How To Customise Simple Blogger Page Tabs

Learning HTML and CSS can be quite the headache. I know it, I've done it. Alas, it doesn't have to be so, learning how to code can actually be a walk in the park when you know what the heck it is you're actually reading and writing. Through the Basic Blogspot CSS series, I'll be taking you through the code behind your blog, from top to bottom, and how to customise the heck out of some of the most important aspects of your design. Today, I'll be teaching you the code behind your page tabs and the different ways you can style them.

Getting To Grips With Blogspot Page Tabs

Blogspot already has some customising options when it comes to your tabs. You can easily change the tabs text style and colour, and the background and separator colours, but aside from that, the options are limited, and limitations are not good. You need to kick those limitations out the door and get to grips with some actual code if you're going to create something awesome. So, what code is worth knowing concerning your tabs?

7 Simple Steps To A Really Beautiful Blogger Blog

For those of us who don't really like spending money on our blogs, achieving a beautiful Blogger blog without breaking our banks is always a task that intimidates. It's tough, because if you don't have the skills, the time, or the brain power to make the big tweaks, your blog will more than likely look like almost every other Blogger blog out there, and that's the one thing you don't want happening.

I've always been a Blogger user, and as far into the future as I can see, I will continue to be, but that's because I know the system, I know how to make it do what I want, and I know what I want from it, but for those just starting out and wanting to stand apart from others doing the same, there's a few simple things you can do to achieve a really beautiful Blogger blog, in no time at all.

1 | Upload a Favicon

I get really twitching when I land on a blog without a Favicon. That's not to say that it's a big issue, but it certainly goes a long way in showing you want to make an conscious effort in promoting yourself when somebody isn't on your open tab, rather than Blogger.

"Erm, Amanda.. what is a favicon?"

Check out your open tabs at the top of your screen. You see how your Twitter tab features it's iconic blue bird, or how Buffer has it's branded logo? Those are favicons. They go a long way in creating a consistent brand across the board, but they also instantly make you look so much more professional. It's the reason I have lil' Nellie sitting pretty when you've got my blog open in your tabs.

How To Retrieve Lost Custom CSS on Blogger/Blogspot

A few days ago, the lovely Ella from Once Upon a Bookish Time contacted me in regards to an issue with her Blogger CSS. The problem? It had gone poof. Completely vanished from her CSS area of Blogger design, and yet, her blog hadn't changed in its look, it had just gone for a wander and never returned. Understandably, Ella was pretty concerned as to a) where the heck her CSS had vanished to, b) why it had vanished in the first place, and c) how she'd get her CSS back without having to go hunting for it all again. Luckily, I had the answer.

Once the problem was solved, I realised the other way I knew of my method was because it has happened to me, and therefore the chances are, other Blogger users had suffered the same fate, and may or may not have been as lucky as myself and Ella where to rescue and reinstate our custom CSS. With permission from Ella, I've decided the share my method of retrieving lost CSS in the hope of helping others too.

First Things First, Back Up Your Template!

You may have lost your CSS in the Advance area option of your design, but I promise you, as long as your blog looks no different, your CSS coding is still easily retrievable, therefore backing up your template is a big must. In fact, it's a great habit to get into backing up your template before making any major changes to your design, or better still, keeping a copy of your HTML code in word document instead of or as well as so you're super duper safe your blog isn't going anywhere.

The Reason You Shouldn't Rely on Blogspot Stats (and Should Use Google Analytics Instead!)

Most bloggers, no matter the subject, take a good amount of time working on how to improve their stats. It's part and parcel of the job hobby - you want to see how you're improving, watch your growth in real-time, see what it is people love about you and your blog and the content you publish. Sure thing, if growing your visitors and improving your statistics isn't at the forefront of your mind, then I doubt tracking how well your blog is actually performing isn't high on your to-do list, but if you are aiming to grow your blog, your readership and your viewing, then you need to stop relying on Blogger Stats to do so.

You Should Be Using Google Analytics!

When I blogged on Book Badger, I relied on Blogger Stats to monitor my blogs growth and viewing figures, after all, I was working with publishers almost every week, reading review copies almost every night, statistics were a big part in what kept be me in the running to do what I loved. Almost a year after I started, I decided to check out Google Analytics and see whether it would shed more light on my blog, and delve deeper into what was working and what wasn't. Once I'd installed it and waited a few days for the information to be collected, I checked out my results..

My Blogger Stats were wrong. I'd been lied to.

How To Change Your Blog Post URL (Blogger Only)

When writing and publishing a post on Blogger, the only options in the sidebar people tend to use often are 'labels' and 'schedule', and yet there is another important option just below those can help your blog just as much, if not more, and it's your 'Permalink' option, aka, what your post URL looks like in link form.

Currently, when creating any post, your permalink is created by using your title. As clever and handy as that is, if your title doesn't focus on the subject at hand, or isn't key word rich, you're not going to hitting up popularity in your search results, neither are you going to be showing people what the link they're actually following to your post is about; that's both bad form, bad for business and bad for your blog. Changing the URL of your blog post is actually really easy and simple, and is a habit you should get yourself into no matter where you blog. I'm going to show you how to change Blogger Post URL's today.