The reason .gif is used more widely on the web is because the file size is smaller than a .jpg file and is faster and easier to load in your web browser.

GIFs are great for small icons and animated pages, but lack the color range for high quality photos.

If you have an image you want to use on your mom blog or web site that is in .jpg format, MS Picture Editor has a tool you can use to compress the image into a .gif file. If you don’t know how to do this or don’t have the time, you can hire a VA, such as myself, to do it for you.

JPG, pronounced “jay peg”, is one of the most common types of image formats used on the Internet. The format is either abbreviated as JPG or jpeg and comes from the name of the committee that created the standard, Joint Photographic Experts Group.

JPG technology was designed for compressing full-color or gray-scale images of natural, real-world scenes. It works well on photographs, naturalistic artwork and similar material.

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Understanding FTP is very useful for building a website. Basically, you download an FTP program or client to your computer. Once that’s complete, you can then use the program to transfer files from your computer to your webhosting site that you need and want on your website or mom blog.

There are several different FTP programs to choose from. We recommend Filezilla and Fire FTP.

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For example, Mom Masterminds is a discussion group for Work At Home Moms where we discuss not only business related topics, but parenting, budgeting, time-management and even give each other the much needed support for owning and running a business from home.

Forums allow individuals to really connect with one another across distances using the Internet. Unlike e-mail, messages posted to the forum will be viewable by all forum members. In fact, information posted on forums is part of the public knowledge for years to come. This is one of the reasons why being a member of Mom Mastermind’s is so great: there may be a tip or idea that was posted on the forum 4 years ago, but it’s perfect for your situation right now.

Forums are supported by many different software platforms, and are very user friendly. For a lot of Internet newcomers, forums are their first entry into using the Internet. Some of the other common terms for forums are web forums, discussion forums, bulletin boards, message boards, discussion boards and discussion groups.

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Some of the most popular article directory sites are:

• Lady Pens
• Great Articles for Moms
• Ezine Articles
• Go Articles
• Article Alley

FRAs are used to add content to web pages that will help attract search engine traffic. For example, if you have a website on which you sell scrapbooking supplies, you would search for FRAs on that particular topic. Article directories list available articles in specific categories and normally have a searchable database.

Using FRAs is the quickest way to get quality content for a website. It will save you time because you won’t have to come up with the topics yourself and then type it out.

However, when using FRAs you will need to rewrite the articles so as to avoid duplicate content on the web. Other people who are in the same line of business as you may also obtain these articles, and when someone conducts a search engine query on a particular subject, you don’t want them finding duplicate content. For one thing it looks bad because your readers want to know your content comes from you, and another thing search engines don’t like duplicate content. So, make the articles your own by rewriting them to suit your personality and style.

If you don’t have time to rewrite the articles yourself, you might consider hiring a ghostwriter who will do it for you.  A quality ghostwriter will be able to determine your style and personality, therefore will write in your “voice”.

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Before contacting customer service or tech support you should check this list. Most users can find answers to their questions on the FAQ list.

As a mom blogger you may or may not need an FAQ page depending on what type of blog you run. If you sell products from your site, an FAQ page is probably a good idea.

If you don’t have an FAQ page already set up, you may want to in order to answer any questions you think your customers might have, or have already asked. An FAQ page may help cut down on the amount of email you receive from customers, freeing up more time for other things.

Having an FAQ page shows your customers you care about their concerns and have thought about additional information they may need in order to make a purchase. An FAQ page saves your customers time, because they won’t have to send out an email and wait for a response when their question is covered in the FAQ.

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Forwarding is also a helpful way of distributing important information. For example, you send me an important message and I want to convey that message to Kelly, I simply click the ‘forward’ button in my email program. Kelly then receives the exact same message you sent to me, only it appears in her email program as if it came from me.

When an email message is ‘forwarded’, most email programs place the letters FW in front of the subject in the subject line, letting the person receiving the forward know it is a ‘forwarded’ message.

However, some messages are online versions of chain letters and encourage the recipient to forward them on to someone else. Most “forwards”, as they are called, involve both an inspirational message and a promise for good luck if you forward the message on. Chain email is annoying to most recipients and is discouraged as part of good ‘netiquette’.

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Emoticons are normally used at the end of a sentence in order to convey the feeling associated with that sentence. For example, when a person makes a statement in jest, the “winking” emoticon can be used afterward to imply sarcasm.

Originally, emoticons only made sense if you turned your head to the side. Today many IM programs, chat rooms and message boards and word processors employ animated “smilies” to imply emotion. These smilies are normally unique to the platform they are being used on and there are now many, many different emoticons used throughout the various platforms.

Here are several of the most common emoticons:

: )  — Smile

: O – Surprise

: ( – Frown

: P – Tongue stuck out

; ) – Winking

> : ( — Mad

Other variations that have developed over the years:

:-* – a Kiss

:’( –Crying

<3 – Heart

Here is an example of how WordPress converts the keystrokes : – ) when typed with no spaces.

And  : – ( converts to

Using Emoticons helps make communication via the Internet or Email much clearer. When you end a sentence with a , it conveys happiness or says “it’s okay”. Ending a sentence or statement with a , indicates sadness or sorrow. For instance, “I’m sorry I can’t do that today “.

As a mom blogger, incorporating appropriate Emoticons into your blog posts will add emotion to your story or article. However, over use of them could get annoying, so use them sparingly and wisely.

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There are many free e-books available on the web, and there are also e-books available for purchase. When you obtain or purchase an e-book, you can download it directly to your computer and save it for reading at a later date. Most e-books are saved in pdf. format and require Adobe Acrobat reader (a free program) to be accessed.

Creating your very own e-book is fairly simple with the right tools. If you have a topic that you think would be of interest to your niche or target market, check out the following resources that will help you create your e-book and get it in front of the people who will want to download or purchase it.

• Writing Helps for E-book Authors
• How to Write an E-book for Profit

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Advantages to running an e-business, as opposed to a traditional business:

Start-up costs for doing business online are considerably lower than opening a brick and mortar store. Basically, all you need is an internet connection and a website. There can be the added cost for advertising and setting up a merchant account so you can accept payments, however, overall, the costs are much lower than opening a store in a building.

You can do business directly from your home, in your jammies if you wish, according to your own schedule, with no one telling you what time to punch in and what time to punch out!

Another huge advantage to doing business online, especially in these tough economic times, is that you can sell to the entire world instead of just your local community!

As mom bloggers, if your site is monetized, you are running an e-business! If you would like more information or are seeking help to make your e-business more successful, check out the resources below.

• WAHM Talk Radio
• Start Your Affiliate Program
• How to use Copywriting to Promote your E-business
• The Power of a Focused Business
• One on One Coaching with Kelly McCausey

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The basic process is as follows:

• A potential customer requests information from a website and is asked to confirm that they want the information to come to their e-mail address.
• The potential customer then receives a confirmation e-mail in their inbox. This e-mail requires them to click on a verification link to receive further information.

Once the verification is received, the potential customer will receive the future messages from the mailing list, e-course or autoresponder series.

If you are a mom blogger that sells informative eBooks, eCourses or other material, using the Double Opt-in technique ensures that a potential customer actually wants to receive the marketing materials you’re sending them. It is a way to prevent unwanted spam and your customers will appreciate it!

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The basic definition of Download is: The act of transferring a file or files from one computer to yours, using the Internet.

The opposite of download is upload (ya think?). When you upload a file or files, you are transferring them from your computer to another. When I first started using the Internet, these two terms were quite confusing to me. They seemed backwards, but once you get these two terms straight, you will be an Internet wizard. Well, okay, you might need to learn a few more things before you’re a wizard, but you will be much further ahead in your knowledge of Internet and computer terminology.

There are a few basic methods of downloading from the Internet. You can download directly from a website or an FTP site. (FTP is a term we will learn a little later down the road.) You can also download from e-mail attachments, although it is highly recommended that you do not download e-mail attachments from unknown sources as they may contain harmful viruses.

As you begin to use the Internet regularly, building your mom blog or web site, the term download will become part of your everyday language and probably part of your everyday life.

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Everything that is posted on del.icio.us is viewable by the public, although you can choose to make specific bookmarks private. Bookmarks are publicly viewable for a purpose. Many people use del.icio.us to publish links to their personal or business blogs. You can use the del.icio.us interface to keep links to your favorite articles, blogs, music etc. You can also share your favorites with anyone who has an e-mail address. del.icio.us also has a search function that allows you to explore what others are book marking, and find other websites that are related to your interests.

Del.icio.us can be a great tool for mom bloggers because when you bookmark your blog publically it then becomes more visible for people to find on the web. You can also explore other blogs that may spark an idea for a topic on your blog.

The del.icio.us toolbar is compatible with Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer and other popular internet browsers. However I have found it not to be compatible using Google Chrome, yet.

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Totally her is hosting B.A.D., a day where you can pick the brain of leading women in business. How awesome is that?! But wait, there’s more! It’s FREE! You read right, it’s free!

This awesome day is Tuesday, January 20th. Are you thinking something else is going on that day? Well you’re thinking right! It’s inauguration day! B.A.D. will run from 10:00AM to 5:30PM Eastern time with a break at Noon Eastern time for the inauguration! So, you will get inspired, more knowledgable and a new president all in the same day!

Here is are the awesome women leaders in business you will get to chat with: Liz Strauss, Anita Campbell, Kelly Phillips Erb, Jessica Smith, Kelby Carr, Susan Payton, Miranda Marquit,Elizabeth Potts Weinstein, Kelly McCausey, Lucretia Pruitt, Char Polanosky, Barbara Jones & Wendy Piersall.

Go to Totally Her for all of the amazing details and examples of questions you might want to ask! Oh and don’t forget to mark your calendar and set a reminder so you don’t miss any of the invaluable information that is going to be exchanged!!!

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Copywriting for website placement involves the strategic repetition of keywords phrases within articles and refer to the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) methods that are used to achieve higher rankings in search engines. This type of copywriting is often referred to as content writing.

The expert on copywriting is Alice Seba, Internet Marketing Sweetie. Pick up her eCourse Copywriting Sweetie Course today!

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Most chat rooms have a specific topic that everyone will discuss. However, other chat rooms are simply for meeting other people. There are some chat rooms that are designed as intricate 3-D environments, where you select an avatar that will represent you in the virtual meeting place.

Chat rooms are one of the most popular ways to make connections with real people over the Internet. Often they are used for and associated with singles and dating. But, chat rooms are also used for business as well. Have you ever been in the customer service section on a web site and a pop up box appears, asking if you need help or offering help? That’s a type of chat room where you can get live help with the product or services you are researching.

Other places you might see chat-style rooms are on gaming sites, like Pogo and Yahoo Games. When you are in a room playing a game, you have the ability to chat with others in the same room or at your table.

Chatting can be lots of fun and you will probably meet some new and interesting people in chat rooms. But, obviously you have to be cautious too because you never know who you might meet on line!

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The cache is actually a form of high-speed memory. Your computer sets it aside to store frequently accessed data. The data can then be accessed directly from the hard drive, instead of the Internet server. Accessing the hard drive is a much faster process than accessing a server, so essentially the cache increases the time it takes to view frequently visited pages.

Keep in mind that the cache can build up over time and actually slow down your hard drive. It is advisable to clean out your cache from time to time.

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With so many interesting web pages out there, it’s hard to keep track of sites that you want to revisit again and again. Using bookmarks can help you keep tabs on the sites you liked and want to look at in the future.

Your Internet Browser will have a tab at the top that says “Bookmarks” or “Favorites.” When you are on a website that you want to bookmark, you can select “Bookmark this page” (or a similar phrase) and your web browser will save the URL information for that site.

Your bookmarks will be stored in the browser in your “Bookmarks” or “Favorites” menu. Normally the bookmarks are stored in chronological order, with the oldest bookmarks at the top of your list. Most browsers offer the option to organize the bookmarks in folders. This makes your bookmarks easily accessible and you can group them together based on topics.

Bookmarks are important and useful for mom bloggers! I’ve found, since making mom blogging a way of life and source of income, that I rely on bookmarks to help me remember and find useful websites and blogs. If bookmarking wasn’t available, I would have to write down or use a spreadsheet to keep track of all the sites I visit. Bookmarking just makes life and being a mom blogger that much easier.

You can also save all of your favorite bookmarks on the web using Delicious

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But don’t let that scare you; most don’t cost anything near that amount. Banner ads get their name because they are placed at the top or bottom of a web page, however, they can also be placed on the sides of the website content.

Banner ads can benefit mom blogs in the following ways:

1. You can have advertisers pay you to post their banner ad on your blog.

2. You can have your banner ad posted on other web sites and blogs, driving traffic to your mom blog.

3. You can post your affiliate banner ads on your mom blog.

If you choose one or both of those, you need to do so strategically, to produce the best results. If you choose to have other advertisers post their banner ads on your site, you want to make sure they are selling something you approve of and that isn’t going to compete with your product or service directly, so you will want to do a little research first. Same goes when placing your ad on other sites.

Your banner will need to be eye-catching and strategically placed. For help with strategically placing your banner ad, read this.

If you think this type of advertising is for you, then go check it out Appetite for Design.

Shannon Smith, the work at home mom who owns the site, will custom design a banner ad, according to your needs and specifications; all for a very reasonable amount.

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Blog is a shortened term for “weblog.” Both terms refer to a website where entries are made similar to a journal or diary. The entries are presented in reverse chronological order, with the newest entry on top.

Although blogs were originally used like a personal journal on everyday events, they have evolved into a multipurpose tool. There are blogs on every topic imaginable, from food to politics to celebrity gossip. Generally, blogs combine the text entries with images, links to other blogs and other related media.

They Call me Wahmmy is a blog that developed from a personal blog into a blog that targets a specific group of people. Others start out with a personal blog, and then may create another “niche” blog or two.

A blog entry consists of five basic components:

The Title: The main headline of the blog post.

The Body: The main content of the blog post, which can consist of text and/or photos and video.

Permalink: This is the URL of the individual post.

Post Date: The date and time the post was published to the blog website.

A blog entry can also include comments from readers, categories (commonly called tags) that label the blog entry by subject, and trackback links, which are links to other sites that refer to the blog entry.

Some other terminologies you may hear referring to blogs are:

• Posts: writing an article or message and submitting it to your blog
• Blogging: when someone is writing or posting to their blog

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Head on over there now, and check out the links to all the WAHM sites! If you aren’t familiar with one, go ahead and click on it and check it out!

Once you have determined your faves, you vote by listing them in the comments. If you don’t see one you think should be there, go ahead and leave the link in the comment section.

I’m heading over there now to vote for my faves!

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