Your blog is not perfect. There are many things you can do to improve your blog, and after reading this post – you will be glad you made some of these changes.
There is just so much you can do to improve your blog. You can make a major change to it by adding a new design, or adding a forum to it or something minor like changing a title of a blog post to something more search engine friendly.
Whatever it is you want to do, you do it because you think it will make your blog better. Of all these little things you can do to make your blog better, I came up with five things I found on Blogussion that I chose to implement with hopes it would make my blog better.
And everything I did doesn’t even take five minutes to implement.
1. Add a “back to top” link to your footer
This is something so simple, but so beneficial. Blogs have a tendency to create huge scroll bars. Whether that scroll bar is long because you don’t use the more tag to cut down your posts, or you get a lot of blog comments – the fact of the matter is if you have a huge scroll bar and no easy way to get back to the top, it will annoy us as your readers.
So when a user gets to the bottom of the page and sees the link, when the click it – they go to the very top of the page. It’s very easy to create. Just use this code and add it to your footer somewhere:
<a href="#header">Back to top</a>
It’s just that easy. When that link gets clicked, it automatically shoots to the top of the page.
More on this method: A Short Story about “Back To Top” Links
2. Little Icons
Every minor detail counts when it comes to designing for a blog. It’s the minor details that make some designs so excellent, and adding icons next to links on your blog can really make some parts of your blog stellar looking.
Here are a few examples:
Copyblogger uses a nice mail icon on a slant to represent where you can sign up for email updates
Nettuts uses a nice RSS icon to represent their forms of subscriptions
ProBlogger uses icons to represent all kinds of ways to sign up to the RSS feed
3. Customized Input Forms
Input forms are used all the time on blogs. To sign up for newsletters, to fill out a comment, and anything else that generally involves getting information from the user.
Input forms without style are often very ugly and boring to use. Luckily, they are extremely easy to customize. You may want to check out a past post on Blogussion with four tricks to making input forms great.
More on improving input forms:
- 16 Stunning Mootools scripts for enhancing your html forms
- Prettier Accessible Forms
- Web Form Design Patterns: Sign-Up Forms
- Web Form Design Patterns: Sign-Up Forms
4. Creating thumbnails for posts
I love thumbnails, they make lists look so much more attractive. Just take a look around on Blogussion, there are thumbnails to display the popular posts on the blog, and there are thumbnails to represent the names of commentators in the top commentators list.
Take for example my other blog, Asnio. You see thumbnails everywhere on the blog, and it really makes the design stand out. If you use the Thesis theme, using thumbnails for posts is as easy as it gets.
5. Numbered page navigation
At the bottom of the homepage on Blogussion, you can see a list of pages you can visit on the blog. All of those numbers link to a page full of articles on them.
Using numbered page navigation gets a lot more posts available to readers, which increases pageviews and can really show off the age of your blog with the more number of pages you have. It is a much more effective method of navigation than the standard “previous” and “next”post links that is standard on many blogs today,
Here is the plugin I use to represent page numbers on my blogs. It is very simple to use and comes with some great pre-styled themes.
A Little Goes A Long Way
If you implement these five minor changes on your blog, you should see some real improvements to your blog usability wise. As I mentioned in this article, every little detail counts and if you can make your blog more convenient in even the smallest ways – you will see small rewards.
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D’oh! I forgot to add the back to top link on my blog. Will do that tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder.
Gordie Rogers´s last blog ..Lifestyle Designers Should Set Financial Goals.
No problem, glad this article was useful.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
With the “back-to-top” link I would specify the ID of your header section. Not sure if just leaving it blank would cause errors. As far as paged navigation, I personally use WP-PageNavi. Ever tried that?
Corey Freeman´s last blog ..7 Words to Know Wednesday – 9/23/09
You might be right there Corey. I’ll change that, thanks for pointing that out!
I never used it. Do you think it is better than WP Page Numbers?
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Very useful .Thanks.:)
Thanks for the back-to-top tip. Did not have it on my blog. But tomorrow there is one. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Studenten
Studenten´s last blog ..Kreditkarten für Studenten!
That’s great news! You should make a few people happy.
Really nice tip about adding “Add to top”. I am going to add “Add To top” and “Post thumbnails” to my blog. But unfortunately I haven’t yet get the habit of using images in posts. I think I should do it now.
Will it be a good idea to add images to older posts? Or should I just add images to the new posts?
Hameedullah Khan´s last blog ..5 plugins to convert your blog traffic into regular and loyal readers
An image will seriously make your posts look amazing! Start using images ASAP!! It’s a very important thing nowadays.
If you have a lot of posts, it may be harder to actually do it. But, I would really go back to your older posts that are still getting traffic to them and add images there. That way it will save you time. But if you ever see an image you think would look nice in an older post, go ahead and add it.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Great post Alex. Does anyone have an easy way to add the graphics to the email subscription/rss/twitter links? Also, can anyone recommend a good site with the social media prompts for the end of posts?
Thanks Jenny, glad you liked it.
I see you have Thesis on your blog, so you might want to check out MattFlies tutorial here. I also went over how to create some of the boxes under each post here in this article. You can put social media icons in there easily.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
A little DOES go a long way.
Bit like LESS is MORE really. I might try adding some small icons to my site to add a little flare to the design.
Dave
Seriously man, you will be amazed how a tiny icon can improve your design a lot.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Interesting tip about back-to-top. I will advise my contacts to introduce it in their blogs.
Sounds like a smart idea, thanks for leaving your comment!
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Hey, Alex. These are some awesome UI designs tips. Thanks a bunch. Will implement it on my site ASAP.
Andi | Web Marketer Depot´s last blog ..What’s Wrong With Your SEO Keyword Research?
Thanks Andi! I hope you put them to good use too, they’re very easy to add and will bring some pretty nice benefits.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Alex,
Awesome post. This is one of my first times at Blogussion, and I’m really impressed. I’ve wanted to add some forms to my blog, but didn’t know where to look for templates. Thanks for the links.
I also just read your bio. GO PATS
It is amazing how a couple of 5 minute fixes can really sharpen the overall appearance of a page. I look forward to reading more.
Blake @ Props Blog Ideas´s last blog ..10 Guidelines To Making A User Friendly Website
Hey Blake! Welcome to Blogussion.
Out of curiosity, how did you find the site?
I think you and me will get a long very nicely, I always love seeing other Pats fans here!
And, yes, 5 minutes really can make an impact on your blog. The things I listed in here are just great little interface tweaks and really make a great difference.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
I also love thumbnails. You have the chance to see the overview of the page before digging into it. I believe that it would be very attractive if you’ll be using interesting or appealing photos that your readers can see with your thumbnails.
Anne Fox´s last blog ..How to Treat Angular Cheilitis
Thumbnails just make the page look so much better. They’re like little icons for each post, and if you use teasers like we do here – it’ just beautiful.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
yeah you giving veru much productive information for bloggers and even most of the peoples following your tips. thanks
Dzinepress´s last blog ..100+ Best Typography iPhone/iPod Wallpapers
Hey, thanks for stopping by.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Thanks for the quick and easy tips. I use Thesis but I really need to spend a weekend and customize the look to fully take advantage of it’s capabilities. These are all great ideas. Thanks!
Scott
@thescottbishop
Hey Scott, thanks for dropping by!
Thesis is really something that can be customized easily. If you need help with anything, please don’t hesitate to email me.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
16, huh? You’re off to a great start. Let me know if you ever want to chat.
Good tips as well
. Found you through ProBlogger’s tweet.
Thanks for dropping by Matt! I gotta admit I’m a fan of your stuff over at UXBooth, so it’s really cool to see you over here.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Alex, I started my blog few month back and pretty much love all your advice. They are simple and very effective as well.
Thank you very much. Your effort is very much appreciated.
Kardeno´s last blog ..How to install joomla 1.5 patch?
Thanks! Glad you like the blog.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Great tips Alex, yes a blog post thumbnail will play a great role in how your users see your website, and how they navigate it.
You’re exactly right! Glad we’re on the same page here.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
I probably have done most but the goldmine for me here is customizing the input form.
Thanks for sharing..
Melvin´s last blog ..Do You Appreciate Your Readers?
Definitiely, glad you learned something about these input forms.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Great tips…I think the little icons are a great way to get people to perform an action. A lot of times in a text heavy site, users simply won’t notice things like RSS or Email subscriptions without seeing these little icons. Guess I’d better rework my design to include a few more of those!
Jacob Stoops´s last blog ..How to Write Highly-Optimized Title Tags
You bring up a very good point! If you don’t space out your design enough, important info might get missed. Using icons is a great way to space it out more.
Alex´s last blog ..8 Funny Things I Learned From Designing That I Apply to Life
Wow, Great article
Thanks alexa, I am gonna do the back to top thing soon
Some Great Tips! Time for me to add a back to top link in my footer, and to customise my email subscribe form.
Tanay | TJDzine´s last blog ..25+ Twitter Articles Every Small Business Owner Must Read
Speaking of small details matter, I’m actually amused with the tiny smiley face at the very bottom right portion of your blog. As for this post, you know how much I enjoy your theme optimization tips. Good work Alex!
Liane YoungBlogger´s last blog ..I Crossed Another Niche! Lessons on Blogging What You’re Supposed to Blog
Thanks for sharing this 5 simple reminders. These are just few minor details that could bring convenience to the visitor and reflects how a blogger think about the readers’ state of comfort. Definitely, makes a blog become more user friendly. It amazed me how some people pay attention with minor details, as these bear a considerable weight with if you see a blog on a general phase.
Alex Lim ´s last blog ..Before You Purchase A Domain Name Availability
Finally. Something new and original that I didn’t heard of him before. Great post. Thanks.
very nice post, thanks for tips. i’m gonna use them on my blog http://www.emanuelequattrone.com
For this post, it is useful for me but I must look for html codes that will make it happens on my blog. Currently, my blog is a Blogspot based blog but I’m proud of it.
Reza Winandar´s last blog ..5 Tips to Increase the Number of Subscribers for Beginner
Some really nice tips there. Another improvement can be formatting Posts maybe? :p
Enk.´s last blog ..11 Awesome Typographic Posters
Formatting posts definitely improves your blog and takes almost no time at all! Care about the details and you will make a big difference.
Great post man.
I am interested in adding post thumbnails to my blog but I don’t use the Thesis theme (designed it myself). Do you know of any good tutorials for this?
Thanks, and keep it up!
Ryan´s last blog ..Text to Joupes
I’m loving the idea of the “back to top” footer link. It might just be the trick I need to reincorporate my adsense ads back to the top of my blog posts and pages. That way, my readers kinda have the option to go back and check out an ad they ignored on their way down.
I’ll experiment with it and blog about it later.
Udegbunam Chukwudi´s last blog ..Top 10 Ways Nigerians Make Money Online
Hi,
The hints you pointed out are all helpful and true. But I have some doubts about the 5 minutes
Frank´s last blog ..Sparen mit Ersatzzahnbürsten
I absolutely love these tips. These tips are so beneficial in order to make money blogging and driving traffic to your blog. It makes a big difference when your blog is organized and “user friendly”. Thanks for providing such great tips, yet again. I find myself coming back to read more and more of your posts!!
Bloggers Payback´s last blog ..How To Start A Blog
Great stuff. Once again illustrating the point that little things can make a big difference. Loved the “back to top” link and ‘numbered page navigation” in particular. Thanks.
Computer Tech Tips´s last blog ..MiFi – Cellular Mobile Wireless Internet Hotspot
Great tips Alex. thanks.
Avraham Saltoun´s last blog ..Google Docs for Accounting
all awesome tips. I stumbled here and have found a truckload of tips, advice, hacks, and other really great stuff to start implementing on my blog asap. Thanks so much guys!
Roschelle´s last blog ..Blog like a 15 year old – Meet Carl Ocab
Yet another great post! I did a few of these improvements already, I’d better go do the rest!
Robomaster´s last blog ..Welcome to CoolAppSite!
Hi , As a relative newbie ( 5 months now!) on the blogging scene this sort of post is always very useful to me ( and countless others) as the ropes are being learned. Definitely quite a long rope it is too! Cheers, Will
Will McCulloch´s last blog ..Astronomy For Everyone.blogspot.com
Having little icons to represent what they meant to is important. I have never thought of having a back to top thing, Surely it can increase the usability.
Senthil Ramesh´s last blog ..Proven Ways to Encourage Comments in your blog Part II
hi alex, I have had customized the default feedburner input form before I read this post, but I think i s a little bit geeky. i want to change the background color. thanks for the tips
ysfirdaus´s last blog ..30 Sources to Find Ideas for Posts
Great post Alex!
We have setup all of these except having a “Back to Top” link in the footer. Thanks for reminding me about it
TechChunks´s last blog ..Best “Technology” posts in Year 2009
Blogs without the “back to top” link never bothers me. You should have a poll for this to see who gets annoyed to see blogs without the “back to top”.
-Kai
surprisingly and ironically, there is no “top” link on this page. or i cudnt find it.
Great tips Alex, though reading all the comments till the last one, I could sure use a back to top button
some of the suggestions could also be used for any web based content.
That back to top link was great, before I’d even finished reading I went an put that on my blog. I also liked the thumbnail idea but I have no idea how to do that on a blogger.com blog, can anyone suggest anything?
Jasmine Henry from System Fail News´s last blog ..Which Console Do You Like Best?
I’m going to implement the “back to top” link. Now that I think of it, it can also improve bounce rate and CTR on ads, which are usually at the top. Thanks for the advice.
PS: I wish I discovered this blog earlier. Great tips you have
Instant Fundas´s last blog ..Microsoft develops a game to improve clipart tagging
these nice tips make my blog professional and neat.thank you
haytham´s last blog ..Cooliris Previews free download
Your blog is very informative and contains some very cool links with valuable content. Thanks for the great sharing
Hey Alex,
Found you through a link on ProBlogger – very impressed with what you’ve put together here. Age is just a number, and the Internet’s a great equalizer.
Like what you’ve said about using a blog to offer services – that’s exactly what I do on my blog. Let me know if you’d like to talk more (perhaps about using me as a case study!)
Fantastic suggestions! Thank you!
Just getting started. First implementation: “Back to top” worked the FIRST TIME!
Gretchen´s last blog ..Our glamorous lifestyle: a story