Have you ever come across a blog and after reading it you get really inspired to start one? Or have you ever visited some blogs and noticed things that you don’t like and leave? If you are a victim of such, you may not be alone.
When I visit a blog that I have never visited before, I try to find out a unique aspect that makes it stand out. Also, I notice things that I loathe in it. A blog may be popular, but that doesn’t mean that people will not find things they don’t like about it. Maybe there is some fault with your own blog that you didn’t actually realize in the first place. These faults can be the cause of annoyance and disapproval among your readers and this is not good especially if you plan to turn your blog into a money-making business.
So, what are some of the faults that may be negative for your blog success? Let’s find out.
1. Pop-ups that appear as soon as you open the home page
To be honest, one pop-up won’t hurt anyone, but if they are all over whenever you load a page, it gets irritating. If it’s too much, then it becomes a turn off to anyone who visits your blog. So, avoid pop-ups on your blog.
2. Ads congestion
It’s fine if you have to monetize your blog with ads, sponsorships, and affiliate programs. But when there are too many irrelevant ads, it becomes annoying. Most visitors come to your blog to read content, not to see a bunch of ads. Adding too many ads makes your blog look like spam to your readers. So, be sure to avoid placing too many ads on your blog.
3. Never-ending scrolling
It’s so inconvenient when your blog posts are not organized into pages and you have to scroll down endlessly just to find that post you read last month which you would like to reread once more. Make sure to settle for five to six posts per page that are easy to navigate through.
4. Badly-written blog posts
Content is king. If you write low-quality blog posts, it is worth spending more time improving it. This includes correcting grammatical errors and numerous typo mistakes. If you need to ensure that your post is excellent, there are so many tools to get help from such as Essayontime or Hemingway App.
5. Third-rate content
You don’t have to copy the likes of Wall Street Journal or New York Times blog writing style. Instead, aim to write from your heart and post occasionally. Also, it is okay to publish topics that have been covered by your competitors as long as you write them in a unique way or represent a new angle and approach to an issue.
6. No linking or referencing
When you use a statement or information from other posts that are not yours, always include a reference or a link to the source. This enables the reader to get more information on what you are talking about. Similarly, it allows the other blogger to get back to you or link back to your blog.
7. Your images fail
Low-quality content and generic images add zero value to your personalized blog posts. Don’t use too many images in a single paragraph unless it’s a tutorial. You can use advanced tools such as Canva, Pixabay, Lifeofpix & Unsplash to ensure you have unparalleled images to go along with your blog posts.
8. No dates of your blog posts and comments
One of the most bothersome things that you find on blogs nowadays is hiding the publishing dates of your blog posts and comments. You see, most readers want to know whether the content they are reading is fresh or not. Be sure to include dates on your blog posts and comments too.
9. Fail to respond to comments
If you are a serious blogger, it means that you have to engage your readers in chats by showing your own involvement. Take time to write a comment or respond to emails. Leaving a reply will keep your visitors engaged on your blog and they will be interested to read more of you.
10. Poor designs
When we talk of design, it doesn’t mean fancy colors and great graphics. In fact, just a simple theme is more readable and will make your site more attractive. Ensure that your blog has good contrast between the text and background. Choose the right color scheme in your website design. Also, be sure that the font is readable and the layout matches your content. It is also necessary to include a mobile-friendly layout for your blog.
11. Low download speed
No one likes a slow loading site. The speed of loading pages is important when it comes to SEO. A site may be slow because of a hosting provider or too many plugins. Switch to a reputed hosting provider and avoid unnecessary plugins.
12. Auto-playing media
Auto-playing ads, video, audio – everything is irritating. It’s like an alarm, just when you are sitting and reading in silence and then suddenly out of nowhere, there is a loud sound in the background of some video or audio playing. Disable the auto-play option on your site. Don’t scare your readers!
13. Hollow words
E-books are a great source of information especially if they are real and useful. However, it is unfortunate to find some with promising titles, as they are literally a lie or unreal. For example: “I will teach you to start a blog within 20 minutes,” or “I will show you how to make traffic within one easy step.” At first sight, this seems catchy but has no real ground under it. If you have to create an eBook, avoid using hollow words and create it with a genuine purpose.
14. Too much secretiveness
Some blogs have no about page, no contact information, and no email subscription option. Remember, visitors may want to find more about you. It is very important to have an About page to build trust and engage readers. Try to make it more personal and expose it to your readers.
Also, it is very frustrating to search through a website and find that there are no means to contact the author. A Contact Us page is considered a vital part of a blog so that visitors can ask a question and provide feedback.
15. No social buttons
People visit your blog to read. Some of them want to share great content. But, does your blog have available “share” buttons where they can click and share your content? If there is none, include friendly plugins that allow the reader to share the content on different social media platforms. It will certainly do you good and will boost your online presence.
Your Thoughts?
Have you experienced anything that you or your visitors hated about different blogs? If the answer is yes, feel free to share your opinions to enrich the list of mistakes and improve our blogs together.
[su_note note_color=”#FFFF8C” text_color=”#000000″]This post has been authored by Sophia Anderson. Sophia is a content writer and a blogger who is keen on exploring new trends in content marketing and putting them into practice. When out of hours she is looking for her voice as a novelist and completing an online course on e-commerce. Feel free to get in touch on Facebook or Twitter.[/su_note]
Can you tell me how to add Social share button to wordpress blog.
Hi Preet. You can either use native share buttons available for WordPress on Jetpack plugin (Free) OR you can use any third party premium plugin like Ultimate Social Deux. Please refer this post – https://buddinggeek.com/ultimate-social-deux-review/
Comprehensive list, Sophia. However, I would like to add that coming up with a mix of media (text, podcasts, info-graphics, videos) is very important to keep your readers engaged in the long run.
Hi Darren. Thanks for visiting and leaving your valuable feedback. Made my day 🙂