Everything Typepad

Display Post Excerpts with a Highlighted Image on the Front Page

A quick way to give your blog a new look is to set the Front Page to display excerpts of posts with highlighted images. Excerpts allow you to present multiple posts for new readers to peruse quickly. Then, the reader can click Read more next to any post to read the rest of it.

To set up excerpts, go to Settings > Posts and check the box to Display excerpts. You'll then have the option to Show a featured image. Click Save Changes to update your blog. Learn more.

With excerpts selected, an additional benefit is that the Front Page will load quickly even if you have opted to display a larger number of posts.

Do you have a blog displaying post excerpts? Share the link to your blog in the comments.

Quickly Insert A Table Into Your Blog Post

One of the great features added to our Compose Page update was the ability to insert a Table in to your blog post without having to use any HTML.   Previously, if you wanted to share a table, you had to switch to the HTML editor and input the HTML code for tables which can be pretty involved depending on how many rows and columns your table had.

Now, you can easily insert a table by clicking the "Table" link above your format buttons in the Rich Text Editor:

After highlighting and clicking the amount of columns and rows you want for your table, you see a grid appear in the Body of your post. Don't panic if it looks small!  You can click and drag on the squares that appear in each of the corners to adjust the size of your table and cells.

 

Here is an example of a Text Table	We have made it much easier to add rows and columns
You can format individual cells or text within each cell to make them bold, another color, and much more.	You can remove the border in the "Table Properties" settings.

 

Tables are also a good way to insert smaller images in the same row without having to worry about what it will do with your alignment or spacing.  Simply click in the cell so the cursor appears, and then click the "Insert Image" button.  You will want to change the size of your image to be smaller so that there is room for the other images to fit.

 

You can read more about our Compose page in our Knowledge Base.

Blog Spring Cleaning Part 2: Settings

Spring is here! If you enjoyed our check list for tidying up your sidebars, we invite you to take a look at your blog's inner-workings. From the Dashboard, click on Settings under Manage My Blogs. There's something to check in each section but it won't take much time.

• On the Basics page, make sure your Blog Description is up-to-date, especially if it shows on the blog itself.
  • If you have a Welcome Message, check to make sure that's up-to-date as well. This will be the first thing new readers see when they visit your blog!
• The SEO page has the main option to publicize your blog.
• If your blog is publicized, you'll want to make sure you've also enabled the Google Sitemap option.
• Check that your Meta Keywords and Description are relevant and specific, spelled properly,  and truly descriptive. You may want to check out some resources on best practices for tips on how to choose the right description, as well as information on how search engines actually use that content.
• Your Sharing settings are super important if you're active on social media. Facebook and/or Twitter might be the main sources your readers look to for updates from your blog. Make sure you have those accounts connected and ready for sharing.
• The Feeds page has everything related to the RSS feeds for your blog. We've added some newer options there for Category and Author feeds, so make sure you check those settings.
• The Add-ons page has options you may not be aware of.
  • For an enhanced commenting experience, you can turn on Disqus commenting.
  • If you'd like more detailed information about your visitors, you can connect your blog to Google's Analytics service.
  • There are also options for using TypeKit for web fonts and using the bitly link shortening and tracking service.
• You probably haven't taken a look at the Post settings page in quite some time. Check the settings there to make sure they suit your blog.
  • There's a newer feature at the bottom to automatically show Auto-Generated Excerpts from the posts on the main index and archive pages. This can improve your blog's load time substantially.
• Categories are a great way to organize your blog's posts by topic. However, too many categories can be counter-productive. We recommend taking some time to go through the Categories and Blogs > Posts listing to see if any categories can be merged or eliminated.
• For most blogs, the default Comments settings will work wonderfully. We recommend taking a look at the different options to determine which will best suit your blog's needs.

Have you been taking time to spring clean your blog? Share your tips in the comments and we might include those in an upcoming post!

Design Tools: Custom CSS

We recently shared a breakdown of the different theme types available to users, and what they offer. As mentioned in that post, you may want to boost a pre-designed theme to make it closer to the vision you have for your blog's brand. CSS is the ideal go-to, allowing you to make both small and large changes. Thus enters the Custom CSS feature, available to Unlimited accounts and above.

As a design tool, the Custom CSS feature is unequivocally the most valuable feature for Typepad bloggers. It provides users, who don't want to customize from the template code up, an opportunity to customize their blog's look beyond the initial design.

Changes that can be made range from the tiniest tweak, like changing the color of linked text, to complex edits, like utilizing CSS3 animation for the navigation bar or even shifting content around. There's quite a lot that can be achieved with CSS, and we have a large number of posts in our archives that teach you how to make a variety of changes. We have a CSS Cookbook for even further tips and tricks.

Here is a list of common changes that users make to pre-designed themes:

• changing text and link colors
• adding a custom banner
• replacing module text headers with images
• adding a background image
• increasing/decreasing column widths
• styling post headers
• hiding content on certain pages/archives
• ...and more!

There is a lot you can do with CSS, and the above tips are only to get you started. We recommend utilizing your test blog in order to try different ideas and make the best design decisions for your blog.

Introduce yourself to your blog's visitors

Whether your blog is personal, professional, or somewhere in between, providing a brief introduction to yourself can help you turn first-time visitors into regular readers. With so many blogs out there to choose from, visitors want to know who you are and what expertise you have to write about the subjects you cover.

Providing a brief introduction on the sidebar of your blog helps create a personal connection between you and readers and establishes your authority. Whatever page of your blog visitors arrive on, they will see the introduction and be able to learn more about you.

Typepad's Introduction module makes it easy for you to add a brief introduction to your blog's sidebar. First, think about what you want to say. You may want to provide your name and any professional titles or qualifications that you have which are relevant to the topics you post about. Or you might want to describe your interests and tell readers a bit about your story to create a personal touch. Letting visitors know what topics your blog covers is also a great idea.

Once you have decided on the text of your introduction, go to the Design > Content page for your blog. Locate "Introduction" in the list of modules and click on it to select it. When you click the "Add this module" button, a pop-up window will open with a field where you can enter the text of your introduction. If you want to get fancy, you can include HTML code for formatting in the text.

After you have typed in the text for your introduction, click OK. You can then drag and drop the module to the place you want it to appear in the sidebar. We recommend placing it near the top of the sidebar, so that visitors will be sure to see it.

If you want to change the text of the introduction, return to Design > Content and locate the Introduction module in the sidebar area. Click the pencil icon to open the module for editing.

After you have everything the way you want for your Introduction module, click "View Blog" to view your blog and check out how the introduction appears in the sidebar.

Do you use an Introduction module on your blog? What do you think makes a good introduction? Let us know in the comments!

New Google Analytics Upgrades

We released changes last week on the back end to our Google Analytics integration. It's going to make viewing your Typepad blog's stats over at Google even more exciting.

To start with, you can now log into Google Analytics and view real time visits on your blog.  This shows how many people are currently viewing the site, how long they've been on your page, where they're located in the world, and more.

The Google Analytics statistics overall are improved in this new integration and you can find out a variety of information on your visitors.  You can learn even more about Google Analytics and how it works with your Typepad blog here.

Google Anayltics is a breeze to set up on your Typepad blog if you haven't already. Simply follow the steps here and you'll be up and running in no time.

As always, if you have any questions or need any help, open a help ticket and a member of our support team will be there to assist you!

Featured Blog: Kids and Eggs

Meet Megan, mother of four, kindergarten teacher, writer, beekeeper, soap-maker, and chicken-tender living in the Northwoods of Minnesota. Fueled by strong cups of coffee and the passion and desire to teach and learn, her hope is that her readers will find some inspiration from her experiences, and from what she shares to enrich their - and their family's - lives.

FOLLOW: Typepad | Twitter

Updating the Post Settings for the Front Page

If you don't have a landing page set as the front page, you have several options for displaying the recent posts on your blog. Go to Settings > Posts to choose the settings which best meet your needs. When adjusting the settings, keep in mind how visitors will be reading your posts and make it easy for new and longtime readers to navigate around your website.

We are offering up a couple tips for utilizing the available Post Settings:

Posts to Display - We suggest setting the number of posts to display per index page that allows readers to see at least the posts published in the last week. Ten posts per page is a good number. If you post frequently or multiple posts per day, you can keep the front page fresh by displaying only the posts published within the last 1-2 days.

Navigation Links - At the end of the index pages, it is helpful to have clearly identified navigation links allowing readers to visit older posts. Older/Newer and Next/Previous are commonly used terms for website navigation.

Do you have any recommendations for setting up your blog or website? Let us know in the comments!

Share Your Online Shop On Your Blog

Many Typepad bloggers sell their wares through their blogs and we showcase them in our Shop Guide.  Did you know you can set up an online storefront to sell your items, downloads, online classes/workshops, and more by adding a Page? A "Page" is where you can share stand-alone content outside of your blog posts so it's a great place to set up shop!

If you're an Etsy seller who wants to have a professional looking page connecting your blog to your Etsy shop, you can add your Etsy Mini "Gallery" widget to the "HTML" editor tab of your page.

This is not just limited to Etsy sellers.  You can also also set up something similar if you're an Amazon Affiliate with an aStore or Big Cartel shop.

Even if you do not have an official online store, you can still set up a Page to designate a place where visitors can purchase your e-book or .pdf for download, sign up for an online workshop, or request your professional services.

The last part, and most fun part, is collecting money! The easiest way to collect money for items sold on your blog is by adding a Pay With PayPal button.   It takes a couple of minutes to set up in PayPal, then take the embed code they provide and add it to your Page using the HTML editor tab.

Finally, if you would like to share a little more information about your new Page, you can add the link to your new page in your sidebar or Navigation Bar so readers can easily find it.

 

Typepad on Pinterest: Barones Lovey De Luxe

Did you know Typepad is on Pinterest? It's true! We love pinning and repinning great content from Typepad blogs in every genre, and we're always looking for great, inspirational content. Are you on Pinterest? Drop your link in the comments, and don't forget to follow Typepad right here! If you're not on Pinterest yet, check it out - it's a great way to promote your blog and connect with others!

Want some inspiration? Check out our featured pinner, Barones Lovey De Luxe.

Barones Lovey De Luxe is a modern-retro glamour company that strives to inspire people to celebrate and empower themselves through beauty images, services & products. With a glimmer of Pin-Up, Burlesque and Old Hollywood Glamour, The Barones Infuses modern-style with the sparkle of nostalgic dreams that echo forgotten glamour.

FOLLOW: Blog | Pinterest

Want to promote your Pinterest account on your Typepad blog? Just go to Blogs > Content and add the Pinterest Widget to your Sidebar via the center menu. While you're there, make your blog posts "pinable" by adding the Pin It button to your post footers.

Want even more? Learn how to promote your blog on Pinterest and follow Typepad at www.pinterest.com/typepad.