Is your blog looking a little tired and worn out? Just like people, blogs can start to get a bit dull and lifeless…sounds a bit like a shampoo commercial doesn’t it? When we get to this point we generally do something about it…we might have a make over, eat better foods, go on a holiday, meditate, buy a new wardrobe or maybe even change that brand of shampoo. But what do you do when your blog has reached this point?
The look of your blog can make a huge difference to its overall success. First impressions really do count. When a first time reader finds your blog they want to see something pleasing to the eye and if they don’t find it they will quickly click that ever present back button.
So if you think your blog is ready for a makeover then try some of the following to spruce it up:
#1 Change Your Theme
There are so many free themes available today for most blogging platforms that there really is no excuse for having an old outdated theme on your blog. There are literally thousands to choose from and almost as many premium themes if you have some dollars to spare.
Don’t get stuck in a rut of using the same theme because it is easy to work with. Some of the latest themes are fantastic and so user friendly you will be surprised.
#2 Rethink Those Ads
We all want to make money with our blogs but there is a limit to how many ads you should display. Once you’ve hit that limit you will start to see evidence of people not hanging around on your site.
Even some of the big name internet marketers, not mentioning any names here, are guilty of this. There is one site in particular that I can no longer go to because my computer just freezes up as it tries to load the page. There are so many scripts and pop-ups and flashing ads that it has become almost ridiculous…but hey, he can get away with it because he is a celebrity in the internet marketing game. For the rest of us, we need to be a little more conservative and keep the ads to a minimum AND most importantly make them blend in with your site so it looks professional and not spammy.
#3 Rework Your Sidebar
Take a look at your sidebar and think about whether any of it is actually relevant. Some sidebars are full of widgets that may look cool but are they really helpful to your readers? Remember too that each widget or plugin that you add to your blog is only going to slow it down which will annoy readers on a slow connection. They won’t bother waiting for your page to load and will just click away.
#4 Hold a Blog Contest
Consider holding a contest on your blog to get some excitement back into it. You can generate a lot of new readers with a contest and get regular readers enthusiastic about revisiting. Simply write up a blog post announcing the contest and get readers to leave a comment to enter.
Your giveaway doesn’t have to be expensive – an Amazon Gift Card is always well received but you can even have a look around your house for an unwanted gift or something you’ve never used that you can giveaway.
#5 Use Images
Use images wherever possible. This tends to attract people to the blog post and gets them to start reading. It also just makes your blog look good. You can get images for as low as a $1 at iStockphoto.com.
#6 Interact With Your Readers
Start interacting with your readers a little more. People love to be acknowledged so try and answer every comment that is left on your site. This is not always possible but do your best. People will tend to come back if they know that their comments are going to be answered.
#7 Tell Us About Yourself
Your visitors will be more likely to leave a comment if they know who they are talking to you. So add a photo of yourself and a few lines about what you and your blog are all about. And don’t hide it away on an About Us page – put it in your sidebar so it shows up on every page.
#8 Add Regular Content
Adding regular content can vastly improve your blog particularly if you add a new article every day. Google loves content and particularly likes content from blogs. It is not uncommon for a blog post to be ranked in Google within 10 minutes of publishing it. And Google will revisit your blog more regularly once it knows you are adding content on a daily basis.
So there you have it – 8 ways to improve your blog. Can you think of any others I may have missed?
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Nice list you have here. I am running a contest at the moment and I must say, it has been been working wonders so far. Something that I have not been so good at but am working on at the moment is interacting with my readers.
We’ve had a lot of success with contests. They can bring in new readers, can get others linking to you and bring in a lot more traffic.
And here is the link to Gerri’s contest if anyone is interested. Looks like some great prizes: http://www.ninetynineways.net/2009/10/the-ninety-nine-ways-relaunch-contest-%E2%80%93-more-than-900-in-prizes-to-be-won.html
I think that number 8 is probably one place that many bloggers (especially those who blog for their corporate sites and not for “pleasure”) need to remember. My advice to clients? Hire someone else to do it if you need to — just make sure your blog doesn’t go “dark” for long!
Julie Taylor
http://www.jadcc.com
Definitely agree with that Julie.”Content is king” as they say – good quality articles that are added regularly can really make all the difference between a good blog and a bad one.
Sadly, we are in an age where physical appearance has a lot to do with interest. Same goes for blogs and websites, people tend to put too much in appearance, some don’t even bother to click through after seeing the website looking a little bit outdated. The websites don’t even get the chance to show the awesome content that they have to offer. Redesigning our websites to look modern is a good way to improve it to keep loyal followers interested and new followers stay.
I must admit that I often prefer the outdated looking sites as they can often have some great information. They are often older sites that have been around for a while before the internet really become commercialised.
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