How to Have an Awesome Blog {Part 2}
Ok, so you think you’ve nailed the writing, the content, the aesthetics, the voice, and you’re willing to put the time in. What else are all the awesome blogs and bloggers doing that you might not be? Are you providing your readers with the best possible experience on your blog? Here are a few more of my suggestions I feel will make YOU a better blogger and YOUR BLOG a cooler place to hang out.
1. I beg you, PLEASE add your email address to your blogger profile!
If you’ve never received an email in reply to a comment you’ve left on another blogger’s blog, it’s probably because you don’t have your email address associated with your Blogger profile! A quick way to check and see if you've done this is to visit your own profile. If you see a link that says “email” beneath your photo, you’re up and running! It should look like this…
If you’ve never received an email in reply to a comment you’ve left on another blogger’s blog, it’s probably because you don’t have your email address associated with your Blogger profile! A quick way to check and see if you've done this is to visit your own profile. If you see a link that says “email” beneath your photo, you’re up and running! It should look like this…
If you DON’T see that link to your email, I PROMISE you are missing out on an awesome way to build friendships with other bloggers! Plus, you are making it more difficult for other bloggers to quickly answer your questions or reply directly to your comments on their posts.
For example, when I get an especially nice/funny/awesome comment or if someone asks me a question, I hit “reply” straight from the email notification I receive and, if your email address has been added to your profile, my reply will come straight to your inbox.
If your email address has NOT been added to your profile, my reply will be sent into outer space, never to be seen again. (Thankfully, once you hit “reply,” you are able to see whether or not the blogger has added their email address – if they haven’t, your message is addressed to “noreply-comment@blogger.com.”) And that makes me sad. And then angry. And then I get over it.
But seriously, do it.
Go to your Blogger dashboard and click “edit profile” beside your little picture. Then check the box next to “show my email address.”
If you would like to use a different email address than the one shown, you can change it below under “Identity!” I suggest you use an address that doesn’t include your last name. Create one specifically for your blog. Ok? Awesome.
2. Consider changing your comment window to the pop-up variety.
Many bloggers (myself included) read and comment on A TON of blogs at a time. If you’re using any other comment window besides the pop-up type, you’re causing your readers extra steps, extra load time, and extra headaches!
When you use the pop up window, your readers don’t ever have to leave your main page in order to comment, whereas with certain other comment windows, once readers are done leaving their comment, they have to reload your home page to scroll to any posts they might have missed! It is quite maddening when you’re trying to read through blogs as quickly as possible.
Not cool.
Go to “Settings” on your dashboard, and click on the “comments” link BELOW the tabs:
Then choose the option for the pop-up window under “comment form placement.” Capisce?
***You might also consider removing the word verification. You really won't get that much spam, especially if you don't allow anonymous comments. Having the word verification there is just causing your readers another extra step. Booo!***
3. PLEASE. Consider giving readers the OPTION to listen to your music playlist (versus setting it to start automatically when someone enters your site)
There are so many reasons this is a no-no, I don’t even know where to start.
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been surfing blogs with my volume turned up when someone’s jam started blaring at me and almost made me pee myself in terror. Not to mention how many times I’ve been listening to classical piano on Pandora when someone’s blog tunes started playing over my Pachabel. How rude.
Bottom line: it’s jarring, and we don’t all have the same taste in music. Your reader has to search for your music thingee to turn it off, then your song restarts whenever you click on the comment window (if it’s not a popup). Then it restarts again when you submit your comment. Then it restarts again if you click on a link in your archives, etc. **INSERT ANGER AND MULTIPLE HEART ATTACKS.**
Again, not cool.
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If you didn’t read part 1, click HERE!
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