This guest post was written by Arie Rich, Editor of KMP Blog.
Blogging for two plus years I have played around with stuff to see what works and doesn’t for my blog. I have tried every item on this list and this has brought me to share with you the top 10 things that can hurt your blog in the long run, from a KMP perspective.
1. The Blogroll
I am not a huge fan of the blogroll. There are pros and cons about having one. One of the pros is that you can direct traffic to your blog if you are listed on someone else’s blogroll which can help increase your rank. The con is if someone’s rank is not as high as yours, having them on your blogroll could hurt your rank. So I choose not to have a blogroll.
2. Lack of Interaction with Readers
I believe blogger/reader interaction is a major plus. Simple ways to do this is by replying to comments left on your blog, as well as interacting via other social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. The more interaction with your readers, you have the more loyal their readership will be.
3. Loud Layout or Background
Nothing annoys me more than a loud, busy background or confusing layout. Having a busy background gets overwhelming for the reader which can lead to quick exits and high bounce rates.
4. Music Players and Auto Playlist
There is nothing like a good ol’ music player, playing your favorite tunes, while reading your amazing blog. Umm… I don’t think so. I have nothing against music, but having an automatic music playing on your site can drive people away. Not everyone might like the music on your playlist, especially if you are having it auto play. If your blog is private then by all means have a music player, it’s your blog. But if your blog is public, you need to be more conscious of your readers. Your blog is not just for you but for others, so choose wisely.
5. Poor Layout
Have you ever visited a blog that has amazing articles but their layout is just not “reader/visitor friendly?” I have. I am not saying you should spend a fortune on a background, but the first thing people notice when visiting your site is your layout, then your work. Layouts that compliment the articles that you write make a great combo and will have your readers complimenting your great work as well as your amazing site. Compliments lead to referrals which leads to more traffic.
6. Self Boasting
Ahh, the self boasting blogs. We’ve seen them. These are the ones where it’s all about the owner. “I did this, I did that, hey look at me, love me, love me, come worship me. Oh yea, read my review on such and such event, oh and notice the shoes and dress I’m wearing. And don’t forget to visit the About Me and check out all the sponsors and badges I have.” Blah, blah, blah. Again, if your site is about you then this applies – if it’s about your readers, or for your readers, then this self-boasting nonsense is not necessary.
7. Spelling and Grammar Errors
I am not an English teacher and English is not my first language, but when reading or posting a blog I expect to at least spell the words correctly and use proper grammar. There is no reason why we still use: than instead of then, your instead of you’re, or there instead of their. If you have problems with those you should have someone proofread your work.
8. Stolen Images w/o Proper Credit
For this tip, I am referring to taking a picture from another blog and claiming it as your own. Taking an image and saying that it is you in the picture, when you and a few other people know that that it is not you is not right, and most of all can get your blog shut down for copyright infringement. If you see an image you would like to use, make sure you give proper credit by letting the reader know where you got the image from and a link. If someone asks you to remove his or her image you should comply.
9. Taking Credit for Another Blogger’s Work
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Give credit where credit is due. If you write an article about something you read somewhere, give credit to that site or source. It does not make you less of a blogger if you give proper credit.
10. Tons of Ads
Ads are overwhelming. Tons of ads will make your page look busy and loud (see #3), and we already know what that causes. If you do place ads, have one or two not 15 in one page – it could get annoying.
Your Thoughts
Do you agree that the above items will hurt your blog? Can you think of more things that will cause more harm than good on a blog?
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This post brought to you by Arie Rich
Arie Rich is Editor of KMP Blog. Be sure to connect with Arie on Twitter or keep up with great info via her blog.
Arie has written 1 awesome article(s) for Kikolani.
Kikolani runs on Thesis, but also likes using Genesis. Learn more about Thesis vs. Genesis.
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{ 81 comments }
Sorry, but number three, really? have you seen your own background? seriously. It’s loud.
Twitter: kikolani
June 3, 2010 at 11:01 am
I wondered if anyone would say that. This is a guest post, and I’m guessing Arie didn’t consider mine that kind of loud. I found an old article on top 10 worst websites – one was this one – THAT is a loud background. I hope my background isn’t obnoxiously loud – so far I haven’t gotten any complaints. Most people just ask what it is.
Ay curumba! Is that powered by Geocities? Oh wait.
.-= New from Tony Steve Jobs Shares His Thoughts at D8 Conference =-.
Girl! Is you hating on a Jesus website? Don’t let them religious fanatics come after you. lmao
OMG! Was that supposed to be a joke. I’ve made better HTML sites than that. What a child’s play. The music is so intoxicating. lol
Twitter: kikolani
June 3, 2010 at 3:18 pm
I didn’t mean anything from a religious standpoint… simply the background.
I found another really heinous one, and if I could remember it, I would post it. It hurt my eyes more than the one I mentioned.
Speaking of intoxicating music, the song you have for download on your about page – that was good stuff!
Thanks for the feedback/compliments. I wasn’t aware that people were actually downloading the music. I kinda assumed they wouldn’t be interested. Sigh! U just made my night
Twitter: biggirlbranding
June 3, 2010 at 7:38 pm
ACCCKK! That hurt my eyeballs! THAT was loud for sure! lol Yours isn’t loud by my standards though, just interesting. And the actual content area is clean. lol
.-= New from Cori Padgett@Marketing and Branding Blog Using Social Media as a Customer Service Slam Dunk- You’re Joking Right? =-.
Twitter: hypnobusters
June 4, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Yowza! I had to click off that site quick – I could feel myself going into a seizure!
Kristi,
There isn’t anything wrong with your background. In fact, it isn’t that loud. Besides, it doesn’t interfere with the content.
I see plenty of sites with background that have a background like yours and has the content setup with a white background. Most of those sites are very popular and have a ton of readers that are not complaining.
The one you mentioned would give me a seizure if I had to read the content on that page.
The music thing is the worst for me. I get totally panicky when I open a site and it is playing some elevator music style song. Close Close Close!!!
One thing I really don’t like is when in a niche one person has a cool idea writes about it and than all the other blogs also wright a post on the same topic. Get your own voice and stop stealing ideas…
.-= New from Alex@Zahnaufheller blend-a-med Whitestrips 56 Streifen im Test =-.
Twitter: kikolani
June 3, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Music drives me bananas. I’m a multi-tasker, so there are many occasions I’m listening to a webinar while web surfing, and nothing is more irritating than having a site’s music mix in with my educational listening. The worst are the sites where there is no obvious ways to shut off the music player – one site had nothing on their homepage to shut it off (an all Flash site) and I just never went back to it.
Blah blah blah blah, Zip your mouth with a padlock – Ke$ha. LOL
No. 6 is probably the one that irks me most with them fake a** gurus here in Nigeria, claiming to have made millions when it’s evident to the wary ones, that they are nothing but fraudsters.
My blogroll is still active but only accessible via sitemap.xml. People weren’t interested in it so I took it off my navigation.
Battled around with various themes, till I found my current one and I’m sticking with it ’cause it’s cost me so much in optimizing it and of course I LOVE IT!
.-= New from Udegbunam Chukwudi@Make Money Online Learn To Trade Forex Like A Pro With AvaFX =-.
Twitter: kikolani
June 3, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I still like the blogroll… it’s kind of “old school” and reminiscent of when I used to do solely personal blogs and linked to all of my blogging friends. I’m not sure if people are getting a lot of traffic from mine, but I keep it there. Doesn’t seem to hurt, even though some of the sites do have lower rankings than mine.
Twitter: heydevesh
June 3, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Nice Post. I think the worst things are audio and blog layout. Many times i just close the website/blogs because of Poor layout or any audio. !!
Thanks for sharing this great post.
~Dev
.-= New from Dev | Technshare How To Professionally Conduct a Interview? =-.
You are welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
DO you think placing ads only 1-2 per page can help you make money?
.-= New from Jennifer R 8 Amazing JavaScript Image Zoom Scripts =-.
Twitter: kikolani
June 3, 2010 at 5:55 pm
I’m probably not one to talk as I have more than that, but I would think if you had 2 ads that were perfect for your readers, then maybe that would be all you need.
I agree with Kristi. In my opinion the key to page ads is to place them where it won’t take away from your blog posts. When you visit your blog if the first thing you see is ads, then that’s what they reader/visitor will see too. Little things to be mindful about.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
I know people that own blogs that ads is exactly what they want the reader to see first, and they make good money doing it, as well as get well over 200k visitors a month. Nothing wrong with ads if that is what you are going for, personally I would rather sell my own products and services.
.-= New from Keith The Internet Lifestyle =-.
I have quite a few ads on my blog and I find the ones that do the best are the ones I place in the header and the Adsense ad which is placed right at the top left of the post.
.-= New from Sire I’m Not Getting Enough Sex What Can I Do? =-.
Yes, ads are great if they are strategically placed in the layout, where it will attract the readers’ attention and at the same time not take away from the posts.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
Hello everyone!
Thanks for posting my post Kristi, looks great! Thanks to everyone that actually enjoyed it.
The top 10 things that can hurt your blog was done in a comical/somewhat true kinda sense, so I hope that no one takes offense because they fit the category in one or more of the things listed. It is perfectly okay to have some of these, as long as you are being mindful and smart about it. You can have a “loud” background, but not obnoxiously loud, like Kristi stated. (Kristi, your backgrounds is NOT loud, the colors and layout works very well with the blog content, and it is easy on the eyes). The example you provide (religious website), was very loud.
Hi Arie, Kristi and everyone on the Kikolani blog!
You got some great points and its obvious you are very experienced in the blogging world, so thanks a lot for sharing this with us!
Regards to the blogroll and the potenial for de-ranking from an SEO standpoint. I agree, this could indeed be the case whereby your own web page could be somewhat affected by a lower Goog PR ranked web page linking back to your site.
However, let’s see it that you have a Google PR of 3 on a web page and you got link coming from a web page that has a PR of 0. This web page is obviously of lower rank but this is not to say in 2 months time it may not also be a PR3.
Further, what even if it remains at the Goog PR of 0. But, the blog that it belongs to is very much an authority blog in itself. You could be getting a fair old traffic flow from that, thus its wise to keep up with that link.
High visitor volume often ‘can’ then translate into higher Google PR, if this is of importance to the blogger in any way, shape or form.
I know, this is being a bit picky. I apologise for that – and its not supposed to be. Just to let the light shine on a couple of other insights about lower Goog PR pages linking to your own blog or website pages.
There are so many nuances at play that to focus in on this aspect is not necessarily wise use of your own time. After all, its not the Goog PR that is going to get you visitors, and if its a blog then visitors should be the be-all and end all and not kow-towing to Google or Yahoo! or any other search engine for that matter.
Just my own take on the matter of Google’s page ranking ethos.
Kind regards!
Joseph
Thank you Joseph!
You sure know a lot about Google PR, and you provided some really great info. I guess when it comes to numbers (Google PR, Alexa ranking, etc…) it is all a blogger’s personal choice, whether they want to follow this or not. But sometimes it is good to keep an eye on those things.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
Hi Arie, gee you sure are great at providing follow up answers, and many thanks for that too! Yes, I agree, its a bloggers personal choice and I totally respect your own, and everyone else’s for that matter.
By the way, I hope that fantastic ripped abs image on your own blog is not a “stolen image w/o proper credit” haha. Its a great image, so you almost got the sale with that alone I imagine!
I presume you are selling Mike Geary’s ‘Truth About Abs’ product? Did you get his email he sent out yesterday regards to “you will be prosecuted”? Wow, best take real care! Actually, there were a number of great pointers in the email that folks should really heed with regards to setting up any blog or website.
So, great work Mike! Or is it Mike – he sold his “Truth About Abs” site over a year ago because of major family problems. I best say no more in case I’m sued left right and then center.
Thanks indeed Arie for all your great answers – I’m really enjoying reading your responses to everyone’s points on Kristis excellent blog!
Kind regards!
Joseph
Just to touch on what Joseph said, which I agree with, mostly.
The only time you would be negatively affected by using a blogroll is if you’re linking to a spammy website, but why would you want to do that in the first place? Blogrolls are usually used to show your affiliates, friends and stuff like that. I don’t think anyone would randomly put a website that they don’t know anything about on their blogroll.
The other thing with having too many links linking out of from a webpage is that it reduces the quality of the link power being passed on those other websites. So if a website has 5 external links, another has 20 external links and they have the same page rank, you should aim for the page with 5 external links…
Just thought I’ll mention that…
.-= New from Tola @ SEO Blogger On Page Optimisation and Tips for doing it Right =-.
Hey Arie – Yes! Those top 10 things definitely dig a grave for a blog. Too bad so many people start with those things, lol. If only…
Great post.
.-= New from Tia Two Cents Tuesday: Learning to Do for Yourself =-.
You are right. You Live and You Learn.
.-= New from Arie Rich 5 Tips for Eating Healthy While Unemployed =-.
Hey Kristi, how are you doing? That is a great post by Arie and I loved the list. I am a bit in 2 minds with the blogroll though, would it really hurt your rank?
From the looks of your blogroll yours is pretty short, which is good. I’ve seen blogroll that have long list, 100+ blogs on there, that can really do some damage to your ranking. Joseph explanation in the comments section is pretty good.
.-= New from Arie Rich DVD Tuesday – 6/1/10 =-.
I disagree on No.1 – Blogroll. As long as you don’t rank to unrelated website and website having questionable material (adult, malware etc) your site will not be affected. Blogroll is actually a great way to increase backlinks.
.-= New from Instant Fundas Paragon Partition Alignment Tool improves hard disk and SSD performance =-.
Your fourth point is excellent, and I think I’ll go farther and say this: it is the height of rudeness to have a blog that autoplays audio or video. One does not know when one’s blog is being accessed or how: someone who might be peeking in while being themselves in a very quiet environment might have music blaring because of a blog. You’re absolutely right to say that webmasters need to be more conscious of their audience in that regard.
.-= New from ashok Abraham Lincoln, “Letter to Ephraim D. and Phoebe Ellsworth” =-.
Exactly, if I really love the blog, I would mute my computer just so that I can finish reading the post, but if I don’t, I don’t even bother looking for the mute button on my computer, X right out. Nothing personal, just annoying sometimes.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
People tell me I am guilty of having too many ads, but I don’t really care because they pay their way and I’m getting enough traffic and comments not to worry about it.
As to the blogroll, if I link to another blog that I like I do it because I want to give them credit and if that’s going to cost me PR so be it. Hang on a sec, I’m the guy that doesn’t care about PR.
This may not hurt a persons blog but as a guest blogger I’ve always thought they should be the one replying to comments on that post.
.-= New from Sire The Importance Of Honesty In Blogging =-.
The ads on your blog don’t bother me @ all and I agree that guest bloggers should be responsible for comments made on their posts
.-= New from Udegbunam Chukwudi@Make Money Online StrictlyOnlineBiz’s Top Blog Posts Of The Week 13 =-.
I like the name of your blog and you have some great content. I am not a fan of TONS of page ads, personal choice as a blogger and a blog reader. I like things nice and simple.
I read everyone’s comment and I view everyone’s page, and stumble them if I like it. In my opinion, the moderator (Kristi) and/or the guest blogger can reply to the comments left on a guest post.
As far as replying to comments on a guest post, I agree, hence my reply right here…
.-= New from Arie Rich Weight Loss Tips For The Busy People =-.
You’d be amazed how many guests posts I’ve seen, even had one on my blog, where the guest bloggers was hardly seen leaving it up to the blog owner to field the comments. Not very professional at all.
If you think that name was good you should see what I called one of my other blogs.
.-= New from Sire@Wonder Down Under How Would You Like To Win An Apple iPad? =-.
Someone has finally decided to get a keyword for his front page and start using it
.-= New from Udegbunam Chukwudi@Make Money Online StrictlyOnlineBiz’s Top Blog Posts Of The Week 13 =-.
Sire, I could not agree more with you on this…
Quote…
“if I link to another blog that I like I do it because I want to give them credit and if that’s going to cost me PR so be it. Hang on a sec, I’m the guy that doesn’t care about PR”.
Unquote.
Link to the other site cos you value its contribution to the internet as a whole, and not cos Google currently perceives it as a PR n/a.
Google PR? Baloney. If we as internet users value something enough, and enough of us value that something, then inevitably Google will follow along with our desires and our values.
Joseph
.-= New from Joseph Archibald EBOOK IS NOW LIVE AND WORKING =-.
Twitter: andrewrondeau
June 4, 2010 at 2:11 am
I also am against auto playing any kind of music on one’s site. It is annoying and it is not really necessary. While some music might add some charm to your blog, it’s not really the main agenda. So, as mentioned, consider the general feelings of the audience. Sometimes we have to give in to what is more befitting rather than to what we just want or like.
Exactly! Thanks for comment Andrew. Great looking blog by the way!
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
In a similar vein, how about sites that use sounds for mouse overs – I have seen (or heard rather) some that are tastefully done but others get rather obnoxious. And nothing is worse than sneaking some computer time late at night or early morning when everyone is sleeping and stumbling upon a roaring engine rev or banging cowbell in a navigation bar.
.-= New from Chris@Classic Cars for Sale 1968 Shelby Mustang GT 500 Eleanor for Sale =-.
Hi there Arie,
Good choice of topic. Very true, regarding point 4. It affects the site’s loading time (not good for readers as well as search engines) and it degrades professionalism (in my point of view).
About the layout, the simpler and the easier to navigate as well as to access pages, the better the site looks to visitors. And with kikolani’s layout, it’s great the way it is. As long as the body is readable, then there shouldn’t be any problems right?
Regards to all kikolani people,
Jason Acidre
.-= New from Jason @ How to be successful in Life 5 Best Self-help Materials on How to be Successful updated Thu Jun 3 2010 7:49 am CDT =-.
Twitter: DennisEdell
June 4, 2010 at 5:44 am
I much prefer a page to a blogroll. at least on a page you can add content to/about each link your promoting.
.-= New from Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing It’s His FIRST Comment Contest! =-.
I agree. I rather have a post with someone else site that I enjoy and provide link back to their site. Like a review about that site, or have them guest post on my blog.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
Twitter: DennisEdell
June 4, 2010 at 5:45 am
Forgot to subscribe to comments.
.-= New from Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing The Future of DEDC – Part 3 – A Slight Modification You Might Like Better =-.
Interesting article. I agree with most of the points raised, especially the music part! It gets on my nerves my goodness!! Especially when I’m at work and all…
I’ll be honest, #7 doesn’t get to me too much. I know no one’s perfect and every now and then a few errors get through the eyes (guilty guilty guilty), but I believe its a learning process and as long as the content makes sense and it’s useful, I’m more than happy to stick around for more! After all, it can only get better, right??
.-= New from Tola Link Evaluation Refresher from SEOMoz =-.
Yes, as long as the content make sense, and the blogger strives to improve, not make the same mistakes over and over, then it is okay. We all make mistakes, but if we want people to take us seriously as bloggers (internet writers/journalists) we should strive to do better.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
In a similar vein, how about sites that use sounds for mouse overs – I have seen (or heard rather) some that are tastefully done but others get rather obnoxious. And nothing is worse than sneaking some computer time in a quiet house when everyone is sleeping and stumbling upon a roaring engine rev or banging cowbell in a navigation bar.
.-= New from Chris@Classic Cars for Sale 1968 Shelby Mustang GT 500 Eleanor for Sale =-.
Yes those are very annoying. I haven’t seen those in a loooooooong time, so that’s good. Hopefully they don’t make a comeback.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
i agree with everything expect #1. i love a well maintained and updated blogroll.
.-= New from Carrie Link Love 06.04.2010 =-.
I agree. Blogrolls need to be “well maintained and updated” I hate clicking on links that don’t work.
BTW, nice website!
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
Yes Kristi Nice points, I’m new to the blogging business. What you’ve offered in your post is very helpful. I’d love to learn more about this topic. I’ve bookmarked your blog. Looking forwards for your new posts.
.-= New from Govind Singh@SEO Company Advance tools to empower your Internet Marketing services =-.
Twitter: cks1988
June 5, 2010 at 5:09 am
Yes, i agree with the above 10 points. However, i would like to add another point. The font of a blog might hurt the blog too. If the font used difficult to be read, it will drive the readers to leave the blog immediately.
YES! small fonts that’s hard to read, or large fonts, or a bunch of different fonts, that’s annoying.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
You know I never really knew that much about the blogroll. I know quite a few places that I have a higher rang than they do. I should probably look into that and getting more on my end or taking them off. Nice post.
.-= New from Tyler@Anxiety Cures Anxiety and Panic Attack Relief =-.
Thank you thank you for creating this list! It’s a big pet peeve when I go onto a blog and all of the sudden hear music. Number 8 – stolen work is another big one that is simply insulting.
You are welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
Your site is really nice, I had to bookmark it, great images, layout and content. I’m definitively coming back. I hate offering unsolicited advice, just curious why haven’t you bought your own domain or moved to Wordpress?
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
I agree with all the points except #1. Blogrolls are a long time foundation for blogs, and sharing what you consider as blogs you like helps other people find blogs they might like as well. To me, if a few links to other blogs is enough to hurt my blog, then so be it.
.-= New from Mitch My Hot Tub Adventure =-.
That’s a good point Mitch – “blogrolls are a long time foundation for blogs”.
I doubt very much indeed that you would purposely link to a blog that is spammy in quality.
Thus even if your web page is Googie PR4 and you link to a PR0 web page (cos you really like the blog or that particular content on the blog), who’s to say that the Googie PR0 web page is not going to be a PR5 in the months to come and your own page a PR1.
Who’s the winner now then…
Cheers!
And I gotta say, this is an “awesome” discussion!
Regards
Joseph A
.-= New from Joseph Archibald Which Page of YOUR Website Or Blog is the Most Important? =-.
Auto-playing Youtube videos and pop-up/under ads are on top of my worst things on a blog that can turn away visitors.
.-= New from TechChunks Top 10 Hilariously Funny Windows Error Messages [Pics] =-.
I agree, pretty much any and everything that autoplays.
.-= New from Arie Rich 10 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Those Six Pack Abs =-.
I agree 100% with simplicity, annoying music and ads. You need to engage your visitor fully when they land on your page, and too many distractions is going to kill your conversion rate. Keeping it simple is very important here.
Yes, I agree with your comment about poor layout. Every visitors first check the layout of your blog then they will read your blog. if they don’t like your layout then they will not stay more time on your site.
Yes, I’ve seen some layouts that are just too much for the blog. I have very little patience so if my attention is not caught within the first 10-15 seconds of visiting a site, I would X out right away, next!.
Good tips. #2 is a biggie for me. I appreciate being interacted with. Certainly makes a person feel welcome!
.-= New from Colleen@Kennewick Real Estate Utter Disappointment And The Classiest Acts That Followed, Armando Galarraga, Detroit Tigers, Jim Joyce =-.
Twitter: danielsharkov
June 6, 2010 at 7:42 am
Nice article and worth the read! In my opinion the layout is one of the most important aspects, because it is the first thing that visitors are going to notice. You really need to offer some high quality content in order to justify the bad layout, but still the chances of being successful are not very high.
Music … feels so 1980′s: big hair and jamming to the tunes. Not a place on a blog nor website. I add, the pop-up subscribe that comes right when you are getting to the best part of the article.
@SuzanneVara
Totally agree to all these points.
- I hate blogs that has more ad banners than content
- Another repulsion factor is those signup popups that comes five-six seconds after the blog is loaded and you started reading something
- Blogs that takes a lot of time to load can also hurt the blog – in terms of readership and SEO as well.
My two cents
.-= New from Ajith Edassery MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate Plugin Review & $30 Discount Coupon =-.
I totally agree with all of these tips! The one I have to say I hate the most is music players. That just drives me plain insane! lol I can’t concentrate on what I’m reading if there’s music playing too. I guess you could say I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time! he he Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful tips!
.-= New from Kristen Keene Living in the Present Moment =-.
I have to agree with most of the points you made! I think a lot of them can not only be applied to blogs, but websites in general. You have no idea how many times I have had to advise clients against putting music players on websites. I know when I’m browsing the web, a lot of the time I am also playing music through my computer. If I visit a site that has any type of autoplaying sound, more often than not, I will hit that back button in a heart beat!
.-= New from Ryan@Metacom Creative Design Tourist Photography in Washington, DC =-.
Detailed post, and I like the list lay out for things that can hurt your blog since it makes the information digestible and easy to go through. I’m not as sure that I agree with the blogroll point, as that can be a huge part of SEO if you’re trying to rank your blog in the search engines, but that’s just my personal experience and opinion, for the two pennies that’s worth.
.-= New from Shane@Northern Pike Fishing Tips Pike Fishing Gear =-.
1. The Blogroll
I am not agree with you for this point.
When you add a blogroll you know about the blog of which you aded. So if this not equal to your blog than there is no point to add them You have full control on your blogroll.
2. Lack of Interaction with Readers
Quite agree.
3. Loud Layout or Background
Quite agree.
Why should I come to your blog when this can cause harm to my eyes
4. Music Players and Auto Playlist
Quite agree.
Imagine a blog (having auto music is on) which you visit at mid night and your 4 in 1 speaker is on. Your neighbour will break your main door.
5. Poor Layout
Quite agree
If you are a professional blogger and you do not have the good layout or free theme than you loose the battle instantly
6. Self Boasting
50% Disagree and 50% agree
People are still making money who are showing their networth, money and other things.
Visitors are more educated now and this trick is applicable only for 11 years old new bie.
7. Spelling and Grammar Errors
Quite agree
In fact some time I also fail in this criteria
8. Stolen Images w/o Proper Credit
Quite Agree
Damaging own image and inviting legal action as well.
9. Taking Credit for Another Blogger’s Work
Same as 8
10. Tons of Ads
Quite agree …
Killing own blog himself/herself
ZK @ Web Marketing Blog recently posted..Online Profits re-opens and now its FREE
Hi ZK, nice to see you here on Kristi’s blog offering us your own take on this super discussion (thanks Arie!)! I’m enjoying the feedback you are getting on your own blog right now regards your good firend – John Chow. Hope you are indeed considering providing us a bit more insight into John from your own viewpoint – should be fascinating!
Sorry – to get back to the point here… Number 8!
That’s a tough call that is! Many folks do not utilize English as a first language and for those folks its far from easy to get spelling right all the time. Very far from easy!
But the point would be that they are actually making a really good effort to communicate to others via the internet and for me that is plenty enough (more than enough). So there is certainly more than one side to that coin!
Furthermore, as we all know, the internet “encourages” misspellings to some extent. Shortened words, new vocabularly, you name it, its all to be found online! I myself regard my own spelling to be good if not very good, but I really enjoy taking up the liberty of misspelling words that in the offline world would be totally unacceptable.
And if I used such misspellings in the offline world then I suspect I would be described as dyslexic or perhaps even simply stupid.
Anyhow, as far as I’m concerned, its not so much the spelling that matters in a comment or in an article, but its about the ability to impart information – to communicate in the best way one knows how. With enthusiasm, then all the better! Its the taking part that really matters and not the occasional misspelled word.
But I do think – at the same time, Arie has a very good point. Misspells can be grating when reading an article and you sense that the writer has been too lazy to bother with the effort of ensuring decent spelling. I think its the lack of effort here that is the root of the problem rather than the spelling in itself.
Now I best go check my dictionary regards the spelling of “misspelling”… one ‘s’ or 2??
Sorry for the long winded reply. I do feel its a very important point however, and probably needs far more clarfification than I myself have noted here.
Kind regards!
Joseph
Oh, and notice I misspelled “friend” (firend)… that was intentional of course, and not me being lazy… hehehe
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I would say that having a slow server, or perhaps using too much high resolution photos, or just having slow load times, will definitely hurt a website big time. I’ve seen a few blogs that take way too long to load that I just give up.
The very first point got me turned on this post!! Even I believe the same thing and so I have not yet had a Blogroll on my blog..Thanks for this post!!
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Yes no doubt you tips are good blog roll may harm many time people doing buying blog roll links i like your all 10 point are good i think for blogging most important things are below:
1. Pump Out Batter Content
2. Optimized very well
3. Links Quality links
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I think you have to divide the purpose of the blog, just like what people say. If you want to make a community then the tips above made by Arie are extremely useful. But when you just wanna make for a certain purpose (e.g. making money), then you can take what you need only.
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I find it a bit funny that some bloggers (and website owners) still put annoying auto-play music on their blog (or site). I guess this is one of those “beginner” things that they think is cool – just like using an ugly, amateur-looking font.
Excellent list of what not to do. There have been many occasions where my material has been lifted. It seems in the Real Estate industry people do not understand copyright law!
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