Aug 24, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Feedback, camaraderie, and free popsicles! (Free popsicles: not included.)

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Did you recently start your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips you might find useful:

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.

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once!
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • 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 Brian Cantoni.

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    1. I like the general design direction, but I do see some potential for improvements regarding the menu navigation. If possible, try to put the menu items under your top banner. It’s a bit confusing to have it placed at the very top.

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      1. Thank you, Philipp, for going through my blog!
        Yes, I have been struggling with the menu ever since I changed the classification of my posts and decided to add a few more pages.
        I just tried on this new theme last night and now I have some idea of how exactly I want the blog to look. Any suggestions for a suitable theme?
        Thanks again! 🙂

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    2. It took a while for me to find the posts, but after I did, I found some interesting posts. 🙂 So the only issue for me is find the way from the front page to the posts.

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      1. Hi Atherz!
        Thank you for checking out my blog!
        I am glad you find the posts interesting! Blogging is new to me too so any appreciation is truly encouraging.
        I am still experimenting with different themes (the current one was activated just last night! 😛 ), so the navigation issue has my full attention. Any suggestions for themes worth trying?
        Thanks again!

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      2. There’s nothing that I see that’s wrong with the theme you’re using right now except for the sections being on the top right instead of under the title. But yes, all I notice that’s a problem is the navigation. I still like your blog, though 😀

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Hey! So I think I have managed to fix the navigation issue with another new theme I am experimenting with (Gosh! I’m doing that a lot, aren’t I?). If you would be so kind as to take a look and let me know what you think 🙂
        Thanks!

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      5. Yes, you did fix the issue with the sections. Also, you really fixed the issue of finding your recent posts. The black circles around the dates really stuck out. 😛

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Well everyone already has the navigation thing covered so I’m going to break from the norm and suggest a smaller font size, I found your pages quite jarring because the writing is bigger than the rest of the internet.

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      1. Thank you for the suggestion.
        As I mentioned before, I was still experimenting with themes, so I just went with whatever default font size it had (Personally, I love a decent font size that doesnt make one squint!) My chief focus was the blog structure, since I did not have a proper menu with category pages and the works, which I think I have managed to resolve.
        I just switched to another theme and I think the font size on this one is pretty cool! Check it out and do let me know what you think!
        Thanks again 🙂

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      1. Yeah, I did check out the paid ones and I loved them! But as of now I want to stick to the free ones to get used to the different features. So I chose the Adelle theme and I think it has sorted most of the issues I faced.
        Do check it out and let me know if you think the same.
        Thank you once again for your suggestion, Philipp! 🙂

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    5. hello Jinal , I just visited your blog . Though I do not know how it was earlier , the new layout sure looks attractive . I specially liked your about me . good job Jinal .

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      1. Hi Shruti!
        Thank you for visiting my blog! And I’m glad you liked the “About Me” page! On a whim last night I thought about updating the info to give a little more insight into where I come from so I am happy thay you liked it.
        Thanks again! 🙂

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    1. I really like your blog! It seems that we have similar interests and I followed you right away! You can check out my two blogs suzyonthestreet@wordpress.com (a lifestyle blog) and my new beauty blog loveandeyeliner@wordpress.com (a beauty blog.) I’m still working on the layout of my beauty blog. I think I may have to change the theme because I just can’t get the hang of setting up the categories! If you could visit and send some feedback, I’d appreciate it!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi, Suzy!! I totally agree, we have the same interests in that we love things that make us feel pretty! =) hehe I love both of your blogs and am now a follower of both! Thanks for the feedback and I think your blogs look great! =)

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    1. I like how honest you are about real life. I was just sitting here icing my ankles and it was an enjoyable read. I like how you put an interesting picture in your post so that I can think about it and then read what you have to say about the picture. My blog is a little similar to yours. I don’t know if you’d like it, but feel free to check it out.
      http://rebekahflute.wordpress.com/

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      1. Wow! Thank you so much! Really made me smile 🙂 I just checked your page and i would agree that your page is a bit like mine, albeit more interesting! Hoping to read your future posts! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Can anyone suggest a good 3 column theme? I’d like to have a sidebar on either side of my content but I’m having trouble finding one that gives me a decent amount of control over colors and menus and such.

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    1. Hi Rebekah. Couple of quick things – An About Me section would be nice to better understand the theme of your blog. It can be the first thing people click on, to gauge whether or not to follow.

      I personally would make your header picture smaller if possible. When I load on my laptop, this image fills my entire screen and I would have to scroll to see the posts. A tiny thing but worth considering.

      Love the ring of soccer boots! Very colourful! Best of luck!

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  8. Hi everyone, I just started my blog by surpassing all the hesitation. I started putting some of personal feelings and emotions first. Please help me out give me your honest feed backs.I need them.very much….

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    1. Hi Gautbar. Looks like you’re on the right path. Short and sweet posts. It would be nice to know more about you and your background by filling out the About Me section. Best of luck.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. I do shoot the messenger, actually my favourite hobby, comment at your own risk 🙂 go on I dare you 🙂 abozdar.wordpress.com 🙂

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    1. Well, for the different blog avatars, you can go in your dashboard -> Settings -> General. You can also make About me pages from the dashboard. (You get different dashboards for each blog)

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Hey all. I recently published two posts, one about gender and gender marketing, and one about satire and ignorance.

    Mainly I’m pleased with the gender one, I’m just wondering if my horrible doodles add to it or take away from it.
    http://nonsenseshenanigans.com/2014/08/23/that-boy-is-for-girls/

    As for the satire one, I wrote it over several days and worked on random parts instead of beginning to end. I feel like I fizzled out in some areas. I’d like to know if you feel the same.
    http://nonsenseshenanigans.com/2014/08/24/big-foot-and-the-jersey-devil-are-obamas-parents/

    Thanks!

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    1. Your blog looks fun and I’m always on the lookout for interesting films and TV Shows. Can’t believe the rubbish being shown at the minute on British TV screens.

      It’s only going to get worse with X-Factor next weekend!

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      1. Thank you for the follow buddy.

        Yes the dire straits caused by the current crop of craptacular TV does leave the more refined watcher left starving for a miniscule amount of plot and pacing. If you are looking for recommendations I will do my best.

        Is there any particular genre you are partial too?

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      2. Bit of a Sci-Fi, Horror geek. Come to think of it though, I think the horror genre doesn’t really exist anymore with the watered down pish they pass off nowadays. Copy-Paste formula.

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  13. Hi there, my name is Abi and have been blogging for about a month now. I’m happy with what I put out but I feel like I have lost some direction and I think that is bringing the blog down. If you would be so kind as to stop by and let me know your general impression of my blog that would be awesome! I just want to know if people are enjoying my content, thanks for your time 🙂 Thankss

    Liked by 1 person

    1. HI Abi. You have a very pretty blog. The photos and graphics are really nice.

      If you feel like you’ve lost direction, I highly recommend taking some time away from your blogging activities to get your focus back, and find inspiration again. Don’t feel the need to blog daily just for the sake of it, because that will only affect the quality of your content in the long run.

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    2. Hi Abi,

      I’m glad you’re using the Community Pool to ask for blogging advice.

      I’ve noticed you’ve posted several threads asking for feedback, as well as left the same comment on many different threads by others. In the future, since we try to make this shared space as easy to navigate and read as possible, thank you for not starting multiple threads in the same week. As for comments, if you’re not addressing the original poster’s question, then it’s probably more appropriate to ask them other questions on their own sites, rather than here.

      Thanks for your cooperation, and good luck with your blog!

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  16. I copied my picture and the image on my blog as jpg files (I think but can’t find them at the moment). As you can see, they’re fuzzy. Can I un-fuzzy them? If so, how? If not, what can I use instead? Specifically, what types of images transfer best. Also, any suggestions for a good image of the part of the Declaration of Independence that highlights the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident”? Answers to any or all of these requests would be appreciated.

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    1. The images’ fuzziness is a function of their resolution — high-resolution images will look crisper when stretched over a header area.
      In your theme, Hemingway Rewritten, you’d want the original image to be at least 1280px by 416px for it not to lose any of its quality.

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  17. New to blogging and would love any feedback regarding my writing style… Are you engaged and interested when you read my posts?

    Recently moved to Ottawa, Canada and my posts document my adventures around the city. They are also an outlet for personal musings:

    http://ottawalyfe.wordpress.com/

    Thank you – I appreciate your time!

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    1. first thing is the both our blogs have started at about the same time.
      you blog looks fresh and posts are good too. you keep going like this for now.
      things are definitely looking up

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      1. Thanks for the feedback, debooWORKS. I appreciate it! I checked out your blog, as well, and I like your photography! Keep up the great work. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Hi, my name is Laura and my blog is http://www.beginninglifeat43.com.. one of you already gave me great advice but I need more. For whatever reason I have a mental block in organizing my content under proper categories, and also, understanding tagging. So right now its a bit mishmoshed. Should I print out all my blogs and try to make piles to categorize them? Maybe I don’t even have enough content yet, idek!! But any help would be so welcomed… also.. my “Homepage”.. I don’t even have one and I feel like I’m mentally blocked as to figuring mine out. I understand I’m probably a lost cause, but I appreciate anyone

    Like

    2. For advice about categories and tags – from a WordPress technical point of view they are the same (yes!) – and I would think long and hard about categories that you are likely to write in and stick with those – maybe half a dozen categories – broad enough that posts will fit in them – For example, ‘environment’, ‘film reviews’ – or whatever. Because what you don’t want is lots and lots of categories and only one post per category. What you do want is a whole bunch of posts in each of a few categories.

      And unless there is a good reason, only put a post in one category – not two or three.

      And I am not big on tags. I know they help other bloggers find your posts – but only if the tags are something they are looking for – (a bit like searching on Google) – and who is going to be looking for a tag like ‘aunt’ ?

      So I only use tags for things like camera models (Fuji X100s) that I write about – or writers – ‘Aldous Huxley’ – and for the rest I don’t bother. (I know, it’s heresy…)

      Like

  21. Hey there,
    I’m looking for some feedback on my site and how to make it a bit more interesting and stand out. I’m a teen and blog about my experiences, embarrassing situations and my general interests,
    Thank you! 🙂
    typwritingteen.wordpress.com

    Like

      1. Awww thank you! Yeah I like to add a little funny gif here and there 😀 much appreciated & I hope you like reading my posts!

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks glad to know it stands out, and haha yeah I’m surprised I passed everything – looks like all that revision paid off 🙂

        Like

    1. I suspect that asking a more specific question or requesting more targeted help will make it more likely for others to chime in.

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    2. Hi I just visited your blog . I could only see one post . Dont worry about the writing you will improve with more posts. I would suggest you to add an about me , categories on the side bar and other widgets . I t would be easier when you add more posts you know .

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  24. Hi guys, my blog is in my mother tounge which is Vietnamese. Ever since I start the blog, which is one month ago, I know for sure this wil limit my audience to only the Vietnamese. So do you think when my blog is well established and have rich resources that I should translate my posts into English so that the targeted audience is broader?
    Thanks in advance ! XD

    Liked by 1 person

    1. DO NOT leave your mother tongue,
      Why give up one of the best features of your blog (and the design is good also).
      PS. many people have Google Translate, you don’t have to worry that much.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Try translating some of your blog posts in English. You will get a bigger audience over time.

      Why do you post comic/manga pictures? I’m not interested in seeing stuff like that. Better I buy a comic book instead. Most readers are interested in knowing /seeing abit more about Vietnam or wherever you live.

      Like

      1. My initial intention of building the blog is to provide reviews of mangas ( not just comic pictures) and means of entertainment, especially mangas because there are not many ( if any ) blogs about that subjects in Vietnamese.

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    1. I have multiple actually, but they’re not all called About. I also write as 4 different personalities (there is a reason for that). I have an About for the Blog, an About for the Authors and an About for each”author”. Does it work? I don’t know… 🙂

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  26. I don’t actually need anyone to look at my blog, although you’re free to do so if you wish and offer any feedback you want. I just have two specific questions:

    1. What is a good growth rate for a general-interest, quasi-personal blog? I’ve had about 500 views in the first 10 or so days my blog has been up and now have about 65 followers. How do those metrics stack up against the usual, and what goal should I am for by the end of my first month of blogging?

    2. What is considered a good number of daily hits/followers for a blog like mine? Again, I just want a rule-of-thumb metric of what is considered successful in terms of readership.

    All responses welcome.

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    1. It sounds like you are off to a great start! Unfortunately I don’t have any specific numbers to share that will answer your questions. I find that my traffic is definitely proportionate to how much effort I put it. The more posts I make and the more I engage with other bloggers, the higher my views will be. Every once in awhile one of my posts will be shared on social media and it drives a lot of traffic to my blog. It’s hard to predict when that will happen though.

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  27. Just recently i hv shifted my clients bloggers blog to wordpress. How it’s overall design, user friendlyness and look? Blog is omkarfarm.wordpress.com

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  29. I’ve been slowly working on my blog design to make it appear more professional. I recently added social media icons and I’ve really been trying to make sure my posts have a solid “featured image.” I’d love any feedback on what else I can do to improve the appearance of my blog. Thank you! http://andreaslens.com

    Like