Because of Pinterest and Weekend Potluck, I visit a TON of blogs each week. That does not make me an expert on blogging anymore than reading a book about the brain makes me a neurosurgeon but I have noticed something that I think is valuable to anyone who blogs.
A lot of blogs are missing basic information. Even more have that info tucked away in the recesses of their pages, making it difficult to locate.
Here are the items that I think are the most important things you should have at the top of your blog ~
- Your contact information ~ Whether you use a contact form or actually make your email address available, your contact information needs to be easy to spot from your home page… and EVERY page. I put mine on a page linked through my menu. Some bloggers put this information in their sidebar. Whichever you choose, make sure it is easy to find because you don’t want that million dollar advertising contract (don’t we wish!) to slip through your fingers because the advertiser couldnot figure out how to contact you.
- Your social media pages ~ If you want to grow your reach, you need to be active in social media. I get more referrals from Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Facebook, and Twitter than any other referral, including linky parties. I want my readers to be able to find me easily on these social media outlets and not have to search through millions of other pages to find me because really… who has time for that?
- Your email subscription/RSS feed link or form ~ One of the most surprising things I find missing from page after page is a way to subscribe. Some people prefer using an RSS feed while others (like me) prefer email. You need to have these options available and close to the top where they can be spotted.
Essentially, you want to make the resources easily available for your readers to connect with you. If you hide these tidbits all over your page, a reader might get discouraged and bounce before finding it. Placing this important information at the top (and again at the bottom) of your page will ensure that you maintain an active relationship with your audience.
great post Penny. I’m amazed at how many blogs are missing the social buttons, or the buttons aren’t working.
The other thing I wish bloggers would do is remove the word verify for leaving a comment. I have a few blogs that I love to visit but the word verify is blurry or doesn’t register the first time. I’ve never had a spam comment on my blog (maybe I’m lucky?) but I’d rather take the chance and have to remove it than miss out on good, productive comments.
Oh, and saw this post on Pinterest!
You have never received a spammy comment? You are so blessed! I get hundreds of them a month but I also use a two plug-ins that weed my comments for me and sned them straight to my spam folder. That way, I do not have to bother with captcha. I do agree that those can be annoying, especially when they are hard to read. Thanks for finding me. I adore Pinterest! 🙂