by Paula Neal Mooney
Every day I read a bunch of blogs.
Some catch my eye.
Some catch my interest.
Some catch my heart and win me as a loyal reader.
Others don't.
Why not?
Mostly due to the following blogging sins, some of which I've been guilty of:
* No sign-up method
Though I prefer email sign-up boxes cause I tend to read the blog posts that are pushed out to me in emails, others prefer to RSS subscribe.
If you're a blogger and don't know how to get that little orange button on my sidebar on your blog or at least an email subscribe box, Google it and find out.
You're losing would-be loyal readers.
* Slow-loading blogs
You can't always help this, but studies show that us impatient readers only wait an average of four seconds for a web page to load before we move on.
If you're hosting your blog on your own or another slow-loading server, move it!
* It's boring
Be interesting.
* No pics
I'm not a guy, but I'm still a visual creature.
Give me something to look at.
(And no, I don't mean that Google girl with the big boobs.)
* Not enough white space
The enter key is our friend. Use it liberally.
* Too cluttered with products
I've been really guilty of this -- some might say I still am -- but I've seen worse blogs so busy with products I can hardly read the text.
* Text too small
Crank up that font size!
* Too impersonal
Of course there's room for anonymity and fake avatars, but I notice that I tend to read the blogs of folks I can see and relate to by viewing their real pic.
* Add a bold byline
That's one great tip I gleaned from six-figure blogger Darren Rowse: He said to put your byline up close to the top of your posts because people like to know who wrote the darn thing.
Hope these tips help us all gain more readers!
Wanna make $7.50 to blog about this post?
Click this image to sign up with PayPerPost and check out their Review My Post program:
Subscribe to Paula Mooney by Email
Bookmark http://www.paulamooney.blogspot.com/ or
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Tags: gain ,blog ,readers ,more ,increase ,blogging ,traffic
Every day I read a bunch of blogs.
Some catch my eye.
Some catch my interest.
Some catch my heart and win me as a loyal reader.
Others don't.
Why not?
Mostly due to the following blogging sins, some of which I've been guilty of:
* No sign-up method
Though I prefer email sign-up boxes cause I tend to read the blog posts that are pushed out to me in emails, others prefer to RSS subscribe.
If you're a blogger and don't know how to get that little orange button on my sidebar on your blog or at least an email subscribe box, Google it and find out.
You're losing would-be loyal readers.
* Slow-loading blogs
You can't always help this, but studies show that us impatient readers only wait an average of four seconds for a web page to load before we move on.
If you're hosting your blog on your own or another slow-loading server, move it!
* It's boring
Be interesting.
* No pics
I'm not a guy, but I'm still a visual creature.
Give me something to look at.
(And no, I don't mean that Google girl with the big boobs.)
* Not enough white space
The enter key is our friend. Use it liberally.
* Too cluttered with products
I've been really guilty of this -- some might say I still am -- but I've seen worse blogs so busy with products I can hardly read the text.
* Text too small
Crank up that font size!
* Too impersonal
Of course there's room for anonymity and fake avatars, but I notice that I tend to read the blogs of folks I can see and relate to by viewing their real pic.
* Add a bold byline
That's one great tip I gleaned from six-figure blogger Darren Rowse: He said to put your byline up close to the top of your posts because people like to know who wrote the darn thing.
Hope these tips help us all gain more readers!
Wanna make $7.50 to blog about this post?
Click this image to sign up with PayPerPost and check out their Review My Post program:
Subscribe to Paula Mooney by Email
Bookmark http://www.paulamooney.blogspot.com/ or
Technorati fav me, please!
Tags: gain ,blog ,readers ,more ,increase ,blogging ,traffic
Comments
This list certainly contains some things to put on my to do list.
Thanks!!
The exact same thing happens to me when I leave a comment on a blogger site! I thought it was just me.
You have some great ideas and a nice look for your blog. I do want to become more visual. Are you comming to Chicago in May for the success blogers meeting? Your work continues to inspire, how long have you bloged. Thanks for being a roll model
But now that you've ditched Blogger and are moving on to WordPress, I'm sure you'll put one there. Let me know your URL!!!
Hi Laura! Glad you found something useful here.
I'm gonna head on over to your blog to look for changes.
You've got excellent content!
Kwiz, Kwiz I love saying name that in my head...
I wonder if this is a Blogger bug?
I'd better research it.
Maybe that's why some folks click anonymous but leave their name at the end of the comments.
Hi James!
I'm not telling you where to find that Google girl!
But I'm so glad you're still reading. I was just thinking about you and your insightful comments that I can't get out of my head.
Wish you'd enable your Blogger profile, hint, hint, HINT!!!!
Anyhoo, I will be in Chicago in March, and possibly May.
Where's the shindig located?
Paula
;-)
So when pages take a while to load it makes me.. sad!
Some people need to learn to compress their images better but not loose quality. If you have photoshop their
Save For Web' option is great!
Btw love the site!
I love your writing and you're so funny and relatable, too.
Thanks, Tyler Ingram - Grateful for the photoshop tip. I'm still using HP Image zone.
These are great tips.. I would add here that some bloggers have big heads and like to talk about themselves too much. It's a turn off ;) Well, of course, if their blog is about themselves, then in that case it's ok.
O.K., aaargh, analyze my blog. What SEO/CSS etc improvements might you suggest at this point?
If you believe in immitation being the sincerest form of flattery, I just copycatted you again. I signed up with Associated Content man! I saw that link on the left side of your site and how you've made a few hundred bones and I said "yeah, I'm doin' that". Naturally I'm going to ask that you do a tutorial post on Associated Content, how it works etc.
Have a great day as always.