Your readers need reason to keep coming back to see your content, and that’s why you must remain at the top of your game.
- Don’t Look Like You’re from 2003
Styles and designs in blogging are constantly being upgraded and you cannot leave your blog looking like it’s from the dark ages. You should take a look at other blogs like yours to get a feel of what your competitors are doing. This does not imply that you should copy exactly what someone else is doing; this will eventually backfire. In the online business, image is everything. You don’t want to be tagged as a phony or copycat. As you check similar blogs as yours, you should also look at blogs that are different from yours. For instance, if you run a make-up blog, you could check other make-up blogs, as well as retro fashion blogs, or modelling blogs. Doing this should help you have a stronger sense of what your blog should look, while remaining distinct from the others. Consider the colours, typography, headers, and other features you think stand out for you.
- Your Blog Has to be Mobile Friendly
Due to the rise in popularity of mobile devices, it has become imperative for any serious blogger to ensure their blog is mobile-friendly. Google has a mobile-friendly algorithm that gives ranking preference to mobile-friendly websites over those that are not. This is certainly bad news for your blog if it is not optimised for mobile viewing. Think of how much easier it is to surf the web on your phone, instead of having to carry a heavy laptop with you everywhere you go.
Even tablets are becoming a load. With an array of chatting platforms, mobile games, and mobile apps for virtually every kind of service, more people use their phones more than ever before. It is believed that on average, young persons with internet access spend 3.2 hours a day on their mobile devices. This figure amounts to 22.4 hours a week, and 49 days a year. You could create a separate website for mobile viewing or optimize your existing desktop site. It can be annoying having to view a website on desktop mode when using your mobile device – navigation can become a daunting task and the page wouldn’t look as good. It is easy and convenient to browse through content on your phone. Why not check what your blog looks like on your mobile phone right now? Do you like what you see?
- Like Vegetables, You have to Stay Fresh
Say you have a fashion blog, or even a tech blog. No matter the subject you blog about, you have to remain fresh and up to date. Staying fresh does not mean you publish ten posts every day. It means you have to publish relevant content that is not out of place nor belongs sometime in the past.
As a style blogger for instance, you cannot post about styles that have fizzled out or are not popular because you happen to like those styles, or that’s what your wardrobe is limited to. Likewise, as a technology blog, you have to keep tabs with the latest trends in that sector. The keyword here is ‘relevance’, you want to be the blog readers can trust to always get up to date information.
- Don’t Joke with Your Security
It is easy to get carried away with your efforts to produce juicy content, marketing, and all the other stuff that go into maintaining a blog. However, you must never get so carried away that you forget about securing your website. You certainly don’t want to lose all that precious content you have invested your time and money into.
Hackers are a real threat and you need to take steps to ensure your website is safe from them. There are other threats you have to deal with like spam and viruses. You should use a web hosting company that provides much needed security. A virtual private server offers some of the best security layers and you can get VPS hosting from Open Host. Meanwhile, there are steps you can take on your own to keep your blog safe.
- Backup up your database – all your posts, including images, videos, and other files.
- Use a strong password for your admin login – try not to use a password you have used for another account, or a password anyone that knows you can easily guess.
- Track updates – if you are using a hosting service with multiple versions, ensure you are using the most recent version at any point in time.
- Avoid public networks – it is nice to use free internet but public networks are dangerous because anyone can easily intercept what data you have uploaded or downloaded while using such networks.
- Try not to get your phone stolen – if you blog on your phone, then getting your phone stolen is one way to lose your blog. If your phone does get stolen, change your password immediately.
- Track, Track, Track
How do you know how many new visitors are coming to your blog, or how often they are coming? Tracking. You can track how often readers visit your blog, what content they are most interested in, and even what country they are viewing your content from, depending on which tracker you use. Traffic data can be invaluable in helping you learn what content appeals to your readers the most. You can learn who your readers are, and make informed decisions when updating your blog. It doesn’t have to be a guessing game. There are even trackers that can give you estimated stats of another website’s popularity. This is great if you want to start a new blog, so you know what topics are most popular.