Adding Analytics to Sendowl, Gumroad

Gumroad and Sendowl are two Web-based apps that facilitate digital merchandising that we've discussed here repeatedly in the past. (Here are the SendOwl posts and here's the Gumroad archive.)

In the interest of updating out files on them, I want to mention that each has a way for you to incorporate the usage of their apps into your Google Analytic reporting. This is very useful as you track your site's user behaviors to see what's working and what's not.

Web Hosting Basics

This post was generously submitted by Philip M. Hofer (“Frumph”), Comic Press developer and creator of the Comic Easel WordPress theme (Comiceasel.com).

Hosting is the ‘place’ on the web where your site is located and being delivered to its audience.  The Internet is not magic. Your site is on a computer somewhere. When you go to a Web site by way of its address (URL) in your browser, you’re contacting a host, which then makes a request for the page to be displayed by its Web daemon. There are several types of hosting available: free (managed), shared, VPS and dedicated.

December To-Do List

It's already December. It's a month dominated by holidays -- both preparing for and celebrating them -- and it's the end of the year. It's probably the most challenging months for a webcartoonist, so let's get organized.

The Best of Webcomics.com, November 2013

For only $30, you get access for 12 consecutive months of information, tutorials, critiques and intelligent discussion among serious cartoonists. (And you don't have to wade through a couple dozen lame self-promotional pitches every day to get to the good stuff!)

Of course, you can always buy my new book -- out in digital release right now. The Webcomics Handbook is the sequel to How To Make Webcomics, and it's based on some of the best information from Webcomics.com, and you can read it right now. Of course, members of the site get it for 50% off.

Remember to follow @Webcomicscom on Twitter for site updates, trending topics and more information.

Best of the site

Epic Fail: Is your attitude towards failure blocking you from success?

Use Google Analytics to track your social-media effectiveness: A step-by-step tutorial

Work For Exposure? YES!*: A new take on addressing work-for-exposure offers.

Comics Consultation: Due to the overwhelmingly positive experience of offering one-on-one Skype consultations, I'm offering it to the general public.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines: US Post Office and Canada Post.

"On The Spot" Hot Seat: Conclusion of this critque session.

Longform Comics -- Attention Span and the Landing Page: Should you be making better use of a landing page?

Improving Holiday Sales: Five useful tips.

Ten Tips Towards Better Time Management

Custom Reports in Google Analytics: A step-by-step tutorial.

Mailbag: Using "Copyrighted" book titles? The sooner you understand the difference between copyright and trademark, the easier it's going to be to navigate issues such as this.

Creating an Automatic Send-By-E-mail Comic-Mailing List: A step-by-step tutorial.

Webcomics.com Gift-Giving Guide: Got some merchandise you want to offer for the holiday shopping season? Get it featured on the Webcomics.com gift-giving guide.

Private Forum

Webcomics vs Bitstrips?

What's Your hook?

Comic-creator meetups?

Scribol/Hexagram migration

Chargeback dispute from a Kickstarter backer -- advice?

What's the most interesting fan mail you ever received?

Unique IPs really needed for start-ups?

Character design help needed

Saturday Deep Dive: Participating in a Charity

Today's Dive into the depper archive of Webcomics.com comes from Dec. 5, 2011, when we discussed participating in a charity.

This question comes up from time to time* -- and it becomes particularly relevant this time of year. Perhaps you've been asked to participate in a charity by providing art so some people can use it to generate funds that they will, in turn, give to a charitable organization. Or perhaps you've been moved to organize such a charity.

Participating in a charity

I'm always a little frightened by this -- especially if the charity is one of the many grass-roots, "on a shoestring" kind of efforts. I'm always concerned that...

Either

(a) The person running the charity falls to temptation and either skims some (or all) of the money for himself/herself.

or

(b) The person that runs the charity hasn't filed the proper registration nor the correct tax documentation, and as a result they fall into questioning by a government agency (like, say, an IRS audit)

and then

My participation in the charity -- through either donating art to enable the charity to operate or by promoting the charity on my site, social media, etc. -- becomes complicit to any wrongdoing that this person -- intentionally or unintentionally -- enacted.

Read the entire post and comment there.

* Post Update: This post was originally written in 2011. Since then the charity I originally linked to, Comics Creators for Freedom, has officially partnered with Love146, which lists its 501(c)(3) accreditation on its Web site.