I hope everyone is having a great weekend! As you’ll see, there’s a new look at Eazy Cheezy and I personally love it. After trying on over a dozen themes and even paying for one that just didn’t appeal to me once I tried it on, I’ve found the perfect theme I’ve been looking for.My apologies for the different looks you may have been seeing recently. I like to try different looks, then choosing my favorite.
What do you think? Do you like the new look of the site?
Last January, being that I was just 3 months into my young blogging career, I posted 30 Lessons Learned From a Newbie Blogger. To be fair, I jumped in with both feet and blogged full-time as I was job hunting. I was a sponge, learning the ins and outs of blogging. I’m happy to say I didn’t embarrass myself with the original post. Obviously I’ve learned much more than I knew when I was just 3 months in. I thought it would be fun to re-explore this post, keeping each tip I originally provided, while offering my thoughts 13 months later. I’ll also add a few more tips I’ve learned along the way.
1. Be Unique
(Jan 09) There’s far too many blogs on the net, so understanding what makes your blog unique is extremely important. I continually assess my site & ask myself what it is that differentiates my site from the rest. This helps me strive to be different. Try interjecting your personality to put a unique spin on your content.
(Feb 10) Being unique is very important. I still am trying to make Eazy Cheezy different from the rest, while pulling in some of my favorite elements from my favorites.
2. Blog About Your Passion
(Jan 09) Blog about something that interests you the most. Blogging is tough work & it’s easy to run out of ideas or get bored. If you stick with your passion, you’ll be able to rediscover that inspiration to post after burnouts or blogger’s block.
(Feb 10) My thoughts haven’t changed. I’ve had some rough spots where I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to write about, but when all else fails I focus on a topic that is currently on my mind and run with it.
3. Stay Focused
(Jan 09) Try to have a central focus that ties in with your site concept. Eazy Cheezy started as a humor/Internet resources site. As I learned more, I realized I needed to choose one focus & stick with it.
(Feb 10) While I agree that staying on topic is important, I’ve instead focused on the quality of content I post. I’m now less intere
sted in which niche my blog falls into and more interested in writing about what interests me and my readers. If that’s an occasional humor related post, I don’t hesitate to publish it. It does get a bit difficult to put the blog into a category, but I usually just stick with the Internet Resources, Technology, or Best of the Internet categories.
4. Make People Think
(Jan 09) I’m still looking to improve upon this, but by asking interesting questions or posting thought provoking content, it will help to pique further interest, conversation, etc.
(Feb 10) One year later and I honestly can’t say I improved in this area much. Perhaps I’d have more comments and debate, but maybe it’s due to the content I published. Maybe I’ve contradicted myself a bit since most of the helpful stuff I post is to minimize the work and thinking my readers need to do.
5. Use a Traffic Analysis Tool
(Jan 09) By using a traffic analysis tool, you’ll be able to see everything you need about your visitors, your top content, trends, etc. I use Google Analytics, which is a free tool that accomplishes this goal and then some. By using the data from Google Analytics, I was able to publish the 2008 Eazy Cheezy Traffic & Visitor Analysis.
(Feb 10) This is very important for so many reasons. For example, I noticed a spike in my bounce rate. I was able to tie it to the load time of my page. Once I uninstalled a few consuming plugins, my bounce rate is better than ever and hovering around 5% this last week. Currently I use Google Analytics and Quantcast to track my traffic, visitors, top content, bounce rate and much more.
What does Quantcast tell me? Eazy Cheezy typically attracts white males who are between the ages of 18 to 49 and have no kids. 77% access the site from home and 60% are from the US. You get the point. Quantcast can be informative and a nice compliment to Google Analytics. One thing that intrigues me the most is the business data. 139 large businesses have accessed my site, including RIM, the Navy, the Army, Google and Stumbled Upon.
6. Establish a Posting Schedule
(Jan o9) Keep readers coming back for more by publishing new content on a schedule. I started blogging & posting 3 or 4 posts a day, which was impossible for me to keep up with research I have to put in for each post. I set a posting schedule of 1 post per day. I also post a weekly “my favorite bookmarks” entry. Avoid the “I’m finally posting again” type posts.
(Feb 10) A posting schedule is important, but can be hard to keep with real-life requirements. I try to post once every day if I can to keep it consistent. That doesn’t always happen though. Though everyone will have a different schedule, I try to post two lengthy posts per week and three or four easier and less time consuming entries. This seems to work for me, but everyone is different.
7. Focus on Your Post Titles
(Jan 09) Which would you rather click to read, “Sites For Shopping” or something like “10 Money Saving Sites to Knock Your Socks Off”? Think in terms of article titles you’d like to read. If you’re title stinks, your content will go unread. People judge books by a cover, so give them a flashy cover to make them want to see what’s inside.
(Feb 10) Boy is this important! I’ve learned that it’s almost more important what your title is, than what the content says. The title will pull in the traffic and the content will keep them reading. Try to have both. Bad title will lead to know clicks. Bad content will lead to more bounces. Work on both of these and be sure not to skimp on the titles.
8. Be Human
(Jan 09) Show your profile, social networking links, etc. Talk to those who comment & don’t be afraid to tell readers about yourself. I’ve attempted to improve this by adding an About Me section & The Story Behind Eazy Cheezy.
(Feb 10) I’m a bit robotic naturally. My full-time job is as a robotics operator, I type and send official e-mail to large military groups, etc. To be less robotic can be a challenge, but more social with my social network links, about page and my approach in responding to commenters.
9. Use RSS & Display it Near Top of Your Site
(Jan 09) Make your RSS easy to find. This gives your readers different methods to obtain your content as it’s published. Flexibility allows readers to pick the reader of their choice. I recommend using some fancy RSS Icons & Feedburner, although there are other great options. I noticed by moving my RSS to the top, I’ve increased subscribers.
(Feb 10) Very important! I always keep my RSS subscribe and e-mail subscribe button right where my readers can see it. Currently, I have over 300 RSS subscribers, which is not great, but a nice increase in 250 subscribers since Jan 09. Hopefully this number will continue to grow.
Readers & Followers10. Appreciate Readers & Followers
(Jan 09) If someone takes the time to comment on a post, be sure to respond to them. If you can, visit their site & comment on an article of theirs you like. I implemented Intense Debate, to further enhance the commenting system.
(Feb 10) I’ve learned that as your blog grows, responding to each and every post is very difficult! I now typically take out a few days each week and respond to all the e-mails and pick and choose which comments to respond to. As I’ve learned, many who comment only do so to post their link. I always respond to any comments that add to the discussion or those from loyal readers. I still use Intense Debate since it allows me to respond to comments via my e-mail.
11. Show Your Appreciation
(Jan 09) Show appreciation to those select readers who always return & interact on your site. Realize that they are spending their valuable time on your site. I’ve continually tried to improve upon this & have recently posted entries, such as Special Thanks! Top 5 Eazy Cheezy Commentators. I also provided an opportunity for readers to show their best post of 2008, with Post Your Best Blog Post of 2008.
(Feb 10) This is important and very rewarding. I’ve established some great relationships with some readers. At the conclusion of 2009, I again gave everyone an opportunity to post their best work and gave a little link love.
12. Respect Readers
(Jan 09) Always be respectful to your readers & in turn you’ll earn their respect.
(Feb 10) Respect is important in all aspects of life. Not much more needs to be said on this topic.
13. Think In Terms of Your Readers
(Jan 09) You have to know your audience & stay on top of trends to really figure out what your readers want to read about? I started using these sites early on to keep up with the trends.
(Feb 10) While I don’t track the trends as much as I once did, I try to take a step back and ask the question “would I want to read this if I visited this page.”
14. Help Readers Solve Problems
(Jan 09) If you post a “How To” or provide tips, try to do everything you can to help any of your readers solve problems they may have. Chances are, if you gain their trust by helping them to their satisfaction, they’ll come back for more.
(Feb 10) Since I have less time on my hands, I try to be as thorough as I can with posts I publish. I now look at “Help Readers Solve Problems” from a different viewpoint. I attempt to do this by posting solutions for any common problems I see. If there is a problem that takes me time to figure out, after researching it, I typically post a how-to type post.
15. Play Like the Pros
(Jan 09) Take a look at your favorite sites. What widgets or social networking badges do they use? How do they communicate with their readers? What kind of design do they have? Observe & borrow some of your favorite elements to help take your site to another level.
(Feb 10) This is a tip that I always employ. I liked the Mashable image drag and share functionality so much, I searched until I found a plugin. I’ve looked at different ways the big dogs have implemented Twitter, social networking, design and much more.
16. Contact & About Page
(Jan 09) Every well established site has an About & Contact page. If you use Blogger, you’re a little more limited. There are many different hacks & tools to use. For my About Page, I created it within an actual post & published it for an old date. Then I just added the About link to the top. For the Contact page, I used Kontactr, which is a free site that readers enter info & their message in and send it to the e-mail you prefer.
(Feb 10) This is one thing I look to improve in the near future. I have an About Page, but it’s due for an update.
17. Widget and Plugin Control
(Jan 09) Be careful adding too many widgets or those that take too long to load. I’ve removed widgets in the past, due to the extremely slow loading time. Seconds seem like a lifetime when your browsing the web. You’ll definitely lose those readers with slower connections.
(Feb 10) I love plugins, add-ons and all the cool widgets available. However, after noticing my site started loading very slowly, I sacrificed many plugins. I got rid of Google Connect and quite a few others. My results were a decrease in bounce rates by 5%. Not bad!
18. Don’t Blog to Make Money
(Jan 09) When I was job hunting, I had thoughts of trying to blog full-time & make money. Rather than destroying my site by including annoying ads everywhere, I opted to just shoot for making back what I spend in Domain cost, etc. There are ways to make money blogging, but many fail. In my 3 month existence, I’ve made $100 from Adsense which covers me. On the flip side, the curiosity I have will have me experimenting with different methods other than Adsense in the near future. I love experimenting with stuff.
(Feb 10) Things have changed since my post in January 09. My number 1 goal is to provide quality content without annoying ads everywhere. However, earning a little bit of money on the side helps me pump more money back into the site and additional income always helps. I currently use AdSense and sell text links. I’ve tinkered with about 6 or 7 affiliates, affiliate networks, Chitika, etc. What works for my site is AdSense, so I’m sticking with it. Now, I’d say…don’t blog to make money as your focus, but make money while blogging.
19. Try to Post Quality not Quantity
(Jan 09) I’ve heard arguments from both sides, but SEO or not, sloppy posts could find people unsubscribing & you can lose more readers.
(Feb 10) I hate sloppy work and have been guilty on a few occasions (typos). I consider failure to conduct proper research to be sloppy work, but my typos are also sloppy. Quality is most important, but try to keep the quantity up to. One post a month will bring your blog zero interest no matter how great that one post a month is.
20. Accept Reader Input & Feedback
(Jan 09) I was able to extend my 50 Free Sites to Watch TV & Movies Online posting by listening to valuable reader feedback.
(Feb 10) Make sure you listen to your readers. While 9 out of 10 may be trying to get linklove, I’ve been able to expand upon many posts by visiting some links and following tips of sharing readers.
21. Take Some Chances
(Jan 09) I’ve taken some chances by modifying my design multiple times & tweaking my logo multiple times. The big chance I took was moving to a domain, which proved to be a better long-term decision. I’ve also considered moving to Wordpress.
(Feb 10) Well, since the post in January 09, I moved to WordPress and even recently tried to move to Squarespace. I found WordPress was the best option for me to progress with my blog. If I wouldn’t have taken a chance, I don’t think the site would have grown as much.
22. Guest Blog
(Jan 09) Until recently, I didn’t know how to go about this, but I have two outstanding bloggers who I’ve developed relationships with through social networking & following their blogs. They will be guest authors on Eazy Cheezy in the very near future and I will be a guest author on their site. This is an exciting way to open yourself and guest blogger to an additional audience & to get a fresh point of view & voice. I’m very excited about the opportunity!
(Feb 10) I’ve hosted about a dozen or so guest bloggers, but really haven’t taken advantage of guest blogging on other sites. Eventually, I’ll approach a few sites to guest post, but I’ll need to wait until I have the time.
23. Be Open to Learning
(Jan 09) I learn things every single day. I started off having no clue about blogging, but have quickly learned from fellow bloggers and sites like Problogger, BlogDoctor, Warrior Forums, Digital Point and the Authority Blogger.
(Feb 10) I still learn so much all the time. The sites above are sites I definitely recommend. Whether it’s questions with blogging, html, AdSense placement, etc, these sites have sure come in handy.
24. Use Images, Embed Videos, Etc
(Jan 09) Vector images and graphics are appealing to the eye. A big personal turn-off for me is a site with all text and no pictures. Images can help to enhance the look and feel of your site and posts. Check out Free Icons & Vector Buttons for RSS, Social Networking, Twitter & More.
(Feb 10) I like have a nice balance of media and text. Images or videos allows the eyes to rest a bit, while enhancing the post. Don’t use too many images or videos, but feel free to mix them in.
25. Get Site Reviews
(Jan 09) I’ve had my site reviewed at Warrior Forum, Digital Point and Blog Catalog. Each have given me a different perspective and pointed out ways for me to improve. The reviews were honest & extremely effective.
(Feb 10) This is very beneficial to beginning bloggers and even the vets could use another point of view. For example, I was told that my site is content rich, so should be more simple with a white background. I’ve definitely been considering this, but need to find the right template.
26. Work To Get Returning Visitors
(Jan 09) Getting visitors to your site is great, but in reality a small percentage will actually return. This goes back to setting yourself apart & understanding the value you bring to your readers. There is no magical formula, but one things that’s worked best for me is helping newer bloggers in forums & via e-mail, frequently visiting my favorite blogging sites & being active in social networking communities. Building relationships is vital to blogging and very rewarding.
(Feb 10) Gone are the days when I have time to help newer bloggers in forums. However, I do try to respond to all the e-mails I get from readers looking for a little help. I’ve noticed that those I help, typically become loyal readers and commenters. Building relationships sure is important!
27. Find Forums In Your Niche
(Jan 09) If your niche is something like Career Assistance, you’d want to participate in discussions at LinkedIn, Monster, Careerbuilder, etc. You’ll build relationships with those offering similar services & gain trust in your target audience by helping solve their problem.
(Feb 10) I’ve followed this tip when researching various topics to post about. Forums often have answers that are hard to find elsewhere.
28. Don’t Get Offended
(Jan 09) If you write a post that could incite a strong reaction from readers, don’t let the bad feedback offend you. People tend to be more negative and the anonymity of the Internet makes many brave. I learned this when I posted Top 15 Punk Bands of All Time.
(Feb 10) Just as I wrote above, try not to get offended. Everyone is more brave on the internet.
29. Don’t Over-Moderate
(Jan 09) Editing and deleting posts can turn people off. Unless absolutely necessary, try not to moderate. Also, if moderating is necessary, do so to keep your site under control. Another lesson I learned on the fly, with the article in the previous entry. I had posts such as “Go Kill Yourself, F Yourself, etc. Due to the nature of the post, I only removed the few posts I felt would be offensive to my readers. If the same comments were posted at Eazy Cheezy, they would disappear quickly, due to the nature of this site.
(Feb 10) I don’t do much moderating but won’t approve comments that are obviously intended to drop a link with no value added. If you want to share your link, that’s fine but please try to add to the discussion.
30. Don’t Obsess Over Your Stats
(Jan 09) I love statistics & tools such as Google Analytics is an amazing tool for tracking any and every stat you’d ever want to know about your site. The specific statistics about your site are important to understand & track, but understand you’ll have good days and bad days. I had 9,800 visits in October 22nd, but on November 22nd I only had 690 visits. Be prepared for good days & bad days.
(Feb 10) I probably check my statistics about every 3 days or so from Google Analytics and maybe every few weeks from Quantcast. Keep track, but don’t let it get to you.
31. Make it Easy for Your Readers to Share Content
Stumbled Upon brought me 51% (345k visits) of all traffic in 2009. Make it easy for readers to share your content and they just might. My WordPress Theme integrates Twitter well, plus I use Digg Digg and Twitme plugins.
32. Use Related Posts, Reference Links, Etc
I use YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin), which I love! Not only does it show related posts, but gives a rating. I also use Top10, which is a plugin that shows the top visited posts on my sidebar. This gives readers more relevant content to search. Also, try to reference links to other posts.
33. Use AdSense Channels to Track Your Best Performing Ads
I failed to do this for the first 6 months I was blogging. However, once I started labeling each ad with a channel (i.e. 300×250blendedtopleft), I was able to determine which ads/locations were working and which wouldn’t.
34. Experiment With Ad Placement
I’ve had Ads everywhere. After a year or so of experimenting, the ad and location that works best for my site is the 300 x 250 blended ad on the top left hand corner.
So what have you learned as a blogger? Any tips or lessons learned you’d like to share?
Recently, I reviewed Squarespace and was quite intrigued by the potential Squarespace provided. As I mentioned, Squarespace is an all-in-one blogging platform and hosting solution that you can get for as low as $8 a month. What attracted me most to Squarespace is the simplicity and ability to modify every aspect of the theme. Squarespace provides the ability to change the number of sidebars and best of all the unmatched flexibility to change the width of both your sidebars and post section.
I worked several hours on my Squarespace site, bounching between many different designs and working to tweak the site to my liking. I was excited to change my posting area to 800px and stayed with one sidebar. I have to say the site was looking very nice. I was also quite impressed with customer support who answered the questions I opened a trouble ticket for within hours and sometimes minutes. I started with the $14 package, but then jumped up to the $18 package. $14 felt affordable for my little blog, but $18 started to sound a bit expensive.
Other factors that influenced this move back were the inability to easily inject code (such as AdSense) where I wanted to. I found myself injecting the AdSense code above posts or below posts, but adding the code within actual postings was a manual process. I manually added a few 300 x 250 AdSense squares in individual posts. Another frustration was the lack of widgets and that I’d have to upgrade to the next pay level to host my e-mail address. The killer for me was all the broken links I kept finding. Squarespace automatically redirects during the blog import process, but it didn’t work properly with all the links and I didn’t have one of those fancy WordPress plugins to find which links were broken.
I decided that WordPress has been working out fine for me, Bluehost has been affordable at approx $100 per year and WordPress has given me the flexibility to grab and use free plugins for any situation I want. Perhaps I’ll just research some new WordPress themes.
Squarespace is still an outstanding option and I found it easy to work with, but just decided in the end that it wasn’t for my site. Perhaps in the future, Squarespace will have a few upgrades that may bring me back. I’ll keep my eye on them. I do like what they’re doing and had fun with their platform.
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