During the last few months of 2008, I made a few tweaks to this blog. The casual reader probably hasn’t noticed a difference (especially if you’re reading this through RSS), but I think/hope these small changes will make things more interesting and accessible.
A few of these ideas were suggested by readers who gave me the gentle nudge I needed to make updates I should have implemented long ago. Sometimes a small, simple change can reignite an interest in blogging and fuel new ideas (I felt practically giddy after implementing #1). Not that all of these items make sense for all blogs, but here are a couple of updates to consider.
1. Add a widget for social bookmarking. This has been on my wish list for quite some time, but Blogger kept eating the code, so I gave up. Then Andy brought it up, and I realized that if I didn’t conquer those little HTML gremlins, then I was missing a major marketing opportunity. I tried again. I posted a frantic call for help on a certain writer’s forum. Then, finally, I tried the code from AddThis and Blogger didn’t destroy it like it had the others. There is now a social bookmarking widget at the end of every post, so by all means, bookmark as much you’d like. (And if you’re unfamiliar with the concept, then check out my guest post on 5 Ways to Boost Your Writing with Social Bookmarking.)
2. Put your feed button front and center. Confession time: I didn’t even have a feed subscription button until Ryan Paugh pointed it out. Now I’m approaching 800 subscribers. So thanks, Ryan. More recently a reader asked where he could subscribe to posts by email. Activating the email feature in FeedBurner was super-simple. Trust me. If I can do it, so can you. You’ll find both of these features in my left sidebar.
3. Include photos in your posts. Steph at Freelancedom* does this all the time, and I love how fresh and colorful her blog looks, so I starting adding images to my blog. Initially I wanted to focus on simply writing interesting posts, but thanks to my web-savvy friend Shannon I’ve realized that images serve as more than window dressing. If you’re deliberate in your naming convention, then you can boost your traffic through image search optimization. Plus, using photos from flickr (but please only post photos available through Creative Commons) gives you a reason to interact with a community that might not otherwise know about your blog. Finding creative ways to illustrate your topic might all help you approach it from a slightly different angle.
4. Flesh out your contact page. Michelle at The Anti 9-to-5 Guide mentioned that creating a more detailed contact page, complete with FAQs, has reduced the volume of email she gets on a daily basis, plus opened the door to some new consulting opportunities. While that approach might seem brusque to some, but I think it’s smart and even a little sassy, just like her books. A few readers have noted that it’s hard to find my email or contact info, so perhaps I’ll look into creating a similar page for myself…
5. Offer a search option. Several times I’ve gone back to a favorite blog and unsuccessfully tried to find a post from a months ago. Yes, I could skim through the archives or use google to search within that blog’s domain. But I’d rather be able to search right on the blog. There are several search widgets available depending on your blogging platform.
What about you? What little changes have made a big impact on your blog? Anything you’d like to see added or updated to this blog?
Photo courtesy of amanky
Hi Susan, I am an SEO specialist by the day and an amateur blogger by night. The things that you have pointed out is perfect, but just thought I might let you know that the Technorati search widget that you have put on your blog does not work. For example, if you search using the keyword “Christmas” you won’t find any post in the search result, although there is a post on the same. Instead you can use the Google search bar from their draft feature. Wish you success
Very good post Susan. I think content is most important as you say but you can’t discount the importance of other accessories to enhance and complete the message.
On number 3 (Include photos in your posts) you say – “Plus, using photos from flickr (but please only post photos available through Creative Commons) gives you a reason to interact with a community that might not otherwise know about your blog.”. Why do you say post photos only from Creative Commons? I would be interested to know. I have a feeling you know something here firsthand or know somebody that has had some experience in this area.
@Rajtilak: Thanks for letting me know! I’m surprised that the Technorati search bar is buggy, but I replaced it with the google search bar and that one seems to work.
@Mark: Some of the photos on Flickr are copyrighted, and as someone whose own copyright has been violated, I’d hate to see that happen to photographers (though unfortunately I’m sure it happens quite often). Using photos under the CC license ensures that the photographer is comfortable having his/her photos appear on other websites in exchange for attribution. Another option is to buy stock images, but flickr is cheaper.
This is all sound advice.
My blog is all nice and new, so I haven’t included a search function yet as frankly, there’s not much to search for and no one likes a ‘Your search found no results’ type message.
I haven’t included a contact page either, as you can get my details on the about page, but you’ve made me think twice.
*thinks twice*
Susan – I loved the 2008 updates. Any specific ones planned for 2009?
One thing that has helped me a lot is a link to my Twitter account on my sidebar… just an fyi.
Happy 2009
-Andy
http://www.andydrish.com
@Andy: I’m open to suggestions for 2009. Twitter is one that a lot of people have suggested to me, but I’m reluctant because of the high potential for distraction/procrastination. Maybe one of these days I’ll give in. The nice thing about a search bar or widget is that you can add it once and leave it there indefinitely.
Well done Susan and thanks for the suggestions. I’m going to take a look at my contact page in terms of adding some FAQs.
As far as Twitter goes. I’ve been on it for a bit. It can be distracing so I try to force myself to use it only for business. So far, I have discovered many local freelancers here in Vancouver that I can network with. That’s been a big plus.
I think like any other tool — the web, a blog, etc. — Twitter is only as useful as you make it.
Oops. Meant to add that I’ve found Darren Rowse’s site has some great suggestions on constructive uses of twitter.
http://www.twitip.com/
Thanks for the mention Susan! And might I mention that in addition to (Creative Commons-allowed) Flickr photos, and personal photos, I also use stock photography from here. Totally free, and a decent selection.
Another great post with similar sorts of tips is this one from ProBlogger. It’s the type of post you have to work through over a period of time…
Nice post. I struggle with wanting to widget-out my blog or keep it simple. At the end of the day, I just want people to read and enjoy it. But I suppose keeping it consistent to the technology that they’re use to having is also important.
A very helpful post Susan! To be honest, I don’t have a personal blog because I am pretty busy doing freelance work and taking good care of my babies too. Since I am working on essays about blogs and content, my friend suggested to read your blog. True, content is the most important thing in blogs. I am not really into the widgets or the layout. Please post more entries on this. Thanks.
This is so helpful! I am revamping both of my blogs and need all the help I can get. I’ve been wondering where to get social networking widgets from, so thanks!!
http://www.sunehra.wordpress.com
FYI, Susan, regarding copyright violations. There’s a web site (Copyscape at http://www.copyscape.com/) I just came across that scans the web for plagiarism. You enter your web site address and it checks the web for copies of your page. 10 results only, though, and if you want more it requires a premium account.
Thanks, Mark! I’ve used copyscape in the past, but the trouble is enforcing copyright. Sploggers generally make it very difficult for you to track them down and they don’t follow the ethical rules of the web.
Susan,
An excellent post! And the AddThis information helped me solve a similar issue with my blog on Blogger, so it was doubly helpful.
Thanks!
I’ve been consulting tech support on how I can add some features to my blog, to no avail. Reading 5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Blog provided the solutions I needed. Thanks so much. Wendy at budgetstyleonashoestring.blogspot.com
Hello Susan, I decided to create my own blog and I should to begin. Your blog is wonderful and I also want blog with many thesis writing and large information about life.