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Post by NorblyByNora on Dec 11, 2014 18:44:03 GMT
Hey everyone, I'm new to SITSgirls so hopefully I'm posting this in the correct category. I've been blogging for awhile but my current blog is still pretty new. I've been struggling with getting visitors to stay and come back to my blog. I was hoping I could get some constructive criticism on my layout, photos and sidebar. I am launching an online ecourse in January and I'd really like to get my views up before the launch to help with promotions. Any advice on SEO, social media or other promotion strategies? Thanks for the advice in advance! www.norbly.com/
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Post by Kimi Who on Dec 31, 2014 16:33:43 GMT
I don't know how I feel about your layout. I've poked around a little bit and I guess my biggest thing is that it's difficult for readers to stick around because of the way you have your posts laid out. I see that you prefer excerpts but thing is... readers don't. They like it all laid out for them. You only have so many "clicks" before people get bored these days and you've already spent one of those clicks getting the reader to your page. Do you really want to waste another making them click to read something only for them to find out it wasn't quite what they were looking for? Bam... interest lost. You at least have a post navigation on your single entries, but it's way way at the bottom... BELOW your comment section. I almost didn't find it and you should consider moving it up so that it's just below the post content, before your comment section. I think this will help you a lot in the long run.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2015 0:33:05 GMT
I disagree that readers prefer full blog posts. Excerpts should help lower your bounce rate and get visitors to see more of your site. However, I think your excerpts can be improved. Adding a simple read more link will show that, hey, you actually can click on this to read more. Right now it's a bit confusing for the visitors as nothing indicates they can click there for more or that the post continues. I'd also suggest adding featured images to your front page. Your theme might already have this option or it might not, depends on the theme. The images will really help to grab the reader's attention.
I'd also suggest changing how you have your fonts. Currently your all caps handwritten style font for your bio in the sidebar is hard to read. It would add more personality to your entire site if you had it as your heading font, for things like the blog post titles, and use an easier to read font for your bio. If your visitors can't read something, they will not stick around!
Another thing that will help your visitors to stick around is cross linking your posts to other older, related posts. There are many plugins that will show related posts at the end of your posts. If you are already using jetpack that has an easy to use related posts option as well. You can also link words, so if you have one recipe post that goes with another recipe post consider editing it and adding a link to it. Start with your most popular posts, so you don't have to do all your posts at once.
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