The Most Effective and Useful Blog Plugins and Widgets Ebook

Contents

Most Effective and Useful Blog Widgets and Plugins………………………………………………………………………………………..5

Popular Blog Sites ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

Danga Software Powered …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 1. InsaneJournal.com……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 2. JournalFen.com………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 3.

LiveJournal.com ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

Themed Blog Sites …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5

• Blogabond.com …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5
• BlogCheese.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
• BusyThumbs.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
• Trippert.com……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
• Ufem.com…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
• WordCountJournal.com ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
• WordPress Powered…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

• Blogetery.com …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
• Edublogs.org……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
• WordPress.com …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
• WordPress.org …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
• Other Blog Platforms ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

• Blogger.com………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
• BlogSpirit.com …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
• Blogster.com……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
• Bloki.com……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
• Bravenet.com ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
• Xanga.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
• Zoomshare.com…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
• Windows Live Spaces – ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
• 10 Essential Blogger Plugins and Blogger Widgets …………………………………………………………………………………………..7 1.
• Author Info Widget …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 2.
• Google Buzz Share Count Button ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 3.
• Subscribe Widget ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 4.
• Recent Post With Thumbnails…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 5.
• Featured Content Slider …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 6.
• MintShare ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 7
• . Accordion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 8.
• Recent Post Sliding With Thumbnail and Simple Spy……………………………………………………………………………..8

9. Random Rotating Banner…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8

10. Twitter Follow Us Badge ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

Best WordPress Widgets 2011………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 1.

All In One SEO Pack …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 2.

Google XML Sitemaps ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9 3.

WP Super Cache……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 4.

My Most Popular Posts. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 5.

SEO Smart Links ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 6.

My Random Posts …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 7.

SEO Friendly Images………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 8.

My Recent Post Widgets. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 9

. Sexy Bookmarks ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 10

. Fast Secure Contact Form ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 11.

My Categories ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 12

. Category RSS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 13

. LJ Longtail SEO ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 14. Archives……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 15.

Search widget. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 16.

WP DB Backup ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 17. CommentLuv………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 18.

SEO Pressor ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 19.

Pingback Optimizer ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 20.

WP Silo SEO………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12 50

Best WordPress Plugins and Widgets for Power Blogging …………………………………………………………………………..12

Manage WordPress Comments ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12

Expert WordPress SEO ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12

Easy WordPress Navigation………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Stop WordPress Spam…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13

WordPress Twitter Plugins …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 I

nteractive WordPress Posts ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14

WordPress Admin Management Tools…………………………………………………………………………………………………..14

WordPress Advertising………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14

WordPress Blog Translation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15

Enhance WordPress RSS Feeds …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15

Random WordPress Stuff…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15

For the Blogger ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16

For your Readers………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Fight Spam ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Encourage Commenting ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Improve Appearance ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16

Enable Rich Comments ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17

Enable Avatars …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

Show Off Comments …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

Allow Better Conversation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

Image Management Tools …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19

Importing Images from Other Services………………………………………………………………………………………………….19

Image Display Effects & Hacks ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19

Playing Music …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20

Miscellaneous Audio Tools ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20

Video Tools………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20

Stats for the Blog Owner……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20

Stats to Share with Visitors ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….21

Post Administration & Layout ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………22

Post Tools ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22

Social Site Integration …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………23

Status Indicators ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..23

Miscellaneous Site Integration …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….23

Not Just WordPress………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..24

 

Most Effective and Useful Blog Widgets and Plugins

These days blogs seem to make the internet go round. In fact, the numbers are staggering- 50 million and growing every day. Bloggers come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. Whether you are keeping your clients abreast of the current real estate market or you are blogging about your pet, there are all kinds of effective and useful blog widgets and plugins that can make your blog more exciting and appealing.

Widgets are a simple, effective, and handy way to add a little flare and excitement to your blog. Since the number of widgets and plugins available is virtually endless make sure you don’t go overboard.

Popular Blog Sites

Before we start looking at the various widgets and plugins you can use on your blog, let’s look at some of the most popular blog hosts. Everyone knows about WordPress, the number one used blog site, but there are plenty of other options you should be aware of so let’s get started.

Danga Software Powered

Danga Interactive was the brainchild of Brad Fitzpatrick’s company that created Live Journal and the backend to drive that software. There have been a number of contributors to this software since its early inception. The following are three of the main sites that are Danga-powered.

1. InsaneJournal.com

InsaneJournal offers both free and paid accounts, with additional enhancements. It is a simple online diary that is very customizable, and built on open-source software. InsaneJournal lets you keep in touch with friends and family. Don’t let the fact that it’s free fool you. This is an excellent tool and the community is very tight-knit and accepting of everyone young or old.

2. JournalFen.com

JounralFen is directed towards “fandoms” such as various TV shows or movies like Harry Potter. It is designed for those over 18 years of age and is considered a journaling service for fans of television, movie, and music, as well as other media entertainment forms.

3. LiveJournal.com

Live Journal is one of the most well-known and well-used blog hosts offering its users multiple account types including paid and ad support. This vibrant virtual global community is a social media platform where passions can be shared. There are hundreds of communities. You can keep a journal, diary, or blog.

Themed Blog Sites

• Blogabond.com – This is a blog site dedicated to travel blogs and it includes map integration. Here you’ll discover tons of travel journals and photo blogs from individual travelers of the world. There is also maps, research, and plenty of resources if you are planning some backpacking.
• BlogCheese.com – A video blogging site that’s packed with all kinds of great blogs. Whether it’s a blog on new electronics, the internet, or playing golf you’re sure to find one of interest here. It’s also a great

 

space to start your own blog and get a little practice.

• BusyThumbs.com – This UK-based blog site is designed for camera phone images and text messages. It offers free moblogs, which is a mobile phone weblog or online journal that you send via text message. Registration is free. There are hundreds of blogs to choose from, and it ranks well in the search engines. You can upload from your phone to your blog in minutes and is an excellent choice if you want to be able to
• Trippert.com – Create and share your blogs that are related to travel. This is a strong community with a strong following and a great place to start your travel blog no matter where you live or travel.
• Ufem.com – This is a blog site for women. There are multiple themes and plugins to choose from, and if your blog topic focuses around women this is a great place to start. It’s a well-visited site thanks to the great content and the additional resources relating to topics of interest to women.
• WordCountJournal.com – This is a new blogging format. On day one you’ll write one word, on the second day two words, on the third day three words, and on it goes. By the end of the year, you will have written more than 65,000 words.WordPress Powered

  WordPress is one of the more popular blog publishing companies with a focus on usability, web standards, and aesthetics. There are a number of sites that are powered by WordPress.

• Blogetery.com – Is a little-known WordPress platform used by more than 70000 blogs. There are more than 140 free customizable themes, brilliant plugins, free sub-domains, anti-spam, and plenty more features. There’s an opportunity to make money of your blog.
• Edublogs.org – WordPress-powered blogs for educators are a resource that continues to grow and attract new visitors. Whether you are a teacher or a student you can quickly customize and design your own blog to include photos, podcasts, and videos. It’s secure, safe, and easy to use.
• WordPress.com – This site offers you free, easy-to-customize blogs. Everything including, backups, spam blockers, security, upgrades, and setup is taken care of for you. However, you have to use one of their themes and you cannot use plugins. There are plenty of widgets you can add, and tags are easy to add. You are not allowed to sell anything unless you are an artist or author.
• WordPress.org – This site requires more technical skills. It also has to be installed onto a server and upgraded by you anytime there are upgrades. You can sell things, postpaid ads, and include a shopping cart. The software is free but hosting might cost you a few dollars a month.Other Blog Platforms
  • Blog – Free blog hosting and best of all unlimited bandwidth with even their free package.
  • Blogger.com – This is a great site to get a taste of blogging from Google. Easy to use with plenty of tools to help you share your pictures, posts, and videos. You can make your blog look fantastic on a mobile device, and you can even view it before going live.

• BlogSpirit.com – This is a European-based blog site with a 30-day free trial and it offers a large amount of storage. BlogSpirit is a complete suite of blog products and services. In just minutes you can make a professional blog.
• Blogster.com – Free image hosting with your free blogs. Blogster is a blogging community that features specific interest blogs, with a large community of users and visitors.
• Bloki.com – Here you can build a blog site and open it up for partnership if you want. Bloke offers user-friendly features and enough basic tools to help you get your blog up and running. It also features the ability to create links between your pages, and best of all it’s free.
• Bravenet.com – Free blog and website hosting, build your blog using the easy web tools provided. It’s never been easier to put together your own blog and reap the benefits of the volume of traffic that stops by the site to visit.
• Xanga.com – This is a blogging community where you can start your very own blog for free, share videos, and photos, and make new friends. It ranks well within the Google search engine and offers you high traffic volume.
• Zoomshare.com – Zoom share reaches a large audience made up of small business owners and individuals. With more than 1 million users it is continually growing and members have a wide range of interests. You can build and promote your website and Zoomshare. You can also create and grow your blog.
• Windows Live Spaces – This was once one of the most popular free blogging sites through your MSN account. It was then moved over to Live Space and when Live Spaces decided to stop services it was made easy for you to move your blog to WordPress. As of March 2011, Windows Live Spaces had been closed down but deserved mentioning because so many people used it.