The Second Group Research Project Call for Topics & Prizes
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The last Group Research Project was a HUGE success - I’m planning on doing another one soon, but this time I would like to kick it up a notch and offer up some swanky prizes to the participants. Would any wonderful sponsors like to step up to the plate on this one? Contact me privately if you want more info on numbers and the results from the last time we did this.
I’d like to throw a theme at this project, which will be launched the second week in July. Call it our Summer Survival Project - we’ll be helping each other with our internet businesses, our blogs, and staying sane while keeping the kids happy on summer break as work at home parents.
So great prizes will be both kid-friendly summer activities as well as anything to help each other make more money online!
Last time, we had some leftover topics that didn’t get covered, such as:
- How to market your business via MySpace
- How (and why) to video blog
- How to choose and understand a web analytics program
Let’s also start gathering ideas for the next set of topics - if you have wanted to learn about “how to do” anything online or in your home business, please leave a comment with your topic suggestion!
Sparkplugging Founder Wendy Piersall is dang passionate about helping people start & grow a business while maintaining life balance (somehow). 
Dawud Miracle has one focus: to help you get it. The it? How your website, and blog, can change the way you do business. You can find out more at 
Teresa Morrow manages online book publicity and event promotion for authors, speakers and writers with her company 
Here’s one — I’ve been meaning to move my blog to a sub directory on my domain. Currently it’s on the main dir, thefitshack.com and I want to move it to thefitshack.com/blog and then use a home page with an intro.
I’m interested in stats on how this affects a blog’s ranking, and if it means that you are starting over with your blog since your posts are on a different url. OR, is it not even a big deal, because you will still have your home page ranking?
If you do this, which url is the best one to promote (i.e.: when leaving comments), your home page or the blog dir?
Also, I’m interested in any tips on how to move your blog to a sub dir, maybe there’s a better way than what I’ve been looking at.
I know quite a bit about StatCounter.com I would be willing to put my two cents worth into the mix. I have used it to determine what posts are doing better than others and it allows you other tracking stuff so I could share what I know thus far at least.
JoLynn, you don’t need to move your blog in order to do what you want. You’re on WordPress, right? Just create the page you want to be on the home page, then go to Options –> Reading in your admin panel and change the Front Page option to the page you just created!
I’ve used multiple web analytics systems and would be happy to participate in the Summer Survival Project! I’ll start working on a post right now…
That sounds fun. I’ll start working on a post for it myself.
I can’t wait to see the list. I’ll try and participate this time.
Wendy,
When do you want them? I was thinking of doing a post on writing for the Reddit audience.
I am starting a community blog on wordpress.com, it’s not for making money tho, but I was going to document how I am setting it up.
Setting up my own domain, customizing my look and tips on maximizing it, because there is a lot that can be done on wordpress.com for people that are not ready to set up hosting.
The interesting thing about it is that you can get a multi-blog simulation by using wordpress.com, much like ExpressionEngine, giving different members access to different blogs and having it tied all together without much work.
Is this useful information, or is it overdone?
Hi,
We will be launching our new product - a full web system with content management and a store - Monday. We don’t have a price yet (thinking $119) but are glad to give one away as a prize.
http://www.mymusesite.com (site is still in finishing touches)
Let me know.
cheers,
Don
My post about the stats programs is up: The Ultimate Guide to Free Web Site Analytics
I would like to know how (or if) a website’s code affects SEO. HTML, PHP, CSS - what can a non-technical person like myself look for as “red flags” in a client’s source code.
I’d like to know how to kick off, or who to contact in order to kick off an online business which centers upon consultation, but includes regular blogging, and possible monetization through advertising, and affiliate programs. But mainly consultation.
Would that be possible?
I can’t wait! I missed the last group research project. Here are some things that I, personally, am interested in learning more about:
+ understanding the whole reddit, digg it, del.ici.ous, technorati, etc. stuff
+ figuring out how you do the ‘notify me of followup comments via e-mail’ option. I love that feature! Yours is the only blog I’m a member of that has that feature. It’s great!
+ understanding web analytics (as you mentioned above). I have started using Google combined with AdWords and I’m not quite sure I understand it.
+ learning how to migrate a wordpress hosted blog to a self hosted wordpress platform without losing all the links/permalinks.
I also just completed your ECourse and I have literally seen traffic double and even triple on one day. Still working on understanding some of your top 10 blogging mistakes: http://babblesoft.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/the-top-10-blogging-mistakes-by-wendy-piersall/
Thanks for all the great work you do! I really like your inviting writing tone.
@ Aruni - the plugin to allow your users to be notified of follow up comments is just a plugin for WordPress: http://txfx.net/code/wordpress/subscribe-to-comments/
@ Randa - Thanks for the info! I’m on a wordpress hosted blog so hopefully it should work. I’m going to look into it. I’m surprised that more people don’t use it. I’ve seen RSS feed to comments but for some reason, I prefer getting them by email.
Wendy,
I am new to the technical aspects of blogging and hosting. The past few days were nightmarish as I tried to set up my blog on my own domain and change platforms. My blog went down. It is back, on its own domain but still on blogger. I am still reeling from this confusing experience. So, for the newbie blogger I would love to see a post that discusses hosting in general, hosting and WordPress, and possibly something like an unofficial guide to upgrading wordpress.
I want to know what is the best aggregator since I want to pull information from one of my other websites on to my main site.. and i hate choosing plugins hahha
Just a note to point out that we’ll be launching this officially the second week in July. I know that most of you (like me) will be doing a lot of playing next week due to the 4th of July holiday, so get ready to roll the following week!
(And Randa, don’t worry, I’ll still definitely include your post!
)
Haha! I missed the last one, so I jumped on this one as soon as possible. I was itching to write a post about that anyway.
Hi Wendy,
how about crossmarketing as a topic? Using a blog to promote a business, using a business to promote a blog? Even using other blogs to promote your own?
Cheers, Andrew
Wendy,
Please don’t forget about me…I am interested in being a part this 2nd go-around with the project.
I will be waiting to read about the topics to contribute one of my own.
Thanks for doing this again!
Sincerely,
Teresa Morrow
Steve
I can’t wait for your post on Reddit.
Aruni
I’ll write about del.icio.us, as this is one place I really want to learn more about. I haven’t found much that I like in terms of research, but I haven’t had time to really dive into it. So, Wendy, I’ll take this on. Phew! Next week sounds good for me.
Wendy
Topics I’d love to learn more/need new insights are:
a. Capitalizing on Facebook for business networking, like LinkedIn.
b. Actively seeking advertisers/sponsors for our blogs.
Thanks sweetie! The last project *was* (still is) a ride! Great networking, Great tutorials, great referrals, just gosh-darn Great!
Good luck finding a Sponsor! Another “Great” Opportunity
Oooo, I just thought of another:
Getting ready for Google’s next PageRank update!
3-months is sometime this month!
Please, please, what can we do!?
Wendy,
A while back I sent you an email regarding a topic that I have been struggling with for some time and think it may be a good candidate for Group Research Project Round 2.
I would love to get some direction on how to actually go about starting a home based business.
Some of the topics that I am struggling with are:
• Type of entity (Sole Proprietor, LLC, etc.)
• What paperwork is required to be filed with the state?
• What bookkeeping software to use.
• Should I enlist the services of a lawyer?
• Should I bother writing a business plan?
Hi Wendy! Just now read your reply (#3)…no, I don’t want a static page, I might not be explaining it correctly. I need to move the install to a sub directory on my domain….but you already have a wonderful list of exciting topics built up here for your next group research project, and if I think of another one I’ll add it to the list.
Beth Blecherman from the famous Silicon Valley Moms blog sent in a question:
What social networking sites would you suggest an eMom to sign up for?
I was going to answer her in an Ask eMom post, but perhaps this is one to add to the list!
I agree - which social networks should we sign up for? And also, how not to get confused and contribute regularly to them??
Wendy I am still going to be doing the StatCounter post over at Wildheart’s Works. I hit a snag this last few days I am in the process of switching pc’s and my ex in his infinite lack of good sense forgot I had like a ton of stuff on his pc I personally needed to get off of there before I could give it back to him. I don’t have access to any of my cookies either on this new system so I haven’t even been able to check in on MyBlogLog community. GGrrrr.
@JoLynn Braley: I just moved my site to a new domain. I had a PR2 and Alexa Rank around 207,000. Today I completed the 301 redirection (don’t ask me what the number stands for, but that what the experts call it). Within the next week I’ll get a good overlook on how it has affected my blog.
I’ll write a post on what I learned and how important it is to pick the right domain name from the beginning.
One of the topics I’m interested in is how to design a wordpress theme for “graphic disabled people”. Another interesting topic could be CSS for dummies - what does all those code mean?
@Nathania - I just touched on the basics of this a couple weeks ago (June 15) on my blog.
I would be happy to contribute a more focused post with screenshots, etc., for this Project!
hmm I have been thinking about Video blogging and it would be great to research how to do it. I think I am in if no one has taken that subject. Does the post need to be up by Monday then??
And Wendy you are my hero with that little tip on the Wordpress home page thing.. now why didn’t my hubby the B5 Code Ninja drop that one on me??
I would LOVE to participate as well!! I’ve done a lot of research already on different subjects, so if I can help anyone else out that would be great. This is a really good idea and from the comments posted, everyone else loves it too!
I want to know about CSS Dennis I have to use it on my Runboard message board ever so often and it has taken me some time to learn what I have.
This is not so much a technical how-to topic - that part comes very easily to me. My ‘research topic’ is the never simple question of work/life balance!
How do we leap from the security of the day job without collapsing under a punishing startup pace? Isn’t balance and flexibility a primary reason why we’re choosing to work at home, work for ourselves and build own dreams? Sure, doing what we love and passionately believe makes a difference in our commitment level, but still - I want to enjoy my life!
(sorry to double-comment… I read the directions to post here *after* I posted the first comment on more recent post.)
How about how to use google sitemaps and what plugin can help make it easier. I could do that one!