14 Ways to Better Your Blog in 2014: Part 2
Last week, I shared the first part of this series on how to Better Your Blog for 2014. This week, we are picking right back up with the remaining 7 ways to get your blog ready for this year.
8. Start some new habits.Β There are some things you should be doing when you write your posts that will become automatic after doing it for awhile.
- Link to old posts. This could be through a related posts plugin or within the post itself. For example, I linked back to last week’s post at the top of the page.
- Add images.Β I don’t know about you but if a post doesn’t have an image, all of the words start blending together. Whether you have an image to go along with the post or you create a graphic, you need something to break up the post.
- Add a call to action.Β I try to add a call to action to the bottom of my posts whenever it is applicable. It can be a question or a statement.
9.Β Audit your design.Β Take a look at how your site looks. Is your sidebar cluttered? Is there an easy way for people to contact you on the homepage? Are your social media links up front and in their face? It’s amazing how the little changes you can make to your design that will affect the overall look of your blog {more on this later!}.
10.Β Buy your domain name. If you already have your own domain, congratulations! Go and renew it for another year or two. Don’t make the mistake I did and let it lapse and have to start all over again. If you don’t have your own your domain name, what are you waiting for? It’s insanely cheap and easy!Β
11.Β Own your blog.Β This is where we get into the Blogger vs WordPress debate. I will state up front, there is nothing wrong with being on blogger. Well, there’s one thing wrong. Being on Blogger means you do not own your content. So if Google wanted to create a nifty little eBook with your posts or, say, shut you down, they can. And there’s nothing you can do about it. By switching to WordPress or any other self-hosted site, youΒ own your content. It’s all yours baby! And it’s easy. A lot of people, myself included, are afraid to make the big jump. In all honesty, it wasn’t as bad as you think it will be! Get yourself some hosting to go along with that new domain name {I love the people at A Small Orange} and move it, move it! If you need help, send me an email!
12.Β Comment more. Ok, so that’s not something you do on your blog BUT it will help you make some connections with other bloggers. You will then have build an audience and repeat visitors. That in turn grows into more social media followers and engagement on your channels. So go ahead comment more on other’s blogs! You know how much you love receiving comments, return the favor! Another way to get people to come back is to reply to comments. This is on my “must do” list for 2014!
13.Β Check your site speed.Β You want your site to load within 3 seconds of someone clicking your link or typing in your address. There are somethings like pictures and java that will slow your site down. You can run a test on performance site like GT Metrix to see how your site loads and what is bogging it down. Below is a snapshot of my sites speed! I have some things to work on now in 2014.
14.Β Write about what you love. We all got into blogging because we loved to write and share our stories online. It’s easy to let that passion slip away whether you are trying to get pageviews or make money. But you can still do those things without losing your passion. Pick your sponsored posts wisely. Make sure they align to what you believe in and what you want your blog to be about. Same goes for ads. You can still make money on your siteΒ and enjoy writing!
Wow some great information for new bloggers and old There were a couple of things I’d never thought about before. Thanks for the info.
Great great tips! I need to switch from old man Blogger ASAP. It’s my goal this year!
Thanks for the tips! I feel like i can finally start investing financially into my blog and I need to make sure I invest in the integrity of the blog itself!
These are super helpful. My goal for 2014 is to finally take my blog to the next level … even if I am not sure what that means so these are great starting points for me. Thanks!
Absolutely excellent article.
I switched from WP to Blogger this last fall, and it was like going from a VW Beetle to a Lamborghini. AMAZING difference, lots of extras, and no fear of losing my content or someone shutting me down. I also love that I can schedule posts very consistently with WP, when I had trouble with it on Blogger.
Thank you for the post! It was a great read! π
Blessings,
~Heather
The Welcoming House Blog
I am always looking for better ways to improve my blog as I just started a couple months ago. This was very helpful will be saving it so I can revisit it as a nice reminder:)
These are some excellent tips! Starting over on a new blog and I am definitely going to keep your tips in mind. Thanks for sharing!
These are really great tips. Pinning for later!
I LOVE how you added the call to action to the image! I need to try that. I worry about my questions getting lost at the bottom of the post. An image might get the reader to scroll all the way down.
Thank you for these tips. So many of them I want to implement this year!
You have some good tips here! Thanks for sharing. I wish I’d be more organized…and write my own post more often – I am struggling in that. Hope 2014 will bring all the good habits π
I love these tips. The one about getting off blogger is so important. I started on blogger and then moved. I know blogger has closed some of my friends blogs. So bloggers beware.
This is a great post. I check out the site performance website, and boy do I have to look into a bunch of things this weekend.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for all the great info. There is allot of things I will be doing to make my blog better well I am working on a new blog now and want it the best!
great tips! I love the call to action idea. I need to start using that more
Great tips! It’s always a good idea to take stock of where your blog is, and make goals about where you *want* it to be!
Loved the tip to remember what you’re passionate about … it’s so easy to forget that over time!
Great tips, Steph. I have so much on my blogging to-do list for this year.
So many good tips to add to my list of things to accomplish this year.
Thank you for the information. I’m just a newby and I’ve noticed that is insanely important to comment on other people’s blogs and get out there. First of all, you find good information, like this π and second of all, you get connected. And in blogging, connections are all.
Great tips and I’ll be checking out GTMetrix – hadn’t heard of that yet!
Love this! I really want to start commenting more and finding ways to reach out and talk with others on more then just facebook!
Oh and thanks to the speed link. MomSpotted is loading slow lately but I don’t really know how to improve it!
These are great tips. And I’m glad to see I’m doing most, so yay for me!
Absolutely! I know I need to comment on other blogs more. Sometimes we get lost in our own little spaces or within our own circle of friends. It is important to blog hop and share some love more often. Lurking without ever commenting is even worse. π
Great tips for bloggers! I’m constantly working on the linking to previous posts and adding in images (to new and old posts) to help with Pinterest traffic. For me, your last suggestion is a must for me this year. While it’s not necessarily writing more of what I love, it’s sharing more (recipes & crafts) of what I love.
Excellent tips, I’ve been in a rut lately. But I do think commenting is a great way to get more readers!
I’m slowly working my way through old posts to update and add images. Next I’m going to turn my attention on sight speed. My site loads incredibly slow, despite my efforts to improve it.
I made the big switch from blogger to wordpress a little over a month ago and so far it’s the best decision I have ever made.
Still on a steep learning curve but it’s coming!
Great tips ;0)
Thanks for the tips. I have been cleaning up my website for the past week. I installed a new template and it is still a work in progress. I need to make it a habit to comment back on my comments, sometimes I just don’t know what to say,
Great tips! I need to make a habit of referencing previous posts as well!
I usually forget to add a call to action. Thanks for the reminder!
Love these tips. My site speed is one I definitely need to work on.
Great tips! I can’t wait to look at the site speed and put some of these tips into action
I would also add TAKE RISKS. Things you are afraid to do..do them.
trisha
These are great tips. I need to work on my site speed and I would love to do a redesign in the next few months.
Great tips! I’m changing up my blog some this week. It helps to not be stale.
Kas
Great tips! I really need to work on some of these especially site speed.
These are great tips!
THIS IS AN AWESOME POST! Thank you so much for sharing. I love reading tips to be a better blogger. I am already doing a lot of these, but I definitely need to step it up a notch on a few. Thanks for the reminder π
Great Tips. I am just starting a blog, but I am trying to get ahead of the game with ideas to improve it before I get too far.