Blog Feedback Post #1

This is a “blog feedback” post. To learn more about my blog feedback category, please visit the Blog Feedback section. Below are a few reviews of other blogs. I would like to thank the blog owners for submitting their blogs for reviews.

Blog #1:
The Life of Rolly Dollar
http://rollydollar.wordpress.com/

First Impressions: Very blue. I like the theme, it is simple, and easy to follow, but maybe too blue. If you are up for it, maybe try to change the title text, links, or something on the page to a complimentary color, just to break it up a bit.

Reading the blog title, “The Life of Rolly Dollar” I immediately think to myself, “personal journal blog” - but upon further investigation, I find this blog is meant to be much more than that (as stated in the About page); because some people aren’t interested in journal blogs you might lose some visitors because of this title - I suggest possibly using a sub-title to help clarify what people will find here, and what to expect before they read further.

Aesthetics: As I mentioned before, the blue is a little overpowering, but I do like this theme, I think it works well for the content - it is calming. One thing that you aren’t able to do with this theme though, is provide a custom header image. Sometimes the best way to make your blog stand out from the crowd immediately is a great header. I realize this blog is new, and things might not be settled yet, but definitely look into the header possibilities.

I appreciate the fact that the sidebars are not cluttered, you have no useless badges or buttons to distract the eye, and it is a very clean look - works nicely.

Content: I find it a little odd that you are hosting guest posts so soon in this blog’s lifespan, but I understand that guest blogging is a part of this blog’s design, and I think it works.

I like the conversation style of the posts - some of the post content makes me want to know more about the author - it would be nice if you could include a bit more about yourself in the “About” section, but I understand that a lot of people aren’t comfortable doing this.

You might find building an audience a little harder as time goes on, because of the wide scope of subjects that you cover, but your traffic seems good so far, so you must be doing something right.

Overall: You seem to be off to a good start, and I imagine things will evolve nicely for you - keep up the good work Rolly.

Blog #2
Gusland.com
http://www.gusland.com

First Impressions: My first though was, “Blogged is a weird word”. My second though was, “who is Joakim?” Of course, to answer this question, the first thing I did was click on the “About / Contact” link, hoping to read about “Joakim” - but unfortunately there is no info provided. Maybe tell us a bit about yourself, or change your sub-title.

Aesthetics: I like the theme, it is simple and organized, but I don’t think the header fits this blog at all. It seems like a generic picture of the woods, with the blog URL stamped on top. I also don’t like the fact that the header is being overlapped by a search box in the top right corner. Maybe if you put a bit more effort and time into this header, and you might have a great visual hook to keep visitors on the site for a bit longer.

Your sidebars are very cluttered. It is my tendency to ignore everything in the sidebars, including the useful stuff, when they are as cluttered as these. You might want to try your best to remove some of the unnecessary stuff, and possibly consolidate your ad space.

I appreciate the fact that your ads aren’t overwhelming.

Content: These blog posts aren’t thrilling, but some of what you write is interesting. There is an odd blend of personal diary style posts, video clips, and blog tips. It is my impression that you don’t necessarily have a focus for what you write - I suggest that you try to narrow down your niche, and limit your topics.

Also, it may just be me, but I find that video posts are just filler - I personally never watch videos posted on blogs - possibly consider stopping or limiting your video clip posts.

Overall: With a little work I think you could easily make your blog more appealing to the casual visitor - make sure they know what to expect right off the bat with a better header, and stay focused on a few topics.

If you enjoyed this post, Please consider subscribing to my full-post feed, or subscribing to receive my posts by email. Also, please check out my contribute and get reviewed pages. Have anything to say? Please comment!