A weblog or blog is probably the most user-friendly website genre. You can write a post and get it published in a mouse click. But it is a webpage nonetheless so it still adheres to basic usability guidelines applicable to all websites. When you want to reach new readers or make your current lurkers loyal, check your site and see if it violates the fundamentals of good blog posts.

Go over your title first. The first three words are critical so make sure you know how to write good headlines. Not even a strong one-liner abstract could save a weak headline since most people are too busy to check article description. Your headlines should tell what the article is all about as short as possible. Don’t experiment on vague or cute titles to stir interest on your possible readers. Most often than not, they would skip over it.  Another thing to remember when writing headlines is to avoid using all caps.  It significantly reduces reading speed and repels most readers.

Your links should also be as definite as your headlines. Don’t just tell people to go here and place a hyperlink on the word here. Tell them what they can expect if they follow the link as you don’t want to be redirected to somewhere unknown too. Treat all your readers as first time readers so you would not isolate newbies to your site. Incidentally, if you think you’ve written a piece first time visitors would appreciate, link it to your new write-ups long as they are related. If not, you can always put it in your sidebar for reference.

Using categories properly can also provide ease to your readers. Bloggers usually commit the mistake of tagging a post with too many categories. Make your mind up where your post best belongs.  Avoid having so many category names too that readers would find it difficult to scan.

These are just some ideas to help you spruce up your blog content and design. There are so much more to learn but take it a step at a time.

Posted in: Blogging