Google allows users to create and embed maps into your own website.  Using Google Maps is a great way to illustrate the many amenities in a neighborhood.

You can add customized icons with photos and link them to websites.  For instance when marketing a home all the external features can be added to a map, then the map code can be embedded on the brochure page you create on your site.

Tutorials in Screencast

To illustrate this process I’ve made 3 screencasts with step by step instructions on how to create, customize and embed Google maps onto your website.

How to create a personalized Google Map –Where to Begin?

Adding customized icons to your Google Map – Step by step, how to find icons and add them to your Map

Embedding your Google Map into your Blogsite –

Personalizing Google Maps to Illustrate Amenities is a post from: Kristalks

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Have you ever been working on a profile for social media and needed to add a link to your blogsite?  Many people just use the actual link like this:

http://www.kristalkraft.com

This works, but it isn’t nearly as nice as when a link is configured to look like this:

Kristal Kraft

You must agree having a text link like this is esthically appealing!  You might be surprised to know, it is very easy to learn and do!

All you need to remember is a little HTML coding.  Let me show you:

• First get the URL you would like to like to.  I typically will surf to that site and “cut and paste” the url to my clip board.  It is easier this way, because you avoid making a mistake in the url if you find the site, then cut and paste.
• Next you need to type in the code:
  • <a href=”">
• Between the “” insert the url you collected on your clipboard.  It will then look like this:
  • <a href=”http://www.kristalkraft.com”>
• Now you will need to add the Text you would like to show
  • <a href=”http://www.kristalkraft.com”>Kristal Kraft
• One more step, you must close the tag by adding this to the end:
  • </a>
• It should look like this:
  • <a href=”http://www.kristalkraft.com”>Kristal Kraft</a>

So for simplicity sake all you need to remember is this:

<a href=”ADD_URL_HERE”>ADD TEXT HERE</a>

Taking the time to learn a few HTML tags is very useful.  There are many places you can go to test your work before you try it IRL (in real life)!  I like using an HTML Test bed.  Go practice  and let me know how it works for you!

Embedding a Link – Simple HTML Anyone Can Do! is a post from: Kristalks

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RSS Feeds are the best time savers for anyone who wants to keep up on the latest posts from favorite blogs.  I know I find myself getting behind or worse yet forgetting to visit some really terrific blogs, just because time seems to pass so quickly.

Every blog has a feed, or if they don’t they should!  It doesn’t make much sense to write fresh content and then not provide a way for your readers to actually read it at their leisure!

So when you want to consolidate look for and subscribe to a blog’s feed by finding an icon with this symbol on it.  My Denver Real Estate site has custom RSS Icons (see example on right). But even with it being custom it still has the universal orange dot with broadcasting waves on it.  You will see this symbol in all sizes and colors, just know it is an RSS subscription link.

What do you do with it?

There are many ways you can collect RSS Feeds, some have a fee and are very sophisticated in that you can make categories for your different types of feeds.  Then there is my old favorite the Google Reader which is free and very simple to use.  The only issues I have with it, is once again remembering to visit it!

Lately I’ve decided to build my RSS List in my Outlook mail client.  Considering my daily routine, much of which is spent reviewing and answering my email, this is the perfect place for me to gather RSS Feeds.

Watch the Screencast for a quick demo.

How To Add An RSS Feed to Your Outlook Email is a post from: Kristalks

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Experts all agree, having a good profile photo on social media sites ranks #1 in importance.

Many times people don’t have a good photo of themselves or they have one that’s good but other people are in the photo. Never fear, even if you have a group photo with just your face you can use it.  Just crop your face, give it a border and presto! You too can put forth an appearance!

There are many photo sites online.  My favorite is one called Picnik

First you will need:

• A photo on your hard drive (remember where you put it!)
• A FREE service (no login needed) to http://www.picnik.com

You will learn in this screencast:

• How to crop & resize
• Add a Border
• Save to your hard drive

Watch the Screencast for a step-by-step demonstration of how this works. Just click on the start arrow.

How To Crop and Edit a Photo is a post from: Kristalks

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Experts all agree, having a good profile photo on social media sites ranks #1 in importance.

Many times people don’t have a good photo of themselves or they have one that’s good but other people are in the photo. Never fear, even if you have a group photo with just your face you can use it.  Just crop your face, give it a border and presto! You too can put forth an appearance!

There are many photo sites online.  My favorite is one called Picnik

First you will need:

• A photo on your hard drive (remember where you put it!)
• A FREE service (no login needed) to http://www.picnik.com

You will learn in this screencast:

• How to crop & resize
• Add a Border
• Save to your hard drive

Click on the Screencast for the Lesson, it will open in a new window.  When done, simply close the window:

Picnik is a great site and very easy to use.

Hope you have enjoyed this Screencast.  Remember to subscribe to the RSS Feed to get the latest tips from KrisTalks.com

Tutorial ~ How to crop a photo on Picnik is a post from: Kristalks

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Active Rain is a very popular site for the Real Estate Industry.  Here I’ve prepared a quick screencast demonstrating how easy it is to upload a photo from your hard drive.

Before you begin, you will need:

• a nice photo of yourself
• close up shot is best
• try to keep it “unbusy”
• size should be approximately polaroid snap shot or smaller
• loaded to your hard drive (remember where you put it!)

Watch the video…

Tired of forgetting your passwords?  Use Robo Form, get it here!

Active Rain ~ Adding a Photo on Your Profile is a post from: Kristalks

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