It often goes like this – you write an awesome post and publish it in your blog, believing it to go viral in an instant. But, what happens? Your post gets zero views, let alone becoming popular overnight.
And then, there’s this friend of yours who writes a ‘not-so-awesome’ post and still manages to get a thousand views in a day!
Why does this happen? What is wrong with your blog that it makes people yawn and flee from the scene?
Now, writer, did you know that you only get 30 seconds to impress your viewer?
Rarely will people read your entire post. This is how an online reading pattern looks:
So, how are you going to impress your audience? Well, here are a few things you should definitely consider for your blog.
- Is it easy-loading?
- Have you posted enough of ‘interesting’ topics in it?
- What is your quality of writing?
- Do you write very lengthy content?
- Most of all, have you FORMATTED it correctly?
Yes, presentation is everything that matters!
Your blog can either be this:
Or this:
And, if you are missing on the elements which can raise the popularity of your content, here are 7 tips to help you set up an appealing blog:
Tip #1: Focus on the width
Remember newspapers? No matter how difficult it was holding and reading them, with the ink often creeping onto our hands, we would still love the way the content was presented in them.
Now, this can be a two way thing. You can bore your audience with a page which is either too wide or too narrow. Imagine reading something in a very wide screen. You will struggle to find the next line of the text every time.
Also, would you like it, if the write-up has one word per line? Try zooming in and out on a webpage and you will understand the rest.
To avoid this, choose a blog width which is optimal. A character count of 55-100 per line is best for engaging viewers without disturbing or distracting them. Moreover, keep the font size and type readable. Make use of Sans-serif fonts, preferably.
Tip #2: Make your paragraphs short and sweet.
Reading a piece of writing online is more difficult than reading it offline. And, you should not make it more difficult with huge paragraphs.
Break down your write up into readable chunks. Include not less than two and not more than five sentences in each chunk. Also, sure to use subheads, which describe paragraphs in a single word or phrase.
No, you don’t need to go with the traditional way of composing posts. This is not high school or some backbreaking, subjective examination. This is the big web. The shorter your paragraphs, the better.
Tip #3: Go ‘sidebar-less.’
Imagine distractions running everywhere. A reader will focus on everything else, but your write-up. How sane is that? So, it is good to have white spaces in your blog, because readers like to provide some rest to their eyes at times.
Of course, many will argue that a sidebar is definitely needed. Yes, you need to tell your audience about so many things. But, is not it a distraction, kind of, for new visitors? A trick is to keep it minimal. A better trick is to get rid of it altogether.
Tip #4: Don’t ditch images. But, don’t overuse them.
The idea is to use RELEVANT images in the correct amount. A picture will speak a thousand words for your post only if it is proper. Even a boring press release will look appealing if it has at least one image that defines its content and delivers the intended message with lucidity.
Did you know that at most times readers click on posts only when driven by good images? Of course, this can be anything ranging from a minimal poster to an infographic, a slide share, a graph, a meme, or sometimes, even a video!
Of course, if you are talking about makeup tips, you need not include a model applying foundation. Conjure up something creative instead.
Tip #5: Choose a sensible colour for the background.
It is wise to maintain a certain contrast between the colour of your text and that of the background. But, don’t end up choosing a colour which slams the readability of your content.
Choosing the easy pathway, most bloggers go for a white background with black text. But, did you know that a black background with bright yellow text is the easiest to read?
In fact, an extremely white background can make your eyes ache. However, it still is a matter of personal preference.
Tip #6: Make use of lists.
Online readers are often skimmers. Therefore, a content which is fragmented with bullet points can help them to scan a blog post quickly, and discover whatever they are looking for in short, informative points. Consider reading this:
“You can section a post using:
- Bulleted lists.
- Numbered lists.
- Sub-headings.”
Tip #7: Embedding Social Media is vital.
If your blog is not social, it is not going to get noticed easily. This is the era of ‘social networking,’ and you must make use of this concept to remain visible.
Yes, this is helpful also for Search Engine Optimisation purpose. You must urge visitors to ‘share, like, tweet, and pin’ your content on social media platforms, don’t you think?
Let’s call it a day!
The duration of time, which a reader spends reading your blog posts, will depend on these factors hugely. And, this duration is very much responsible for the way your business is performing.
If you focus on these seven tips, you can surely double the average time on your blog. It is all about engaging your audience, and presentation matters a lot.
The trick, of course, is to keep it simple. But, this is the toughest and most complicated thing to do, we guess!
