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Will You Add? - 10 Sins of Blog Usability
Here is a short story about one person's Business Networking success.Not so long ago there was a wonderful guy named David Mahoney. An Irish-Catholic kid from the streets of the Bronx. He set his goal at being great success in the advertising business. After working his way through business school he went to New York's biggest ad agency, figuratively flashed his sheepskin and asked for a job. They smiled and said the only job they had available wasn't for a B-school grad. It was in the mail rooom. "I'll take it," he said.He made sure the job of delivering mail put him in touch with virtually every person, high and low, in the company. He learned a lot by observing how the creative people worked and, frankly, reading their mail.That took care of business networking on the job. But what about after hours? How do you meet the right peop
6. Not Moderating Comments
Allowing anyone and everyone to post whatever they want in your comments section is asking for spam. Not only is this annoying to your readers, but it really takes down the professionalism of your blog.
5. Excessive Advertising
It’s fine to monetize your blog or use affiliate links, as long as they are not intrusive to users and overshadow useful content. When ads appear all over the page and even in the middle of posts, the user experience suffers. Avoid contextual ads -- programs that highlight words in your posts to make them look like hyperlinks, but popup an ad when they are rolled over with a mouse. Just like having items appear clickable that are not has been usabi
**** Have you ever been abused by a customer? Does your company have a policy clearly outlining how to handle the situation so you don't end up a punching bag? Discover a mind, body and spirit solution to managing this situation and maintaining your self-esteem. ****My customer service etiquette was tested this week. I was given the details of a man who wanted to speak to “someone in charge”. Unfortunately, the call centre representative passing on the message wasn't sure what it was about, only that he wanted to talk to someone about an email he received.When I called the customer he asked me if I had read the email. Of course, I had to clarify which of the thousands of emails sent to and from our company each day he was referring to and he identified a recent piece of marketing correspondence.Once I had it front of me, he demanded,
10. Sending Mixed Messages
The focus of your blog should be decided before your first post and then committed to. Random blog entries about a melee of topics might work for a personal blog read by friends and family, but is not a good approach for a serious, professional blog. The lifeblood of any blog is in its loyal subscriber base. And readers are more willing to subscribe to blogs that talk about their area of interest on a consistent basis.
If your blog’s “personality” includes the odd personal entry, create a separate category for “fun stuff,” “random” or other “personal,” and think about each post’s fit with your target audience before you publish. Or start a separate blog on that topic and cross-link your blogs.
9. Making It Hard to Subscribe
Because subscribers are such an important part of blogging success, you need to make it easy for users to sign up. Since not all users understand and use RSS feed aggregators like Feedburner and Bloglines (also called newsreaders), offer both email and RSS options. Make them very conspicuous, preferably placing them at the top of your navigation menu and above the fold.
Don’t be afraid to “ask for the subscription” at the end of each post as well. Chicklets are mini-icons that make it easy to add to feed aggregators and social bookmark sites like del.icio.us and Netvouz with one click. You can find more information on adding chicklets to your blog with the Chicklet Creator.
If you are using free blog software and hosting, it may not be possible to add these extra functions. So plan ahead when choosing your platform.
8. Inconsistent Posting
Now that you have a loyal fan base who are notified of every new post, don’t disappoint them with time lags between posts. Pick a posting schedule that’s realistic for your time schedule and stick to it. If you can’t think of anything to post about, blog about someone else’s post related to your topic and include a link back to that post.
Will this hurt your own blog to send subscribers away to another blog? No, because you’re still offering them something useful in lieu of you posting something. You can also leave a comment or trackback on the other blog that links back to your post which can send traffic back to you. Bloggers often monitor their trackbacks or incoming links through Technorati, PubSub or other services. They might end up blogging about you in return.
7. No Contact Info
Some blogs can pull off the mystique of an anonymous posting. But if your website is for business, it’s hard to have a two way dialogue when you make it impossible to contact you. Transparency is fundamental to building trust on the web. And you don’t want users to mistake your reputable blog for a “splog” or spammy blog that scrapes content from other sites.
If you don’t want to advertise your email address because of spammers you can still enable comments on your posts. Yes you’ll still get spammed, that’s the reality of the Web. Wordpress blogs come with Akismet anti-spam which does a good job at catching most spam. You usually have the option to moderate comments before they appear on your blog.
6. Not Moderating Comments
Allowing anyone and everyone to post whatever they want in your comments section is asking for spam. Not only is this annoying to your readers, but it really takes down the professionalism of your blog.
5. Excessive Advertising
It’s fine to monetize your blog or use affiliate links, as long as they are not intrusive to users and overshadow useful content. When ads appear all over the page and even in the middle of posts, the user experience suffers. Avoid contextual ads -- programs that highlight words in your posts to make them look like hyperlinks, but popup an ad when they are rolled over with a mouse. Just like having items appear clickable that are not has been usabil
Strategic planning is all about who does what by when. Even though this is a solid small business strategy to high level business strategy, implementing a strategic plan is a constant and consistent business issue. The reason is usually two-fold: There is not a strategic action plan. The SMART goal criteria are lacking. A strategic action plan is part of the strategic plan. This simple working document contains: Foundational statements of the organization – vision, values and mission Critical goal categories and respective goals for each category Key Performance indicators or what some call a dashboard that are monitored on pre-determined basis The benefits of a strategic action plan are many fr
9. Making It Hard to Subscribe
Because subscribers are such an important part of blogging success, you need to make it easy for users to sign up. Since not all users understand and use RSS feed aggregators like Feedburner and Bloglines (also called newsreaders), offer both email and RSS options. Make them very conspicuous, preferably placing them at the top of your navigation menu and above the fold.
Don’t be afraid to “ask for the subscription” at the end of each post as well. Chicklets are mini-icons that make it easy to add to feed aggregators and social bookmark sites like del.icio.us and Netvouz with one click. You can find more information on adding chicklets to your blog with the Chicklet Creator.
If you are using free blog software and hosting, it may not be possible to add these extra functions. So plan ahead when choosing your platform.
8. Inconsistent Posting
Now that you have a loyal fan base who are notified of every new post, don’t disappoint them with time lags between posts. Pick a posting schedule that’s realistic for your time schedule and stick to it. If you can’t think of anything to post about, blog about someone else’s post related to your topic and include a link back to that post.
Will this hurt your own blog to send subscribers away to another blog? No, because you’re still offering them something useful in lieu of you posting something. You can also leave a comment or trackback on the other blog that links back to your post which can send traffic back to you. Bloggers often monitor their trackbacks or incoming links through Technorati, PubSub or other services. They might end up blogging about you in return.
7. No Contact Info
Some blogs can pull off the mystique of an anonymous posting. But if your website is for business, it’s hard to have a two way dialogue when you make it impossible to contact you. Transparency is fundamental to building trust on the web. And you don’t want users to mistake your reputable blog for a “splog” or spammy blog that scrapes content from other sites.
If you don’t want to advertise your email address because of spammers you can still enable comments on your posts. Yes you’ll still get spammed, that’s the reality of the Web. Wordpress blogs come with Akismet anti-spam which does a good job at catching most spam. You usually have the option to moderate comments before they appear on your blog.
6. Not Moderating Comments
Allowing anyone and everyone to post whatever they want in your comments section is asking for spam. Not only is this annoying to your readers, but it really takes down the professionalism of your blog.
5. Excessive Advertising
It’s fine to monetize your blog or use affiliate links, as long as they are not intrusive to users and overshadow useful content. When ads appear all over the page and even in the middle of posts, the user experience suffers. Avoid contextual ads -- programs that highlight words in your posts to make them look like hyperlinks, but popup an ad when they are rolled over with a mouse. Just like having items appear clickable that are not has been usabi
Who doesn't want to be the boss of his own company? But very few realize this dream. What is the reason behind it? Fear of failure is one of the biggest factors that don't allow a person to turn entrepreneur. After all, we all have families to support, liabilities to shoulder and one misstep could result in problems created for them. And who wants to lead one's family into trouble?But despite all this, don't you ever feel that you should start a business venture of your own without actually quitting your job. Your job provides you and your family security and safety but there is something that your heart wants and that could only be provided if you turn an entrepreneur. Job satisfaction is something that few care about but few could actually ignore its impact.So, what needs to be done? What should be the course of action for you when you kn
If you are using free blog software and hosting, it may not be possible to add these extra functions. So plan ahead when choosing your platform.
8. Inconsistent Posting
Now that you have a loyal fan base who are notified of every new post, don’t disappoint them with time lags between posts. Pick a posting schedule that’s realistic for your time schedule and stick to it. If you can’t think of anything to post about, blog about someone else’s post related to your topic and include a link back to that post.
Will this hurt your own blog to send subscribers away to another blog? No, because you’re still offering them something useful in lieu of you posting something. You can also leave a comment or trackback on the other blog that links back to your post which can send traffic back to you. Bloggers often monitor their trackbacks or incoming links through Technorati, PubSub or other services. They might end up blogging about you in return.
7. No Contact Info
Some blogs can pull off the mystique of an anonymous posting. But if your website is for business, it’s hard to have a two way dialogue when you make it impossible to contact you. Transparency is fundamental to building trust on the web. And you don’t want users to mistake your reputable blog for a “splog” or spammy blog that scrapes content from other sites.
If you don’t want to advertise your email address because of spammers you can still enable comments on your posts. Yes you’ll still get spammed, that’s the reality of the Web. Wordpress blogs come with Akismet anti-spam which does a good job at catching most spam. You usually have the option to moderate comments before they appear on your blog.
6. Not Moderating Comments
Allowing anyone and everyone to post whatever they want in your comments section is asking for spam. Not only is this annoying to your readers, but it really takes down the professionalism of your blog.
5. Excessive Advertising
It’s fine to monetize your blog or use affiliate links, as long as they are not intrusive to users and overshadow useful content. When ads appear all over the page and even in the middle of posts, the user experience suffers. Avoid contextual ads -- programs that highlight words in your posts to make them look like hyperlinks, but popup an ad when they are rolled over with a mouse. Just like having items appear clickable that are not has been usabi
North Pole – Who’s the greatest businessman of all-time? No, it’s not Henry Ford, nor is it John D. Rockefeller. Donald Trump? Give me a break.The greatest businessman of all time is, without a doubt, Santa Claus.Think about it. His customers return year after year. He has a factory that churns out toys 24/7 with little overhead. He has loyal employees (of course, there aren’t a lot of jobs elsewhere for elves these days). He has a promotions department that secures prime visibility in crowded malls and gets him grand marshal positions in parades. He also has a public relations staff that writes songs, poems, and even produces television shows with him as the star. And talk about customer service. He knows what you want, often without your even telling him.But, sometimes I think Santa Claus is slipping a bit the last few ye
7. No Contact Info
Some blogs can pull off the mystique of an anonymous posting. But if your website is for business, it’s hard to have a two way dialogue when you make it impossible to contact you. Transparency is fundamental to building trust on the web. And you don’t want users to mistake your reputable blog for a “splog” or spammy blog that scrapes content from other sites.
If you don’t want to advertise your email address because of spammers you can still enable comments on your posts. Yes you’ll still get spammed, that’s the reality of the Web. Wordpress blogs come with Akismet anti-spam which does a good job at catching most spam. You usually have the option to moderate comments before they appear on your blog.
6. Not Moderating Comments
Allowing anyone and everyone to post whatever they want in your comments section is asking for spam. Not only is this annoying to your readers, but it really takes down the professionalism of your blog.
5. Excessive Advertising
It’s fine to monetize your blog or use affiliate links, as long as they are not intrusive to users and overshadow useful content. When ads appear all over the page and even in the middle of posts, the user experience suffers. Avoid contextual ads -- programs that highlight words in your posts to make them look like hyperlinks, but popup an ad when they are rolled over with a mouse. Just like having items appear clickable that are not has been usabi
How many times have you heard it? To be successful you must set goals. Well it’s true. At some point we have all set goals and worked to meet those goals. Often times however, we set goals only to lose interest in them shortly down the road. One of the most consistent findings among researchers on being an effective supervisor has much to do with employee goal setting. If you, as a supervisor devote attention to employee goal setting you may find that there is higher productivity among your team members.Setting goals is simple and effective in the workplace. Here are some common guidelines to follow when goal setting for your employees. When employee goal setting be specific about the goal you are trying to obtain. When goals are to broad or general time may not be utilized fully for working towards the goal at hand. Having a specific goal leads t
6. Not Moderating Comments
Allowing anyone and everyone to post whatever they want in your comments section is asking for spam. Not only is this annoying to your readers, but it really takes down the professionalism of your blog.
5. Excessive Advertising
It’s fine to monetize your blog or use affiliate links, as long as they are not intrusive to users and overshadow useful content. When ads appear all over the page and even in the middle of posts, the user experience suffers. Avoid contextual ads -- programs that highlight words in your posts to make them look like hyperlinks, but popup an ad when they are rolled over with a mouse. Just like having items appear clickable that are not has been usability issue, so is tricking users into clicking on ads or viewing ads when they appear to be hyperlinks.
And if your blog is very new, it’s a good idea to wait until you’ve built up a history of useful posts before running advertising.
4. Not Linking to Posts
When you’re referring to something that can be found on the Web such as a news story, another business, person or other blog post (whether on your own or someone else’s blog), allow your reader to check out the background info. Linking back to previous entries also builds page strength for those posts and can help you with search engine rankings. But don’t be afraid to link off your site, this generosity can help you get noticed by other bloggers. And it’s also nice to give credit where credit is due.
3. Dark Background, Light Text
What’s been a general usability rule for years certainly applies to blogs. Anything that makes your blog harder to read should be avoided. Remember, it’s harder to read online than offline. The worst culprits for eyestrain are white text on a black backgrounds, low contrast combinations like black with red and busy patterned backgrounds. And it’s a good idea to avoid blocks of red text, even on a white background.
2. No Search Box
Returning visitors may remember a post that’s not intuitive to find through your navigation menu or tag system. Regular readers might also want to find their own comments, so make that possible by placing a search box somewhere in your layout.
1. Hiding Navigation
Most blog software comes with a variety of lovely templates to skin your site. But not all of these templates are optimal for usability. Templates that require users to scroll right down to the bottom of the blog to find navigation are not the best choice. Stick to conventional left column or right column navigation.
One of social media’s best gifts to the World Wide Web is the ability to “tag” posts by subject/content and automatically create a navigation categories. Users can easily browse by subject, and hone in on all your posts related to a specific topic or microtopic. This also helps users find you on blog portals like Technorati.
You also have the option of displaying calendars, archives and tag clouds which may or may not be useful and can clutter up your page. Keep in mind that with usability and design, less is often more.
Conclusion
Taking some time to evaluate your blog wearing the hat of your reader can greatly improve the user experience. Considering what makes a user-friendly blog before you begin blogging helps you plan for optimal usability right from the start.
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