Recent Posts
By Ganesh On March 14, 2009
5 Comments
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t call it Thematic Wordpress Theme. Thematic Wordpress Framework is the right term. This theme was released by Ian Stewart who runs ThemeShaper. I wrote this post to tell all those bloggers who are on the lookout for a free, fully-customizable Wordpress theme for their blogs. Some of you, no, maybe most of you would have known this theme as it was released a long time ago. But I discovered it only a few days ago, and decided that I can tell those who don’t know about it yet.
Thematic is a free, open-source, highly extensible, search-engine optimized WordPress Theme Framework featuring 13 widget-ready areas, grid-based layout samples, styling for popular plugins, and a whole community behind it. It really is the super space-ninja of WordPress themes. Get it now and leave your competition wondering what hit them.
This theme has received many positive reviews by sites like WPCandy and ThemeLab. The theme has many features such as inbuilt SEO optimization, ready for adding Comment License, PageNavi, etc.
This is perhaps the only theme in which you can remove all credits and linkbacks to Thematic and ThemeShaper. The footer of the demo page reads:
→ You’re looking at one of the subtlest and most unusual features of Thematic: user-defined footer text. You can set whatever text you like here in the theme options page. Keep the credit. Remove the credit. This theme is your theme. You’re in control.
Powered by WordPress. Built on the Thematic Theme Framework. ← Yep. You can even remove that.
The theme has so many customizable features that it would take a lot of time for me to explain (oh, and a guide to customizing the theme framework is also provided). Just check out the theme’s page on ThemeShaper.com for a complete list of its features.
While the original theme is not that pretty, you can easily customize it and change it to suit your blog. For example, Splendid Kid runs a customized version of Thematic.
Check out the Thematic Wordpress Theme and also a demo of the theme.
By Ganesh On December 28, 2008
5 Comments
A long while back when I first started blogging, I did not know anybody my age who was into blogging and making money online. Of course, there were a few young folks (Carl Ocab) that inspired me to start blogging. I used to consider myself very special and talented because nobody else in my place even knew what blogging was. I even used to flaunt at school about my sites and the people with whom I had chatted with. 
Nowadays, more and more young people are starting to blog. And they are doing a great job too! Many of them are the same age as me but there are a few bloggers who are quite young too.
Recently, Carl launched a site called Youngest Blogger which lists and ranks young bloggers based on their age and blog stats. Some of them are as young as 11 years old. My name was not listed, so I immediately filled out a form to add my blog. I hope I rank in the top 5. 
Check out Youngest Blogger and see how you or your favorite young blogger ranks.
So, what do you think about today’s young bloggers who are taking over the blogosphere? Tell me what you think by commenting on this post.
By Ganesh On December 8, 2008
8 Comments
Let me inform you that I have launched a massive contest at my internet marketing blog Online Bull as a part of its promotion campaign. The contest will run up to December 24. So hurry up and participate in it!
The Prizes
Here are the cool prizes that are being given out.
Ad spots
Text Links
Reviews
Ebooks and Information Products
Themes and Designing Services
Courses and Memberships
The total value of all the prizes is $616! Awesome, eh? 
Read more about participating in the contest on the contest post. All the best!
If you liked this post, then make sure you subscribe to my blog through RSS or through email.
By Ganesh On December 3, 2008
5 Comments
NameCheap is holding a big contest at Twitter giving away over $17,000 worth of domains, domain transfers and other prizes.
NameCheap is a pretty popular domain name registrar. I’ve been using them since a few months now. Their prices on domains are very cheap. And with every domain, you get free WHOIS privacy. I guess they are the only domain registrar which doesn’t have an affiliate program (its sounds unbelievable, but its true). NameCheap states that it always relies on word-of-mouth for marketing.
So, this time, NameCheap is holding a big contest on Twitter giving away $17,000 worth of domains and domain transfers. The contest runs from December 1 to December 25.
Basically, what you have to do is follow them on twitter (create an account soon if you don’t have one) and link your twitter account to your NameCheap account. So, every hour, those guys will ask a question. What you have to do is reply with the correct answer (like @namecheap Santa Claus). The first three to answer correctly will win a free domain or transfer worth $9.69. To win the domain, you have to answer quickly.
All this for a Domain?
All this might sound like lots of work for one domain, right? Well, if you keep answering the most number of the questions, you can win an iPod!
You can find more details about the contest here. All the best!
If you liked this post, then make sure you subscribe to my blog through RSS or through email.
By Ganesh On November 22, 2008
14 Comments
This post is just to inform you that I’m holding a contest at Online Bull as a part of the pre-launch promotion. Online Bull is a blog focused on giving smashing internet marketing tips.
I will give out $10 to the winner of the contest. While this isn’t that big or cool, but considering the fact that it takes less than 20 seconds to subscribe, its a good deal. The only thing you’ve got to do is subscribe to Online Bull through email and confirm your subscription. I will announce the winner on the day I officially launch the blog (which is less than a week away).
You can also help me with promoting Online Bull by adding it to your Technorati favorites, or linking back to it from your blog or even blogging about it. Although, its not necessary to take part in the contest, I would be very grateful if you do so.
If the price seems very small, don’t worry. I will be having a very big contest after a few days. So you’d better subscribe to it right now. 
I’m looking forward to hearing your opinion about the contest.
By Ganesh On November 19, 2008
12 Comments
I started a new blog, Online Bull, which will focus on providing smashing internet marketing tips. Of course, I did not start the blog all on my own, I started it in a join venture partnership with Jason. This is my first internet marketing blog. My main inspiration for starting this blog was Net Strife which was previously run by Lucas. I was really impressed with Lucas’ blog and wanted to delve more deeply into internet marketing.
I have only published a Hello World there. The blog will be officially launched in a few days. But I have plans and ideas for future posts which will have 100% no-nonsense, quality content. There are changes being done on the blog logo and design. And soon, I’ll have a professional-looking blog ready. Don’t worry though, I won’t stop posting on Blog Smartly. I’ll be devoting equal attention and time towards both the blogs.
I’m also having a small contest for the blog. I’m giving away $10 to one random email subscriber. Remember, I will only give away the prize to an email subscriber, not an RSS subscriber. I will announce the winner on the day I launch the blog. So those who haven’t subscribed yet, subscribe soon!
So head over to my new blog and drop a comment there. And don’t forget to subscribe to Online Bull via RSS or via email. Tell me what you think.
By Ganesh On November 13, 2008
15 Comments
All of you bloggers have this problem of getting the best theme for their Wordpress blogs. I’m sure all of you have been searching for the best theme since the day you started your blog (probably even earlier!). You feel totally disappointed if you don’t find the perfect theme. You might think that you need to spend thousands of dollars, hire a professional designer and get your dream theme. Well, there are a few almost-perfect themes out there.
Have you ever heard of Carl Ocab before? Most of you might have heard about this 15 year old blogger from Philippines. Carl got a really good theme for his blog long ago. Many bloggers wanted a theme like that. But he did not release it to the public. He wanted his theme to be unique. Recently, Carl changed his mind. He decided to sell his theme to the public.
Let me introduce you to - The Ultimate Blogging Theme, a truly awesome theme for your blog brought by a blogger who ranks #1 for the term “make money online”.
What’s So Different About This Theme?
So what makes this Wordpress theme different from the rest? Here’s how:
- Awesome Design - The Ultimate Blogging Theme has a stunning design. Every element fits into place. Enough attention is given to the subscriber box which is essential for every blog. Prime importance is given to the content. To be frank, this theme’s design will make any blogger stare in wonder at it.
- On-page SEO - This theme comes straight from a guy who to ranked #1 on Google for the term “make money online”. So you can be sure that the design has been coded so as to rank high in search engines.
- Customizing as Easy as A-B-C - When I say setting up and managing the theme is as easy as A-B-C, I’m serious. The theme options page make it very simple to put up advertisements and do many other stuff. Its ideal for those who are allergic to PHP/HTML/CSS code.
- Advertising Space - The Ultimate Blogging Theme allows you to place as many ad spaces as possible without disturbing the content. All the advertisements are in strategic locations so as to receive maximum click-through rates. Managing advertisements is a breeze with the theme’s option panel.
- Attractive Flavors - There are six flavors to choose from if you buy the full version of the theme: Spit Fire Red, Chillin’ Blue, Quirky Pink, Vogue Red, Charming Blue and Earth Green. Each flavor is suited for one particular type of blog. If you buy the limited single blog license, you get three flavors to choose from - Spit Fire Red, Quirky pink and Earth green.
- Easy Navigation - The theme has a very clean navigation menu along with boxes on the top of the page and at the bottom. The whole layout is arranged in perfect order so that the visitor will not have any difficulty in navigating through the blog.
- Lightweight Code and Images - Lighter Images and Cleaner Code = Faster Load Times. The Ultimate Blogging Theme combines both of these with clean XHTML and CSS code. People get impatient and leave blogs which have slow loading times.
What I liked about UBT
I have been a fan of Carl’s blog theme since the day I set my eyes on it. When Carl released his theme to the public, I was even more happy because it was a chance for me to finally get it.
I liked almost every aspect of the theme. There are some times when the colors of the Spit Fire Red flavor (the original kidblogger theme) don’t match the blog’s tempo. But there are many flavors to choose from so that isn’t a problem. I like the way Carl has placed multiple subscription boxes - near the top, below a post and one at the bottom. There are so many spots for ads yet they don’t affect the content. I think this is due to the brilliantly crafted design.
What I Want from the Theme
While the current method of managing advertisements is great, I would like it even more if it were automated by adding a plugin like OIO Publisher which can take care of everything from selling adverts to rotating banners.
Should You Buy the Ultimate Blogging Theme?
If you aren’t satisfied with your current theme and are looking for a good one then I recommend Ultimate Blogging Theme for you. There are a very few good themes that you can get at such a low price like $67 and the Ultimate Blogging Theme is a gem. Go ahead and buy it!
I’m planning to change the design of Blog Smartly and switch to the UTB. So you can expect some big changes on this blog soon. I’ll try my best to make it look smart and awesome.
So those are some of the blogs that I regularly read. What are the blogs that you read? Do tell me. Do you read my blog regularly too? 
If you liked this post, then make sure you subscribe to my blog through RSS or through email to receive more awesome blogging tips. 
By Ganesh On November 10, 2008
13 Comments
This is the second part of the blogs that I read series where I write about the various blogs that I read regularly. If you missed it, you can read the first part. In this post, I’ll be continuing from where I left.
Net Strife
Net Strife was previously owned by Lucas Tan, a 14 year old who continuously updated his blog with smashing internet marketing tips. His posts contained lots of valuable tips and advice on internet marketing. Now, Net Strife is owned and managed by Louis Edwards who’s another great internet marketer. Louis is continuing the tradition of giving the best internet marketing tips. I definitely recommend you read Net Strife.
Melvin Blog
I have been following Melvin’s blog since he first started it (I was the first to comment on his blog ). Melvin has written many posts which are usually about making money and affiliate marketing. Melvin gives his honest opinion on different stuff like commenting, affiliate marketing, etc. which are really nice to read.
Stand Out Blogger
Stand Out Blogger is run by Thomas Sinfield. Tom has been giving really good tips on blogging and social media traffic. Tom knows very much about gaining a lot of subscribers for his blog.
Rajaie Talks
Rajaie is a great blogger and a good friend of mine. Rajaie writes only top-notch content on his blog. Recently, Rajaie has started releasing free themes to the public as a way of promoting his blog. Rajaie’s post are really unique and I really recommend that you read them.
Desmond Blog
Desmond has plenty of experience in website flipping. I have been reading his blog from the start and I can say that this guy knows a lot about flipping websites. Most of Desmond’s posts are in the form of case studies (which I really enjoy reading ). Keep up the good content, Desmond!
Linkers Blog
Linkers Blog is run by Danny Cooper. Most of Danny’s posts deal with link buiding. Last month, Danny tried out an experiment where he used blog commentating as the only method of link building for his blog. The results were amazing. This inspired me to take up blog commentating seriously too.
So those are some of the blogs that I regularly read. What are the blogs that you read? Do tell me. Do you read my blog regularly too?
If you liked this post, then make sure you subscribe to my blog through RSS or through email to receive more awesome blogging tips.
By Ganesh On November 8, 2008
11 Comments
I thought it would be nice to write a list of blogs that I regularly read and give a small explanation on why I read them. So here we go.
ProBlogger - I always read ProBlogger for the best blogging tips. Darren gives very good advice on blogging and I enjoy his posts. If you’re subscribing to only one blog, then it has to be ProBlogger.
Shoemoney - I enjoy reading Jeremy’s posts. He does not post much about making money online, but he may occassionally shell out some really good affiliate marketing tips. I started reading Shoemoney after I won a free t-shirt his blog just for commenting there. Shoemoney is a guy with loads of experience in affiliate marketing and he has been in the game since many years, so I recommend you read his blog to pick up a few good tips.
Entrepreneurs Journey - Entrepreneurs Journey is run by Yaro Starak, the same guy who launched the Blog Mastermind Program. Yaro gives excellent advice and tips on internet marketing as well as blogging. I recommend reading his ebook Blog Profits Blueprint.
The Net Fool - Jim gives writes very good posts on blogging, making money and of course, the stock market. I also occassionally read his other blog, Bullish Bankers to get to know about the economy a little.
The University Kid - Jason writes really helpful and inspiring posts to make money online. Anyone who’s just getting started with making money online should read Jason’s posts. Jason offers 100% awesome, no-nonsense, practical posts on making money.
Carl Ocab - You might think I’m being silly by mentioning that I read a blog with a tagline, “Make Money Online with a 13-Year Old”, but I’m not. Some of Carl’s posts are really enjoyable and a few of them contain really good tips on internet marketing. That along with the awesome design, makes his blog look very professional.
Balkhis - Syed Balkhi writes a lot about Wordpress tweaks, design tips and website management. His posts can be really useful when you’re about to change anything on your blog or website. Over that, Syed is a blog designer too. He gives a free blog design every month to one of his readers. I hope I’m chosen this time.
Those are some of the blogs that I read regularly. Don’t worry though, there are still so many blogs left. I will continue it in the next post.
What are the blogs that you read and enjoy? Tell me.
If you liked this post, then make sure you subscribe to my blog through RSS or through email to receive more awesome blogging tips.
By Ganesh On November 7, 2008
13 Comments
This post about commenting by Danny Cooper at Linkers Blog really got me inspired enough to write this post.
After reading about the fantastic results of one month of serious commenting by Danny, I want to utilize the power of commenting for my blog. So, I’m going to use commenting as the only source of link building for my blog for one month. Here’s what I expect to achieve after one month (December 6):
- Loads of High Quality Backlinks - Obviously, this is the foremost goal of this experiment. I plan to gain a lot of backlinks from other blogs by commenting on them.
- Traffic - Traffic comes next to backlinks. I’m also going to comment on large blogs with lots of traffic and receive a little from them.
- Become Everyone’s Favorite Commentator - Ah! This one is pretty ambitious, eh? By posting quality comments, I’m hoping to become everyone’s favorite commentator.
- Get to know other people - By commenting more, I also hope to get to know other people and make friendship with them.
I’ll tell you guys the result of this experiment after one month. So, here I go, commenting my way to success!
I feel that using your blog to gain exposure is a good way to get a lot of people to sign up under you. If you wish, you can sign up as my friend.
Subscribe to my RSS feed to get a free backlink on my sidebar (its your wish, whether you want a nofollow or dofollow backlink). Just subscribe via RSS or email and contact me to get your free link. And also, every week, one random email subscriber will get a free 125×125 on my sidebar for 7 days.
