Do you want a blog that is highly successful? Do you want visitors to flock to your site, readers to leave comments, and advertisers to fill your wallet? I know that I do!
A few years ago blogging was a brand new art. People were wading through dark jungles of unknown territory trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Those first bloggers were pilgrims in a sense paving a way for the rest of us.
We now have the luxury of sitting back and learning from those bloggers who have made it big. I’ve made it my goal to do just that.
I spend a lot of time examining successful people. I believe that if certain principles worked for them then they can work for me as well. I’ve examined some of the most successful blogs on the internet and as I’ve searched I have noticed that the most successful blogs have most, if not all, of these five dynamic qualities.
Successful blogs have amazing designs.
Average bloggers tend to fail on this one…a lot. Most people get into blogging because they have a passion to write about something. The majority of bloggers assume that as long as they write about what they love then they will be successful. Instead of ever beautifying their site they just plug away creating articles.
The problem is that every visitor that hits a less-than-amazing blog ends up leaving before even looking at the first post titles. Visitors never even makes it far enough to see the ‘amazing’ content that the blogger has put together. First impressions are, after all, lasting impressions.
Take control of your site’s theme. Search some of the popular template clubs that are available like Elegant Themes and Theme Forest. Google search for unique themes. Stand on the corner of the street and shout if you have to but find a beautiful template for your blog.
Don’t be afraid to spend a few dollars to make your site into something amazing. You can buy templates for less that $20 that are absolutely inspiring. Take your time. Look around. Find the theme that you need to drive your site to the next level and then go for it.
Successful blogs offer a unique experience.
According to Technorati, a new blog is created every second. There are literally millions and millions of blogs competing for traffic and if you want to succeed then you have to find a way to set yourself apart from the rest!
If you want to propel your site to the top then you need to ask yourself these questions:
- What do I offer my readers that they can’t get anywhere else?
- Are my posts creative and original?
- Is my design a popular template or a rarer, more unique layout?
Successful blogs provide well-written content.
I’m sure you’ve heard it said, “If you build it…they will come!” Well that’s not exactly true. You not only have to build it, but you have to build it well. Take the time necessary and develop some amazing articles.
Before you hit the publish button you need to put your post through the following series of questions:
- Are there spelling errors or grammatical mistakes?
- Am I staying on topic or do I ramble?
- Is my post a comprehensive look at the topic at hand?
- Is my post inviting to commenters?
- Is my post broken up with sub-headings, bold content, bullet points and quote blocks for post skimmers?
Successful blogs connect with their readers.
Comments are the life-blood of a successful blog. Stick around and you’ll hear me say that a lot.
I believe that comments are vitally important as they are the identifiable marks of the connection between blog authors and blog readers. That’s why I’m willing to do just about anything to get people to break away from being passive readers and become active participants in the conversation at Site Sketch 101. I want to connect with my readers and I want my readers to connect with me.
In today’s modern online world, this could be in the form of the comments section below the article, or it can also be the comments that take place on social media.
Invite feedback in your posts by asking for thoughts, opinions and even disagreements. Let your readers know that you want their feedback.
Make your comments section open and inviting. It should be your goal to respond to every comment with a meaningful, personal communication. Try to become friends with every person that comments on your blog.
Successful blogs offer easy subscription options.
RSS and email subscriptions are the absolute best ways to create repeat visitors. These outperform just about any other method that you can think of when trying to get your visitors to come back for more. Make it your goal to get as many people to subscribe as possible to your RSS and email updates.
Here’s a few ideas that I practice on Site Sketch 101 and I’ve experienced amazing growth in my subscribers since the start of this blog:
- Place large RSS and email icons near the top of each page.
- Place subscription options at the end of each post.
- Email first time commenters and include a link to your RSS and email subscriptions in the email.
Conclusion – The Law of Multiplication
Do you want to add readers to your blog? Pick any one of these five principles and put it to work on your site. You will be amazed at how fast your readers will add up.
Do you want to multiply the number of readers at your blog? Pick any two, three, four or even all five of these principles and put them to work for you. When these blog qualities are combined in the same blog then you will begin to see growth like you have never experienced. It works for the professionals and I guarantee that it will work for you.
