5 Blogging Mistakes (which we learn from my first blog!)
Hi everyone-
As far as I know, we still have no power. I don't know for sure, because we stayed at a hotel last night. 😉 My brother works for a hotel chain, and we get to use his family and friends discount...and given how cold we were yesterday, $39 seemed like a total bargain to us!
We're heading back home to check out the power situation shortly, so for today I'm going to share this post that I had written earlier.
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Back in the spring of 2008, I started a blog about food waste. I was recently looking at that blog and cringed at all the blogging crimes I committed on that blog.
So, I thought it might be fun/entertaining to point all of those out to you, and if you're thinking about blogging, this might help you avoid the mistakes I made.
1. I used Blogger instead of WordPress.
I know I say this all the time but hear me again: If you want to blog at all seriously, do yourself a favor and use WordPress. Almost every successful blog I read has made the migration to WordPress, and you'll save yourself much trouble and headache if you just start out there (importing a Blogger blog to WordPress is a pain in the patootie, and I don't think you can import comments, which stinks).
WordPress looks sleeker (even right out of the box!), has more themes available, has a much more lovely commenting system, and a fabulous spam catcher (no word verification necessary for comments...yay!). Plus much, much more.
Even if you don't want to buy your own hosting for your blog yet, go to WordPress.com and sign up for a free blog. You won't be able to run ads on it, but at least your blog will be in WordPress format and it'll be very simple to move it to a self-hosted WordPress blog in the future.
I started out blogging at WordPress.com and then bought my own hosting and moved to a WordPress.org blog, which is what I have now.
(If you do want to go the WordPress.org route, I must give props to Dreamhost, my hosting service, and to Thesis , the theme I run this blog on. I am affiliated with both of them, but only became affiliated after I gave them my hard-earned money and was sold on their products. Love them!)
2. My domain name was too long.
www.confessionsofarecoveringfoodwaster.blogspot.com?? Yeah. That was waaaaay too long. www.thefrugalgirl.com is much, much more manageable and memorable.
Take some care when you choose your blog name...make sure it's easy to spell, not too long, and don't put dashes in the address (I know that's good for SEO, but I think SEO is way overrated and no good if people can't easily type your blog name!).
It's so much hard to type www. the-frugal-girl.com than it is to type www.thefrugalgirl.com.
3. My design was cold and boring.
Part of this is because I was on Blogger (see #1). My no-editing-required WordPress.com site looked much better right out of the box than my blogger site did.
When you design your blog, pick something that looks warm and welcoming...if you've got nothing but blue and white and green and other cold colors, your blog won't feel inviting. My WordPress.com blog was mostly black and white, but it had some pink text and plenty of warm-colored pictures to help it feel cozy.
4. I had no About page.
"About" pages are so, so, so important! And that little "about" paragraph that Blogger offers is not sufficient (mine wasn't even before I edited it to point to my new blog).
When I visit a blog, I want to know who's writing it, what their story is, and what the blog is all about. Without an about page, this information is really hard and time-consuming to get, and blog readers are notoriously impatient.
Make it easy for readers (especially new readers) to find that information quickly and put together an about page. SO important.
5. I had too much boring text.
When I read things on the internet, I want short, manageable chunks of text and I want pictures or visuals. I can read long paragraphs in magazines or books with nary a problem, but the internet is a whole different monster. My brain goes into freeze mode when I see large blocks of text.
I still accidentally write long paragraphs now, but I'm better about chopping my thoughts into smaller chunks and better about using bullets and headings and other such tools to make my writing easier to read quickly.
I'm also better about using more pictures to spice things up a bit and make my text more readable.
6. My pictures were too small.
We can blame this partly on Blogger (can you tell I don't like Blogger??), but Blogger themes can be modified to allow for larger pictures.
My WordPress.com blog (the free one!) allowed larger pictures sizes without me having to tweak anything, and my blog looked so much better as a result.
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So, there are my main mistakes. I didn't fall into ALL of the usual blogging traps...my design wasn't cluttered, I didn't play music, I didn't have an entirely picture-less blog, and I didn't have ads plastered all over my sidebars and content (I hate it when there are more ads than content). Still, though, I made my fair share of mistakes, and hopefully you can learn from them.
you probably don't have any advice for a blogger (on blogger) with her own domain name who wants to migrate to wordpress, huh. 😉
I haven't ever done that myself! I'm sure there's lots of info out there on Google, though.
Actually, Blogger has come a long way in the options they offer for just about everything. I actually tried WordPress and I like blogger more. I have more control over what my blog looks like (No more boring templates! I can put my own template in HTML and tweak it to my liking, which I can't do in WordPress unless I pay, which I won't do), they have Pages now instead of just widgets to put your information in to, and you can enlarge your pictures with one click of the mouse. My husband just switched to WP and loves it, but I just couldn't get on the band wagon. I tried! 🙂
Ah, see, I have self-hosting WordPress, and with that, I have full access to HTML and CSS and such. Not that I really know what I'm doing with that...but I can copy and paste code from tutorials written by smarter people. lol
I might actually switch if I had self-hosting too...maybe. 🙂 I just might someday!
I should add that I'm in a transition period with my blog, so it's nothing like what I want it to be right now! It's a work in progress. Thanks for the great advice, especially about the boring text. I will definitely keep that in mind!
I agree with most of this, BUT... I still decided to use Blogger. I have a domain name on WordPress, but frankly, that site is COMPLICATED! I spent so much time on there before launching my current blog, and I was very frustrated with the appearance of the blog. Customization of the theme templates was either difficult or impossible, as I am not an HTML guru.
So, as far as your "out-of-the-box WordPress looks better" comment, I totally disagree. Looks are the main reason I am with Blogger (for now).
I think Blogger may have since adopted a lot of the functionality it was missing when you used it. It is super easy to insert multiple photos into a post and select from 4 different sizes (no tweaking of my theme was required). Blogger also allows you to easily design and add "pages", so it would take me about 2 seconds to add a full "About Me" page if I wanted it.
I can also track all my traffic and activity, similar to the detailed way WordPress tracks and reports it.
I know (because everyone else says so) that WordPress is the better way to go, but I have yet to see why, as a tiny start-up blogger, it's worth the inconvenience of navigating that unfriendly user-interface. 🙁
That's so funny...I think the WordPress dashboard is so much sleeker, cleaner, and easier than the Blogger dashboard. lol Personal preference, I think.
If you know how to edit HTML, I think you can make Blogger blogs look good. But I see a lot of super-boring, un-sleek (is that a word) blogs out there on Blogger. For someone who knows no html, I still think WordPress produces a more professional looking blog. 🙂
I hope you get power back soon. We are in the same boat...two nights without power. It is harder for us to go to a hotel....we have two big dogs. If power is not back on when I get home from work. We will find a friend who has power (few and far between) and will take us and the dogs. Otherwise, we are headed to Richmond to visit my FIL for the weekend. We are in NorthernVirginia.
tricia, i'm in nova, too. there are wraming centers, but now you're making me wonder if they will let animals in. probably not. 🙁
I have never confirmed about the animals. I am just assuming because of potential issues with other people. But good news, my neighbor called and power has returned! 40 hours later!
Thanks for the great advice! I'll integrate a number of your suggestions into my blog. I wish I could change my address name (Yes. I've a hyphen) without losing what I've done in the past.
I'm in Ottawa and we haven't lost power but earlier this week it was -38 C. Everyone moved around at a crab's pace.
Now onto "Food Waste Friday" 🙂
Ottawa Canada?
I'm with the blogger users. I've used both. I even imported my blog (a few years ago) into WordPress, but I definitely prefer blogger 100%. Overall, I think I read maybe 8 blogs on WordPress and the rest are on blogger; even those with domain names.
I agree, most of the blogs I read are blogger also.
That's so funny...I must be drawn to WordPress blogs. lol
just 39 bucks? looks like I need to persuade one of my brothers to go into the hotel business!
You knew you were going to get Blogger-ites popping out all over the place...I've used both WordPress and Blogger in my professional capacity, am in the process of transferring a WP blog (comments and all) to Blogger for a client, and ultimately chose Blogger for The Mrs.
As others have said, I think Blogger has been upgraded a lot since you were there, and as you have said, it's entirely personal choice.
I can think of a lot of things to say about Blogger, but it all boils down (I think) to how creative you're willing to be. Boring designs and clunky domain names are all over WordPress too.
And if you want to go the (almost) free and easy out-of-the-box way, nothing beats the way Blogger will map to your own domain name AND allow you to have advertising without fiddling around with a third party like DreamHost etc. WordPress makes you pay for both.
I'm done. Constructive disagreement is good, and I still love you, Kristen.
Even if you're a WordPresser 🙂
And I will still love you, even though you insist on loving Blogger. lol
I should add that I didn't have any idea there were so many Blogger-ites out there. lol In the circles where I move, I mostly see Blogger people moving to WP, so I had no idea Blogger had such an enthusiastic fan base.
i have blogger with my own domain name and have been wanting to make the switch for awhile but have been so nervous that i will lose so much, including my followers. i just have no idea how all of that stuff works. i have been looking on google, but have not found anything that i feel confident in enough to try. If you have any information or if anyone offers any information on an easy tutorial for switching over when you already have your own domain, please share with us. thanks!
I did recently start a wordpress blog - inspired by your advice. To me, a complete amateur with very little time to devote to this, my wordpress blog looks better. I have to work on bigger pictures and posting more frequently, and I will have an about page up by the end of today!
you are so right about music on blogs as being awful!!!!!!!! My computer room is right next to my 3 year old's bedroom and many times I've had that unwanted blast of music rouse him from his much needed nap!! Argh!!
I didn't know that blogs have stupid music. Another advantage to keeping speakers turned off most of the time. And here I thought it was just saving me from annoying program beeps.
Yeah, a number of blogs (particularly mom-blogs, it seems) have a music player at the bottom of the blog. I keep my speakers off most of the time, and then when I do have the speakers on, the music is very jarring. lol
HI Kristen - sorry about the power - hope it gets sorted! This is a fantastic post, I have skimmed it already and plan on really digesting later once kids are in bed. I had popped over to check in on FWF, I didn't know you had blogged previously about food waste. Very interesting, as my passion really is food, cooking and eliminating waste. I know this isn't a question and answer post, but I have a free wordpress site, and had thought about moving over to the thesis theme. I don't know where to start, my primary concern (and I am sure you will appreciate this) is I don't want to spend much on it. Blogging is just a hobby, and I do love it, but it doesn't generate any income, so anything I spend I would have to fund from my budgeting elsewhere. Jo
I'm still feel so new to blogging, and I've been working on it for a year! Now that I finally have my blogger site partially understood I couldn't bear to contemplate a change! I really appreciate your comments and advice though, you are the first blog I look to everyday!
Blogger seems to have fixed many of the problems you mentioned: the about page, photo size, no word-verification for comments. Obviously they have been taking notes from the competition!
Thanks for the tips on the long text boxes and the photo size... I love blogs with nice photos, so I don't know why I've been leaving mine so small!
Hope you stay warm and that your power is back on! Have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.
I started this blog on blogger just so I can run ads on it (all my other blogs are wordpress--wordpress rules!) and I hate it. I can't post-date anything unless I use internet explorer or chrome, formatting pictures is ridiculously difficult and rarely works the way I want, which has caused me to put in fewer pictures, which makes my blog a bit boring.
I would like to have a self-hosted site, but since I've made approximately $.05 on ads so far, I have to wonder if it will be worth it. how much do you pay, may I ask? I realize that I'm certainly not going to develop a following overnight, but I also don't want to spend a lot of money and effort to not have it pan out...
Hosting with DreamHost costs about $95/year...so, about $7.90/month. I have a discount code I can give you if you're ever interested.
I would be interested in a discount code please :)....I haven't decided which route to take yet but certainly a discount might sway my decision LOL. Thanks Kristen!
You've been emailed! 🙂
I know this is an old post, but do you still have discount codes? I've been thinking about making the switch for quite a while. Terrified of blogger deleting my blog.
I do! Email me (thefrugalgirl@gmail.com) and I'll get you a code.
I have to say that I tried opening 2 wordpress blogs and hated them. I really tried after reading all the hype on the net. (I am currenly in the process of buying my own domain name and rehauling my blog name-too long like you mentioned but this also applies to free wp blogs) I find wp annoying, and not sleek at all. Blogger is not perfect but I prefer it. Also in the years since you used it (like someone else pointed out) they have added a lot of great features such as picture size adjustments, pages add ons, new themes (there are seemingly an endless variety to choose from) and it is easier to use. Also, a lot of people (especially professional site builders) tend to prefer sleek looking blogs without all the fluff. This also attracts me when I read blogs. I also don't find that most successful blogs are with wordpress. I see a lot of wonderful blogs who use other sites including blogger. Most of the blogs I read daily host on blogger. Interesting insight however. Thanks though.
My main blog is on Blogger. Someone told me that WordPress is a better system so when I decided to start another blog, I thought I'd give it a shot. Maybe it was because I'd grown used to Blogger or because I'm not an ICT expert, but I found WordPress more complicated to use. So I've happily stuck with Blogger which offers all the features I require.
I think you make some good points in your post but you've concentrated on the appearance rather that on the content of a blog. While I don't deny that we're all guilty of judging a book by its cover, not even the most sophisticated of designs will keep us returning to a blogger who doesn't say anything of interest. I've visited dozens of perfectly formed blogs but although I 'm full of admiration for their skill, and not a little jealous of their popularity, I won't return unless I can identify in some way with the person behind the screen.
As an artsy person I tend to put maybe too much weight on appearance, but I agree with you-- the reason I love Kristen's blog is because of her content! It looks nice, sure, but I'd like it just as much if it were ugly and delivered the same consistent, useful, up-beat content. 🙂
Oh, I totally agree that content is super important. But in this post I was focusing on stuff I did wrong, and I don't think that content is where I went wrong with my first blog. 🙂
But yes...whenever someone focuses too much on appearance and not enough on content, it's a big problem. By the same token, though, if a blogger has great stuff to share but writes it all in one enormous, overwhelming paragraph, no one will bother to read that great stuff, you know?
I started on WordPress and actually switched over to blogger! It is very user friendly and they offer a lot of features; you are able to customize pretty much everything! WordPress seemed too complicated.
I also don't care for music on blogs or too much text. But I also don't like a ton of pictures and not much text. I like to read and I think your blog is a really good mix of text and pictures.
For quite a while now I have been creating different blogs, posting content, and then forgetting about it. I crochet, and I wanted to have my blog be primarily about that, but be able to interject other life things here and there. I'll have to check out WordPress and see if I like it better than what I am using now.
I am currently using Weebly.com. Have you heard anything, good or bad, about this service?
Glad you were able to stay in a warm place last night!
We just started on blogger and knew nothing about blogging. We were thinking about switching just for the comment issue. It seems like you can only comment if you become a member? Or, am I completely confused??
Anyways thanks for the synopsis...and we really appreciate constructive criticism so if anyone wants to give us any we would really appreciate it...send us a private message please 🙂
As a non-blogger, I will share that every blogger blog i've ever tried to comment on required you have a blogger account to do so...that's not really in the spirit of open communication, to me, and so I sometimes don't even read blogs people forward to me. at least that has been my experience.
You can change a setting on blogger to allow comments to anyone. It's just that doing so allows anonymous comments to come through too, and that increases spam. And since Blogger doesn't have the fabulous Akismet (at least I think it doesn't) spam comments can become a problem.
I also thought about switching to WordPress, but I wasn't overly impressed and stuck it out with Blogger. You just have the take the time to play with it. Also - helpful to create blog under your name, but set it to private so you can test stuff out in the testing environment so you're not screwing with your live site.
I customized in blogger by making my own banner to fit in the classic template so it wasn't so boring and creating a post to replace the lame about me section. I even googled how to turn the template into a three column so I could host ads and increased the size of the posting section so I could use bigger photos through Flickr.
As for the comments.. you can most certainly post comments without having a blogger or google account. You can also install comments solutions to allow comments to be replied to, etc.
Great tips! If you click, you will see that I am still on Blogger. I have been contemplating a move and your post is helpful. 🙂
I'm proud to say I didn't make *most* of those mistakes. I tried out a bunch of places to host my blog. Blogger was, maybe, 2nd to the bottom. I ended up with TypePad because, at the time, it had better design features. Pretty = good, right? I'm still with TypePad, and would recommend it, although I get the impression that WordPress has a few stronger features that TypePad does not.
Transferring from blogger to word press is much more manageable now. The free wordpress.com sites lets you import your old posts from several other services after authenticating you're the same person. It transfers comments too. Idk when they started doing this but i was able to do it around october or so last year when i started my wordpress blog. It might be different for the wordpress.org app/program though.
Imo, blogger has better theme choices recently. Since they teamed up with istock photo to provide backgrounds (its in the advanced customization panel), and you can customize the color palette for your text as well. The system for choosing widgets is similar to WordPress, but the format isn't so customizable.
The word press themes are a bit restrictive, particularly for font use and sizing of text. They let you use a text kit, but somehow mine didn't end up working. PEBCAC maybe? Blogger lets you choose fonts to a small extent, 4 choices i think.
However, even if blogger has these features now (that weren't around 5 years ago!) the overall the sleekness, format, and options of wordpress let you be more professional. In the end the provider you choose depends on what you want the blog to do.
:0) I really like Blogger! As a techno-idiot, I find it's easy to use, friendly and flexible and I think the backgrounds are great. It's got to have moved on quite considerably since you used it because I don't recognise any of the criticisms except for maybe the one about rabbitting on too much - which cannot be blamed on Blogger :0)!
I bwas glad to see on Facebook that your power was back!
J x
Personally, I find Blogger much easier to use. I don't mind having a small website with a small following though. I'm not really out to make money with my blog and not having a lot of popularity keeps the snarky comments away.
My blog is mainly an online journal for me and I think Blogger works quite nicely for that.
I love wordpress and have been blogging on it for 1 1/2 years. I never tried anywhere else, so didn't know any better...just thought it looked sleeker as well.
I'm glad I stayed with them...have really loved it and even the eco-friendly Etsy team that I'm a guest blogger for switched to WordPress as well, so it's seamless for me.
I too HATE when music plays on blogs. And short paragraphs with lots of pictures seems to keep my readers happy. I just struggle with writers block. Some weeks I blog daily, other weeks, I struggle to get one or two posts out. It's tough and I admire your tenacity! 🙂
Hey, thanks for this post. It inspired me to finally make the jump over to wordpress. For now, I still have my old posts archived at the blogger website. My main reason for switching is that commenting is such a pain on blogger! This was the kick in the pants that I needed to make that change. I appreciate it!
Thanks for this post - one piece of the puzzle which really jumped out at me that others seem to not mind is that Blogger owns all of your content? What? I'm setting up a free blog on WP and am hoping I still own my words!
I was looking for furniture recycling tips and came upon your blog, great painting tips, by the way. I enjoyed your tips about blogging. I am starting my first blog, holy smokes learning to be computer literate is a mind bender. Out of humility I am leaving typos in some of my first post so I will always remember what things look like when I had no idea how the editing tool worked. Thanks again.