5 Things That People Like (or Don’t Like) to See on Blogs

I don’t know about you; but for me, when I am surfing the net and come across a blog site, I’m immediately drawn or turned away by the following things:

• Length- Length is an ongoing issue for many people. More often than not, lengthy blogs tend to lose their readers either because of the way in which they are written, the typeface that is used, external distractions on the page or due to long, unbroken text that simply doesn’t give the eye enough of a break. Personally, I don’t mind reading a slightly lengthier blog as long as it has a point. Additionally, I find that, like a good book, if the opening line isn’t great, chances are I won’t get past it. That being said, when writing blog posts, always aim to keep it short and to the point
• Title- As stated earlier, the opening line is a biggie. Equally as important (if not moreso) is the title that you attribute to the blog post you are writing. The trick is to know when to keep people guessing versus knowing when to just spell it out for them to let them decide. For instance, a blog post that is titled like this one informs the reader of exactly what he or she will be reading about whereas a blog that is titled “The Day I Died” is more abstract. Both blogs titles draw in a potential reader because of the title. Try not to be too abstract or vague because rather then draw in the reader, you will do the opposite. So, for instance, something titled, “What I Did Today” wouldn’t really garner much readership.
• Focus-What is the focus of your blog? This should be spelled out or made pretty darn clear within the first few lines. You never want someone to reach the middle of your blog post or [gasp] the end of your post and still have no idea what it was they just read.
• Pictures- Pictures are an excellent way to draw people into a blog. They can also be incredibly distracting if they are too large, too small or too frequently used. Use the amount of text within your post to help guide you in terms of how large or small the picture should be. In most cases, pictures are usually used as a sort of aside to the blog. The only real time a picture should be made huge is if it is the focus of your blog post. In this case, showcasing the photo at either the beginning or at the end of your blog post would be acceptable.
• Ads-For those out there who have websites or blogs that are monetized, ads may seem like a godsend. However, like someone who gets a tattoo, it isn’t long before one ad simply isn’t enough. The economy may be tough right now, but it is still no reason to pepper your website with advertisements and banner ads. If you absolutely must have ads, consider putting them all on a separate page. Not only are ads distracting, but they begin to look somewhat sloppy and less professional as you accumulate more of them.

What are some things that you do or don’t like to see on blogs?