20 Tips To Improve Your Blog
The secret to responding to the rapidly changing needs of your audience is in fact no secret at all. The cold hard truth is every single blog in existence, can in one way or another be improved. Neglecting to continuously scan your much beloved site can often drag you into the bottomless pit of failure.
The following are an array of tips I have developed through trial and error.
1. Perhaps the most obvious, yet surprisingly the most neglected. Continuously updating your blog with fresh content provides an incentive for your readers to come back. Neglecting this point will also make any of the following tips practically useless. This is covered more in depth here and here.
2. Whenever giving out your email address, ensure it is made out on your blog domain.
3. Jump onto favicon.cc and learn how to create a favicon for your blog. Creating a favicon can consequently differentiate your blog by creating a lasting impression in the minds of your readers. Furthermore, your site is more visually appealing when your visitors are sorting through links in their address bars.
4. Make your blog user friendly by removing any unnecessary widgets from your side bar(s). Besides slowing your site down, an excessive amount of widgets will shift the focus off your content and may make navigating your site more difficult.
5. Simplify any contact forms that you might have on your blog. The epitome of blogging is being able to easily establish a dialogue with your readers and neglecting this can disadvantage you big time.
6. Create a permanent glossary section if your blog is of a technical nature. Besides adding value to your blog, it creates the impression that you’re willing to help out the less experienced visitors.
7. Remove any additional Flash images, videos or other content that might take time to upload and aren’t really necessary.
8. No tacky music please, as it is very irritating and increases uploading time. Furthermore, it creates the impression that you’re merely an amateur.
9. If you don’t post original creative content on your blog, add a copyright advisory note at the bottom of the page. Getting busted (which you probably will) will adversely affect your reputation and create a mountain of other legal related problems.
10. Remember to include an archives section, especially for a long running or complicated blog. While this provides a convenient way for your visitors to browse your older posts, it is also something search engines wish for under their pillows.
11. You can also create a map for navigation through various posts.
12. Add internal links within the content of your posts, linking up relevant posts for easy access. This promotes your other work, which consequently keeps users glued to your blog for longer. This is also an effective SEO strategy.
13. Add relevant pictures or diagrams wherever applicable. This can make a blog post much more tempting to read.
14. Your content should be formatted so that it is easy to read.
15. Run a spell check on every post before posting it. Neglecting this can damage your reputation as somebody who is both competent and committed.
16. And a grammar check.
17. Create a theme for your blog and stick to it. Your readers need to have a clear image of what it is exactly you’re offering.
18. Unless some content is more relevant, create all text in one uniform color; otherwise your blog may look too jarring.
19. Add you contact details and keep these separate from you private contact details. While point number 5 centered on the importance of a contact form, the internet is now a much more complex place than it previously was. Allowing your readers to reach you on several social media mediums can intensify the sense of community around your blog.
20. The font used should be large enough to be easily read but small enough to be considered a part of a blog for grown ups. Please don’t disregard this tip because it is last. I have seen this endlessly on a wide array of blogs, and cannot help but feel for the owner who is more than likely suffering as a result.
This was guest posted by Justin Khoury from Insane Profits.
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Trackbacks
- uberVU - social comments - January 13, 2010 at 10:52 am
- My first John Chow guest post! | Insane Profits - January 13, 2010 at 7:02 pm
- First it was Chow, now its the Cow | Insane Profits - January 14, 2010 at 6:08 am
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Great tips John all of these I think are very relevant to the growth of a strong blog. I believe these are all stated much more in-depth with your e-book, which if anyone has not read, I would strongly recommend.
Thanks
This was actually a guest post by Justin Khoury from Insane Profits. But I would agree, some great tips!
O well I give him props, solid advice imo.
Thanks for the props guys. I felt that many bloggers unknowingly neglecting this list, so I thought it would be important to get it out there!
Great list, Justin do you have your own personal blog?
Do you mean other than http://www.insaneprofits.com/ ?
I most certainly do. You can find it at http://www.insaneprofits.com
Thanks will check it out.
Yes, some tips are already included in John’s free books. but it is good to read here again. Thanks
I think everyone has the same tips its just the way they say it.
It is good to make us remember again what we already forgot.
Always good to start the year off by fixing up your blog.
I think John should specify at the starting of the post only that it is written by Justin
or else at the bottom of the post a separate text box with gravatar to make the visitor have a look at it and thank the real person behind it 
this is some useful stuff, i definately appreciate the favicon link. Also all the information on how to increase site speed is really good especially since google is considering load time of websites now.
Absolutely. You’d be surprised behind the emphasis on speed from not only Google, but most website viewers. The way I see it is there’s usually mountains of competitors out there, even in most niches, and it doesn’t take much for a viewer to switch on over to them.
Hmm. Is load time based on the basic HTML page load time? Or page plus images?
If the latter, a detailed post with a large number of screenshots could easily come to .5 MB, thus affecting load time.
Yet most people want to see images in posts because they learn more easily visually than textually.
Awesome tips for a newbie like me. I will surely apply them for improving my blog. Hope I can be a better blogger. Wish me luck.
Thanks
Sounds like another Problogger tips list.
Good luck!
Glad I could of help.
What agreat post after a long time john :p
Thanks for tips
Woops … credit goes to Justin Khoury.
He wrote this post
John, i just wanted to say you have an amazing site hopefully the blog i started to create will be as good.
Justin Khoury is the person who wrote this post.
John really pick the gems to post on his blog as guest post.
Good time of year for a list of ways to improve your blog like this… Almost every blogger starts the new year with good intentions.
Yes great way to start the new year with a new and improved blog.
Absolutely.
The new year has also been a time in which I’ve traditionally sat down and reviewed my projects, and in the past, it’s typically worked out pretty well.
A clean, fresh start is always a plus!
Yes new year always gives us this feeling to start everything from scratch like a fresh morning.
So do not miss this opportunity to start once again.
Having a grammar check, now that’s funny. Having bad grammar hasn’t hurt Shoemoney or John one bit.
Yes you pointed out right thing … infact this mistake is the talking point for many people like us here …
Good tips! Always in need of tips to improve my blog. Its always a work in progress…lol
Thanks for the compliment!
I think just about every blog will always be a work in progress. I wish you the best of luck!
Instead of work in progress you should finish them and keep giving them final touch.
This is really a great summary of things, that not only new bloggers should keep in mind.
The hurry, to start a blog really quick or publish a post, semms to keep people away from using their brain and doing what they actually know that has should be done.
Thanks for the compliment.
I absolutely agree.
In my opinion, the same attention should be paid to blogging as if starting a traditional brick and mortar business.
Yes nice to see that pointed out those things which generally a blogger ignore.
But however some time these small things can make your credit and you day as well.
Pretty good tips. Some little ones like the favicon people often forget. And yet they really “brand” your blog if you are using a stock template.
Ways the favicon is used:
To distinguish your site from others in the tab list in Firefox and other browsers
To distinguish your site in the browser history list
To distinguish your site in browser bookmarks
To distinguish your site in RSS feed readers
Google is also now using favicon to make your site list easier to scan in Webmaster Tools:
http://google.com/search?q=google+favicon+webmaster+tools
Now that we call a perfect explanation on Favicon …
Thumbs up for you …
Great tips John, I also want to suggest:
1. Sell Your Own Products
2. Attend Specific Blogging Events
3. Add a Forum In blog
4. Make Your RSS Subscriber Number Public
5. Write Guest Posts
Nick
You should give thanks to Justin Khoury
He is the owner of this blog – http://www.insaneprofits.com/
Excuse me! However I’ve just given a glance at insaneprofits.com, and I’ve subscribed to his blog via RSS. Thanks ZK and Justin Khoury!
That is really a nice addition and I am sure writer of this post will add them whenever he will post these tips …
By the way Justin Khoury wrote this post.
Good tips from a fellow John Chow guest blogger
Thanks!
Great tips here. Some you can put into action within seconds! Hmm…sounds like a good topic to post on my blog about. “Blog Tips You Can Do In Seconds”
Thanks for the compliment!
Yes Jack quite agree with you.
These are small changes but the impact is much large. You do not have to change everything.
So its nice to keep this list with you whenever you start any new website.
You have an awesome blog. I wish I could have found it sooner. Keep up the good work.
I’m finding that adding images is a really simple way to increase visual appeal and reader satisfaction. Im finding adding commentluv is a great way for people to post comments on your blog too.
I’ve had a lot of success with placing images in blog posts in the past, as people seem to be more open to reading them.
Blog need to evolved in order to survived in the growing competition in the blogworld. That’s a great insight fom you John, more aspiring bloggers would benefit this information.
Great tips Justin. I think a lot of bloggers forget these simple tips when creating and maintaining their blog. It is nice to get a quick refresher to keep us all on course.
Thanks for the feedback!
It definitely is surprising to see how many people seem to neglect these tips in their blog.
Obvious tips that most of us never think of each day. Thanks for the refresher. I really need that favicon!
Favicons are absolutely fantastic, as simple as they may appear to be.
Glad I could help!
Favicon is small pic but can be really helpful to show your trademark or your presence.
These are all really great tips. These little things are what help improve a blog.
Thanks for the feedback!
Good basic tips. About the font size: I think John Chow’s is OK, but the font on your site is even smaller!
Thanks for the favicon link.
Thanks for the explanation. How is favicon different from a logo?
Can a favicon be made out of a logo and vice versa?
The post by Justin is very helpful and I agree with most points.
It seems to me that John had his blog look changed.
Anybody else has that impression?
Vance
Thanks for those lists. I will remember it so that I can improve mine as well.
Keep on posting!
I believe in one thing. Keep updating your blog with latest happening in your industry. Once you will start doing that every other things will fall at right place.
Provided you provide latest news with easy to understand and cover every kind of readers from newbie to expert.
Agreed. I think fresh, relevant, new content is so important what with everyone blogging these days. The latest industry news is so important to get readers to keep coming back.
Favicons! I was wondering how to do that. I think having contact form as opposed to emails makes more sense. Cuts down on the spam.
Agree for almost all of tips. And i see, johnchow dot com, guilty for all of thing that slower blog load, and it still have great traffic.
I still dont know how to upload that favicon into my url can somebody guide me how to?
All you need to do is create an image which is 16×16 pixels, and same it as favicon.ico
After that just upload it to your public html or whatever your host is using so that it appears at http://www.yoursite.com/favicon.ico
That should be it.
Another tip – Offer a ebook worth $$$ for signing up.
Definitely a fantastic method in driving traffic.
Who doesn’t love free stuff?
Yes this is the most common way and many big to small blogger are using this one and getting success as well.
John these are some really helpful tips for Blogging. Thanks for the share.
I gonna use these on my blog, let me see if this improve something on my blog and will get back to you.
John
I love reading this posts. They help me to constantly review my blogg.
I an very new to this so these tips are great.
Peter
Some solid foundational recommendations, but more importantly, an introduction to somebody who’se blog IO haven’t visited yet. So I’m a-heading over to Insane Profits to go and check out your work, Justin. Good one mate!
damn really amazing tips Justin Khourym any way, where you got great idea like this?
I totally agree with 7 & 8, thats will annoying your visitor
Amazing content!! superb comments
ehh! i am not surprised
Thanks John… great tips… I have tried to maintain most of these… This blogging thing is really exciting… I have even tried some different things to monetize my blog as well…
Thanks for sharing these tips
Great tips! As a novice blogger I always appreciate when experienced bloggers are willing and gracious enough to share their thoughts and experience with the rest of us. My thanks and gratitude to the author!
Very usefull info for bloggers
I am interested to create a favicon for my blog
Quality and fresh content is the way to go for blogging. Good points.
You should also have a detailed overview of your life on your about page as well as a picture of yourself. If you can create a personal connection with a blog visitor, you are likely to turn them into a regular reader.
Useful tips. I recently started a new blog and I created favicon right away after reading your post.
8. No tacky music please, as it is very irritating and increases uploading time. Furthermore, it creates the impression that you’re merely an amateur.
Well, music blogs excluded I guess!
To be honest, I haven’t seen a website that preloaded music since the 1990′s. And I’m completely fine with that.