Not only do I love writing my own blog, but I genuinely love reading dozens of blogs as well (BlogLovin is my go-to resource for keeping up with my favorites.) I occasionally run into issues on others’ blogs that could make them a tad more user-friendly, and if I’m having these issues on your site, there may be other readers running into these issues as well. Almost all of these issues have quick fixes that you may not have even realized were a road block or annoyance for your readers.
Good luck implementing these ideas into your site, and cheers to the constantly evolving industry of blogging. There’s always always always something new to learn. 🙂
How to make your blog more user friendly
When someone clicks a link in your blog, does it open in a new window?
From an outfit link to a previous blog post, most bloggers frequently include all kinds of links within their posts. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I click the link and it opens on the same window; Now I’m unable to continue reading your blog post without clicking the “back” button. I’ll either click back to your post but not open any more of your links, or I’ll continue on the site you sent me to but won’t finish your blog post. It’s a lose/lose for bloggers and readers.
How to fix this: This article does a good job of explaining how to fix this problem if you’re on Blogger. Scroll down to the green text that says “Open all external links in a new window”. If you’re on WordPress, this plug-in may work.
Is your blog address listed in your Disqus account?
The easiest way for me to comment back on your blog is to click on your Disqus profile name from my blog and then click the link in your bio. I would say about 25% of the blogs I follow don’t have their blog link listed in their profile. I personally get a decent amount of traffic from Disqus, so I imagine that’s from people who’ve clicked on the link from my profile after seeing my comment.
How to fix this: Log into your Disqus profile and add your blog link to your profile. Disqus is the most popular commenting platform for blogs, so it’s a great idea to set up a profile if you haven’t and you’re a blogger.
Is each of your images pinnable via a hover “pin it” button?
I pin images from blogs constantly (you can see my Pinterest boards here), and it baffles me when images don’t have a pinning button for me to pin that specific photo. This is so important!
How to fix this: If you’re on blogger, I’d recommend this tutorial. If you’re on WordPress, here’s the plugin.
Is your search bar easy to find?
Ideally, your search bar should be somewhere near the top of your page. Your content may not be applicable to someone the day he or she read it, but as soon as it is, that reader will be right back to your page to search for that long lost blog post. Make it easy for your readers to search for and find your older content! I like how my friend Kait has her search icon on the same line as her social media channels right at the tip top of her page.
Don’t have a search bar? If you’re on Blogger, this article will walk you through how to add one. If you’re on WordPress, search for the “search” widget. (Ha!)
Are your Pinterest images vertical?
I cringe when I look back at some of my old images that I created to be pinnable. So many of them were horizontal and just so bad. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and that’s that pinnable images should be vertical. The ideal pinterest image size is 735px wide and 1102px high. PicMonkey makes creating pinnable images so easy; They already have a template ready to go!
PS: More from my blogging category
Let’s chat!
Do you have any suggestions for me when it comes to making my site more user friendly for you? I’m okay with a little constructive criticism if you have any. 🙂
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo