May 11, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The Community Pool is for those of you looking for feedback, whether on post ideas, writing, blog design and layout, or anything else.

If you have a post, page, or idea you want to bounce off someone, leave a comment. Your fellow bloggers can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

Read on for the ground rules and to leave a comment . .

TIP: To keep from losing your place in the comment thread while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.

  • You’ll get the best feedback if you can be as specific as possible about what you’d like people to respond to or where you’re struggling. If you simply leave a link to your blog, it’s likely to be overlooked.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. We’re here to help and support one another, not to beat anyone down.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

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  1. it would mean the world to me if you could share this on anything you havehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikey-Lee/396530153819676 its my art page on Facebook please, thank you.

    Like

  6. Hello everyone,

    I am kind of looking for some general feedback. I’m really struggling with finding my “niche”. I want my blog to be somewhat marketable, but I also don’t want to have a cooking blog, a “look I made paper airplanes out of rubber bands” (yeah read that twice…hhahaha) blog or to tell myself I can only write about a 3-4 topics in order to draw an audience.

    To be fair, I am getting A LOT of hits from the blogger posts that are easy to get noticed on Pinterest. My concern is my subscriber count is going up at a snails pace and isn’t coming anywhere near the hits I am receiving…like 1-5 a month. What I would like to know is this:

    If you go to http://mendedwheels.com and read/skim through the first 5 posts there, is there anything that immediately jumps out at you that would STOP you from subscribing? The post page as it is set up now has a good mix of some newer posts I have been writing and what I call the marketable posts.

    Is there anything you see that would make it easier to subscribe?

    Thank you for the feedback in advance.

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    1. Finding your niche is hard. I actually went a couple of years bouncing around blog ideas before I found the right one. I now have a very niche blog about soccer referees (http://www.playtheadvantage.com). But the thing is, I know a LOT about the subject and I’m very passionate about it. That makes it easier to keep posting enough to build up the content that you need to be successful. You really have to keep plugging away at it, because people come back when they think you’ll have new, interesting stuff to read. So, you just need to find what you’re so passionate about that you’ll want to write every day…

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      1. Thank you for your comments!

        The headers I have on my blog are what I am passionate about, but they are all so different that I am afraid it’s just not a cohesive read!

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      2. Well, don’t worry too much about it. I’d write about what you love and not worry too much about who’s reading. As you build your voice, you may find you lean toward a certain type of content, and people want to come read it!

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    1. Widgets allow you to post certain types of content in your sidebars and footers. If you click on your blog name in the upper left corner when you’re logged in, you should get a drop down for widgets. Otherwise, it’s in Customize. Widgets available will depend on your theme. Check out my blog’s sidebar (http://www.playtheadvantage.com) for examples.

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      1. Thank you for your feedback – I think I do have the comments turned on, please let me know if you cannot see it (there is a + sign under the post, click it, that’s where the comments are).

        Quite a ride, your 6 word stories – I can see the story develop, even feel it. Good job on those, loved to read them!

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  10. I am a new blogger, and am wanting ways to really get my blog out there. Any suggestions?

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  11. Hi. Please would someone check out my blog? I am new to blogging and would love any kind of feedback. Thank you in advance.

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    2. Hi Freya. Welcome to blogging. I would suggest adding more pictures to your posts. The sad reality is that most people are visual by nature, so the right image is often the incentive to read on

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      1. Thank you for your feedback, Ben. I shall add more pictures to my posts from now on.

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    3. Hey Freya, I like your blog, the title is very original in my opinion. I also like the details you included on your about page, such honesty is always refreshing.

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      1. Thank you for your feedback. Honesty is always the way for me, otherwise, what’s the point?

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    1. If I were you, I’d change the header image. It seems slightly pixelated on my screen and it clashes with your blog title. “Phantom” doesn’t fit with such bright green colors. It’s also a poor fit for the mustard yellow you’re using elsewhere in the blog.

      Also, your tagline doesn’t seem to fit. Most posts are about food but your tagline emphasizes career issues.

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  16. Hi everyone! I recently changed my layout to be more visually friendly since I using my blog more for photography. My layout comes with a featured posts header and I was wondering if I should use it or omit it. I also do a little writing so for now I’ve put up my written posts on the header. Thoughts and feedback would be greatly appreciated! 🙂 http://studiomei.wordpress.com/

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    2. I like this theme turn your blog to a portfolio. It certainly makes your photos look even more fantastic instead of the usual 2 column layout.

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  17. Hello everyone. I hope you are well. I’ve been blogging two months now about living with a brain injury. This week, was very difficult. If you know someone that has or is suffering from a TBI, please share my blog with them. I reached a dark place this week and perhaps others with brain injuries has as well. Also, if you have a moment, please take a look at this post. Thank you in Advance http://sweetlittlesomethingsnet.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/why-am-i-here/

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  18. Hi guys I’m new to blogging, and I was wondering if any of you had any comments about my blog or any advice on blogging to make my blog even better. Thanks in advance 😊

    thoughtsofaukgirl.wordpress.com

    Nicola

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    1. For the sake of balance I would add one more pic to your home page. Six circles will look a lot better than 5. I would also flesh out your about page a little bit more to the extent that you’re comfortable. Welcome to the blogosphere

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      1. Each circle on my homepage is a different post so i will have six when I put up the next post 😊 writing about myself is probably the hardest thing, never know what to tell you guys lol 😊 thanks for the input and welcome

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    1. Hello Ms Blusher. Took a look and the only suggestion I’d make is to flesh out your about page. A picture you feel comfortable with and some less-random facts about you (though the ones you provided are amusing) would give potential readers a better idea of who they are listening to

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  20. Hello
    I’m new to the world of blogging. I want to display through my writing my personal thoughts and experiences and offer my readers some heart felt content. I want to reach audiences world wide once my page is content ready. Any ideas,

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  21. Hi everyone 🙂
    Earlier, a friend advised me that i shouldn’t write very lengthy posts. i have started to write briefer ones. so please check out my blog and tell me what you think 🙂

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    1. I like your new posts Maria, they’re detailed and not very long, easy on the eye with nicely spaced paragraphs. The addition of pictures makes them even more awesome. Keep up the good work.

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  23. Hi all, still trying to get my blog off the ground so posting frequently at the moment to add some content. It’s a bit of an all rounder theme, family, craft, cooking, travel etc. I can be prone to large blocks of text so if you have a few minutes, if you could pop over & let me know if my posts read ok, if they are interesting & any other feedback 🙂 http://simplifycreateinspire.com. Thanks

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  25. Hey everyone. Was looking for some feedback on my ‘Best Of’ Page. Are the selected titles catchy enough to arouse curiosity? Any thoughts would be appreciated

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    1. Hi. Took a look. I like your header image, though at first glance it wasn’t apparent what the subject matter of the blog would be about. A scroll down into the world of cosmetics and I figured it out 😉 I would recommend a little more ‘meat’ on your about page. A first name and well-chosen picture would incline a reader to ‘trust’ your info more if they know who they are listening to

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  29. I just moved my blog to wordpress from blogger. I’m really curious to get some feedback on the readability. Is it inviting? Is the main idea clear? Are the long posts off putting? or is that just a personal preference thing? Any thoughts would be sooo appreciated.
    http://offyourmat.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello! I actually just checked your blog, and it looks very clean, easy to read. I am a fan for longer posts, so for me it is not off putting at all. I think you made the wright choice by coming to Word Press. It can be really hard to find and follow blogs on Blogger. Incidentally, Happy Mother’s Day!

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Hello everyone! One of my blogs is a writing blog, where I upload my own stories, or parts of them at least. I really need the theme to look great and match with my content. I have already changed my theme 3 times. Can you please take a look at my blog and let me know what you think? Thank you! http://myauthorwithin.wordpress.com

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    1. Mariam, I just took a look at your blog. I favor light, crisp themes, so I really like the appearance. And I think it absolutely matches your content & your voice as a “welcoming host.”

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