Blogger Magic - Add An HTML Gadget

Many popular accessories start with raw HTML / JavaScript code, from different third party services.

One of the advantages of publishing a Blogger blog is the abundance of available accessories. With Blogger being in the top 3 of Internet publishing platforms, every third party service wants customers who publish using Blogger.

There are plenty of abusive or malicious accessories, that should not be installed, even when offered - and there are ways to best install the accessories, that can be safely installed.

Most accessories, from third party services, will be provided as HTML / JavaScript.

To add HTML / JavaScript code, to a blog, you can use any of several techniques - though a new HTML / JavaScript gadget is the smartest choice. Adding an HTML gadget, to a Blogger blog, is not difficult.

Add an HTML / JavaScript gadget, using "Add a Gadget" in Layout.

Start from the dashboard Layout page, and select any convenient link to "Add a Gadget". Select "HTML/JavaScript" from the "Basics" tab, in the "Add a Gadget" wizard.



Select "HTML/JavaScript" in "Basics".



Paste the code, that you have to add, into the "Content" window, in the "Configure HTML/JavaScript" wizard. And if you wish, give your new gadget a Title.



Paste the code that you have, into "Content" - with the wizard in HTML mode ("Rich Text" displayed).



Avoid several well known mistakes, when adding gadgets.

There are mistakes, that you can avoid - if you know what to do.

• Be selective, when adding third party code.
• Add a gadget, using "Basics".
• Edit an HTML gadget, with "Rich Text" displayed as the caption.
• With a dynamic template, attach or embed the content in a static page.
• With a mobile display, enable the gadget, if you want it to be viewed.

Be selective, when adding third party code.

It's your blog - and you are allowed to install any accessories and tweaks that interest you. For long term stability and success, though, you should try to only install code from reliable sources.

Your readers will be happier, with your blog using reliable accessories.

Add a gadget, using "Basics".

You'll start with an "Add a Gadget" link, on the dashboard Layout page - and the "Add a Gadget" wizard.

The "Add a Gadget" wizard has the "Basics" tab, with the "HTML / JavaScript" gadget in the list - and it has the "Add your own" tab. You should find the "HTML / JavaScript" gadget, in "Basics".

Edit an HTML gadget, with "Rich Text" displayed as the caption.

The "HTML" / "Text" gadgets, intriguingly have the "Edit Html" / "Rich Text" tabs. If you want to add / edit HTML or JavaScript, the caption should read "Rich Text".



The HTML gadget, in HTML mode.



With a dynamic template, attach or embed the content in a static page.

Adding gadgets to dynamic templates is not a straightforward process. Gadgets have to be written specifically to support dynamic templates - and the HTML gadget is not written for this.

If you want an HTML gadget to work in a dynamic template, you'll need to attach or embed the gadget, in a static page.

With a mobile display, enable the gadget, if you want it to be viewed.

By default, the "HTML / JavaScript" gadget does not display, on a mobile browser. You will have to use the Template Editor, and enable the gadget to display, in mobile mode.

It's your blog.

There are ways to make an HTML gadget work, differently. Long term success will be much more likely, though, with attention to the advice above.

---

One of the most common accessories, added to a #Blogger blog, starts with an HTML / JavaScript gadget. This is a very versatile gadget - and it's not difficult to install. There are several common sense details, however.

Read More

When You Create A Blog, Only Type The Blog Name!

Too many would be blog owners are unable to create a blog, because they don't understand how to check for availability.

I can't seem to type in a URL, without it saying it's not available.

Some people don't understand that you do not type a URL - you just type a blog name, when checking for availability.

This is the (BlogSpot) URL of this blog.

http://bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com

This is the (BlogSpot) name of this blog.

bloggerstatusforreal

If I was going to use the "Create a blog" wizard, and create this blog, I would type the name - "bloggerstatusforreal".

If I typed the entire URL "http://bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com" - even if "bloggerstatusforreal" was available (and no, it is not ever going to be available), I should expect to see

Sorry, this blog address is not available.

or

This blog address is invalid or not supported.

It's that simple - only type the name, to create a blog. And - only create a blog once - then spend your time creating "New Posts".

Read More

Fluctuations In Stats Pageview Counts And Newer Blogs

Some owners of newer Blogger blogs spend time reading their Stats logs, and worry that their "All time" pageview counts don't always go up - they go down, too.

Why do the counts go down? Is there one number, that I can believe?

They don't understand that with Stats, you need to look for trends - not absolute readings. In the beginning, fluctuations are more obvious, and trends are less obvious.

Thanks to the referer spam war, and to normal visitor activity, even the "All time" numbers will go up and down - for newer blogs, which have less genuine and constant visitor traffic. And the constant rise and fall is scary - until you get used to it.

Newer blogs have less established readers, which makes spikes in both the periodic referer spam, and normal visitor activity, more visible.

With the 4 limited time ranges (Now, Day, Week, and Month), the spikes will "move" in and out of context - and make pageview counts in these time ranges fluctuate. When a spike in numbers "moves in" to a time range, the pageview counts will rise, suddenly. When a spike "moves out" of a time range, the counts will fall, just as suddenly.

With newer blogs, the fluctuations exert a "double whammy".

1. The fluctuations are more visible, because overall genuine visitor activity is lower. Less readers = less visitor activity.
2. Worrying over the fluctuations takes time away from working on the blog. Less time working on the blog leads to less blog content, attracts less new readers, and leads to less visitor activity.

More experienced blog owners know to use Stats to watch for trends - not immediate numbers.

The answer here is simple. Monitor Stats periodically - not constantly. Watch for trends, and learn how to interpret the trends. Spend more time working on your blog, because that's where the value of your blog lies.

Read More