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Those who have blogs will tell you that they are one of the best tools available in terms of cost-effective website traffic. They will also tell you that blogging requires a certain amount of dedication and effort.
Many bloggers get off to a great start and then find that their blogs are nowhere to be found on the search engines by the end of the first year. Here are four of the biggest mistakes that can bury a blog, along with some tips on how to avoid them.
• Mistake #1: Designing and publishing the blog then sitting back and waiting. A blog requires consistent maintenance and updates. You can’t simply sit back and let the blog do all the work because it won’t. While it isn’t difficult to keep your blog at the top, it does take some effort. If you have a smaller blog, you will need to post at least weekly. Larger blogs will require posting daily or even several times a day. If you post weekly, you should do it on the same day around the same time if possible. This lets anyone following the blog know when he or she can log in for your new updates each week. It saves them time in having to check the blog each day and becoming frustrated, eventually leaving the blog. Make updating your blog a priority.
• Mistake #2: Too much advertising.
Your blog is not the place to be doing your advertising. Of course, you want to make a profit from your blog but you should limit your ads to only those few that are very relevant to the blog (usually no more than three). Massive amounts of ads will turn off your readers. Your blog should highlight your content not your advertising. Many bloggers include small keyword links within their blogs that users can click to be taken to another site. This is certainly acceptable since it doesn’t take away from your content and the message you are trying to promote.
• Mistake #3: Adding too many graphics.
A few graphics and pictures will add some style to your blog and draw in readers. However, too many graphics will drive people away. Many of your visitors still have dial-up connections that can be slow to load graphics. Visitors will not wait for your blog to load. There is simply too much information that can be found on the web to wait for one site to load its graphics. Typically, users can simply go to another site to find pretty much the same information. Limit your blog to a few pictures or small graphics.
• Mistake #4: Writing about too many subjects.
Look at the top blogs on the Internet. They are all clearly focused on one subject. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Choose a topic you are passionate about to use for your blog. If you have more than one subject that you feel you need to write about, start a second blog. Too many subjects (the family dog, your last vacation, your favorite movie, etc.) in one blog make it difficult to build a relationship with your reader. While a reader may be interested in music, they may not be a dog lover. These readers want to come to a blog to see what it has to say about music. They will find another blog for their other interests. Don’t just blog randomly. Plan what your blog will be about and stick with it. A lack of readers can bury your blog so keep your subject consistent.
I hope that learning a little bit about the mistakes that can bury a blog will help you become a better blogger and keep your blog at the top!
Tags: Blogging, Blogging TipsDid you miss any of these?
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People still use dial up, WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!
That is crazy…,but true and you should consider that when adding pictures. Also, you should check what percentage of your users are using dial up.
This can be done with the Google Analytic software. They actually look and measure your visitors internet connection. I think this is a very cool feature and it helps a lot.
For example, my Internet Marketing journey site users 97% use DSL or better, so pictures are not really a big issue with them. However, one of my niche sites where the people are not so tech savvy, like 35% use a dial up connection. That is a pretty significant amount of traffic on dial up, thus my pictures are tappered on that site.
Nevertheless, good stuff in the post. And I will be back to share my two cents!
Freddie Taylors last blog post..Goal Setting Sunday: Week 10
Ya
I have seen many blogs that have tons of different subjects on it. I myself try to stick within my topics that I have posted on my blog. I just recently went to a simpler design on my blog until I can buy an orginal design. My old design I found was not inline with what I though a blog should look like.
Blogs going in different directions all the time are hard to follow and it’s also very hard to target a specific audience and advertisers so I couldn’t agree more! Then, I think you can’t go wrong with promoting the website. It is essential to go out and start connecting with other bloggers!
Ben Tremblays last blog post..Rubik’s Cube Vs Internet Marketing (me solving the cube…)
There are hundreds of other mistakes that may bury a blog. #4 Losing focus could possibly be the biggest mistake any blogger is likely to commit. I second Ben that it’s crucial to network with other bloggers and expand your exposure. Great write up, Salwa.
Yan
Did you set nofollow on all links here on purpose? including your navigation links?
Blog for Beginnerss last blog post..How I Increase My Email Subscribers by 60 in 7 Days
For small blogs, I agree that too much advertising is bad, but for huge sites like engadget and techcrunch, every single pixel should be monetized.
But then again, many don’t agree with me.
Rajaie AlKoranis last blog post..A Review of Let’s Sermo! – Let’s Get Talking!
I agree with you in #4, when i see blog where i read post about blogging and then post about pets and post about cars i don’t continiu reading this blog
Shoto Azikuris last blog post..5 Blogs Worthy To Read
#4 is definitely one of the biggest newbie blogger killers. I’ve sen it a thousand times on forums…after 6 months even the blogger gets confused.
Now with #2, you are referring to blogs other then MMO, right?
Dennis Edells last blog post..10 Effective Joint Venture Ideas To Get You Started
@ Freddie Taylor: Yeh you will be suprised but they are some out there that still use dial up and it is very important to concider this. Also I suppose it all comes down to what type of blog you run. If it is a technology blog then I don’t think that will be an issue but a blog about gardening well that is a different story.
@ Bruno Auger: Yeh design can say a lot about your blog. You should think about what type of blog am i running and which design will go and fit well.
@ Ben Tremblay: Yeh exacly. I mean I could be wrong but i just find it so annoying when one blog covers god know’s how many different topics. When I got to certain blog it is because I like what he/she cover’s. I will find another blog for my other interests.
@ Blog for Beginners: I couldn’t agree more. This is one ultimate mistake blogger can make. Many blogger’s you find starting out all excited about everything but then they just eventually loose all the interests with their blogs and yea i did it on purpose to avoid spammers.
@ Rajaie AlKorani: Well true but many readers (me one) tend to find it so annoying having too much ad’s on one’s blog.
@ Shoto Azikuri: Lol Yeh ur not the only one. It just get’s all too confusing and like wot the heck! Welcome to blogriffic and hope to see more of you in the future
@ Dennis Edell: Yeh Dennis other then MMO but still too much ads can still be annoying and irritating to your readers even for MMO blogs
Absolutely, but they do carry a little more leeway with it…as long as they are truly promoting things they know work…and not just because of a large commission.
I agree with all the points except possible point #4 – although many top blogs are niche focused, they write about everything and anything in the niche and a lot of the time outside because of trends and such
Site Flipping Simons last blog post..The Website Flipping Dilemma
Mistake #1 is the king of all mistakes. Anybody who writes a posts, publishes it, then doesn’t do any promotion or marketing is doing something wrong. This was my biggest mistake when I first started out blogging.
I agree with Site Flipping Simon. Yes, you don’t want to veer off course and all over the map, but I think it’s good to broaden the scope a bit. For example, my blog is a companion to my website, which is for my website development company. On my blog, I write about the usualy stuff; web design, web development, technology and software, but I have also integrated articles about online marketing. I have just hired a professional online marketer, and since her services are part of what I offer my clients, I feel it is relevant, and it is a very popular topic.
Scott Mahlers last blog post..Internet Marketing For Your Website: Tips On How It’s Done
smart post. I have always liked autos. keep it up