Flash, blogs and 3 months of... fun?

Hi all,

I am here writing my first article, and hopefully the first of many! I just wanted to write about an experience new to me in the last few months. I started a blog, the-dude.co.uk , in June. This is my first blog, and prior to this I had NEVER published anything to the internet before. A few months down the line, I have learnt ALOT!

Don't get me wrong when I say this, it has been great fun, but it certainly takes it out of you and can be damn hard work at times (most of the time, that is!) The blog was started as a way to track my progress as I created my first flash game in Actionscript 2, but over the last few months it has developed somewhat and is now home to beginners tutorials plus some online flash games.

But what is this article about!? I hear you cry. This article is a note to others thinking of starting a blog, a site, or in general ANY project. I have learnt what does and doesn't work (this may not be the same for everyone, but certainly helped me!) and here are a few tips:

1. Social networking does work, but it's easy to lose sight of what you set out to do so don't get carried away!!
2. Google rankings - my site was upgraded to a PR3 a few days ago, and has since LOST visits from google from when it was a PR0. But am i worried? No! The important thing is NOT to worry about rankings, tracking stats daily and searching for yourself on google. This just wastes time. Time better spent on optimising your site. By all means do check, but don't fret over it. If your content is precise, useful and well written, you will get there in the end!
3. Remember to update your site regularly. No-one likes a stale site!
4. Ensure your work is original, this is what will make you unique in your chosen niche.
5. Research your competition, and ensure you are better!

Some very simple tips I know, but if you do not continually remember these few things (im sure there's more, just can't think of anymore at the mo!) you can lose sight of what you set out to do.

Remember the reason you created your blog. Was it love or money? The dire need to share your views with the world? Or just for fun?

If anyone else has anything to add please do comment below!

That is all.

The Dude