I like the candy store analogy, Barbara. Here in the UK, we call it a ’sweet shop’

I totally recommend asking a non-blogger to sit with you to review your blog. Let them give you feedback as they browse your pages.

A blog-fresh friend of mine and I recently did this exercise on quite a few blogs out there. Together, we produced a really valuable mega list of issues relating to design, useability, accessibility, and blog community.

These reader-friendly points will certainly be incorporated into any blog I produce.

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Hi Barbara – This is a great reminder to me to do some tweaking. I have recent posts on my front page. But beyond that, my blog is terrible to navigate. It’s so bad that when I’m looking for an old post I want to refer to, I find it easier to Google it. So what chance do my visitors have of finding stuff?

I’m going to try to make the effort to make some changes today.

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Hi Barbara -

Hmm . . . this is a good question. I have a recent posts list right at the top of the sidebar as well as a plugin that ads random post links to similar topics at the bottom of each post. There’s also an archives list a little further down the sidebar.

I also have a search function and I know it does get used (from my stats @woopra and such) but usually it’s used by someone who’s already been there and is looking for a specific post.

I’m working on creating a theme that adds some better functionality to it for all of these things without being too crowded or cluttered. It’s slow going because, on top of all the fun we’ve been having at our house lately, I’m not too familiar with coding for WordPress. I hope I can finish it soon.

~AA

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I have 11 posts so far in my blog and 10 of them are sitting on the home page. I use the recent post widget and the drop-down category menu, and the monthly archives. As the list of posts grows they should still be easy to find. After I move to a hosted site, I’ll be making use of some of those handy plugins that you are using Barbara.

I like what Vered has done by incorporating the link for best posts and funniest posts.

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I think it’s really important to have content for those readers who want to explore more than your current post, which makes it kind of hard for new blogs since they have limited content.

As I’ve just re-started my blog, I want to make sure my visitors have more to look at, so I’m migrating my old posts to a second blog and I’ll direct people to that who want to explore more.

Of course, a good blogger whether they have 200 or 2 posts will draw in readers from just one post.

Cheers,
Alex

Alex Fayle’s last blog post..Commitment to Growth: Tina Su Interview

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Barbara

My whole blog needs a redesign and that will happen in the next couple of months. I just need to get the time to actually work out what changes I want made.

I try to make recent posts and popular articles out there for people to see above the fold, but I am sure there is loads I could do better. I will need to look at this before the redesign.

If you have any suggestions for me, I’d love to hear them.

Kelly

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Barbara,

You have seen my blog. It has NOTHING. No pictures, just the name of the blog and a pen. When it was “re-designed” for me, I wanted it very, very clean, as I was VERY unhappy with the old design – there was SO MUCH THERE – between the huge avatar, the advertising, the # of daily readers, the categories…and that was before anybody started to write anything!

I, personally, love my new blog design. It’s simple. It’s the words. Everything else runs down the right side.

That being said, I do need to think about who is reading my blog. I have a small picture each day that relates to the blog, but nothing permanent. And ironically, I am getting far more comments now, as people can find where to comment (or, maybe I’m writing more about what people want to hear?)

What do you think. My nice, clean pen or do I need something flashier? And if so, any ideas?

Thanks,

Rita

Rita’s last blog post..How a Hard Hit on the Head Can Help ANY Man

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I too like what Vered mentioned and how she categorized a couple articles for her readers. That’s very focused.

I think I do a decent job at displaying my articles. I have my categories, recent posts, random posts, archives, and our community forum spotlight in my sidebar, plus a blog post sitemap in my horizontal navigation.

I have putting the sitemap of my blog posts in my sidebar on the list, just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet.

So hopefully I’ve made it easy to find things.

John Hoff – eVentureBiz’s last blog post..The Continuity Of My Blog – Putting It All Together

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Thanks for the reminder — had been busy on other stuff. Soon. Soon!

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@Sunhil Parhak I’m aiming to write an article for Liz Strauss’s blog very soon on this topic.

It will be on a general level, rather than mentioning specific blogs. That wouldn’t be polite

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Hi Davina,

That’s great you’re showing most of your posts on your home page. It makes it easy for readers to find your earlier work. It’s when we get hundred of posts, showcasing more becomes a problem.

Hi Jay,

We always have to consider our readers. Using a favorite list or popular posts lets others know what your current readers are enjoying and commenting on.

Hi Alex,

Yes, it’s all about the content. If you can hook a reader with your first post, they’ll com back for more. I like your idea of directing your readers to your old posts. Will you eventually import them to your new blog?

Hi MizFit,

Just keep it on your “to do” list. Soon, you’ll find time.

Hi Kelly,

Redesigns are always fun. I think I would just look at other blogs, find bits and pieces you like and incorporate them into your new design. You do have some great stuff on your blog, so I would highlight your popular posts. I see you have it in your header – maybe consider dropping it into your sidebar.

Hi Natural,

The related posts plugin is a handy one. I remember when you found mine and left comments all over my blog.

Hi Rita,

I’m looking at your blog as I write this (split screen), and I’m thinking you should move your recent posts and “Top Posts” to the top of the sidebar – showcase your writings.

The category clouds are great ( I use one too but it collapses in IE) but a lot of readers don’t know how to use them. I’d move that down. Plus I see you have “Rita’s Categories”. Is the same information in the cloud?

I’m laughing at something in your tag cloud. “Rated R Recipes” I know those are two separate categories, but…

Hi Chase,

You bring up a great point. Often readers are attracted to the titles of our posts. Showcasing them above the fold increases the chances of them getting read.

Hi John,

A site map. Are you using a plugin for that? I need to do that too. I have my “Articles” in my header, but I read an article written by Lorelle where she stressed the need for a site map (not to be confused with a sitemap, i.e. Google)

Hi Writer Dad,

You’re right. We should never assume our readers know how to navigate our sites, and/or use a RSS feed button. I didn’t know what an RSS feed was until I started blogging last year. I would see the orange buttons, but was never curious enough to figure out what they were.

Hi SpaceAgeSage,

Yes, all of these issues take time away from our lives.

Hi Sunil,

Isn’t that the truth? The majority of our readers are scanning, so let’s make it easy for them to do so.

Hi Scott,

Another post on Liz’s blog? Please let us know when it’s up so we can all read it.

Hi Linda,

The “search this site” button was part of my theme, so it’s always been there.

When I’m looking for an old post, I either do a search behind the scenes, or scan through my “Articles” page (header).

That’s a great idea to have your friend try and navigate through your site. That first hand information is the best.

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I *love* getting sucked into a blog because there are so many fantastic links to go through. If I can find 3+ posts that look good, I’ll probably read them and subscribe.

On my blog, I added in recent posts in the sidebar and then related posts at the end of each post (just not on the main page). It’s auto-generated, so sometimes they’re not the ideal matches, but it was a good step forward for me.

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I’m embarassed to realize that I’ve spent very little time on this at One Bag Nation.

But I’ll be giving it a lot of thought on my new blog – armed with all the great info I get here!

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I really like the Related Posts placed right under the current post. That way, if a person likes what they just read, they might be more inclined to keep going onto the next one. The Lion and I don’t have that, mind you, but in our upcoming website redesigns, I think I will put this on the design must haves.

Urban Panther’s last blog post..He’s a scamp

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Good question Barbara. I think that my blog could be worked on to make it eaiser to find other post. Thanks for making me think about that.

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Hi Barbara – thanks for the mention.

I absolutely love the candy store analogy, because that’s how a blog to a new user is like. I had a conversation with someone today about the cost that businesses spend to get new customers and that conversation was somewhat related to blogging and getting subscribers.

Businesses spend a lot (and I mean A LOT) of money on getting new customers. The reason why is because existing customers are typically the easiest to sell to. Businesses will overspend to have us go from being a “non-customer” to an “existing customer.”

As Sara on Simplicity said, if I can find a couple of other posts that I like after reading my first article, I’ll likely subscribe and become an “existing customer.” That was a long way for me to basically say “Ditto, Sara” but I thought the other conversation was related and wanted to share!

Al at 7P’s last blog post..The Hero with a Thousand Jobs

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Hi Scott,

I’ve missed a couple of your posts. I’ll have to go back to Liz’s site and find them. Thanks for letting me know.

Hi Sara,

Like you, I enjoy finding a blog I can dig through, especially new blogs. Often the author’s best work is buried.

The random post plugin does a fair job, but like you say, the posts aren’t always a great match.

Hi Alex,

That’s a good idea. Then via linking you can tie the two together.

Hi Ann,

Yes, that new blog you keep hinting at. When is the unveiling?

Hi Marelisa,

Thank you! I try to make it easy to navigate, so please dig away. I’m hoping after I add a site map, it will become even easier.

Hi Urban Panther,

Yes, the related posts is a great way to showcase our other work. That’s one thing nice about doing a redesign, we can all more bells and whistles.

Hi Jennifer,

You’re welcome. Just think of your blog as a work in progress. They’re forever changing.

Hi Bamboo,

Spoken like a true blogger. Although I know other bloggers may be able to find previous writings, it’s those that aren’t, I worry about.

Hi Al,

You’re welcome.

You’re right. Blogging is very much like a business. In fact, many are blogging for a living. Just as we need to keep our loyal subscribers happy, we must also offer “something” to those who visit us for the first time. If they don’t find it, they’re gone.

Hi John,

Thank you for the link. I’ll check your sitemap as soon as I finish answering comments.

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Good points.

I agree with Avani-Mehta on manually adding related posts.

No matter how well you layout your blog, use categories/tags, and search, I think there’s a ceiling. At some point, I think the best thing you can do is create a PDF “best of” your posts.

I’m basing this on the fact that no matter how well I organize a blog or Wiki, it’s no match for the impact of when I compile a guide.

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Hi Avani,

You’ve done your homework well. Checking your stats to see what’s getting clicked on shows what’s working.

I like the idea of the “best of” as it does give new readers a great place to start.

Hi J.D.

You’ve hit on a great point, about creating a guide. From someone who has an awesome business blog, I know you have experience on what works.

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I included a “Best of Blog” tab that links to a page of the posts that I thought was good (as opposed to the votes by readers). I may have a top 10 favorite post widget on my sidebar but the posts are based on recent reader votes. I don’t want some of my older but nice posts (when I was doing less promotions for my site) to be buried in the archives.

Admittedly, it’s quite hard to decide what to display upfront. I’ve got to check around what others are doing, to also get a feel!

Evelyn Lim’s last blog post..7 Wise Confucius Sayings

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Barbara,
I had my technical person put a table of contents on my blog. Then a post got picked up by Digg and I got lots of new attention on my site and they moved around and found/read lots of things a few made a comments, but I still am not getting subscribers. I am attempting to keep the themes simple and worded in such a way that a new reader might just feel like they are opening a book for the first time and notice that the wording/descriptions of “how to” feel familiar with more detail behind the click.
I love reading all the blogs and often subscribe to the folks who write on your site after navigating myself. I try to look and comment on 4 blogs every week day. Thank you for this sweet information.

Patricia’s last blog post..While the President is at Play – Women Beware!

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