Typelist in TypePad 
2. How to change the font size and color in the sidebar (TypePad)
3. How to create a printer friendly blog
4. Creating a dropdown menu

Creating a Notes Typelist in TypePad

A customer of mine is working on her sidebars and wanted to know how to be able to insert an image in the sidebar as well as have text underneath it.  I asked if she was using a Notes Typelist for that is what she would need.  So if she was not, to delete the old typelist and create a new one.  Then shared these instructions on how to setup the sidebar item with the image and text.

• First, go to your Typelists (under the Library Menu) and then Create New Typelist.
• Make sure to choose Notes as the Type, and then give it a Name (this will appear as as a title in your sidebar).

Then upload a picture of your item to your file manager (the File Manager is also listed under the Library menu).

• Then right-click and get the URL of that image (meaning Copy Link or Copy shortcut – that is the image's path).

Then you need to go to your new Typelist and in the NOTES are you will use this:

<img src="path to your image">

such as

<img src="http://www.astampabove.com/kits-available.jpg">

Then if you want to link that to a page on your blog….Create the page on you rblog and get the URL to that page.  Then modify this code to be like this:

<a href="URL to page on blog"><img src="path to image"></a>

Then if you want text under it as well, no problem:

<a href="URL to page on blog"><img src="path to image"></a><BR>Click here to view all my available kits for sale!

And if you want it centered…..
<center><a href="URL to page on blog"><img src="path to image"></a></center>

Remember to click SAVE to save your changes. And if you are using a new Typelist, you need to click PUBLISH as well:

• Then check off your blog and click Save Changes. 
• Next, click Organize Content, 
• Then Content until you end up in the layout of your blog where you see the newly added item listed at the bottom of your sidebar.  
• Drag and drop where you want it to be and then save changes.

Related articles

• Creating a sidebar item to link to existing post (using Notes Typelist).
• Creating a sidebar w/o having to use a TypeList!

 

Change the font and size

Again, this is a TypePad question about how to change the size and font of the sidebar titles.

• Go to Design, then Theme Builder.
• Go to Sidebar settings (at the bottom).
• And change the size and font of the Sidebar Title if you'd like.
• Save changes.

 

How to create a Printer Friendly post

I loved this question and wanted to experiment with it.  TypePad and WordPress.com already have it covered and your post area is printed only (no sidebars); however this is not the case with Blogger or privately hosted WordPress blogs…so here is the article on that.

 

Creating a Dropdown Menu (NavBar)

I had a customer post a question to me if it is possible to have a dropdown in Blogger. I said "Yes", and its the same code I use for TypePad blogs.  WordPress has a built-in ability to create a menu-like system when you create pages - you can set it to be a sub-page and create a hierarchy that way. Anyway….

Here is the code I use, but of course have modified it for my clients…but it's a starting point.  You will soon see a new Dropdown menu on this blog as part of my Reorganizing Your Blog series!

I also offer this as a service from $25-$40 depending on the complexity. If you are interested or need a dropdown menu for your blog:

 

Until next week….

Happy Blogging!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com 

Blogs By Heather Weekly Q&A

As promised, here is the Blogs By Heather Weekly Q&A. Every week to recap all the questions and answers as I feel many would benefit from the answers and appreciate the questions.

 

Discussion This Week: Domain Mapping

1. This week we'll discuss Domain Mapping and how to set it up in Blogger, TypePad and WordPress

You may purchase a domain from me at www.BlogsByHeatherDomains.com and you can complete your domain mapping immediately (in most cases…there has been one case I know of where it took over an hour; but most changes are immediate).  When going through Go Daddy directly, it may take up to 24 hours and I have had clients where it took several days to a week (but most changes update within 24 hours).  

Anyway…onward to Domain Mapping.

First, with Blogger and TypePad you change or update what is called a CNAME record.  In WordPress.com, you update the actual NameServers (and this may take up to 48 hours for WordPress.com to apply the changes). Additionally, with WordPress.com you have to pay $12 a year to keep the domain mapped to your WordPress blog.  With Blogger and TypePad there is no "domain mapping" related charge.

Blogger

Is the easiest out of all three platforms.

• First go to your domain.
• Go to www.BlogsByHeatherDomains.com for example and login.
• Click on your Domain name (say BlogsByHeather.com) or click to go directly to Domain Manager.
• When the Domain Manager is open, then go to the middle, bottom area and click Total DNS.
• On the next screen, towards the bottom, look for the www row.  It has a @ sign in it as a default. Replace the @ with ghs.google.com.  Yes, this is for all BLOGGER users (you use the same address).
• Click Save Zone File button.
• Click Ok on the next message about could take up to 24 hours.
• Now go to Blogger, then Settings.
• Then Publishing.
• Click to switch to Custom Domain.
• Click Advanced Settings (since you already have a domain from Blogs By Heather Domains for example).
• Enter the URL with the www in the address box; such as www.BlogsByHeather.com.
• Enter the Word Verification at the bottom and Save.
• Then again in the same area, check the box to redirect the non-www address.
• Then enter Word Verification again and Save (yes, this has to be done in two steps).
• And viola…you domain is now active!!!!

 

TypePad

• Login to TypePad and then from the top, click Account.
• Then click Domain Mapping.
• Begin domain mapping and enter the www address, such as www.BlogsByHeather.com.
• Then click to Map the Domain.
• It will then give you a Points To address such as heatherporto.typepad.com.  That is the address you need to select and copy.
• Then go to your domain, such as via Blogs By Heather Domains.
• Then go to Domain Manager, and then Total DNS.
• Where it lists www and the @ as the address, replace the @ with your Points To address (such as heatherporto.typepad.com).
• Click to Save Zone File and then click OK.
• Then go back to TypePad (Account, Domain Mapping) and click Activate next to the mapping you previously started.
• That's it…now your domain is live!!!!

 

WordPress

A little tricker and does not involve Total DNS as the Blogger and TypePad, but instead the changing of Nameservers.

• Login to your domain first, such as www.BlogsByHeatherDomains.com.
• Then go to the Domain Manager.
• Instead of Total DNS, go to the NameServers area and change the Nameservers to those of WordPress:
  
  NS1.WORDPRESS.COM
  NS2.WORDPRESS.COM
  NS3.WORDPRESS.COM 
• Save changes, click OK at any additional message (about it will take time for changes).
• Now, login to WordPress.com, and go to the Dashboard, then Upgrades.

• Click Add a Domain and "mapping" (it's $12 per year).
• Then enter path of the new domain without the "www" and click the "Add Domain to Blog" button.
• Then continue paying with PayPal or credit card and continue.
• You will get a message that the WordPress nameserver changes may take up to 48 hours.  After that, you're all set.

If you have any problems mapping a domain, just let me know.  In some instance when registering with other domain registrants there are some other things that need to be done; but I have assisted people with Go Daddy, Network Solutions, Yahoo! Small Business, NameSecure, Cheap Domains and more!  But for fast service, go to www.BlogsByHeatherDomains.com.

Until next week….

Happy Blogging!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com