Here’s an update on my Work-At-Home progress.  Since I started out blogging, I’ve learned so much about what an art-form it is from all the wonderful bloggers I’ve met!   Many Entrecard Droppers have become friends, as well as the mom bloggers I’ve met on sites such as the Mom Bloggers Club and BlogHer.

Here are some important blogging techniques I’d like to share with those of you who are fledglings and just launching your new blog off the ground~

The Spectacular Tricks of Pinging by Terry Detty

In this newsletter, we will explain what pinging is, how it helps your blog, and what the best pinging services are. After you’ve read this newsletter, you’ll know exactly how to use pinging to make your blog popular.

What is pinging?

When a blog is pinged, it essentially tells a web blog tracking system that the blog has been updated. Thus, pinging is the process of telling tracking services that a site has been updated.

So how does pinging work? Well, a ping service scans regularly blogs for updates. Whenever there is a new update for a particular blog, that is reported back to the pinging service’s site. You can almost think of ping services being just like search engine spiders—both scan sites looking for information, and both report that information back to their specific site. The difference is, a ping service only reports back new blog posts.

Why is pinging useful for my blog?

Pinging, in effect, tells people that there is a new blog posting available. Those who are loyal followers of your blog will see the ping and want to visit your blog. Those who haven’t read your blog before will see the ping and perhaps think “hey, there’s a new blog I haven’t been to before, I think I’ll check it out”. Pinging helps to increase your traffic because it tells people when your blog is updated. Those who visit sites with pinging services will see this information in the form of a scroll on the left or right side, or top of the page. The scroll is usually in XML format and typically includes the title and URL of your blog, as well as the date and time of the update.

OK, so now I know what pinging is. Who offers pinging?

The answer is, there are several pinging services available which you can use to have your blog pinged. We’ll go over some of them right now.

Weblogs.com

Weblogs.com is probably the most well-known pinging service. Weblogs.com monitors sites for updates and then pings whenever there is an update to report. Virtually every blog software is available to use Weblogs.

Yahoo’s Blogs

Another popular pinging service. This one is offered by Yahoo and has a built-in integration with movable type and other tools. One cool thing about this service is that it offers the ability to give out updates via Instant Messaging services like AOL and ICQ. It is a direct pinging service, so those who sign up for subscriptions to your blog will be sent an email anytime your blog is updated.

Blogrolling.com

Blogrolling allows its bloggers to manage their blogrolls(updates) through a web-based interface. Recently updated blogs are also highlighted on Blogrolling’s web site. Data is automatically retrieved from other sites like blogger.com and weblogs.com every 5 minutes. Often times your blog is already being pinged by Blogrolling, so you might not have to sign up for it. Search on the site first for your URL before signing it up.

Technorati

Available at http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping, Technorati is another service that pings blogs. It gets its data from a variety of places and is definitely a site you should go to for blog pinging.

These are just 4 of the many different blog pinging services available. A quick search on Yahoo or Google will reveal many other possible blog pinging services to use for your blog. It is best to sign up for as many as you possibly can to ensure that your blog is well-pinged. A well-pinged blog will definitely help your blog attract more visitors. So sign up for as many as possible and watch your blog traffic increase.

Pinging tells people when your blog is updated. It is an incredibly useful, and easy to sign up for service, so be sure to sign your blog up for pinging!

Terry Detty, 42, enjoys all aspects of internet marketing and getting out for a breath of fresh air occasionally. Online email marketing, time tracking software and repair my credit.

Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

We all change our wardrobes according to the seasons, right? At least I do. In New England, we have 4 seasons, so that means I’m constantly switching my closets around.

Most women I know also like to change their hairstyles according to the seasons. In summer, I tend to go a little lighter. My spirits are usually more vibrant in the summer.

If you are a blogger, have you ever considered changing your template theme according to the seasons? I’m always on the lookout for cool wordpress themes for my blogs. My Moomettesgram’s Musings blog is a Wordpress blog, while my Moomette’s Mama Mentor blog isn’t. I’m considering switching it over, as I really love the flexibility that Wordpress has to offer.

I’ve been looking through all the neat free offerings at TopWPThemes.  Their choices are extensive ~ every color scheme and category imaginable!  There are all varieties of gardening, home-based business, family, technical and internet commerce themes. You can pick between 2-column and 3-column themes.  I’m certain I’ll come up with several that would be hard to choose.  The site offers Internet tools, resources, installation directions and support, as well as information on self-hosting.

Maybe I should hold a contest and have everyone help me decide?

Looking for something interesting to do with the children or visiting guests this summer?

With the cost of gas continually rising every day in today’s economy, many families are watching their finances and looking to cut corners and save money. By doing some Day Tripping with the kiddos or grandchildren, there are still many ways to have quality family-time together, while soaking up a little culture or entertainment in the process!

Check out this easy money saving tip on how to day trip and vacation close to home!

Happy Trails to You!

Now that my online boutique store, Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes is pretty much up and running, one of the top projects on my list this summer is to further optimize my web pages by tweaking the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) function and making it Google-friendly.

I found out through The Mom Pack, a business networking forum that I formerlyI belong to, about a highly recommended online education training course offered by “Cricket” Walker, of GNC Web Creations.

Classes are held several times a year, and are …get this…FREE!

This past Spring I was up to my ears in various family obligations, eBay and working on having my Blog template and Shoppes site redesigned by Shera, of Sweet N Simple Design (didn’t she do a fab job?)

I opted to get Cricket’s eBook to start reading up in anticipation of signing up for the course.

If you’re looking to optimize your online business and want to know all about SEO, sign up for the course here.

If anyone’s taken the course already, leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I’m interested in hearing your thoughts!

Wow, I recently got approved and signed up for the social networking site SocialSpark!

This is going to be my first paid post about the site!

As all my faithful readers know, I’m trying to retire from my day job. Social Spark from IZEA gives me the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers, and helps to monetize my blog by enabling me to post for honest, reputable companies.

Similar to Pay-Per-Post, once your blog is approved, you can browse the marketplace and apply for any posting opportunities that you may be qualified for. When you submit your blog for approval, you can choose which categories you would like to qualify for to be shown on your blog.

What’s equally nice, is that Social Spark maintains a very high standard of ethics. This means:

* 100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
* 100% Transparency
* 100% Real Opinions
* 100% Search Engine Friendly

Since I am a WAHG with several online ecommerce sites, I try to give tips and promote my businesses through my blog. I’ve become an avid blogger, and the social aspect of Social Spark enables me to visit other bloggers, and leave and receive comments on my blogs and theirs. Here’s my profile that I’ve created so other bloggers can find and network with me.

Lastly, Blogging is becoming mainstream, and more and more people are looking towards bloggers to receive their news and garner new opinions. Advertisers are recognizing the value of this new social media, and taking the opportunity to create buzz for their products. It’s a way for advertisers to reach a whole new target market and generation of potential customers who are familiar with technology.

If you’re a stay-at-home Mom or Dad, Work-at-Home Mommy or Dad, or Baby Boomer such as myself looking for a supplemental source of income, or simply looking to reach out, network and explore new horizons, sign up for Social Spark now! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at all the benefits!

Here’s my disclosure policy that I’ve developed:

Back in the beginning when I started my blog, I mentioned how I have an eBay Store where I’m a Power Seller. I am a Vintage Antique Collector, but branched out into other areas as a result of the forums I belong to. I’m a Moderator on eBay Coach Free Forum, and have met many knowledgeable eBay Sellers on there. You can’t beat Suzanne Wells, the eBay Coach, for all the free excellent advice she’s always dishing out.

Just because I’m successful on my eBay site doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a need to re-access the market and go with the flow of the financial economy ~ see what works for you, and what doesn’t. Change is inevitable ~ eBay changes their marketing tactics; the economy changes; and so do my family needs, time constraints and interests. The challenge is still on to reinvent myself and find my niche.

In keeping with my original mantra to keep my readers updated on my progress (or lack of it) towards retirement - I started this blog. As you all know, I have expanded and opened Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes where I sell hand-crafted items and more. I’ve also found that I love blogging, am putting a great deal of effort and time into it, and enjoy the many new friendships it has afforded me.

I recently posted on my Mama Mentor Blog that I took a little R & R junket to Lake Keuka, one of the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York to visit my brother. That junket actually turned into an Antique Shopping Spree.

When I flew up - all I brought was a carry-on. Since 4 boxes of Vintage Collectibles wouldn’t fit under my plane seat ~ my brother ending up shipping them back to me (graciously, at his expense!) (Snicker-Yippee!)

So, I had a massive auction liquidation of certain lines in my eBay Store, and am increasing my line of Vintage items, in both my eBay Store and my boutique Shoppes site.

Stay tuned for other posts on how things are going with my affiliate marketing ~ that’s a whole ‘nother area I’m re-assessing.

I recently posted on my Mama Mentor Blog that this past weekend I visited my brother in upstate New York. I flew from New England to Rochester (via Cleavland, can you believe that?) ~ for FREE! As a Baby Boomer, keeping an eye on my finances is important.

How did I accomplish that in today’s economy? I transferred my credit card reward points that I had accumulated into my frequent flier account, and was given a travel voucher for a FREE plane ticket within the continental USA.

If you use a credit card frequently, you might as well be accumulating reward points towards items that you can use.

Explore the Credit Card Club to find the card that’s right for you ~ whether it’s a no annual fee credit card, or one that offers reward points, special offers and perks!

The most awsome, popular social networking site SK*RT has changed it’s name to KIRTSY!

Get there as fast as you can to check out all the fab information available! I love the banners that say “For Women ~ And the Men that want to Get In Their Heads.”

You’ll find information on Arts & Entertainment; Designs & Crafts; Parenting & Family; Fashion & Style; Food & Home; Internet & Technology; Mind, Body & Spirit and Travel & Leisure.  So sign up now!

Bloggers - upload your latest posts for all of us to see!

What more can a dame ask for? ~ Plus, a chance to enter some fab contests!

One of the goals of this blog is to provide credible information to WAHMs. I consistently see questions crop up frequently on several of the social networking sites and forums that I belong to from members asking where to find affordable, cheap web hosting for their home based businesses.

As a WAHG, I originally started out selling on eBay with a store, where I quickly became a Power Seller. I then decided to open my own boutique online ebiz to sell handcrafted items and vintage collectibles. Finding an affordable web host with tech support, load time and bandwith was very important to me.

I’d like to tell all Moms, Dads, and Grams who are considering opening their own online ecommerce sites about this site discussing  cheap web hosting which provides all the reference points you need to know, as well as information about web hosting specifications and tutorials concerning finding affordable, cheap web hosting.

After perusing the site, I think you’ll find that you’ll have a good background to determine what’s right for your needs. Additionally, you can comparison shop for web host information at Web Hosting Rating. Check it all out.

I’m delighted to announce that Kim, from What’s That Smell, has won my first Moomette’s Best WAHM Site Award!

Kim is one terrific gal, and I happened on her blog one day through Entrecard dropping. This mommy really has it together, and has only recently begun to blog.

Kim is actually part of a duo - as the URL is “Accidental Mommies,” but further goes on to describe the blog as:

We call ourselves “accidental” mommies because neither of us are typical mommy material. In fact, many years ago we used to joke that there were 2 kinds of women - “real girls” and “not real girls”. We fit into the “not real girls” category and were quite proud of it. As fairly successful women in a male dominated career field, we wore slacks instead of skirts, we shunned make-up and chick-flicks and were in many ways grown up tom-boys.

I belong to The Mom Pack, a terrific networking resource for WAHMs. Many of the Mom Packers have been inquiring about finding out information on working from home and doing Paid Surveys. (Kim said she’s applied to become a Mom Packer.)

What drew me to Kim’s blog intitially, was the fact that it had the most well-researched, credible series on Paid Surveys that I have seen. Here was a valuable list, and How-To, and surveys that an actual Mom had put together. She wasn’t attempting to get you hooked into anything, but rather, was laying out the groundwork for you to make your own decisions on the Survey for Profit process.

Additionally, Kim covers such topics as giveaways; funny stuff; mom resources; parenting; homeschooling; cooking and recipies - and just about anything else that you could want to know!

Please visit What’s That Smell ~ and I’m sure you’ll agree that this wonderful blog is well deserving of the Best WAHM Site Award as well as any awards that will be given to it!