Dec 22, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for advice, feedback, and friendly blogging chatter.

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.

Show Comments

801 Comments

Comments are closed.

Close Comments

Comments

  3. I just started my blog, and I’ve only written 2 entries, I would like followers however I must warn that it could be a trigger to those who have suffered child abuse. I’m using my blog as a tool to tell my story, and to release some of the burden I’ve been carrying.
    My link is ;
    http://nikkimcgarey.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi NIk.

      Thoughtful and honest. I’m sure you’ll find other people who have experienced similar pain in their lives. In your case I would treat the blog as a way to unload first and foremost. If you don’t get any followers from that, at least it’s lightened the load somewhat. But I have a feeling that you’ll grow your following as long as your consistent and contribute to the WordPress community.

      Aidan

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you for the kind advise. I can only hope as I unload my baggage and process everything, someone out there has had a similar experience. Perhaps it’ll help a bit, and they won’t feel so alone. I’m so happy I decided to make this blog, I already feel a little lighter.
        Thank you again. ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Hey everyone and happy holidays! I just started a blog entitled “The Trials and Troubles of This Average College Girl” aka “The Confessions of an Average College Girl to College Girls” and I was wondering if you all could tell me what you think: collegegirlscansurvive.wordpress.com/

    Like

  5. Thank you W-friends and Merry Christmas. Similar to last year, I created a post on http://34kiwis.org to reflect on the “modern spirit” of this season. As with all post, my effort is to encourage reflection in my students and the value of words. Share your thoughts on how I can improve and maybe share it with teachers and friends.

    http://34kiwis.org

    Like

  7. Hey guys 🙂
    I recently started a new blog and would love to know what you think about it! Please let me know what you think about the blog and the posts
    Thank you so much and Happy holidays 🙂

    Like

      1. Hi! I enjoyed the clean, simple design and look of your finance blog. The graphics were sharp and to the point. I also liked how you listed several “tips” on each section. The ideas on ways not to spend (stop eating out, etc.) were particularly interesting and should be expanded on in another post. Maybe something along the lines of how not to spend when your kids tag along with you at Target! Just an idea. One suggestion: I didn’t see anything about you. Do you have a degree in finance or are self-educated? Do you have a saving success story? Why does this subject interest you? Something short would be enough. Best, Linnea http://www.gerbilzen.wordpress.com

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Thank you for your feedback! It means so much to me. Your suggestions are really helpful and I will add an “About me” page to the blog. That was a great suggestion 😊

        Like

  8. Hey there bloggers! I would love to get some feedback on my most recent posts, particularly regarding their readability, general level of interest, and tone. I write an industry blog from a personal POV, so I’m finding the balance between friendly and informative to be a challenge (all previous blogging work has been personal only). Many thanks in advance, everyone, and happy holidays!

    http://pieceofkaratcake.com/

    Like

    1. I really liked these posts! I felt as though they were very unique. You seem a lot of gift idea posts, but none geared only towards jewelry. It looks very good. I liked the theme you were using, and your posts were well written.

      Like

  9. My last two blog posts, “Helping Homeless Children…” and “The Only Secret,” have been my first forays into very serious, personal posts. Any feedback would be extremely helpful, particularly on how they make you feel. Comments on the blog or here are equally appreciated. Thank you in advance!
    mikeguillenblog.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi Mike,

      I read the ‘secret’ post and enjoyed it. It made me want to follow you to find out more about your journey. Looks like we share some influential book choices too. The Alchemist is up there as one of my best ever, and James Altucher is a power blogger – such honesty!

      Best of luck.
      Aidan

      Like

      1. Thank you!
        As promised I went to check out your own blog and it’s well written. You are very open and honest, which is very nice to see in a blog.
        Thank you again for both the reply and the follow. 🙂

        Like

  11. Hi Guys,
    Keen for any feedback on my latest post about being a single man in their 30’s. Happy to offer any honest critique back to contributors. Thanks in advance.
    Aidan

    Like

    2. Hello! I very much enjoyed visiting your blog. The energy of your family really comes through in your images and descriptions. At a glance, I thought the post looked long, but when I started really looking it was only due to the size of the images. You might consider reducing them if you are worried about perceived length; viewers can always click images they would like to see at full-size.

      I thought the little blurbs of information about the images/locations were just about right for my own tastes; not too long, enough to tell me what I am viewing plus a little more if I were inclined to visit. Linking to relevant websites is brilliant, and I appreciate that as a reader.

      I ventured beyond the post you linked to, to get a feel for a bit more of your site. I really like the ‘vibe’ given by your writing. It’s very positive and upbeat, and makes me want to know more. Great job, and as a new follower, I look forward to seeing some more of your posts in the future!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much for you positive and very useful feedback! Really appreciate it 🙂 I did wonder whether I should have smaller images, will give it a try. Big Thank you for following us too 🙂 happy holidays!

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Hi,
      I had a short look too. My own posts are pretty heavy on images too, so I don’t really mind the large display of the images. But I think it would be nice to your readers if you could reduce their file size a little more. Loading your page was 36 MB, so that’s a little too much for bandwidth-limited users (like when you are traveling with a USB internet key) or those with a slower connection.
      Happy blogging and happy traveling to you and your family!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate feed back on my recent two posts. They haven’t got much traffic like my previous posts and I’m feeling a little bit discouraged.

    I think that my blog layout may be contributing to this as i have struggled to produce a layout that provides easy navigation as well as sonethig that’s attractive and represents what my blog is about.

    So my questions: 1) Can you suggest how I can improve my overall layout? I.e. Free templates that reflect my blog (see welcome & about pages)

    2) How is my writing style? Any constructive improvements are welcome.

    Please comment on this thread and not my blog. Looking forward to visiting your blogs and reading your posts 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hey Leancia, I think your blog is off to a pretty solid start. I don’t know much about layout, but I can’t say I’m wild about your theme. The text is a bit too small and there’s too much blank space. Your writing is wonderful. It’s detailed and eloquent but also very dynamic. I love your wednesday’s woman feature. It’s one of the most unique features I’ve seen on WordPress, and I’m very excited to read the ambitions and stories of more women. And lastly, traffic can be a bit fickle. It doesn’t really reflect the quality of your posts. Some of my favorite posts didn’t get nearly as much views/likes as posts that I cared less about. Don’t get discouraged, although tagging more popular key words can sometimes generate more traffic. Subscribe for future posts 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I really enjoy your blog. I read through some of your posts and they were all great! You have a very solid writing style and I think you are on the right track to being very successful. I am not a huge fan of the layout, but I’m not sure which to suggest to you to try. Don’t get too discouraged over the lack of traffic. Keep in mind that this could be due to the holiday season as well. Just keep on writing, and like @conqueringanthropophobia said, tag popular words. I am now a follower! Keep up the good work!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much for the feedback Life Through My Eyes, im not a fan of my layout either lol. I will be working in improving this over the Christmas period. Thank you for following my blog too. I will be visiting everyone’s blog who has commented on this over the next few days. Thanks again! Have a great Christms 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Themes are personal choices, and you have to find what works for you. It took a bit of browsing about to find your posts from the home page.
      The writing’s great and easy to follow.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for the feedback. I understand what you mean in terms of navigating through my blog, i will be changing this. Thank you for following my blog too. Looking forward to readingbyour posts. Have a great Christms 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    4. I enjoyed your blog and agree with all that was said about the writing. Also, like someone else said, it’s a little confusing navigating from the homepage, but once you figure that out, it’s easy. Keep it up! I’ll be following!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for taking the time to read, feedback and follow :). I have so much fun reading to do over Christmas, looking forward to visiting your blog. Have an awesome Christmas 😊🎄

        Like

    1. It looks like you are off to a great start! So far, your posts look really good. I would suggest adding some widgets to your page. Such as the follow widget.

      I would also suggest adding more pictures. This will attract the “visual” people such as myself.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi Craftymommy01,
      Very good posts and to the point. Content is good and you are putting forth what you want to. But I would suggest a new theme and also echo previous comment about widgets.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. My blog, darkeyedchild.wordpress.com is relatively new, about three months in. I have a tumblr, but to write in longer form, I switched over to WordPress for my writing needs. I know the layout needs some work and I want to add a custom header, but I’m not too artistically inclined. I was wondering if anyone would take a peek. Also, if you could check out the posts and comment if you like my work, that’d be great!

    Like

    1. Hey! I actually don’t think there’s anything wrong with the layout. It’s bold and easy on the eyes. Maybe a little color and some images can help? I’ll take a look at your posts and comment on your blog 🙂

      Like

    2. Amazing blog – like your mantras. The layout is good but lacks color. May be put up a few pictures to make it more colorful and visually appealing. but your posts are awesome.

      Like

  19. Hello everyone! I’m new to this whole blogosphere thingamajig, and I’ve just learned that I’ve broken a “rule” by having too many tags, but I’d love any feedback y’all would be willing to give so I don’t break and more. I finally succumbed to the peer pressure and taken my ramblings and pictures public, and I’d appreciate any advice you more seasoned pros can give me!I’m still figuring out how it all works…

    adventuresofthecrazytrain.com

    Thanks in advance!
    J

    Like

  20. Hey guys,

    So I’m doing a little reconstruction on my blog and I’m starting to get a little frustrated. I want my blog to be clean looking and have thin lines but I’m having a hard time deciding which layout and fonts I should use. Because I’m a college student I don’t have a budget to pay for a fancy one. I was wondering if there were any tips/tricks to design or tailor my blog to more of what I want. Any feedback about my blog is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    https://alythom.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. I think your blog looks really good! I think it is very simple, clean, and to the point. It works well with your posts. What I would suggest is to set your settings so that only the title and the first few words of your post are showing rather than your entire post. It takes a long time to scroll through each one to get to the next.

      I am currently using the “Ever After” theme and I love it! If you want to see what it is like, here is the link to my blog:
      http://kennalynn24.wordpress.com

      Like I said, though, I think it looks good!

      Liked by 1 person

  21. I am trying to post every day, just about thoughts I have had.
    Some are related to life events but it would help to get feedback as to how I could improve my writing.
    caryllemirano.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. I love how raw and lyrical your writing is. There’s really not much I can say other than that it’s beautiful. Does your entire blog comprise of poems? If I had to give one piece of advice…Maybe write a bit more about yourself so your readers can feel more connected to your poems? I always like to know something about the author. Great stuff though.

      Like

      1. Thank you very much for the comment, though I was not expecting to actually get a response.
        I will write a bit about myself as soon as I have finished my ongoing piece at the moment.

        Liked by 1 person

  22. I have just published a post about the positive impacts of pets on mental health, I’d really appreciate anyone’s feedback on it; I had a lot of fun writing it! Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year.

    Like

    1. I absolutely love this post! I have 3 turtles and 1 tortoise as pets and they keep me sane! They always put me in a better mood with their funny little personalities! I can tell that you had fun writing it. It shows through your style of writing. Great job! Great post!

      Like

    1. Wow, I can’t believe this actually happened to you. I think it’s excellent and heart-felt, funny at times and sad. What a roller coaster ride!

      Keep up the good work!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank uou Leanne, and thanks for following!
        It was a tough ride, but worth it in the end…
        I’m sitting here surrounded by shredded paper as they open their gifts… Couldnt be happier now!
        Merry Christmas to you too xxx

        Liked by 1 person

  26. I started my blog little over a month ago and I am still trying to find my feet.

    http://www.cuecastanets.wordpress.com

    My blog deals with a niche music topic but I try to keep the posts as openminded and welcoming as possible so readers new to the music might find it interesting. I’d love to get some feedback. Tonight I’ve just published one of my longer posts.

    A question; I’ve been looking for a free magazine-type theme that would, say, display my 5 or more recent posts on the front page for a better overview than the scroll-down Typo theme I’m currently using.

    I haven’t found a free magazine-styled theme yet that I think really looks good. But I also haven’t looked through all themes. Any suggestions for a good theme for the type of blog I have? Or do I really have to shelve out money for a good magazine theme?

    Thanks in advance!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. This year’s (2014) default theme, Twenty Fourteen, is a highly versatile magazine theme, and it’s also very, very customizable — if you don’t like its out-of-the-box look, you can transform it into something very different quite easily. Here are three posts showcasing some well-customized sites using Twenty Fourteen:
      https://wordpress.com/blog/2014/01/20/customizing-twenty-fourteen/https://wordpress.com/blog/2014/02/24/twenty-fourteen-unplugged/
      https://wordpress.com/blog/2014/05/26/customizing-twenty-fourteen-2/

      Like

    1. HI! Fun blog and I really thought the Santa Claus nails were cute and original. Plus, the step-by-step photographs made it easy to learn. I also liked when you took photographs with your cat. For simplicity purposes and to see what you are displaying better, try to unclutter your background. In several pictures there was a wardrobe hanger? that distracted from the cute jewelry. I like the name of your blog too….catchy! Best, Linnea http://www.gerbilzen.wordpress.com

      Like