A Blog Is For Life!
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I don’t know if the new blogger just can’t resist all the bells and whistles, but there are certain elements of website wizardry that should be left on the back burner until the new website has built content, traffic and a readership.
Examples of my particular dislikes include:
1. a Feedburner button — “Readers: 1”
2. a Technorati button — “Authority: 3”
3. an Alexa button — “Traffic Rank: 4,689,417”
4. a Page Rank button — “PR (blank space)”
5. a widget stating “My blog is worth $4.82”.
These buttons and widgets aren’t intended for use in this way, they are supposed to be used to publicise positive aspects about the site’s traffic, authority or page rank, not proclaim loudly that it doesn’t have much of any of it.
Why do people do it? Do they just get carried away?
Something else that I find strange is when people start a blog, and sign up to Entrecard and start dropping cards before they have actually added any content. Just a couple of days ago, I saw a blog that displayed the Entrecard widget, but the only post on it was “Hello world, this is my first blog post”. That was it. Period.
Naturally, I appreciate people can become excited, and their enthusiasm is beautiful, but the blogger has to respect the time, and intelligence, of visitors to their website – each new visitor is a prospective long-term reader, don’t alienate them.
If you are new to blogging, or perhaps you’ve been thinking about starting your own blog, don’t jump the gun, and don’t get carried away with all the buttons and widgets. Build some content, enough to engage the visitor, and then start driving traffic to your site.
There’s no rush to do everything straight off. Building a website and its content takes time, as does building a readership. The more thought you put into the project from the start, the greater the rewards you’ll enjoy over time.
Happy blogging!
Reward Rebel
Popularity: 34% [?]
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Filed under Blogging, Attitude & Focus |
People seem to think all they need to do is start a blog and then the money will be raked in every week from then. They jump in with both feet, putting up all the rank things expecting to watch them balloon up over the first week.
They don’t seem to notice how many blogs already exist. They read a book/ article/ something that said blogs are the latest way to make a lot of money for little actual work.
Laura’s last blog post..Red Hot Drops
Hi Laura,
(This remark is accompanied by jaw-aching hysterical laughter) Ah well, we know better, don’t we?!
Hi Reward Rebel,
I’ve seen blogs that you’ve described, especially the one liner-one post type that on second visit posts photos of everything he/she can take a hold of inside their home - including the mice! LOL!
Would you believe I made a comment on one such blog along the lines of what you’re saying here? Perhaps a little kinder and gentler than this. I even told the owner if he/she likes to put widgets like alexa and page rank to post a brief note about it and why it is at 15 million plus and zero respectively at the moment. Also to decide what he/she wants the blog theme to be.
The blog improved slightly but it has now disappeared.It only had 11 posts when it vanished in March. His/her introductory post December 30.
It does take a lot of effort, thought, time, and perseverance to build as site, nurture readership, establish links, make friends and raise rankings. It’s like building a lifetime relationship, as you succinctly put it in your post’s title. It’s sad to see some of those we have come to know give up, but it’s truly rewarding to have exchanged ideas and shared thoughts with them. But those newcomers that come along and make cliched’ one line comments and offer to exchange links with every site they visit are pitiful to say the least. Visit their site and you see what you have described in your post. They even use the same message verbatim on other sites.
I am tempted to admonish them but there are too many to consider. Besides, I don’t even know if they’d care, since they believe they have their objectives set and know exactly what they’re doing. I just wish them good luck.
–Durano, done!
Durano Lawayan’s last blog post..Unperturbed, Unsurprising, Unpopularity
Heya DD,
That’s a good point about comments (and I notice a lot of Entrecard recommendations) of the ‘never mind the quality, feel the width’ variety, pumped out by the yard. How rude!
Your attempt to be constructive with the 15 million traffic rank made me laugh, although I’ve done similar-ish things when rather amateurish sites submit ad requests via Entrecard. I’m talking about barely comprehensible English, poorly constructed sentences, and sites with more than a dozen ads above the fold.
I decline the ad, but also send a message explaining my reasons, as well as trying to suggest ways the site could be made more attractive to prospective readers (that’s me being diplomatic).
Guilty! For some of it anyway. I like to see how things rise or fall, so I can work accordingly. The simple fact is, I’ll never remember to visit the sites in question often enough to check on it…the widgets are so much easier.
Plus I have had some (regular readers) congratulate me as they see things rise or fall respectively also
Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Attention Regular Readers AND Those That Have Linked To Me - PLEASE READ
Oh, Dennis!
I can understand the delight in seeing stats improve, and having readers congratulate you.
But I use these gadgets like I apply make-up… I emphasise my best features, and do my utmost to hide the dodgy bits!
OK lets take it up a notch, heh.
You have a blog with 346 posts and 3 feed subscribers…OK you may want to rethink displaying it.
You have a blog with 15 posts and 3 feed subscribers…looks a little different don’t it.
Sure you’ll have some that back away, maybe many. But, you will have those that see a new blog, subscribers already and think they’ll stick around a while to see how it unfolds over time.
Which would you rather have in the long run…
I guess you could say it’s kinda like long hair and sunglasses…if not done at just the right time, in just the right way you could be hiding the good bits unnecessarily.
Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Attention Regular Readers AND Those That Have Linked To Me - PLEASE READ
Hey Dennis,
We should install a hot line!
But this is what I love about the comments dialogue… I hadn’t actually thought of the widget thingies from that perspective. I’m still inclined to prefer to wait a while, but your point is well taken.
I saw a blog on Sitehoppin the other day that didn’t have any posts yet - was still under construction. My blog is still less than 2 months old and I still get excited every time I find something new I can, but these are mostly things like joining networks and directories.
Jennifer’s last blog post..Alltop - The place to keep up with the topics you like
Hi Jennifer,
Heh heh, oh lordy, what’s the point of promoting a site with no content!
~~ Good luck with your blog for the future. 
I’m with you on most of that stuff. I STILL wont post my feedburner even though I’ve gotten to about 50 people.
But up until about April 14 the displaying Alexa actually did change your rating. I did a test and showed proof etc,. But in another 2 weeks if it still doesn’t work like it used to I’ll be removing that too.
Dave from Welcome Back Rosenthal’s last blog post..Errol Morris Releases Abu Ghraib Film Amidst Iron Man Opening
Hi Dave from Welcome Back Rosenthal (blimey that’s a mouthful),
Interesting point, which I’ve not heard before, and I’ll be investigating further. Thanks.
The lure of the widget is very strong! When I was a new blogger, I loaded up on them. Now, I have been slowly removing them. It’s hard to give ‘em up though.
Daisy’s last blog post..Sunday Comics with Daisy!
Darling Daisy,
I’ve a blind spot when it comes to your site, and I won’t hear a word against it!
hi reward rebel =)
I think I came across that site too.
Its so easy to fall into the trap of being too conscious of page rank and all that especially when you start to monetize your blog. some bloggers forget to maintain quality of content. One time I even saw a blog with google adsense’s terms and conditions copy pasted on the blog post. I guess he/ she was running out of things to blog about. sheesh.
wendy’s last blog post..“If you are real, WHY CAN’T I HEAR YOU…?”
Hey Wendy,
Heh heh, that’s scraping the barrel — I’m curious what they posted about after Adsense T&Cs.
What drives me nuts even more than any of those things (which are all excellent points by the way) is when someone is dropping their EC on a daily basis but never takes the time to update their own site. Never a new post. I feel like their priorities are out of whack.
Congrats on getting your PR back! Well deserved!
Hi Lynne,
Good point! I’m not spending as much time on Entrecard as I was, however, most days, I would mix speed-dropping with a more leisurely perusal of a few sites.
Now, I quickly check the date of the last post, because I will NOT drop my card on a site that isn’t providing current content. I don’t understand why anyone would spend hours dropping cards, and not devote half an hour or so (depending on the type of article) to writing a new post.
I’ve noticed more and more blogs are not displaying the date of their posts. The blog appears to be moving towards a dynamic form of regular website.
It’s good to see people are realizing that Wordpress is excellent for both blogs and websites.
So true!
I don’t have a huge RSS readership but I like to have the button, not sure why… A bit of show off is okay, right?
I don’t display the other infos, I don’t think they are that relevant anyway for my readers. Good point!
Zhu’s last blog post..The Best Plugins (2/10)
Hi Zhu,
Hey, when I have numbers to be proud of, RR will be smothered in buttons and widgets!
Seriously though, soon as RR got its PR2, I couldn’t whack a button on the sidebar fast enough! But I don’t see the point of flagging-up weak stats.
new bloggers don’t really know much about the buttons you mentioned. but the blog author could just be promoting his new (or latest)blog. It would probably explain why all those buttons are there. In three months or less, those numbers will significantly change.
ceblogger’s last blog post..Where Is Your Entrecard Widget?
Hey ceblogger,
For the reason you mention (that they don’t know much about these buttons and widgets), what I’m advocating is that the new blogger waits before displaying stats, because a new blog doesn’t yet have any.
I think the reasons, and whether or not it’s in the best interests of the blog, differ for a personal blog and a business one. A business blog publicises its stats to promote the business, whether it’s for advertising purposes or to engender a feeling of confidence in the blog/business owner.
On the other hand, a personal blog may very well install, say, a Feedburner button declaring ‘1 reader’ but that’s with understandable pride. Hey, they’re writing about personal issues, and there are readers interested in what they have to say.
As you point out the stats will improve over time, and the blog’s growing readership will share in the author’s delight.
Having said that, there is a wonderful camaraderie running through the entire blogosphere, including personal and business blogs.
As I’ve often observed, there are as many ways to look at each aspect of blogging, as there are bloggers!
Spot on!! I couldn’t agree with you more about those widgets!
Why on earth are they trying to tell me about how much the blog is worth anyway??
Nevermind about that. I hate blogs that have only one infant post and that’s it. For months?! What’s wrong with these people?
“Oh I have a blog! Yay! Now I’ll sit and watch the clicks on my blog with just ONE post!”
I’m still struggling with my traffic and comments but at least I try my best to churn out content everyday. Hope my hard work is appreciated one day when my daily visitors are over 100 everyday.. sighs..
Sherxr’s last blog post..The future of packaging!
Hey Sherxr,
I love that term ‘infant post’, I’ll have to remember it! If only it were as easy as is at first thought by sooo many, eh? You’ll get there, tho, you just gotta keep on keeping on!
I AM GUILTY OF THESE ACCUSATION LIKE EC AND FEEDBURNER BUT MY PR IS THE RESULT OF GOOGLE PUNISHMENT BECAUSE IT WAS REDUCED TO ZERO FROM 4.
NICE OBSERVATION THOUGH!!!
Don’t worry make money
Hi Edward,
It must be devastating to have your PR slapped down to nothing from 4. I’ve yet to figure out why sites always seem to get slapped down to zero from whatever PR they had, instead of Google reducing their rank by 1 or 2.
Don’t give up, will ya!
A very good read indeed.
pinoyskull’s last blog post..10 Killer Texting Tricks
Hello Pinoyskull,
Um, were you feeling tired and uninspired?
You got some real good points I’m glad I read this post.I’m not real new to blogging but new enough to need the tips.I’m trying to keep my blog as clean(without adds)as possible.Although I would like to make money with it.Any good tips? Art is my niche so it’s kind of in its own place.Thanks again for the info in your post.Take care.
Gregorio’s last blog post..IN THE RAW (WHAT DID THE MASTERS DO?)
Hi Gregorio,
I’ve just taken a look at your site, and I love your work. But wish that on your blog you put spaces after full stops, and between paragraphs! But I know wot you crazy artists are like with practicalities!
The day I start revealing how much my blog is worth is the day I start considering selling it to the big huge venture capitalists!
I run my blog for me and my own personal wants/needs; I’ll save my bragging for proveable thingees like guest post blogs, interviews and the like.
Funny thing I’ve noticed about two of my blogs - one gets more SEO traffic from increased posting, and the other gets more feed subscribers from posting only once a week. Go figure.
Barbara Ling’s last blog post..RANT - What the eBay Affiliate Program is Missing Part 2 - Parallel Universe Shipping!
Hi Barbara,
I need to adhere to certain guidelines because RR is part of a wider business plan, and the aim is to appeal to human readers and computerised search engines.