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are so many free themes available today for most blogging platforms that there really is no excuse for having an old outdated theme on your blog.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?