Madigan made... a list of helpful HTML and technical blogging resources.
Does HTML code scare you? Are you hesitant to add a few tweaks and updates to your blog?
Then, it is about time I share another favorite blog-related list with you. Or, a MUST-READ List.
There is a button in my side bar that will link you to the latest "must read" lists, if you wanted to check out the prior ones. (OK, admittedly… there is only one other one! But I plan to work on more lists soon! Promise.)
Today, I want to highlight a few great techie and HTML tutorials. Some are perfect for the beginner… others are a little more advanced.
My advice: do NOT be afraid to experiment with your blog design or code. But ALWAYS, ALWAYS save your template before experimenting, just in case!
Some of these tutorials I found through the blogs I regularly read… others I found by simply “googling” the topic. They were all very helpful for me to ‘trick out’ my blog. Just click on the title of each item listed below.
Ever wonder about…
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How to Make Your Pictures Change When You Hover Over Them
- I had several recent questions about how I made the picture in my name reveal post and some of the images in my banner/sidebar change. Well, this is how I did it!
- Beth from The Stories of A to Z teaches you how to make the picture on your blog change when someone hovers over it. It’s a great trick for before and after photos or navigation buttons, etc.
- I had several recent questions about how I made the picture in my name reveal post and some of the images in my banner/sidebar change. Well, this is how I did it!
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How to Resize Your Photos to Whatever Size You Want
- I always learn something from Donna (Funky Junk Interiors) when she writes the occasional blogging tip. Check out her nifty way to adjust the size of a photo (other than the standard sm, med, lrg, xl in Blogger).
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Importance of Reducing the Size of Your Photos
- OK, this is not really a tutorial, just a very informative post. But it is a REALLY important one if you use pictures in your posts. I had no clue that my photo files were too big on my blog until I read this information at Addicted to Décor. My thought was that the bigger the pic/file, the clearer and sharper the image online. Turns out, that is NOT true. It will just make your blog much slower to load! Yikes!
- Now, I resize my photos to 600-700 px wide or less… to 72 DPI… and around 100KB or less in size. (Thanks for the tip, Kristi!)
- OK, this is not really a tutorial, just a very informative post. But it is a REALLY important one if you use pictures in your posts. I had no clue that my photo files were too big on my blog until I read this information at Addicted to Décor. My thought was that the bigger the pic/file, the clearer and sharper the image online. Turns out, that is NOT true. It will just make your blog much slower to load! Yikes!
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How to Make a Blog Button or Printable in Picasa
- NOTE: I’ve been promising you for a long time to show you how I make my printables. (Sorry I’m such a bad blogger.) I do not use Picasa to create my prints/images, but you can (and it’s free!). I wanted to share this resource with you because I think it is a really good tutorial for that program.
- Kate from Centsational Girl reviews how to create graphic images in Picasa. You can use this method to create printable or really any graphic for your blog. (button, header, etc).
- NOTE: I’ve been promising you for a long time to show you how I make my printables. (Sorry I’m such a bad blogger.) I do not use Picasa to create my prints/images, but you can (and it’s free!). I wanted to share this resource with you because I think it is a really good tutorial for that program.
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How to Add a Pinterest Button to Your Blog
- I met Gina from HiyaLuv a couple weeks ago at a local blogger workshop (you can see us hanging in the back of the room... a.k.a. the rowdy, whispering corner!) Gina asked me how I added some of my social media buttons in the top right corner of my blog, particularly my Pinterest button. She went home that day and wrote a great post showing her readers how to do the same. Adding a Pinterest button is an easy way to make sure your readers know how to connect with you!
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How to Add a Welcome Box at the Top of Your Blog
- Positively Splendid is such a happy looking blog, don’t you think? Amy did a wonderful job with her blog design, and I love her Welcome Box at the top. I used Amy’s tutorial to create my own introduction box. It is both a way to welcome readers… and a way to give them a “call to action” to interact, too.
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How to Make a Stylish Picture Slide Show
- This tutorial is NOT for the faint of heart. If diving into you blog’s HTML template code scares you… you better skip this tut and move onto the next one. But I used this code and tutorial from Spice Up Your Blog to create the project slideshow in the top right corner of my blog. (I think it’s pretty, don’t you?)
- I did tweak the code a bit. I experimented and made my own customizations for my slideshow. I changed the red navigation bar to my own gray one. And, I slowed down the speed considerably after some honest feedback from a few readers. (Thanks, June!) IF you attempt to do this one and have questions, feel free to leave me a comment or email. I’ll see if I can help.
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How to Find that HTML Code Fast
- Here’s another great tip from Donna… it’s a simple one, but vital for finding that sequence of code that is buried in your template.
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Make a Link Automatically Open to Your Email
- Sneaky Momma Blog Design shows you how to create a link that will automatically open up a window so a visitor can email you. I actually took the basis of this code and added it to an image/button near all my other social media buttons. But a text link works, too.
- Some people may tell you not to do this because it encourages spam email. I set my email button up many months ago and have yet to run into this problem. On the flip side to that argument… it is vital that people can easily connect with you from your home page without have to jump through several clicks on your blog (especially potential clients, sponsors, etc).
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How to Remove the Blogger Navigation Bar at the Top
- If you use Blogger, doesn’t that Blogger bar across the top of your blog annoy you? Find out how to remove it in this post from How to in Blogger.
I hope these tips and tutorials can help you add a little ‘bling’ to your blog! ;)
