Archive for June 2018

Blog Audit Challenge: Side Bar and Footer #blogging #BlogAuditChallenge2018

Welcome back for another Blog Audit Challenge installment. Hopefully you're already starting to see an improvement in your blog. I'd love to hear about your successes with this challenge so please let me know about the progress you've made so far in the comments below.

This week's topic: Side Bar and Footer

This is really a two part issue so I'll break them down and look at them individually.

The Side Bar:

A side should present secondary information that supports your brand. The side bar is a great place to put information that you want your readers to have quick access to.

Things to consider:

- A subscribe option. Make it easy for readers to follow your content.

- Popular posts. Draw attention to your most popular content and give those posts a longer shelf life.

- Blog archives. Give people access to your blog archives so they can search for posts by category/date.

- CTA's. Got an event coming up? Doing a competition? Bring attention to it and increase engagement by adding a Call-To-Action in your side bar.

- Ads. The top of the side bar is referred to as above the fold as it's the part of the screen that can be seen without scrolling. This is the most coveted space for ads as more people will see it.

- Social media links. If you don't have them else where, include your social media links in your side bar making it easier for your readers to follow and connect there too.

Ideas:

Are you a booktuber? Why not embed your latest video in the side bar?

Pinterest/instagram user? Add a widget to showcase your latest posts.

The Footer:

The Footer is actually a really important part of your website. Think about it. In order to see the footer a reader must have scrolled down past all the other content on the page. That means they are invested in your content. They've stayed long enough to get to the bottom of the page! This makes the footer the perfect place for a strong CTA (Call-To-Action).

When deciding on what type of CTA to include you need to think about your goals. One of my goals is monetization and so my footer now includes special offers for affiliate programs I'm part of. This gives the reader a reward for reading that far down the page as they get a discount or freebie for clicking the links, and hopefully adds to my affiliate income.

You might also want to include a footer menu. I'm going to be working on mine this week. This includes secondary menu content that isn't in your primary menu/ brings attention to your most important pages e.g. Your terms/disclaimers, About page, Contact, Shop, Services, etc...

This week's task:

Take a look at the content of your side bar and footer and optimize them for better results. Think about the main goals for your site, and edit your content accordingly.

Missed a post? Here's a round up of what we've covered so far:

- The Blog Audit Challenge: Preparation

- Legal Disclaimers

- The About Page

- Contact Details

Blog Audit Challenge: The About Page #blogging #BlogAuditChallenge2018

Welcome back for the third installment of the Blog Audit Challenge.

Last week we looked at legal disclaimers. If you missed the post you can find it here:http://www.jolinsdell.com/2018/06/blog-audit-challenge-legal-disclaimers.html.

Last week's task was to make sure you have legal disclaimers on your blog and/or to update them.

This Week's Topic: The About Page

This week we're looking at the About Page.

The About Page is statistically one of the most visited pages on any blog. This is why it's one of the most important pages you will create for your site.

- It's where readers can find out more about you and why you decided to create your blog.
- It let's them know what kind of content they can expect from your site.
- It helps them get to know you better and therefore helps build the relationship between you.
- It tell's them about your products/services.

This week I'm going to be updating my About Page. I'll be making small tweaks to the text, and changing the images for more up to date photo's. I'm also thinking about adding a video element.

Did you know that blog posts with images get 94% more views? [Source] So make sure you've included an image or two on your own About Page ;)

This Week's Task

Create/ Update your About Page.

Things to keep in mind:

- It doesn't have to be all about you. Sure it can tell your personal story, but more importantly it should focus on what you offer your reader.
- Don't forget about SEO. Make sure you're using your keywords to help your page show up in search results.
- Including an image doesn't mean you have to put a photo of yourself (although that is great for reinforcing the human element and connecting with your audience). Some people just don't feel comfortable putting their face up in public. In this case it's a good idea to use a different kind of image e.g. your logo or an image that symbolizes your brand. Just text is boring to look at. An image or two can be a great way to break up the text ;)
- In order for an About Page to be successful people need to be able to find it. Make sure you have a link to your About Page in your navigation bar.