5 Things I Notice When Arriving On A Blog
We make decisions about websites in nanoseconds these days. I’ll leave sites instantly for a number of reasons, maybe even something as small as the font or the logo. First impressions are everything and in this new world of the instant web with masses of information we are constantly scanning looking for the perfect match to our content needs.
I read blogs constantly both for pleasure and for work and I have a quick process that I go through to establish just how powerful the blog is and how much trust I will be placing in it. I know not everybody will agree with this but these are the things I look for and scan in a matter of seconds to see if the blog I am on is reputable and should be trusted. Very superficial I know but really this is no different to casting an eye over a stranger in real life and making our mind up on their trustworthiness based on their looks….
RSS readers
Blogs have been wearing RSS readers as a little badge for many a year now. I’ll give somebody with double digit figures the benefit of the doubt but if I see a little orange badge with a couple of thousand readers on it I know that the blog I have landed on is most probably the real deal.
Go stand in corner if : You don’t offer your readers a subscribe button
About Page
Not easy to write about yourself in the third person and write a well thought out page that describes what you do in a couple of hundred words but if you can do that well and you can sell yourself I’ll instantly have more respect for you. You don’t have to be a CEO of a fortune 500 company, your passion could just as easily be cats but I want to get the impression that you are really passionate about them and that your blog about them is going to be worth reading.
Go Stand in the corner if : You don’t have one
Comments
Usually the best indicator as to the community you have built around your blog. If people are taking time out of their day to discuss your posts with others in the comments then you are generally hitting the spot with them in a literary sense and will be worth reading.
Go Stand in the corner if : Users have to sign in to comment
Twitter Following
If I can’t make my mind up by looking around your blog for a couple of seconds I’ll head straight to your twitter page and see what makes you tick. Are you engaging with people? Appearing on lists? Adding value? Chances are if you do that on twitter you will be doing the same on your blog.
Go Stand in the corner if : You mention anything about being a twitter expert
Post frequency
If you haven’t posted in the last couple of weeks then I can tell that you are not really too bothered about your blog and that doesn’t fill me with confidence. I wrote about it here and wonder would people leave their shop front unattended for such long periods of time?
Go Stand in the corner if : Your last post is about awards you are nominated for
Comments