Having the ability to add a site to the favorites list is a great way to increase direct traffic.There is still a wide audience out there who are either not aware of rss feeds or prefer using bookmarking methods.

Take a look at the amount of RSS readers who have subscribed to your feeds and think of the amount of people coming to your site directly.You can easily notice that only a small portion of the audience has subscribed to your RSS feeds.

Providing an easy way to add your website or blog to their favorites list would be a great way to keep your readers faithful.An additional advantage is the fact that not all visitors are bound to remember your website url for later use.

Orginally browsers come preinstalled with shortcuts that allow users to add a site of their liking to their favorites list.Popular web browsers like Firefox (Ctrl+D), Opera (Ctrl+T) and IE (Ctrl+D) provide these keyboard shortcuts to enable users to easily bookmark their favorite pages.

All though you would think everyone online is able to perform those shortcut keys,you are simply mistaken.Here is a javascript that will enable you to add this feature with all browsers including Firefox 2.0,Internet Explorer 7.0,Flock, and even Opera.

Just paste the code provided below and include it between the head tags on your template:

note:Include your website information where I have commented

<script language="JAVASCRIPT" type="TEXT/JAVASCRIPT"> <!--function favoris() {if ( navigator.appName != 'Microsoft Internet Explorer' ){ window.sidebar.addPanel("YourBlogTitle","YourSiteURL",""); }else { window.external.AddFavorite("YourSiteURL","YourBlogTitle"); } }//--></script>

Place this code anywhere you wish to have the “Add to Favorites” link shown:

<a href="javascript:void(favoris());" mce_href="javascript:void(favoris());" >Add to Favorites</a>  

Google has several abilities that are not commonly known to its users.Most google users are aware of some of the many tricks for google searching but not all.Previously I have posted some of the many ways to effectively increase your search accuracy.

Other than the ability to search the web,google has certain additional features that I find useful.Here I have taken the time to compile a list of my favorite google shortcuts.

»Get information about a vehicle:

Typing in the Vehicle Identification Number(VIN) in the search box would provide a link to view information about that specific vehicle at carfax.com 

»Track Packages from FEDEX,United Parcel Service or United Postal Service:

Typing in the tracking number along with the packaging service in the search field would result in a link directing you to the website specifically tracking the package.Example:search google by typing “fedex 999444666222″ without the quotes in the search box.

»Find a U.S Phone Number or Address:

Typing in the name of a person or buisness along with the state,city, or zip code in the search box would result in a link listing the phone book results. An example of a search would be “Bill gates Washington” without the quotes.

»Find Stock Quote of a company:

Enter one or more NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX, or mutual fund ticker symbols and Google will return the latest stock price (with a 15-minute delay for NASDAQ or a 20-minute delay for AMEX and NYSE), along with an intra-day chart, the daily high and low, the volume traded, the company’s market capitalization, as well as a link to other financial information. An example of a search using a ticker symbol would be “goog” without the quotes.

»Find information about a product using the UPC code:

Typing in the UPC code of a product inside the search field will show a link providing information about the product listed under that upc code.

»Use Google for making calculations:

Google can be used as a calculator.It’s not an advanced calculator but it can do some basic functions such as addition,distance convertions,and evaluating mathamatical expressions.

Basic addition would be something like 20+30+90

Distance convertion would be something like “20mph in kph”(no quotes)

An example of a mathamatical expression would be:(G * mass of earth)/(radius of earth^2)

[More Info]

Often publishers of PDF files do not take into count the basic idea behind creating pdf files for the web.When creating pdf files you are trying to make them easily accessible.There are many tips that can be used to help optimize your pdf files for web use.If implemented correctly pdf files can even increase your site traffic significantly.

I am still suprised to find that many people out there still do not realize that google bot can crawl and index pdf files.In fact google claims that pdf files are second most common filetype in their database after html files.

Other than google itself,major search engines including yahoo and msn are capable of indexing pdf files.If you have any doubts regarding this information,just enter a query such as SEO filetype:PDF in google,which will display results containing the PDF format. 

When creating PDF files to be used in your website or blog,you should keep in mind some of these tips:

»Limit the size of your pdf files to be as small as possible.Keep in note a large portion of the web is still using traditional dial up lines. 

»Create pdf files using programs that are completely text based, instead of graphic based ones such as photoshop.Photoshop converts your pdf files into a image file,which can be a hassle for search engines to crawl. 

»Place a link to your pdf on your homepage for easy crawling by spiders.Visibility is everything in search engine optimization,so you want your files available at a page you know is crawled regularily.

»You should also place a link to your website inside the pdf file for visitors seeking more information about you.This could in fact turn that viewer into a regular visitor to your site.

»If you are placing images inside pdf files,you should provide a caption for each image.This helps search engines better index your page.However, avoid using alot of images inorder to preserve your file size.There are ways to compress the size of pdf files using various programs.I really haven’t tried using any of these tools.

»You should always add keywords relating to your topic in the document properties.

Using these simple tips could bring about significant results in the accessability of your pdf files.

 The current release of firefox 2.0 has built up a large fan base across the web.New addons and extensions are introduced everyday to the mozilla website.In fact,the massive amount of addons and plugins are what appeal to many of its devoted fans.

Recently I’ve come across an addon which changes your cursor to indicate the target of a link.This can be extremely beneficial for those who download files without realizing the filetype.A large amount of links are supported with the addon.

Supported links include new windows,secure sites,email links,javascript,word documents,excel spreadsheets,PDF files,zip files,applications,text files,images,RSS feeds,AIM:Links and several more.The latest release even indicates torrent and regedit links.All firefox versions from 1.5 to the latest firefox are compatible.

[Download Addon] [More About Addon]

Many of you have seen search engines that allow you to view a small preview of the website before you click them.This feature enables the user to get a view of the site before actually taking a visit.Some of you might have wondered if that feature could be intergrated to your blog to allow your visitors to do the same thing.

A popular search engine known as snap has just recently released the technology for free to the public.When installed, every link on the site will show a preview of the linked site when a viewer hovers over the link.Both the internal and external links will be previewed when the user hovers over it.

This is especially advantagious for those bloggers who have sections such as “Links worth looking into” or any similar method.This will however upset those visitors who might not wish to be annoyed with a popup preview of every link in your site.

 You should see the reactions of your visitors before ever implementing this tool.If you feel strongly that it will benefit your blog then no ones stopping you.You and only you know your blog best.

[Get it Here] [via:TechCrunch]

Google has recently added a new feature to their Google maps tool called click to call.The new addition enables users to make calls to buisnesses straight from Google maps.

In the past,It was easy to find phone numbers of buisnesses with google maps but you still had to use a phone to call them.Click to call feature in Google maps allows those searching for a store near their location to make a call directly from google maps itself.

For instance you may enter a location such as “Circuit City” or even a general buisness term such as Electronic store in Google maps buisness section, which will list your desired results for the location.

Then you can click the “call” button next to the phone number and that will bring up a dialog in which you must enter your phone number.After entering your phone number, you should click the “Connect for free” button.The only thing left to do is pick up your phone.

Google maps connects your phone number to the buisness establishment that you would like to call.Google is not in any way paying for your calls but rather playing the role of a speed dial service.Your searches are saved automatically for easy future calls.Currently this service is only available in the united states and is free of charge to buisnesses.

Torrents Guide for Dummies is a guide to help beginners to the whole bittorent protocol get started.So you have been hearing everyone talking about “how they download tv shows they have missed using torrents” but you never really got the hang of it.I will give you some insights into what Bittorents can do and what it really is.I will try my best to keep it simple.

Bittorrent is a P2P(peer to peer) file sharing protocol orginally designed and created by Bram Cohen.Currently Bittorent protocal is maintained by BitTorrent inc.It was designed as means to cut down on costly server and bandwidth resources.

Cachelogic,a internet traffic company claims 35% of all traffic on the web is from torrents.CableLabs, the research organization of the North American cable industry, believes that BitTorrent represents 55% of the upstream traffic on the cable companies’ access network.

»How does it work?

Basically bittorent protocol functions by a tracker coordinating transfer of bits and pieces of data to you from other clients who have finished downloading or are currently downloading the same file.Traditional filesharing protocols were designed to connect you directly to a single source.

In practice,bittorent model is much faster because of its ability to tap into a wide variety of sources for download.A key point to note is that Bittorrent protocol is designed to reward those who share files upward with higher download speeds.Those who are not willing to upload are punished with slow download speeds.

»What do I need to start downloading with Torrents?

There are a few things you need to start downloading with torrents:

Here I will provide the most popular bittorent tools out there.

1.Bittorrent Client such as:

Utorrent-One of the best Bittorent clients available for download at the moment.It combines both fuctionality and performance into a small package.It only requires 1MB of harddrive space and memory,which is why its no suprise most expert downloaders refer to uttorent as “micro torrent”.

Although utorrent only requires a small amount of system resources,it offers full fuctionality to both seeders and downloaders.This is one piece of software I would recommend most to anyone begining to use bittorrents.

Azureus-Once regarded as one of the best bittorent clients has only now been replaced by utorrent.Azureus still enjoys a strong fan base that is constantly working on improving it’s capabilities.In terms of functionality,Azureus is still one of the most recommended programs by the torrent community.

ABC-This client is capable of some advanced features and it’s very popular among the community.

Bitcomet-Yet another popular bittorrent client with some fancy capabilities.This is definitely a good client but not in the standards of Utorrent or Azureus.

BitTorrent client-Authored by Bram Cohen the creator of bittorrent protocol itself.It’s very useful client that is very fast but not very friendly to beginners.

2.You will need a Torrent search engine to find files that you are looking for:

Isohunt-A torrent site that has incredible amount of files in its database.

Torrentspy-Torrent search engine with a very friendly design and great amount of users.

The Pirate Bay-It’s a swedish torrent website that has faced many legal issues but still remains.This is definitely one of the most popular torrent sites available.Their database is massive compared to its competitors.

Torrentreactor-This is a site well known to many torrent users.

3.If you are using a internet connection with a router/firewall then you will need to open some ports:

In order to achieve this you can use this site.The author gives us a comprehensive guide into hows it done.If you are using a software firewall,then make exceptions for your bittorrent client of choice.You can also make exceptions for ports ranging from 6881-6889 in your firewall to accomplish this task.

»Torrent Terms You Should Know:

“Swarming” is about splitting large files into hundreds of smaller “bits”, and then sharing those bits across a “swarm” of dozens of linked users.

“Swarm” swarm is when all peers are sharing a torrent 

“Tracking” is when specific servers help swarm users find each other. Download speeds are controlled by these tracking servers.

“Availability” The number of full copies of the file available to the client.

“Choked” Describes a peer to whom the client refuses to send file pieces

“Interested” Describes a downloader who wishes to obtain pieces of a file the client has

“Leech” A leech is usually a peer who has a negative effect on the swarm by having a very poor share ratio - in other words, downloading much more than they upload

“Peer” A peer is one instance of a BitTorrent client running on a computer on the Internet to which other clients connect and transfer data

“Tracker” A tracker is a server thats keeps track of which seeds and peers are part of the swarm.

»If you need a step by step guide to download,then use this link.