I read recently that a study was done deciding how long looking at a site determined whether the subjects liked it or not. It was something in the neighborhood of a fraction of a second. Yes, a second. I don’t remember if the article, which I apologize I don’t have a link to (does anybody have this so I can update this post?), shared the load time stats, but I know for me that’s a big one. If the site takes a long, long time to load, even if it’s the best designed, coolest content, then I’ll visit the site less often. Might not return at all.

There are lots of blogs out there and some have an immediate cheap feel and look to them. If you write a blog and want more people to read and actually subscribe, besides snatching their attention with a striking, creative headline, then asthetics — the overall design, navigation and layout — should be next.

Here is a free blackjack from the house: 21 tips which can help improve the overall quality of your blog, some of which might be extreme changes and others of which are much more subtle and easy to implement quickly:

1. Provide more, not less, original content in the blog entries. The #1 thing you can do to improve the blog quality is write compelling, original copy, preferably early on and with an unsaturated topic. If you feel like your blockquote is overshadowing your insight and analysis, the feeling’s probably right. Try to reduce the quotes to the point(s) most relevant to your commentary on the post.
2. Find things you are insatiably curious about and write with full-on passion. If you write about things you are only marginally interested in expect that readers will notice and the overall blog quality will suffer. It is extremely difficult, even for very talented writers, to write about subjects where they have little to no interest.
3. Rather than make 10 so-so posts every day, make 3-5 really good ones. If you want to increase exposure, the 10 so-so ones will help in the short term, but in the long run 3-5 good ones will grow the subscriber base more.
4. Can’t find the solution to a problem in the search engines easily? How-to/fixes/solutions make great topics.
5. Give away something once in awhile. Surprise your readers. It can be tangible like prizes, money or intangible like advice, tips, or tricks where you’ve gleaned wisdom and experience.
6. Start blogging about subjects that aren’t already being blogged to death, or write about them with a fresh perspective. Unless you are some kind of celebrity, the head of a major company, movie star, etc, just being you is likely not enough in today’s overcrowded blog space. If too much of your content is “me too” then readers will find it harder to stay interested and look elsewhere.
7. Pay a professional if you suck at graphics and design. It’s not a crime, really, unless you pay way too much for an overly artistic, less practical design. Look at the designer’s portfolio and see if the design match your content and show the designer this list. And for those who say they never come to a website to read blogs, they use strictly RSS, remember that there are still many, many people who do
8. Don’t use too much Flash. Sure, Flash is cool when used sparingly on a website, but use it too much and it makes your website look like the Vegas strip. Flash-only sites can work in some rare cases, but blogs aren’t one of them. If only the music and movie industry could figure this out.
9. Don’t slap a bunch of flashy banners and buttons (no matter how small) all over the place. The clutter effect will happen if you keep jamming more and more stuff onto the pages, so be picky about what gets on the pages — and keep the content relative — and when something doesn’t seem as important or relevant either remove it completely or move elsewhere.
10. Use a smaller, less gaudy logo. Google is a good example of a logo that is there, but unobtrusive. Conversely, the MSN header looks bulky. A vertical measurement of space used with a tool like Screen Calipers can be helpful in not wasting valuable browser real estate.
11. Make sure at least some content (not logo, not header, not advertising, etc) shows on every webpage without browser scroll
12. Provide consistent navigation. The home page link and search are especially important to be in convenient, obvious places.
13. Do include a byline and author bio so it’s clear to readers who wrote the content
14. Always disclose conflicts of interest
15. Clearly mark or define advertising placement
16. Don’t cripple the RSS feed. Some readers may actually prefer to read your posts in their favorite aggregator or portable device, so try not to punish them for their preferences.
17. Liberally blend with descriptive text: pictures, screenshots, audio (podcast), video and any other items that will help keep the readers interested, informed, enlightened and/or entertained.
18. Keep an open dialogue with commenters and two-way trackbackers. If someone leaves a really good comment try and thank and acknowledge their contribution. [note: A two-way trackback means the blogger actually linked to your blog, a one-way trackback means they just sent you a ping and have no link on their site] If you get someone who regularly leaves good comments, like Sterling Camden has been doing here recently, then mentioning them with a link goes a long way to thanking them for their time and interest.
19. Don’t let flamers destroy the community. It’s ok, and dare I say useful at times to face some flames yourself (and some of your posts might be inflammatory, so if you dish, you better be able to take it), but be careful when this happens among readers. Stand up for readers and demand standard decorum in the commenting section among readers so that civil debate and discussion (I know, not easy on the web) can ensue and add value to the blog entries instead of taking away. It’s a simple formula for human interaction really: make people feel badly and they will be less likely to return, make them feel good, important and appreciated for their contribution and they’ll keep coming back. BTW, you do need to be sincere about this, no phoniness. If you hate comments and interaction, then don’t have blog comments by all means. Generally speaking, and of course there are exceptions, I believe not having comments and trackbacks hurts the quality of a blog.
20. Are you having fun? Readers are smart and can tell who is having fun from their writing over those who are laboring. Don’t labor, have fun. If trying to follow too many things on this list is peeing in your cornflakes, then stop following this list. It’s not the gospel, although I believe these tips will help those who are seeking some guidelines and direction.
21. The last tip is probably my most favorite: don’t be afraid to write something and not publish it. If you post everything you write, that might be part of the problem. As I write this, there are currently over 40 posts waiting and wondering if they’ll ever escape draft status. This post, in fact, sat in the draft bin for awhile as I added/removed and polished various items. My goal here has never been to post everything I write. Timing is important and sometimes a story just doesn’t feel or fit right. Better to hold off for the piece to mature. There’s always tomorrow … for the content, anyway. Plus when your heart stops beating, just think of all the posthumous content that will be left? (I’m somewhat joking there)

Can you follow all these tips? Probably not. This blog doesn’t even follow all them, although I do try to keep this stuff in mind when I feel the quality is starting to slip (and it is an every day job working on blog quality, not something one can just go into autopilot on). But follow enough of these and it will greatly increase the likelihood that you’ll become one of the most read blogs out there someday. Let’s face it, the web can never have enough quality content. You can add or take away with each post you make. Want to be a shallow, one dimensional blogger? There’s tons of those. Want to really work at your writing and make it better? This post is for you.

Did I forget something that you find makes a blog higher quality? I’m sure there’s at least another 21 tips out there, so feel free to use the comments/trackback below and contribute. Have a friend, family member or associate who is complaining about blog focus? Drop them a link to this post.

If I’m not already reading, then I hope to be reading and looking forward to your high quality blog someday soon. Happy blogging to you!

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