Posts categorized "Tips and Tricks" Feed

Are Your Images Uploading Sideways? Here's A Quick Image Tip.

Composing posts with a smartphone or tablet is a common occurrence these days. What do you do, then, when your image orientation isn't saved and those uploaded images are turned on their side? Our image editor is a quick solution to fix the orientation of your image.

Why is it being uploaded sideways in the first place? This is not an issue limited to Typepad but can happen on other websites.  Many mobile devices store an image's orientation in the EXIF metadata. EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image File Format - and there are still platforms that are not capable of reading this information such as image orientation.

After you've inserted your image, and you notice that the image is showing in the incorrect orientation, simply double-click the image. The image editor will pop up in a window, presenting additional image editing options. One of the first options shown is the Orientation tool, which is what you will use to rotate the image left, right, or flip it top to bottom.

Rotate Your Image

The menu bar will toggle as you scroll up and down so it may appear above or below the image.   The process takes less than a minute to complete and all you need to do to get back to composing your post is click the rotation button, the image orientation will change in your draft. Once your image is set, you can continue to edit your post and save your changes.

Any image tips you think would be helpful to a new blogger? Feel free to share in the comments below!


Create A Landing Page For Instagram With Pages!

Create a landing page for Instagram with pages!

Recently we posted about Linktree, a platform that allows you to link to multiple URLs in Instagram. While writing the post, we got to thinking… You could do the same thing by creating a page in Typepad! 

With a Typepad page, you can create a landing page to use as your Instagram bio link. Creating the page in Typepad allows you to keep your blog branding and you don’t have another account to keep track of. Let’s get started creating your landing page. 

From your Typepad account, click on the Blogs tab, then the name of your blog. Click on the Posts tab, then Pages. Here you will see all the pages for your blog. Click on New Page to create a page. 

Create a Typepad page with border

Here is where you will design the landing page for Instagram (works exactly like creating a blog post). Once you are done designing your page, click on Publish. Copy the page URL and add that to your Instagram account. 

If you are not sure what to add to your landing page, here are some suggestions: 

  • Link to your blog. 
    • If your blog doesn't have a navigation bar or home link, make it easy to view your blog quickly from the landing page. 
  • Links to recent posts you promoted on Instagram.
    • We recommend you have your most recent post and your most popular posts linked on your landing page. Make it easy for readers to find the posts. 
  • Social Media Channels.
    • When not on Instagram, where are other places your readers can find you? 
  • Links to popular categories
    • Categories are a great way to expose readers to other parts of your blog. Share links to a few popular categories to encourage them to explore your blog so more. 

We would love to see the landing page you create for Instagram. Share the link in the comments! What tips would you add to encourage readers to explore your blog?


7 Tips To Easily Optimize Your YouTube SEO

7 Tips To Easily Optimize Your YouTube SEO

Many Typepad bloggers are also YouTube vloggers. YouTube allows everyone to create videos showcasing their knowledge or talent. You can use our YouTube embed feature to quickly find and embed your videos directly into your blog post to share with your readers. To help your videos get found outside of your blog, you can use these simple SEO tips to optimize your channel. Let us show you how! 

Keyword Search

Before you create your video, search for the keywords you want to use. You want to find keywords that people are searching for around your video idea. What comes up with those keywords? If there are lots of videos about those keywords, try to narrow down your search or focus on a specific issue in your video idea. The point is to find keywords that are not used so your video will stand out in those search results.

The best way to start is to use YouTube’s search feature. Start searching your keywords and see what comes up in the drop-down. Here you can get an idea of what people are searching for concerning your keyword. Click on the keywords and see what shows up. Are there a lot of videos that cover the keywords or will your video stand out?

YouTube Search Results w border

Say Your Keywords

Once you have your keywords selected, USE THEM! You can use these keywords in multiple places so search engines will pick up your video and share it in search results.

The first place to add your keywords is in your video file name. When you upload your video, the name tells YouTube what your video is about.

The title of your video should also have your keywords. Don’t try to stuff your keywords into the title. Make it flow naturally in the title. Put your keywords at the beginning of your video title so it is not cut out when it’s truncated (you can have 100 characters for your title but YouTube truncates it at 70 characters).

YouTube gives you 5,000 characters in your video description, make sure to use it all! Be sure to use your keywords multiple times. You don’t want to shoehorn the keywords in, it should flow naturally within your description. The beginning of your description should include your keywords and exactly what the video is about. YouTube truncates the description at 160 characters. Your first 160 characters should entice your readers to click on Show More. Once they see the whole description, that is your chance to promote your brand with links and a call to action.

YouTube allows you to add subtitles to your video. These subtitles or transcripts need to be reviewed and edited to make sure they are correct. You want to make sure your keywords are clear in the subtitles as well. Subtitles allow Google and YouTube to “read” your video. When they know what is in your video, they can provide the video when someone searches for it.

YouTube Description w border

Call To Action

At the end of your video, you want to include a call to action. What do you want viewers to do after they finish watching your video? The most popular are to comment, subscribe, and share. All of these can lead to increased SEO. The more viewers that interact with your video the more YouTube and Google know that your videos are providing the information needed in searches. If your video is popular it will show higher in search results.

Thumbnail

YouTube is a visual medium. The first thing viewers see when searching is the thumbnail. You want to create a thumbnail that stands out and entices viewers to click on your video. First, your thumbnail needs to accurately represent your video. You want viewers to watch your full video, so they need to know what it’s about beforehand. If the title of your video is long, you can use a shortened version of your title in the thumbnail. Make it short and snappy to draw your viewers’ attention. When designing your thumbnail make sure to use contrasting colors for your text and background. Also, include your brand logo. This should not overtake the title of your video but should be put in the same place for consistency.

The thumbnail needs to be large enough to look good as your thumbnail and as your preview image in an embedded video player. So the thumbnail looks great in both places, YouTube recommends the image be 1280 pixels wide by 720 pixels tall.

Thumbnail w border

Use Playlists

Isn’t it nice when you are searching for something and you find a nice playlist to teach you all you need to know? Playlists are a great way to group videos. Once viewers finish one video, it will go to the next. Your playlist can be about an overarching idea and each video talks about one section under that idea. When creating playlists, it’s good to use the same thumbnail layout so viewers can visually see all the videos are related.

Optimize Your Profile Page

Your profile page is what viewers use to get an idea of what your channel is about. You can show why you're an expert in your area and why they should watch your videos. If they are on your profile page, that means they are very interested in your videos and you can use this to convert them to subscribers. Here are a few tips to help optimize your profile page.

Banner

Your banner is the first thing viewers will see when they go to your profile page. Make sure it has the most impact to encourage subscribers. The image size is your first consideration, the size should be 2560px x 1440px. This will make sure your banner image will display clearly on all different devices. While the image is large, you want to make sure your banner content is placed in the “safe area”. The safe area is the center 1546px x 423px of the banner. Any important text or images need to be put in this area so they can be viewed on all devices.

YouTube image size

Now that you know your size, what do you put in your banner? It should be clean and clearly show everyone what your channel is about. Some things you can include in your banner are:

Your channel name
Your tag line
What kind of videos you make
Your posting schedule (if you have one)
Your social media handles

Once you know what you want in your banner, make sure your design does not obscure the information. You want a simple, clean design. Think about using a solid background and minimal text. Your banner should encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel.

About Section

The About section tells viewers more about your brand and channel. Here is another great place to add your keywords from your different videos. The description area allows you to have 5,000 characters, use them to describe your videos, your brand, and why someone would want to subscribe to your channel. The strongest text should be in the first 100-150 characters because that is will show in search results. The About section also lets you add links. Add links to your blog and your social media pages. Encourage viewers to follow your social media channels to get more information and to be notified when new videos are posted.

YouTube About Section w border

Make Engaging Content

You can do everything right but if your videos are not entertaining and engaging, no one will watch or subscribe (which is your goal!). Think outside the box and look for new ways to educate and entertain your viewers. It should still fit your brand but you want to make sure the content provides the information needed. At the beginning of the video, make sure to tell your viewers about the video and why they should stick around until the end. Your videos should reflect the passion and energy you feel, viewers will pick up on this.

These tips are all designed to help you be found in search results and show your viewers you are a trusted source. What other tips would you suggest for other Typepad vloggers? Share with us your YouTube channel! We would love to see your videos.


Share More Links In Instagram With LinkTree

Share more links in Instagram with LinkTree

Lots of Typepad bloggers use Instagram to share images of their crafts or adventures. One downside to Instagram is you can’t add a link to your post. A common practice is to add "Link in bio" in your Instagram post. You can only have one link in your bio, if you add your blog link, readers would have to search your blog to find the post they want. That's not a great experience for your followers. 

LinkTree has a better idea! They provide you with one link to use in your bio that will take your viewers to a list of links you can easily customize. Add links to your blog, to current posts, to previous posts, to your store, and anywhere you want to share. Here's how the link looks on @everything_typepad's Instagram page. 

Everything Typepad Instagram

Create Your LinkTree Account

Go to https://linktr.ee/ and click on Sign Up. Enter in your email address, what you want your LinkTree handle to be, and your password. Next, they will ask for your name and to select 3 categories that will best describe your LinkTree. Last, you will be asked if you want the Free plan or the Pro plan. We recommend you start with the free plan. You can always update later if you feel you need more from LinkTree. With your account set up, you can customize your LinkTree page.

Linktree-reg
The next step is to add your links. From the Link tab, you can add links to your blog, your social media, and your latest posts. We recommend you limit the number of links to posts you have. You'll need to update your LinkTree page as you publish more posts. 

LinkTree Add A Link

Once your links are set, you can click on Appearance. Upload an image your viewers will recognize across all your platforms, like your logo. Next, you'll give your LinkTree a profile name and description. Keep your description short. You want viewers to focus on your links. LinkTree has some customized themes you can choose from. For complete customization, you do need to upgrade to their Pro plan. 

LinkTree Themes

Now that your LinkTree page is complete you are ready to add it to your Instagram profile. On the top right in LinkTree, you will see your page URL (https://linktr.ee/example) copy the link and go to Instagram to update your profile with your new LinkTree link. Now when viewers click on your LinkTree link, they can see a custom page with multiple links. Here's the LinkTree page for @everything_typepad. 

Everything Typepad LinkTree

LinkTree provides analytics for your links as well. In the free plan, you can see how many views and clicks above all your links. Scroll down to specific links to see how many clicks each link has received. If you need more information, you can upgrade to the Pro plan and view their advanced analytics

LinkTree Stats

What other Instagram tips or tricks do you use to stand out. Share them in the comments! 


Create User-Friendly Permalink For Better SEO

Create User-Friendly Permalink For Better SEO

Did you know when you add a title to your blog post or page that Typepad uses it to make your permalink? While the title may be great for drawing attention to your post, it may not be the best for your URL. Today, we're going to walk through how to change your permalink (AKA slug) and discuss the benefits of changing it. 

Change Your Permalink

On the compose page, you'll see the permalink displayed under the title. The permalink contains your domain, the publish date, and your slug. When you choose to edit the permalink, you are editing the slug. 

Pro Tip: A slug is the part of a permalink that comes after the domain extension.

Slug ExampleWhy Change Your Permalink

As stated earlier, your title may not make the best permalink. Your permalink should be short, descriptive, and SEO-friendly. Let's review these recommendations together. 

Short 

Your slug should be around three to five keywords. Anything longer and it may become difficult for readers to remember the URL. The full permalink will also look more professional when you sharing it on social sites. 

Here is an example from Everything Typepad:

Post Title: Need New Pinterest Followers? Showcase Pinterest On Your Blog

Original URL: https://everything.typepad.com/blog/2021/03/need-new-pinterest-followers-showcase-pinterest-on-your-blog.html

Edited URLhttps://everything.typepad.com/blog/2021/03/add-pinterest-widget.html

You can see that we shorten the slug so it's easier to remember. 

Descriptive

Make sure your slug tells the reader exactly what they'll be reading about. You'll gain their trust when they see your link describes the information in your post.  

SEO Friendly

When thinking of a good slug, make sure to include SEO-friendly keywords. This helps Google and your readers know what the post is about and can approve your rankings. 

SEO SlugTips For Creating Your Slug

Use A Hyphen Between Words

When you enter the words for your slug, make sure to add a hyphen or underscore between them. If you don’t, Typepad will display an error when you attempt to save your new permalink, reminding you what is allowed in the slug. We advise using hyphens, but underscores work as well. 

Permalink Error

Edit Before You Publish

Edit the slug before you publish your post. If you have published your post and shared it with your readers, any edit will break the original post URL. This is a bad experience for your readers. 

Leave Out Function Words

When creating your slug, try to leave out function words as long as the slug still makes sense. Functions words include the, a, an, is, etc.

Don’t Use Punctuation

If you try to use punctuation in your slug, Typepad will give you an error reminding you to only use letters, numbers, hyphens, or underscores. 

Now that you know about editing your permalink, take the time with your next post to create a short, descriptive, SEO-friendly slug to improve reader's engagement and search engine ranking. You can use Google Analytics to help track your posts' views to compare older, unedited permalinks to your new, edited permalinks. 

Do you have any tips you use when customizing your permalinks? Let us know in the comments! 


Everything You Want To Know About Images For Your Blog

Everything You Want To Know About Images For Your Blog
Today, we are going to talk about the different file types, recommended image sizes, and image SEO.  What makes a great image for your blog? That’s an easy and complex question to answer. Your images are the supporting tools for your words. You want to make sure you provide the best images for your words. 

File Types

In Typepad, you can upload a JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Each file has different strengths and should be used in different instances. 
 
JPEG/JPG: Joint Photographic Experts Group
 
This format will allow you to display millions of colors. This is an excellent format for images with lots of colors and is complex. This file can be compressed into smaller files without losing its clarity. Smaller files have less impact on your blog's load time. This file is great for real-world images, images with complex colors, and if the image has shading light and dark. 
 
PNG: Portable Network Graphics 
 
This format is great for transparent images. It allows you to create a clear and crisp image that is transparent. You can place that image (like a logo) on top of other images or backgrounds. PNGs are also great for screenshots. The text is clearer and transitions between dark and light colors are crisper. 
 
GIF: Graphics Interchange Format
 
This format is used for animated images. They are like very short videos but in image form. These files are very large and should be used sparingly. They can cause longer load times for the page. If you want to find some great gifs, check out Giphy. Once you have selected to best GIF you can add it to your post

Image Size

The size of your image will depend on where you want to put your image. Images for the web are made up of pixels. These are very small squares that make up an image (if you zoom into an image, you can see them). When describing the size of an image, we use pixels (px).
 
When you insert an image into Typepad, we compress it so it will load quickly on your site. You want to make sure the image is larger than the area you are inserting so when it is compressed it will not lose any quality. We’re going to break down your blog into different sections and give you recommendations for image sizes. The examples shown are from a Design Lab theme, but this can be used as a guide for other themes. 

Banner Image

This image goes above your blog posts. It’s the images that can showcase your blog logo and name. You have two options, the banner can go the width of the blog area or the width of the browser. 
 
Recommend image size for a blog-width banner.
Width: 1140px       Height: 250px
 
Banner blog area width
 
Recommend image size for a browser-width banner.
Width: 1400px       Height: 250px
 
Banner browser area width

Sidebar


Profile Image exampleWhen selecting your blog's layout, you can add sidebars to either the left, right, or split on either side. The sidebar will appear on all blog posts and pages on your blog. The sidebar is a great place to display information about yourself, your blog, and your ads. We have a module called Sidebar Image that you can use to insert your images into the sidebar. 
 
When creating an image for your sidebar you want to make sure the width is correct. We recommend a width of 500px wide and an auto-adjusted height to keep the image proportional. If you want to create a profile image, we recommend 500px by 500px. 

Post/Page

When composing a blog post or page for your blog the size of the image you want to use depends on what you want the post to look like. We go over some popular image placements and the recommended sizes below. 
 
Header/Featured Image
 
A header or featured image is an image that appears before the text of your blog post. It can reiterate or enhance your post title. You see this in Everything Typepad blog posts. The image size recommended for your header/featured image is 1000px wide and 350px high. 
 
Banner Image for blog post
 
Infographic
 
Infographics are visual ways to provide information to your readers. You can add graphs and small text to present information to your readers. These will be larger image files so we recommend you use the JPG file format as it will be compressed to help it load faster. When designing your infographic we recommend keeping it between 600px to 1000px wide and no more than 1800 high (or long). These should provide basic points about a topic, if you want to expand on the points, write them out in the blog post. Check out how we've used an infographic in our post 25 Mobile Design Principles from Google
 
Wrapping Text Around an image
 
For smaller images, or if you want to reduce the space in your post, use our text-wrapping feature. This will wrap your text around an image. If the image is too large, you will have a small sliver of text next to your image and it will look out of place. If you want to wrap text around your image we recommend staying around 250px wide and keeping the height proportional. 
 
Aligned to right image
 
Full-Size Image
 
Full-size images are great ways to break up a large piece of text in your post with a large image. You can use this to showcase visual examples to better explain your idea or show off your images. We recommend the width of the image be around 1000px wide and an auto-adjusted height to remain proportional. 
 
Full image in post

Image SEO

Image SEO will help your images and posts be found in search engines. Here are some tips to help your images SEO and get your content found in search engines. 
 
Image Name
 
What is the image 73q7478303437.png about? If you don’t know neither will the search engines. Make sure to give your image a name anyone could understand. For example, name the image Me_at_Santa_Monica_Beach.png so search engines can pick out keywords from the name. 
 
You can rename the image before you upload it into your post or you can make the change in Typepad. From the Compose page, double click on the image. In the pop up you will see the name of the image in the Description box, you can update this box to be more SEO friendly. This will add the description to the image title and alt tag. 
 
Edit an image box
 
Describe The Image
 
Like you, search engines look for clues about an image in the text around it. Make sure the text around your image talks about the image or uses the same verbiage as the image name and alt tag. 
 
These helpful tips apply if you create images for your blog or find images from free image sites. If you find images from the internet, check out Blogger Beware - What You Need to Know about Using Images on Your Blog.   This shares tips on how to safely use images found on the web. 
 
Images are a great way to visually showcase your ideas and thoughts. What are some of your tips to help your image stand out? 

Need New Pinterest Followers? Showcase Pinterest On Your Blog

Need New Pinterest Followers_ Showcase Pinterest On Your Blog

Is your blog on Pinterest? Let your readers know by showcasing your Pinterest profile or a popular Pinterest board on your blog. Pinterest makes it very easy to create a widget to add to different areas of your blog. Let us show you how!

Creating your Pinterest Widget

Pinterest has a Widget Builder that allows you to customize their widget so it fits on your blog. You can showcase your Pinterest profile or a popular board.

Pinterest Tabs

First, you'll need to get your Pinterest profile or board URL. To get your profile URL, log into your Pinterest account and click on the profile image (top right). The URL that shows in the address bar is the URL to your profile page. If you want to get the URL to a popular board, click on the board from your profile, then copy the URL in the address bar.

Now you are ready to go to the Pinterest Widget Builder. Select Profile if you want to link to your Pinterest profile page or click on Board if you want to link to a popular board. Add the URL, then select how you want the widget to appear. 

Pinterest URL

Pinterest offers you different sizes to choose from. This allows you to create the widget that works best for your blog. If you want to fit the widget on your sidebar, select Square or Sidebar. 

Square: This will add a small square to your sidebar. It will show the first couple of pins on your profile or board.

Typepad Square Pinterest

 

Sidebar: This is longer than the square. It goes down the length of your sidebar. This widget is thinner than our sidebar and may look out of place in your blog. You can adjust the width of the widget by changing the width in the code. 

Code to look for: data-pin-board-width="150"

Change the 150 to make the board wider to fit your sidebar. The example below used "300".

Typepad Sidebar Pinterest

 

Header: This is a horizontal rectangle widget that would be great in the ad module in Design Lab themes. 

Typepad Header Pinterest

 

Create your own: If you know the exact size you want the widget to appear on your blog, you can enter the width you want the individual image pins, the width, and the height of the widget to add to your blog. 

Now that you have customized the widget, you'll see the code you can add to your blog. 

Add To Blog

With the code from Pinterest, it's time to add it to your Typepad blog. First, you need to add the pinit.js code to your head module. (Head module is only available to Unlimited plans and higher.)

Click on the Blogs tab, then the name of the blog. Click on the Design tab, then Head. Paste in the pinit.js code Pinterest provides then click on Save Changes. 

Head Module Code

Now you are ready to add the widget code to your sidebar. Click on the Design tab, then Content. Under Modules, select Embed Your Own HTML then click on Add This Module. Give the module a label (like Pinterest Widget) then paste in the code from Pinterest. Click on OK, then Save Changes. Now your profile or board will show on your blog. 

Pinterest Widget

Did you know you can also verify your website with Pinterest and add Pinterest icons to your images? Once you are done adding all things Pinterest to your blog, share it with us. We would love to see it! 


Easily Create A Book From Your Popular Blog

Easily Create A Book From Your Popular Blog

Writing a blog is no different than writing a book. There are many platforms that will take your blog and turn it into a book. Books can make great gifts for friends and family. We did a little research and found two platforms that you can use to easily create a book from your Typepad blog. 

Blog2Print

Blog2Print will log into your Typepad account and easily export your blog posts into their platform. When you click on Sign In, select Typepad and create your Blog2Print account. Once in Blog2Print, click on Get Started and select Typepad. 

Blog2Print Getting Started

Here you will add your Typepad username and password. Then you will see a list of all your blogs. Select the blog you want and customize your options. Click on Preview after you're done customizing. In the preview window, you can flip through each page to make sure it looks correct and select your book cover options. 

The Blog2Print pricing depends on how big you want your book to be, how many pages you want, and what you choose for the cover. 

Pixxibook

Pixxibook lets you enter your blog URL and they will grab all the posts from your blog. 

PixxiBook Add Your Blog

After they gather all your posts you can customize what is shown in the book. You can narrow it down by date or by category. Customize the cover of your book and add tweaks to how the posts are shown. On the right, you will see your total and when you are done, you can purchase your book. Pixxibook’s pricing is based on the number of pages in your blog. Once you are done, you can purchase and ship your blog around the world. 

Have you created a book from your blog? Tell us what program you used and if you would recommend it. 


Top 10 Everything Typepad Posts for 2020

Top 10 Everything Typepad Posts for 2020 Version 2

2020 has been a memorable year. Some great memories and some not so good memories. The good news is, like you, we blogged our way through it. While looking over our Google Analytics, we have to say, we shared some really great content. Here are our Top 10 Everything Typepad posts from 2020.

 

Featured Card Blog Post

At the beginning of 2020, we released a new magazine theme called Featured Cards. This new theme is a content-driven layout that focused on the ability to beautifully display text and photos in a way that was clean and organized.

 

image from everything.typepad.comWith PayPal you can easily accept payment from your readers. Learn how to add buttons to sell products or subscriptions to your blog. Turn your blog into a side hustle and pay them bills! 

 

Book ShopperDid you know we accept guest bloggers? We love to have our Typepad bloggers write about their experience and blogging knowledge. The Book Shopper wrote this great piece about how his blog is his own archive. 

 

image from everything.typepad.comGoogle allows you to create great photo albums to organize your memories. We have a way for you to share those albums with your readers too! Embed your album and show off your adventures. 

 

image from everything.typepad.comPinterest is a popular social media platform that can be a great tool for reaching new readers. Make sure your site is verified with Pinterest so they know the information is from a trusted source. 

 
image from everything.typepad.com
2020 was the year we rolled out a top request — having a store within your blog! We integrated Ecwid to make it easier to merge your blog and shop content for readers to access.
 
 
image from everything.typepad.com
We know, you don't want to think about cleaning right now; that's for Spring time! This last Spring we had a great list to help you start cleaning up your blog so it is ready for 2021! 
 
 
image from everything.typepad.com
Social media is a great place to interact with your readers. Make it easier for readers to find you on social media with buttons that share which services you're active on. We provide 3 different ways to add social media links to your blog. 
 
 
image from everything.typepad.com
We know it can be stressful when you visit your blog and it doesn't load. The most common mistake for a blog not loading is when your domain is missing a Forward to the non-www domain. In this post we showed you how to set a Forward so it's one less thing to worry about.
 
 
image from everything.typepad.com

By adding a small bit of CSS, you can add a message over your comment section. Let your readers know about your comment policy or rules for your blog's comment section. 

And there you have it! Our best Typepad posts! If you have Google Analytics you can find your most viewed pages and share with your readers. If you don't have Google Analytics, now is a great time to add it so you can do this for 2021!

 

 


Quickly Create Your Store With Ecwid

Quickly Create Your Store With Ecwid

We've integrated Ecwid! A popular e-commerce platform, Ecwid offers multiple plans for all sizes of businesses. You can get started with any plan (even free!) to launch your shop and, what's more, we've made it super simple to integrate it into your Typepad blog. Join our Beta team to get early access to Ecwid.

Now, let's go through the process together.

To get started, you'll need to create an Ecwid account, which you can begin by browsing to Blog > Settings > Ecwid. Click on Create your own store at Ecwid to be redirected and start the process.

Ecwid Store

The Ecwid login page will show in a new browser tab. Select Create new Ecwid account to start your new account. First, you'll be asked to enter your name, email address, and password. Your email address will be used as your username.  Now, there are 4 steps to finish setting up your Ecwid account. 

Step 1: Give your store a name, select your country, and currency. 

Step 1 store name

Step 2: Enter your business' physical address. If you don't have a company address yet, please enter an address from where you'll be shipping your orders. 

Step 3: Tell Ecwid about yourself. They want to know about your experience selling products, what type of product you're selling, and if you're selling for someone else. 

Step 3 Tell us about yourself

Step 4: Tell Ecwid about your website. They want to know if you have a website and with which service. Currently, Typepad is not listed. You can select Other, then enter Typepad into the box. 

Congratulations! You've created your Ecwid account. Now you'll need to add your products into Ecwid. 

In Ecwid, you will see a To-Do list. Part of the To-Do list is adding your product to your account. Click on Add your products or services and follow their instructions. Once you are done adding your products you're ready to add your store to your blog.

Ecwid Todo list

Click on the Dashboard link of your Ecwid account. At the bottom of the page you'll find your Store ID. Copy this number to be used in Typepad. 

In your Typepad account, go back to the Ecwid section (Blog > Settings > Ecwid). Under Already an Ecwid user? paste in your Store Id and click on Save Changes. 

Next, click on Create Store Page in my Blog. Typepad will create a page for you titled Store. You can add text to tell people more about what you're selling.

NOTE: You won't see the products you added on the Compose Page or Preview, only when you publish the page. 

Share your store on your blog by adding it to your navigation bar or sidebar with a fun image. 

Now that you've created and integrated your store, share the link with us in the comments! We'd love to see (and maybe purchase) what you're selling!