Here’s something worth looking at.

My buddies at MaxBlogPress have now come up with a superb offer – they are holding an X-mas event from 19th December till 22nd December Midnight [EST].

This special event is the package of three of their best known blogging/internet marketing products:

1. MaxBlogPress Subscribers Magnet
2. MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate Max
3. Banner Ads Pro

What’s so special about this event?

The best thing about this event is that – if I was to buy these three products individually I’d expect to pay a minimum $291 for an unlimited license and $131 for single license. But now, I could literally snatch three of their best selling products [Worth $475 & $131] at 70% OFF!

This is a totally awesome offer.

Visit the link below for more information about this amazing 4 day event:

http://www.maxblogpress.com/christmasdeal/

When you create a new WordPress post, your blog will automatically ping and notify all the ping services that your blog has been updated. This encourages search engines and different blog directories/services to index your updated blog.

So the ping is a useful promotion tool that WordPress provides. The thing is, that the pings are only sent to the default list specified in your blog’s admin settings – Settings/Writing/Update Services.

The first thing you should do when setting up your blog is to expand the number of services you ping to. I use the following list of services in the QBS PC Help Blog, (please feel free to copy them):

http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2

http://api.moreover.com/RPC2

http://api.my.yahoo.com/RPC2

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

http://rpc.pingomatic.com/

http://rpc.twingly.com/

http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2

http://www.blogdigger.com/RPC2

http://www.bloglines.com/ping

http://ping.feedburner.com/

http://rpc.icerocket.com:10080/

http://www.octora.com/add_rss.php

http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php

http://www.wasalive.com/ping/

http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php

The blog’s ability to ping is a powerful tool that can propel your Blog to new heights.

Whenever a blog pings, many background processes happen which get your blog quickly indexed by search engines as well as bringing traffic from many other sources.

There are many blog directories and ping services which accept pings. When you add a new post it sends a ping to all these websites saying, ” I’ve just added a new post to my blog”.

Some of those websites will add your blog to their main directory giving you a one way link and some will list your blog in their recently updated blog list. This will result in search engines quickly coming to your Blog to index it and start sending you traffic.

Effective and legitimate pinging does aid in search engine ranking and search engine optimization (SEO) because if search engines are pinged when new content is made readily available, the faster search engines can crawl and index the fresh content.

But is there a downside to this ping service? And what can you do about it? Please see the whole article for the answer to these two important questions – http://www.qbs-pchelp.co.uk/pingsandwordpressblogs.html

Over the past few days the QBS Blog has been unavailable as I had a problem upgrading WordPress from version 2.8 to version 3.01. The latest upgrade version needs at least PHP version 4.3 and a MySQL version of 4.1.2 or greater. My web hosts  told me that shared Linux servers are using PHP4 on the server (4.4.9 to be exact) and MySQL version is 5.

So I decided to do the upgrade, but was faced with the message – ‘You cannot upgrade because WordPress 3.0.1 requires MySQL version 4.1.2 or higher. You are running version 4.0.27′.

This failed install left me with a viewable blog but had trashed the back-end admin so no posts could be added or removed. In fact, the blog could not be amended in any way at all, because at every log-in attempt the same error message occurred!

The only option was to create a new MySQL database version 5.0 and put my blog on that or forget the upgrade completely. I chose to upgrade and the only way to do this was to delete the existing MySQL 4 version and set up a completely new MySQL version 5.0 database. This meant the blog was out of action for a day or two while I the found  time to finally do this.

Thankfully, I had good backups which I was able to use. I also took the time to amend a few posts and delete some old news stories. The blog is now back to more or less its former size, although I am still reinstalling a few of my favorite plug-ins. However, there were a few problems because some of the plug-ins needed PHP 5.0  and my hosts were running PHP version 4.3.

This just needed a simple addition to my blogs .htaccess file so that the Linux server could read my blogs post and plug-ins as PHP 5. To achieve this parsing of my files the addition to the .htaccess file was just a single line -  AddType x-mapp-php5 .php - which promptly fixed all the problems I was experiencing.

So before you upgrade a WordPress blog make sure you check the versions of MySQL and PHP you need in terms of the WordPress install and the addition of any plug-ins. And don’t always take the word of your web hosting company no matter what they tell you. Try to check all the requirements yourself by using your hosts control panel and the power of the Internet.

Many people have heard that it’s hard to make money blogging, and without a proven strategy, this is pretty much true. Just setting up a WordPress blog, using it and then leaving it to die a slow and painfull death will not make you rich or successfull.

You may have also heard other things about blogging, but here is the full and complete truth.

• No one has ever really spelled out what sets the real blog “gurus” apart from the “hobby” bloggers.
• Most people make a few pounds here and there but nothing more.
• In some cases, blogging can be a highly profitable business – if you use the right strategies.

Most people think that blogging is about writing. The truth is that blogging is about attracting readers and not only getting but maintaining a flow of traffic. It’s NOT what you write that matters – it’s the interest you generate about what you have written.

Many bloggers start out strong and then because they do not know how to promote and advance relationships with their blog readers they die out like a slow suicide.

So, how can you learn more about what sets the profitable blogger apart from the hobby blogger?

Well, here’s a brand new PDF report on how to avoid the slow and painful death of your blog. And the best part is – you have the opportunity to grab the report
for free. Here is the link to download your own free copy – while they last.

If you have a blog you really must download this amazing PDF. It’s a great addition to anyone’s resource library and it’s on the house – no strings attached!

Beginning in the year 2002, blogs moulded the online marketing world. While most people at that time started with various blogging systems, eventually most of them shifted to WordPress which has now become a powerful Content Management System in its own right. If you read any popular blogging tips online, WordPress is often the blogging platform behind those posts.

An increasing number of marketers are finding that you can also use WordPress as the perfect tool to build a profitable business. The most powerful function of WordPress itself lies in its ability to manage large amounts of text, audio and video content

After 20 pages or so it can become difficult to manage a static HTML site. Although you can use template-driven software or Server Side Includes (SSI’s), nothing beats the ease of WordPress.

Using WordPress you can easily create a static website, an article directory, a membership site system, a complete e-commerce site, an auction sites, a portfolio site and so much more. As a matter of fact, you can use it for just about anything.

Search Engine Optimization is another important element for any site. By default, WordPress is pretty good at optimizing and creating SEO friendly content. However you can also get more serious and utilise simple WordPress plug-ins to further increase your SEO rankings and get better Google, Yahoo or Bing rankings.

The best thing about WordPress is its flexibility. You can easily switch between WordPress themes, build a theme to match your existing web site pages and improve its functions by using plug-ins and even some custom programming.

WordPress is free! So if you aren’t using WordPress you should certainly think about using it. The learning curve has reduced substantially over the past three years. At the moment it’s so easy to use that almost anyone can figure out the basics. But are the basics enough?

To discover a lot more about WordPress, I strongly recommend that you signup for this video course. As a member you’ll get up to 50 step-by-step video tutorials on how to use WordPress, Web 2.0 technology, search engine optimisation, making money from Google AdSense and affiliate marketing, and so much more.

Get all the information you need here: WordPress Wizard 2.0

WordPress Wizard 2.0 is the best multi media package on blogging for newbies and veterans alike I’ve ever seen – and I’ve studied quite a lot of similar products.

WordPress Wizard 2.0 packs six video modules you can download to your computer and watch at your leisure, anytime of the day or night:

Module 1 – Internet Marketing Basics

Module 2 – Basic WordPress Tutorials

Module 3 – Advanced WordPress Tutorials

Module 4 – Making Money from Blogs

Module 5 – SEO and Link Building

Module 6 – RSS to Email Marketing

Get an inside advantage before all the others, at the lowest price ever – just $67!

Visit the WordPress Wizard 2.0 website and watch the stunning video – Tomorrow the price goes up to $97!

This is the final day of this special offer! So today only, you can SAVE $30. Enjoy your download!

This is your chance to go to this offer page right away as by midnight on Friday 5 March this discount will come to an end – WordPress Wizard 2.0.

Do you know how most bloggers are making money with their blogs? By placing AdSense ads and hoping for the riches to flow. Nobody made serious money doing that; and nobody will, not even you. You obviously need some help.

In module 4 of “WordPress Wizard 2.0″, “Making Money from Blogs” you get to watch these cool video tutorials:

• Quick Start Guide to Google AdSense
• Setting Up and Using New AdSense Ads
• Publishing Free Articles on Your Blog
• Quick Start Guide to ClickBank
• How to Create and Use a ClickBank Hoplink
• How to Use The ClickBank HopAd Builder
• Automatically Convert Keywords to Affiliate Links
• How to Manage Banner Ads Using WordPress
• Adding YouTube Videos to WordPress Automatically
• Introduction to Using Text Link Ads
• Adding Text Link Ads to WordPress
• WP Wishlist Member – Membership Plug-in Set-up
• WP Wishlist Member – Multiple Membership Levels
• WP Wishlist Member – Configuring Your Settings
• WP Wishlist Member – Sequential Upgrades

AdSense is not the only money-maker; this video training course will teach you a lot more than that! And you can view your all videos while sitting at your PC.

Here’s why you should get your spot in the “WordPress Wizard 2.0″ society now before it’s too late. The $30 discount is available only until 5 March at midnight! That’s in less than 48 hours, so don’t think twice. Watch this video explaining what WordPress Wizard 2.0 is all about.

How would you like to get in the pro bloggers’ league without paying for seminars or hiring professionals? I’m sure we all know a few folks who wasted a small fortune on these “investment” ideas and gave up their blogging dream before they even got started.

You don’t have to quit when there is an easy way to quickstart your blog and potentially make lots of money online – if not immediately, certainly in the long run.

How would you feel if you got to know about a special training program which can teleport you directly in the pro bloggers’ league and let you play their game on your level? I would like to introduce you to the secret weapon of wannabe pro bloggers. (WordPress Wizard 2.0 retails for $97 here). However wait untill tommorrow, 2 March, and you’ll get a full $30 off (wait for my next post about WordPress Wizard 2.0 on 2 March)

Between 2 March and 5 March, you can grab the entire package for only $67 (a special discount).

You might want to know that this pack comes loaded with up to 50 “on-screen” video tutorials you can download and watch on your computer, at anytime. You won’t find these videos on YouTube or any other free video sharing sites out there.

Read about what you will learn once you grab your video package, with its 30$ discount.

You’ll discover basic tips and advanced “tricks” to get into the pro-blogging fast lane:

• How to register a domain name (and host your site)
• How to install your blog with just a few mouse clicks
• How to load your blog with the most important add-ons (i.e. plugins and widgets)
• How to dress up your blog with gorgeous clothes (templates)] – for free!
• How to add money-making options to your blog
• How to make your blog Google-friendly and attract more traffic – at no extra charge!
• How to test-drive one of the most powerful email autoresponders for only $1!

Plus much, much more video tutorial content, sent your way, on a monthly basis! You have to decide, it’s either now, or never. Download WordPress Wizard 2.0 now and start blogging in the pro-bloggers’ league.

Recently, I had the pleasure to check out the “$365k Blog Traffic Formula” ebook.

I will tell you in a second what this is all about, but for now let me share with you what this is not.  This is not one of those ebooks which you can find free on the Warrior Forum or on other affiliate marketing sites.  If you always wondered what the professional bloggers out there do to attract more cash and generate more traffic than you, look no further.  The best part in this 70-page printer-friendly PDF book is the overal content – 7 blogging “wizards” revealing the secret to their Internet success – free traffic strategies and top traffic sources.

So what’s in it for you?  Imagine you could talk to just one of these pro bloggers for a few minutes so that you could learn one or two methods to better moneterise your own blogs by attracting higher quality traffic. You get all this, without having to pay any consulting fees and without having to attend their costly seminars. You can implement these ideas without even leaving the comfort of your own home.

You can actually download this ebook instantly and implement these traffic-getting strategies to your own blogs; that’s almost like stealing as the whole package costs a measly $37, a one-time cost. That’s less than $6 per interview.  I think you will agree that you will never get the chance to talk with a pro blogger for $6, not even if you only had one question to ask!

What I also liked about “$365k Blog Traffic Formula” are the two additional interview stories included as bonus gift. I feel that these interviews alone are worth more than the asking price of the whole package.

It’s in your best interest to grab a copy of the “$365k Blog Traffic Formula” today, especially if you want to learn the best free traffic methods of these 7 pro bloggers: Chris Garrett, Daniel Scocco, Darren Rowse, Jack Humphrey, Jason Katzenback, Matt Garrett and Yaro Starek.

There are only two type of affiliate marketers – the Ninja Affiliates, and everyone else.

It’s no secret that 95% of all bloggers out there make pennies from affiliate marketing, while a select few who are privileged enough to be in the “inner circle” make thousands of pounds effortlessly.

A lot of secrets are highly guarded in the blogging “inner circle” – and Ninja Affiliate is at the top of that list! MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate is WordPress plugin developed to imbue lethal marketing powers into your WordPress blog and instantly double or triple your affiliate marketing commissions with almost no effort on your part.

There’s $30 OFF on Ninja Affiliate before midnight of 5th February.

By the time you read this post, the offer might have already gone. Check this link to see if the offer is still available.

Caution: This OFFER expires in less than 12 hours.

Using Ninja Affiliate, you can automatically convert any keyword in your blog to an affiliate link instantly. You can also cloak your affiliate links, track them and manage them right from your WordPress text editor.

The price will go back to $97 if you don’t buy it before midnight today.

There’s no secret about it. In the affiliate marketing game, the promoter with the most clicks earns the most money.

So, how can you get more clicks with less, time, effort and energy?

The answer might shock you: all you need to do is install Ninja Affiliate which displays random affiliate links in your blog post, each directing to an affiliate product.

The KEY here is to make each link keyword rich and make use of the random feature that this cool software implements.

And Good News! There is still $30 OFF on this awesome wordpress plugin for next 24 hours. Grab your copy now – Ninja Affiliate, with a 30$ discount.

Following on from yesterdays post I’ve just heard that “MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate” is available at a discount until 5th Feb 2010. A full $30 OFF the $97 asking price. Yes, MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate is now just $67 – what a bargain!

This is certainly the best opportunity to grab your own personal copy of this great WordPress plug-in. Apart from the special offer, here are four really good reasons why you should own your own personal copy of MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate:

• You can convert keywords on your blog into money-making affiliate links – within seconds!
• You can explode your affiliate marketing income almost overnight.
• You can create professional redirect links, quickly & easily.
• The “Easy Affiliate Link Management” option makes it a breeze, even for a non techie, to start using “MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate” to boost commission earnings.

Grab your copy today and try MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate out for yourself. You’ll be very pleased that you did!

The other day I stumbled across and downloaded the Maxblogpress Ninja Affiliate WordPress plugin and discovered how easy it is to turn any keyword into affiliate links that make you money.

The best and main feature of this wonderful  plug-in is the option to automatically convert your blog keywords into links to the affiliate product of your choice.

Even your old keywords can turn into money-making affiliate links. Why would you want to convert old keywords into affiliate links? Just think about this for a moment – let’s say you’ve found a brand new affiliate program and you can’t wait to promote it in your blog. You don’t have to wait until you write your next post, just use the Ninja Affiliate plugin and it will convert the keywords of your choice into affiliate links on auto-pilot.

You work once, and all the keywords you input will be turned into links that make money, without you having to edit any post whatsoever.

By saving you a ton of time, effort and energy, Maxblogpress Ninja Affiliate is a must have for everyone who wants to make money from their WordPress blog.

What I really like about this little plugin is that it’s updated from time to time, and new features and add-ons are loaded frequently, without any additional cost.

The only downside to this plug-in is the learning curve i.e the need to master it and get used to it. It will probably take you a few hours to learn about its many options and to experience its full potential, but it’s certainly well worth it. Great plugins take time to learn, and Maxblogpress Ninja Affiliate is a top rated plug-in.

It’s in your best interest to buy it today if you want to save time, effort and energy on editing links and actually dedicate yourself to what makes you real money (writing posts and driving traffic to your blog). And don’t forget, if you grab the great plugin you unlock free on going upgrades!

P.S. The plugin also helps you fight commission theft by cloaking your links – a must-have for serious affiliates!

If you want to add multiple banners to your WordPress Blog you should try Max Banner Ads.

This amazing free plug-in for WordPress lets you place banners on your blog absolutely anywhere.

For example, we only use a few of the options in this plug-in so only feature banners at the top of each post and also in the sidebar.

The banners rotate and if one is clicked the statistics are recorded immediately. These stats include impressions, clicks and the click through rate of each individual banner. So not only do you have complete control over the positioning of all your banners, you also get live tracking to find out how well your banner advertising is really doing.

It’s really easy to insert, manage and track multiple banners. And you can even use javascript to create an affiliate banner – copy and paste your code fragment into a designated text area and just let the plug-in fill in all the details like banner image URL and banner link.

You can even change your banner into a widget. The widget can then be displayed as you like in your blogs sidebar.

If you want to place banners on your blog easily and in any way you like, visit MaxBlogPress and check out the Free Max Banner Ads WordPress plugin for yourself.

Yesterday, I tried to upgrade from WordPress 2.84 to 2.9.

Before I even twitched I did full backups of the posts by using the Export function and downloaded the SQL file from the MySQL database where WordPress resides.

Confident that if there was a problem I could rely on these backups I clicked the prompt at the top of the dashboard screen ‘WordPress 2.9 is available! Please update now’.

The update proceeded but halted when the time came to update the MySQL database. It stopped and reported that MySQL version 4.1.2 or higher was needed. My hosts are still using MySQL version 4.0 so the update could not continue. Without downloading 2.9 and checking the readme file or checking the WordPress download area, there’s no indication in the admin section of the Blog that this version of MYSQL was needed. These MySQL (and PHP) requirements should be added to the dashboard panel notification message to avoid this sort of problem.

I could still see all the blog posts but every time I wanted to log in to Site Admin I just got the report that MySQL version 4.1.2 or higher was needed. So WordPress 2.9 was not usable.

No problem, I could just go back to using WordPress 2.84 and upload all the backups to get the blog up and running.

This is when I discovered that the backups had only captured posts for 2007 and nearly all of 2008 – they had not saved any of the posts for the the last quarter of 2008 or the whole of 2009, nor any of the draft posts that I was working on. I then checked all my weekly backups to see if I could replace perhaps some of these lost posts. But each and every xml file and sql file exhibited the same problem. The only saving grace was all the images that had been uploaded from 2007 through to 2009 were saved out of the wp-content/upload folders.

This now means that a whole lot of Blog posts have been lost.

To cut to the chase, the only way around this was to install WordPress 2.84 from scratch and then use our current blog style and saved plugins to get back to some sort of order. Although the blog now looks right we had 246 posts on 22/12/2009 but today there are only 105! So 141 posts are missing and unrecoverable.

The last post that was uploaded on 22/12/2009 – How to upgrade your computers memory – has been re-posted but the gap between this and the last saved post is now close to 17 months.

I sincerely hope that you avoid this upgrade problem, so check all your backups and make sure your hosts are running MySQL version 4.1.2 or higher before you upgrade to WordPress 2.9.