Archive for the Category »Themes «

30
Jun
I Can’t Read It, If I Can’t See It

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I cannot count how many times I’ve landed on a blog, only to click off.

It wasn’t because the blog was laced with profanity, nor was it due to the site sporting too many ads

It was because I couldn’t see the writings.

By seeing the writings, I mean the size of the font.

Today’s Lesson

I’ve changed my theme many times.

Not always because I wanted a change, but on some themes the font was so small I could hardly read what I had written. Since I didn’t understand CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), I would find another theme which offered a sizable font, and links that were easy to see. I knew if I was having trouble reading my blog posts, so might others.

I know…., we can enlarge the size of the text on a page by pressing CTRL plus +, but if someone doesn’t know that, or they’re too lazy, they may leave.

Please, bloggers, take a look at your blog from the eyes of a visitor. Is the font extremely small?

Do the links blend in with the background?

Do you have trouble reading it? How about a person with flailing eyesight?

Remember, we are writing for others, not for ourselves.

Keep your audience in mind when choosing a theme/font.

Don’t give them a reason to click off before they read your great writings.

Today’s Assignment

Do you also have trouble reading some blogs?

Do you continue to frequent those sites or do you just leave?

Photo Credit: Shaggy Paul’s photostream

Category: Archives, Blogging Lessons, Themes, Writing Tips  Tags: ,  50 Comments
21
Mar
Do I Need A GPS To Navigate Your Blog

Photo Credit Clemson’s photos
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I, like most bloggers (and online visitors), have ADD (Attention Deficient Disorder). I want answers fast and I don’t want to search for them.

Put me on a blog that’s difficult to navigate, and I’ll need a GPS (Global Positioning System).

Today’s Lesson

For both business and blogging, I do online research. If I land on a website or blog and am not intrigued by what I see within seconds, I’m off to the next one. However, if I see an interesting title or first sentence of an article, I’ll stop in my tracks and read on.

If I find what appears to be an exceptional blog, I’m compelled to read more.

I scan the sidebars looking for popular articles or some type of archives. Often, I find none.

Sometimes, at that point, I leave. Usually, never to return.

However, when I’m looking for my NBOTW (New Blog Of The Week), I will give the new blogger the benefit of the doubt and often scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “previous posts”.

New bloggers excluded, these are the things I look for:

1) About page

2) Previous posts and/or Popular Posts

3) Archives (either full list or by month)

4) RSS feed

Although categories are often helpful, I normally don’t scan those, unless it’s a a blog that has hundreds of posts.

A contact page is also great to see. Some prefer not to leave a comment (or do not know how to), but may want to communicate via an email.

Personally, I prefer to see the this information, above the fold. I realize the “craze” is to have a lot of this information at the bottom of the page (in the footer), however, some visitors will not know to scroll to the bottom of the page. Sometimes I get lazy, and won’t scroll either. Sorry!

Without a GPS, the best writings on a blog could be completely missed.

I also put my blog to the test. I’ve made a few modifications and found my categories are in need of attention.. Although I had one spammy comment (which I deleted) about my Amber Alert Ticker taking up too much CPU usage, I choose to leave it on my blog, with hope it may save a child’s life.

Keep in mind, this is only my opinion, but I am trying to look at blogs objectively….as a visitor, and not necessarily as a blogger.

Today’s Assignment

What do you like to see when you land on a blog?

Do you often feel you need a GPS, or will you make time to “dig” through the blog?

How do you think new visitors will react when they land on your blog?

Category: Archives, Blogging Lessons, Themes  Tags: ,  19 Comments
19
Sep
Are You A “Site For Sore Eyes”

Does your site need an extreme makeover?

Just as humans, strive to look their best, we should treat our blogs, the same way.

Good content could be compared to a good person. A good person may not make a great first impression, but once we get to know them, we see the “inner beauty”. A blog could be compared to that “good person”. We may have good content, but based on that first impression of our site, no one sticks around to find out, that we really have something valuable to contribute to society

As I wrote in my previous post, most of your visitors don’t know the difference between a website and a blog. And…they don’t care to know the difference. After all, if you read my previous post, Without_______, Your Blog Is Nothing, you know why visitors are coming to your site. (Personal, photo and shopping blogs, excluded)

So, if you want your “blog” to be a popular site, treat it like a professional website, and give it an extreme makeover.

Do an experiment.

Split your screen……place your blog on one half, then place a big name website, on the other half. Compare the two. Which would you rather visit? Be honest.

Don’t have the split screen extension? Download it by clicking on the following link:

Does you site look like a blog? Or does it look like a professional “site”.

Is it time to change your theme?

Is your credibility jeopardized, because of how your pages “look”?

Is it time to remove some of those non producing ads?

Is it time to create a site that your visitors can actually read, without having to strain their eyes, or enlarge the page?

Is it time to remove some of those distractions? You know, the flashing banner ads, etc…

Remember…you only have one chance to make a first impression.

If you want to have a blog that stands the test of time, then make it timeless.

Give it an extreme makeover, and turn it into a real “beauty”.

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Category: Archives, Themes  Tags: , ,  3 Comments
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