Mamas On The Web

BLOGGING CHALLENGE - Improving Your Blog

November 9th, 2008

I decided to do a week-long blogging challenge for myself and thought it would be a great idea to share it with you as well. (Since I blog with Wordpress, these ideas are mostly tailored to WP users.)

This week, beginning Monday, I’m going to do daily improvements to my blog. I don’t usually post every day and I know that a lot of other bloggers don’t either, but there are still improvements you can make to your blog without actually uploading any new content. Here are a few ideas:

• Update to the newest version of Wordpress. If you’re blogging on the Wordpress platform, you should know that the latest updates ensure more security and features for your blog. If you have Fantastico, upgrading to the current version of Wordpress is as easy as one click. [Latest version of Wordpress]
• Increase the number of comments your blog receives. Most blog posts have the option to “comment”, but if you change the wording you can encourage your readers to leave even more comments. Try something like “15 people have already commented. Have your say.” This requires you to dig around in your comments.php code, so don’t attempt this unless you have a general idea of what you’re doing. And don’t forget to keep a backup copy!
• Cutting down the number of plugins you use. Having a lot of plugins not only clutters up the look of your blog, but it can also cause your blog to load slowly. Do some inventory and decide which plugins are unnecessary. To see how much of an improvement this can make, time how fast your site loads with this tool before you delete any plugins, then test it again after you’ve uninstalled them. Even just a few seconds faster can make a world of difference, especially for visitors with a slow internet connection.
• In addition to cutting down on plugins by deleting them, you can also keep the features that each plugin provides by changing the code in your blog’s theme yourself (or getting help from someone else who knows how.) That way, you can get rid of the plugins, speed up the load time of your site, and keep the cool features. If you want to do it yourself, a simple search in Google or the Wordpress forums should get you where you need to go.
• Update your theme. If your blog design is a little outdated or doesn’t serve it’s purpose, consider breathing some new life into it by installing a new theme. I usually start by checking out the themes at the Wordpress Theme Directory.
• Scan through your older posts and add related links to increase your pageviews. You can insert links throughout each post, or include them as a list at the end of each post. Better yet, you can do both! This can be a bit time consuming, but if you can manage a few posts a day, it can make a big difference in your traffic.
• Check how your ads are doing. If you have advertisements on your blog, analyze their performance and find ways to help them perform better. You may need to tweak their position and overall look, or you may need to replace them with something completely different. Make your changes, then test and track your results to see what works and what doesn’t.
• Ask someone to do a review of your blog. You can post your request in a forum, ask a fellow blogger, or pay to have a professional review it for you. Whatever you decide, it’s a great way to get someone else’s opinion and understand how your blog looks and feels through a different set of eyes. They can also offer some suggestions to make your blog even better. Make sure you read this post first on website Do’s and Don’ts.

These are more than enough ideas to last the week, but I’m sure you can think of even more ideas on your own. The important thing is to make a positive step forward each day to improve your blog, even if it’s something small.

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Entry Filed under: Blogging, Wordpress